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Islanders' Matthew Schaefer: First career three-point game
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Schaefer scored twice on five shots, added an assist, blocked four shots, went plus-4 and logged two PIM in Sunday's 5-4 win over the Panthers.
This was the first three-point game of Schaefer's career, and he also reached the 20-goal mark with the effort. Hitting 20 goals as a defenseman is already an impressive feat, and it's even more remarkable that he was able to do so as an 18-year-old rookie. He's now at 44 points, 146 shots, 84 blocks, 30 PIM and a plus-14 rating over 61 appearances. Schaefer's already a borderline No. 1 defenseman in standard fantasy formats, and he's only getting started.
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Islanders' Matthew Schaefer: Pots two goals in Montreal
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Schaefer scored two goals, one on the power play, in Thursday's 4-3 overtime win over the Canadiens.
With the Islanders down 2-0 midway through the second period, Schaefer took matters into his own hands to tie it up, scoring twice in 55 seconds before the second intermission. The teenage blueliner has lit the lamp five times in the last six games, and on the season the overwhelming Calder Trophy favorite has 18 goals and 41 points in his first 59 NHL contests -- setting a new Islanders record for goals in a season by a rookie defenseman in the process, and breaking the mark established in 1973-74 by Hall of Famer Denis Potvin.
Islanders' Matthew Schaefer: One of each in overtime win
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Schaefer scored a goal on two shots, added an assist and blocked three shots in Tuesday's 5-4 overtime win over the Penguins.
Schaefer has three goals and two assists over the last five contests. He tallied late in the first period and helped out on a Bo Horvat goal in overtime in this effort, which was Schaefer's first multi-point outing since Jan. 19 versus the Canucks. The 18-year-old blueliner is up to 16 goals and 39 points through 57 appearances, with both of those scoring marks ranking third among all rookies. He's added 137 shots on net, 76 blocks, 28 PIM, 26 hits and a plus-7 rating. At this pace, he could take a run at Brian Leetch's record for goals by a rookie defenseman (23 in 1988-89).
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Islanders' Matthew Schaefer: Scores goal No. 15
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Schaefer scored a goal on three shots in Saturday's 4-3 loss to the Predators.
Schaefer has scored in consecutive contests and has seven points over his last eight games. The 18-year-old defenseman continues to do his job well, and he's up to 15 goals and 37 points over 55 outings. He could take a run at the 20-goal and 50-point marks if he stays healthy for the rest of the season, which are incredible totals for a rookie blueliner. Schaefer has added 134 shots on net, 71 blocked shots and a plus-8 rating so far.
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Islanders' Matthew Schaefer: Nets game-winner Thursday
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Schaefer scored a goal on two shots in Thursday's 2-1 win over the Rangers.
Schaefer has a goal and an assist over the last two games, which followed a three-game slump. The 18-year-old defenseman has done an excellent job of limiting his quiet stretches as a rookie, and he's been steady defensively even if he doesn't chip in on offense. For the season, Schaefer is up to 14 goals, 36 points, 131 shots on net, 71 blocked shots and a plus-8 rating across 54 outings.
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Islanders' Matthew Schaefer: Two more helpers Monday
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Schaefer recorded two assists in Monday's 4-3 win over the Canucks.
Schaefer has posted two assists in back-to-back games, and the 18-year-old continues to make a strong candidacy to win the Calder Trophy. He's cracked the scoresheet in six of his nine outings since the beginning of January, tallying nine points, a plus-1 rating, 16 shots, four hits and nine blocked shots. The 18-year-old blueliner ranks third in points among rookies with 34, trailing only Ivan Demidov and Beckett Sennecke.
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Islanders' Matthew Schaefer: Two helpers in Saturday's loss
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Schaefer pocketed two assists in Saturday's 4-2 loss to the Flames.
The rookie blueliner tried to spark a comeback after the Islanders fell behind 4-0, having a hand in tallies by Jean-Gabriel Pageau in the second period and Anders Lee in the third. Schaefer continues to be the frontrunner for the Calder Trophy, and through eight games in January, he has delivered four goals and seven points.
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Islanders' Matthew Schaefer: Scores late goal in loss
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Schaefer scored a goal in Tuesday's 5-4 loss to the Jets.
Schaefer has kept rolling in January with four goals and an assist over six games this month. The rookie defenseman reached the 30-point mark Tuesday (13 goals, 17 assists). He's added 116 shots on net, 63 blocked shots, 20 hits, 24 PIM and a plus-9 rating. He took some wear and tear in this contest, including getting pulled by the concussion spotter, but he was able to return and finished the game with 22:39 of ice time.
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Islanders' Matthew Schaefer: Cleared to play
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Schaefer (illness) will be in the lineup versus the Devils on Tuesday, Stefen Rosner of NHL.com reports.
Schaefer will avoid missing any game time after having been sidelined for Monday's practice session. Through 42 games this year, the rookie blueliner has registered 12 goals and 16 assists, including 13 power-play points, and is currently the favorite to take home the Calder Trophy at the end of the year.
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Islanders' Matthew Schaefer: Dealing with illness
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Schaefer will not practice Monday due to an illness.
Schaefer was labeled as day-to-day by the team ahead of Tuesday's game versus the Devils. After a slow end to 2025 saw the young blueliner notch just two points in seven games from Dec. 16-30, he has bounced back with the flip of the calendar, generating three goals on five shots in two January contests. If Schaefer can't go Tuesday, Tony DeAngelo could see more responsibility with the No. 1 power-play unit.
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Islanders' Matthew Schaefer: Game-time call Tuesday
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Schaefer (illness) will be a game-time decision against New Jersey on Tuesday, Stefen Rosner of NHL.com reports.
Schaefer didn't participate in Monday's practice. He has amassed 12 goals, 28 points, 113 shots on net and 58 blocked shots in 42 games this season. If Schaefer is unavailable to play against the Devils, Adam Boqvist will likely draw into Tuesday's lineup.
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Islanders' Matthew Schaefer: Sets NHL mark for teenage defenders
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Schaefer scored two goals Saturday, including the game-winner, in a 4-3 overtime victory over the Maple Leafs.
Schaefer became the first defenseman in NHL history to record two multi-goal games as an 18-year-old. He went wide around the defender before waiting out Joseph Woll and sliding the puck past him. Schaefer is on a three-game, four-point streak (three goals, one assist), and he sits in a three-way tie for 16th overall in scoring from the blue line with 28 points. Remarkably, Schaefer sits in a tie for third overall among defenders in goals (12).
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Islanders' Matthew Schaefer: Reaches 10-goal mark
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Schaefer scored a power-play goal on three shots and added two PIM in Thursday's 7-2 loss to the Mammoth.
While it was a lousy performance for the Islanders as a whole, Schaefer secured his 10th goal of the season. That puts him in a tie for fourth in goals among all blueliners this season, and he's tied for third in goals among all rookies. He had a decent December with six points in 14 outings, but it was his quietest month of the season so far. He's at 10 goals, 26 points (13 on the power play), 111 shots on net, 57 blocked shots and a plus-7 rating through 41 appearances. A 20-goal for a rookie defenseman would be incredibly special -- it's only happened three times in NHL history. Brian Leetch did it with 23 goals in 1988-89, while Barry Beck (22 goals in 1977-78) and Dion Phaneuf (20 goals in 2005-06) are the other two members of that elite club. Denis Potvin (17 goals in 1973-74) holds the Islanders record for goals by a rookie blueliner.
Islanders' Matthew Schaefer: Climbing all-time rookie list
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Schaefer scored a power-play goal in Saturday's 3-2 shootout win over Tampa Bay.
The Isles were on a 4-on-3 power play, and Schaefer took a return pass from Anthony Duclair in the slot and buried a wrist shot five-hole on Ilya Sorokin. Schaefer tied Rasmus Dahlin (nine in 2018-19 with Buffalo) and Zach Bogosian (nine in 2008-09 with Atlanta) for the NHL's third-highest single-season goal total by a defenseman age 18 or younger.
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Islanders' Matthew Schaefer: Chips in with helper
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Schaefer distributed an assist and fired four shots on net in Tuesday's 5-4 shootout win over the Golden Knights.
Schaefer logged an assist on Bo Horvat's tally near the end of the first period to get the Islanders on the board. With the helper, Schaefer is up to 14 assists, 22 points, 87 shots on goal and 40 blocks through 31 games this season. The budding superstar and frontrunner for the Calder Trophy has racked up a goal and six assists through the last eight contests. His heavy shot volume ranks fourth among defensemen and makes him a must-roster defenseman in nearly all fantasy formats.
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Islanders' Matthew Schaefer: Two points Friday
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Schaefer scored an even-strength goal and added a power-play assist in Friday's 4-3 shootout loss to the Flyers.
Schaefer ended his five-game point drought with an assist in a 3-1 loss to the Bruins on Wednesday. Now, he ended his six-game goal drought with a wrister at the 8:11 mark of the second period, giving him eight goals on the year. The frontrunner for the Calder Trophy, Schaefer has 18 points (eight goals, 10 assists) across 25 games this season while posting a solid plus-9 rating.
