""Obviously it was Schaefer's first day, but he seemed like he was really open to getting input from everybody out there," Roy said. "That's the person he is. Am I surprised? Not at all. He's a quality person, and he just wants to learn. When you're saying things that make sense, he's smart enough to use it. I was very impressed with him today.""
""It was nice for him to be with Maisie," Roy explained. "I think Maisie will maybe play a big-brother kind of role for him and it will help him out. He's vocal out there, so I think it's going to help Schaefer a lot.""
""Outstanding," Roy said of Barzal's skating. "I think we were all curious to see how well he would move, and I was very happy and impressed. He was playing in the middle with Anders [Lee] and [Kyle] Palmieri, and they seemed to be connecting very well together.""
Matthew Schaefer, an 18-year-old rookie defenseman and first overall pick, displayed openness to instruction, intelligence, and composure during his first day of training camp. Pairing him with veteran Scott Mayfield is expected to provide a big-brother leadership role and vocal guidance that will aid his development. Camp work will emphasize collective five-on-five play rather than last year's small-area one-on-one and one-on-two tactical systems, with a focus on breakouts and the neutral-zone forecheck. Mathew Barzal returned to full health, skated strongly, and centered a line with Anders Lee and Kyle Palmieri showing promising chemistry. The intention is for Schaefer to feel free, enjoy himself, and not feel pressured while learning.
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