Matthew Schaefer Has Put His Stake In The Ground For No. 1 Overall In The 2025 NHL Draft

With a standout performance in Game 1 of the CHL USA Prospects Challenge, the Erie Otters defenseman made his case for the coveted top pick, says Ken Campbell.

At one point early in Game 1 of the CHL-USA Prospects Challenge Tuesday night in London, a longtime scout turned to me and said, "If you could pick one player and the choice was Jack Hughes, Matthew Tkachuk or Cale Makar, which player would you take?"

I responded by saying Makar. To which the scout said, "That's why Matthew Schaefer is my pick for No. 1 in the draft."

Then, not five minutes later, Schaefer went end-to-end to score a goal in the game, and the same scout said, "Why wouldn't you want a player like that?"

It was hard to argue with him based on Schaefer's performance in the game. He was by far the best player for either team. And after missing the first nine games of the season with mononucleosis, Schaefer has been excellent for the Erie Otters.

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