Matthew
Schaefer
D · NYI · Offensive · Elite
- PAL
- 98
- WAR
- 3.9
- Value
- 100
- PTS
- 59
2025-26№ 2 / 325
Matthew Schaefer (New York Islanders) stats and profile: offensive production, ice time, advanced stats, WAR and PAL rating.
Matthew Schaefer
HEIGHT : 191 cm · WEIGHT : 88 kg · SHOOTS : L
Born : September 4, 2007 · Hamilton, Canada
Drafted : 2025 · NYI · round 1, pick #1
Contract : $975,000 · 2025-26 → 2027-28 · Entry-Level Contract · RFA · Signing bonus $97,500
NHL record
| Year | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | New York Islanders | 16 | 5 | 11 | 16 | 12 |
| 2025-26 | New York Islanders | 82 | 23 | 36 | 59 | 38 |
| NHL totals | 98 | 28 | 47 | 75 | 50 | |
Honours
- 🏆 Calder Memorial Trophyonce · 2025-26
Matthew Schaefer: our analysis
2025-26 season: 82 GP, 23 G, 36 A, 59 PTS, +13 +/-, 24:41 TOI. WAR 3.9 (2nd of 325) · PAL 98, elite.
In 2025-26, Matthew Schaefer, 19, posts a PAL Rating of 98 out of 100 (elite), and his WAR of 3.9 ranks 2nd among 325 regulars, among the league's elite.
His strengths: discipline (100, among the best in the league), creation (99, among the best in the league) and shooting (99, among the best in the league).
Breaking down his WAR (goals above average), his biggest contribution: finishing (+8.5); his biggest cost: penalty kill (-0.2).
Contract-wise, his Value score of 100 (exceptional value) weighs his output against what he costs: 50 is what that salary should buy.
Matthew Schaefer's story
Hamilton, Ontario is where Matthew Schaefer began his rise through the Canadian development ranks, emerging after a 2022-23 midget season that produced 12 goals and 32 points in 25 games with the Halton Hurricanes and earned him player-of-the-year recognition in that circuit.
Chosen first overall by the Erie Otters in the 2023 OHL draft, Schaefer signed with the club in May 2023 and moved into the league that fall. His rookie OHL campaign saw him register his first goal in October and finish with three goals and 17 points across 56 games, performances that put him on the league’s all-rookie first team.
The following season brought interruptions — mononucleosis early on and a broken collarbone at the 2025 World Junior Championships — yet Schaefer remained highly rated: he was named the top North American skater on the NHL Central Scouting midterm list and was awarded the CHL Top Draft Prospect honour ahead of the 2025 NHL Entry Draft. New York selected him first overall on June 27, 2025, and he signed a three-year entry-level contract on August 4.
Schaefer stepped into the NHL in October 2025 and quickly made an impact from the blue line. He notched his first NHL goal on October 11 and followed with multiple multi-point games, breaking or moving past several rookie and age-based records for goals and points by a defenceman. His 2025–26 season concluded with 59 points in 82 games, a Calder Trophy win (unanimous), and a spot on the NHL All-Rookie Team.
Internationally, Schaefer has captained Canadian youth teams to gold: the 2023 Canada Winter Games (as Ontario’s captain), the 2023 U17 World Challenge, the 2024 U18 World Championships, and the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup. On the ice he blends power-play deployment and penalty-kill minutes with an offensive instinct from the back end, producing shots, transition plays and scoring opportunities that have defined his early professional profile.
Facts drawn from Wikipédia, told in our own words.
Advanced stats
- TOI/GP
- 26:48
- PP TOI/GP
- 3:51
- SH TOI/GP
- 0:12
- Pts/GP
- 1.00
- EV points
- 12
- Hits
- 12
- Blocks
- 14
- Takeaways
- 14
- Corsi % (SAT)
- 56.4 %
- Off. zone starts
- 32.7 %
Stats and photos: NHL (NHL.com)
2026-27 projection
Projected points
70between 47 and 85 (80% range)
- Goals
- 25
- Assists
- 45
- Games
- 83
So far: 16 pts in 16 games. The team has played 16 of 84 games. Projected pace: 0.81 pts per game (last season: 0.72).
The projection follows last season's pace. Tested on 2,265 player seasons (2022-23 to 2025-26): average miss of 9 points over 82 games; for players at 0.9 points per game and up, it ran 5 points high on average.
This is only a projection. It knows nothing about injuries, trades or role changes; one player in five finishes outside the range.
Player ratings, 2025-26
All ratings →Fourteen ratings from 0 to 100 drawn from data, never by hand: 75 = established NHL player, 95+ = elite.
OV · OverallConfidence 66 %
92
Star
- SK
- Skating
- 96
- Confidence 40 %
- ST
- Strength
- 79
- Confidence 70 %
- EN
- Endurance
- 88
- Confidence 50 %
- DU
- Durability
- 81
- Confidence 40 %
- CK
- Checking
- 66
- Confidence 70 %
- FG
- Fighting
- 75
- Confidence 34 %
- DI
- Discipline
- 98
- Confidence 70 %
- FO
- Faceoffs
- —
- PA
- Passing
- 85
- Confidence 66 %
- SC
- Scoring
- 96
- Confidence 66 %
- DF
- Defense
- 71
- Confidence 61 %
- PS
- Penalty shot
- 76
- Confidence 0 %
- EX
- Experience
- 43
- Confidence 100 %
Why these ratings?Hide details
SK — Skating96
- Top speed (35 %)36.3 · 86
- Bursts > 20 mph /60 (30 %)6.643 · 97
- Distance /60 (20 %)14.8 · 89
- Speed consistency (15 %)35.8 · 93
ST — Strength79
- Contact absorbed /60 (50 %)6.679 · 88
- Body mass (50 %)-0.283 · 68
EN — Endurance88
- Ice time per game (45 %)22 · 87
- Total ice time (20 %)1,912 · 92
- Shift length (15 %)51.3 · 85
- Lowest recent ice time per game (15 %)20.4 · 86
- Special-teams time per game (5 %)3.739 · 87
DU — Durability81
- Share of games played (100 %)0.857 · 81
CK — Checking66
- Hits /60 (70 %)1.773 · 62
- Lowest seasonal rate (20 %)2.159 · 71
- Season volume (10 %)3.714 · 72
FG — Fighting75
- Fights per 82 games (100 %)0.831 · 75
DI — Discipline98
- Net penalty value /60 (50 %)0.067 · 98
- Penalties taken /60 (30 %)0.608 · 76
- Penalties drawn /60 (20 %)1.006 · 98
PA — Passing85
- Primary assists /60 (40 %)0.506 · 83
- Secondary assists /60 (20 %)0.565 · 84
- Offensive creation (RAPM) (20 %)0.141 · 87
- Power-play points /60 (10 %)4.155 · 76
- Assist consistency (10 %)0.398 · 86
SC — Scoring96
- Goals /60 (25 %)0.609 · 96
- Individual xG /60 (20 %)0.4 · 93
- Finishing (goals − xG per shot) (20 %)1.108 · 97
- High-danger chances /60 (15 %)0.388 · 97
- xG per shot (10 %)0.039 · 90
- Shot attempts /60 (10 %)15 · 92
DF — Defense71
- RAPM defense /60 (35 %)0.008 · 73
- Relative xG against (20 %)0.025 · 72
- On-ice xG against /60 (15 %)2.762 · 64
- Penalty kill /60 (10 %)-0.069 · 68
- Takeaways − giveaways /60 (10 %)-1.705 · 81
- Shot attempts against /60 (5 %)58.5 · 73
- Blocked shots /60 (5 %)3.757 · 65
PS — Penalty shot76
- Shootouts (60 %)32.7 · 76
- Penalty shots (40 %)26.7 · 76
EX — Experience43
- Career regular-season games (65 %)62
- Career playoff games (25 %)0
- NHL seasons (10 %)24
OV — Overall92
- DF · Defense (30 %)71
- PA · Passing (22 %)85
- SK · Skating (12 %)96
- SC · Scoring (12 %)96
- EN · Endurance (9 %)88
- ST · Strength (6 %)79
- DI · Discipline (5 %)98
- CK · Checking (4 %)66
The bars show confidence (sample size), not player quality. — : not enough data, not a zero. Engine version 1.0.
WAR and PAL ratings, 2025-26
How we rate →PAL Rating scores performance from 0 to 100 against players at the same position (50 = average player), starting from the player's strength, offensive or defensive. Value Rating compares that performance with what the player costs: 50 means paid what the play is worth.
WAR
3.9
wins above replacement
2 of 325
PAL Rating
98/ 100
Performance · Elite
5 of 250 at the position
Value Rating
100/ 100
Exceptional value
0.98 M$ · expected PAL 40
ProfileOffensiveValue comes mostly from offense
- Offense
- 97
- Defense
- 50
See full detailsHide details
- Offense
- 94
- Creation
- 99
- Shooting
- 99
- Possession
- 77
- Defense
- 44
- Discipline
- 100
- Power play
- 90
- Penalty kill
- 45
From 0 to 100; 50 is the average player at the same position, adjusted for ice time.
Hockey IQ, 2025-26
Rankings and method →The quality of the player's decisions with and against the puck at 5-on-5, against regulars at the same position (50 = average). PAL measures output; IQ measures how the player plays.
Overall IQ
99/ 100
Elite
better than 99% of defensemen, offense and defense combined
Offensive IQ
100/ 100
Elite
passing, shots, puck
Defensive IQ
77/ 100
Very good
takeaways, discipline, own zone
Overall IQ isn't an average of the two scores: it's the player's rank with offense and defense combined, 2 of 225 defensemen.
See full detailsHide details
Offense
- Playmaking passes
- 77
- Shot selection
- 96
- Penalties drawn
- 100
- Puck management
- 84
Defense
- Takeaways
- 69
- Discipline
- 42
- Safe zone exits
- 90
Percentiles: 80 means better than 80% of regulars at the same position. Play without the puck (positioning, coverage) isn't measured: the NHL doesn't publish that data.
WAR, 2025-26
How it's calculated →Wins added to the team, compared with a replacement-level player called up from the AHL.
3.9
wins above replacement
2.1 to 5.4 — 90% interval
2 of 325 defensemen
+20.4 goals above replacement
Full leaderboard →See full detailsHide details
- EV offense
- +4.7
- EV defense
- +0.1
- Power play
- -0.0
- Penalty kill
- -0.2
- Shooting
- +8.5
- Penalties
- +3.4
- Average → replacement
- +4.0
In goals.
Player tracking (NHL EDGE)
League EDGE leaderboards →Speed, shot power, distance covered, time by zone: measured by chips in the puck and shoulder pads. 90th percentile = better than 90% of players.
- Hardest shot
- 154.2 km/h94th percentileleague avg. 139.7 km/h
- Top skating speed
- 37.3 km/h99th percentileleague avg. 34.0 km/h
- Bursts over 20 mph, season
- 75100th percentileleague avg. 8
- Offensive zone time
- 46.3 %94th percentileleague avg. 42.4 %
See full detailsHide details
- Total distance, season
- 106.2 km99th percentileleague avg. 56.1 km
- Distance, single-game high
- 7.88 km100th percentileleague avg. 4.98 km
- Offensive zone at 5v5
- 44.3 %86th percentileleague avg. 42.8 %
- Neutral zone time
- 17.8 %34th percentileleague avg. 16.9 %
- Defensive zone time
- 35.9 %94th percentileleague avg. 40.8 %
Shooting
| Shots on goal | Goals | Shooting % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| All | 57100th percentile | 599th percentile | 8.8 %67th percentile |
| High danger | 498th percentile | 198th percentile | 25.0 %71st percentile |
| Mid range | 24100th percentile | 399th percentile | 12.5 %59th percentile |
| Long range | 2498th percentile | 077th percentile | 0.0 %67th percentile |
Shots on goal by zone
2026-2027 regular season. Measured by puck and player tracking chips; the percentile ranks the player within the league.
Game log, 2026-27
🔥 2-game point streak
NJD
CAR
EDM
MIN
NSH
DAL
LAK
ANA
TOR
OTT
VAN
TBL
CHI
NYRMatthew Schaefer: frequently asked questions
How many goals does Matthew Schaefer have in 2026-27?
Matthew Schaefer has 5 goals and 16 points (11 assists) in 16 games in 2026-27.
How old is Matthew Schaefer?
Matthew Schaefer is 19 years old: he was born on September 5, 2007.
How tall is Matthew Schaefer, and how much does he weigh?
Matthew Schaefer is 6'3" (191 cm) and weighs 194 lb (88 kg).
Where is Matthew Schaefer from?
Canada: Matthew Schaefer was born in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
What team does Matthew Schaefer play for?
Matthew Schaefer plays for the New York Islanders in the NHL, at D, wearing number 48.
Is Matthew Schaefer injured?
No: Matthew Schaefer is not on the latest NHL injury report. This answer is updated throughout the season.
How good is Matthew Schaefer?
Matthew Schaefer produced 3.9 wins above replacement (WAR) in 2025-26, 2nd of 325 players at his position in the NHL. His PAL rating is 98 out of 100: elite for his position.
How much does Matthew Schaefer make?
Matthew Schaefer earns $975K for the 2025-26 season. His Value Rating is 100 out of 100 (exceptional value): it measures the on-field return for that salary, compared with players at his position.
When does Matthew Schaefer's contract end?
Matthew Schaefer's contract runs through the 2027-28 season; he will then be a restricted free agent.
Is Matthew Schaefer overpaid?
No, he gives more than he costs. His Value rating is 100 out of 100 (exceptional value), where 50 is the output expected for his salary, compared with players at his position.
Is Matthew Schaefer a top-10 player at his position?
Yes: by WAR, he ranks 2nd of 325 players at his position in the NHL in 2025-26. Our comparison tool puts him side by side with any other player.
How has Matthew Schaefer played lately?
Over his last 10 games, Matthew Schaefer has 10 points (5 goals, 5 assists).
What are Matthew Schaefer's career stats?
Over his NHL career, Matthew Schaefer has 98 games, 28 goals, 47 assists and 75 points. His best season: 2025-26, with 59 points in 82 games.
Where was Matthew Schaefer drafted?
Matthew Schaefer was drafted 1st overall (round 1) by New York Islanders in 2025.
Is Matthew Schaefer better at home or on the road?
At home: in 2026-27, he averages 1.11 points per game at home (10 in 9 games) and 0.86 on the road (6 in 7 games).
How does Matthew Schaefer perform in the playoffs?
Matthew Schaefer has not played in the NHL playoffs yet.
Which player is most similar to Matthew Schaefer?
Nick Blankenburg: he is the player at his position whose PAL profile (the 0-to-100 dimensions) is closest to his in 2025-26.
Nick Blankenburg's page →Is Matthew Schaefer a good fantasy pick?
Yes, a solid pick: our projection has him at 70 points in 2026-27, or 0.84 points per game.
Does Matthew Schaefer have siblings?
Yes: his brother Johnny Schaefer (played in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL)).
What is Matthew Schaefer's nationality?
Matthew Schaefer is Canadian. Internationally: Represented Ontario and Canada: gold at the 2023 Canada Winter Games (captain, Ontario), gold at the 2023 World U-17 Hockey Challenge (captain, Canada U17), gold at the 2024 IIHF U18 World Championship (Canada), gold at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup (captain, Canada); participated in the 2025 World Junior Championship (injured).
What awards has Matthew Schaefer won?
Calder Memorial Trophy (NHL rookie of the year) — 2025–26 ; Named to the NHL All-Rookie Team — 2025–26 ; NHL Rookie of the Month (October) — 2025 ; CHL Top Draft Prospect Award — 2025 ; OHL First All-Rookie Team — 2023–24 ; Player of the Year (Halton Hurricanes U16) — 2022–23.
How many championships has Matthew Schaefer won?
4: 2023 Canada Winter Games — gold medal with Ontario (overtime game-winning goal in final); 2023 World U-17 Hockey Challenge — gold medal with Canada U17; 2024 IIHF U18 World Championship — gold medal with Canada; 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup — gold medal with Canada (captain).
Where did Matthew Schaefer play before turning pro?
Halton Hurricanes (U16, South-Central Triple A) — 2022–23; Erie Otters (OHL) — selected first overall in the 2023 OHL draft, signed May 2023 and played beginning fall 2023 (seasons 2023–24 and 2024–25).
How many points is Matthew Schaefer projected to score in 2026-27?
Our projection has him at 70 points in 83 games in 2026-27 (47 to 85 points, 80% interval), based on his recent seasons, age and role.
See also: his New York Islanders teammates
Full roster →
NHL.com ↗ · Stats and photos: NHL (NHL.com)