EAST MEADOW, NY -- New York Islanders No. 1 overall pick Matthew Schaefer took shifts quarterbacking the second power-play unit at training camp on Saturday.
His deceptivenss and ability to walk the blue line excited the veterans on the roster.
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"He's super impressive. There's not much to pick on [in his game]," Islanders top power-play quarterback Tony DeAngelo said. "He's deceptive. He walks the blue line. His head is up, moving to both sides. He can shoot. I'm just looking forward to watching him play at this point. I don't need to see any more of his practices. He's good."
DeAngelo added that when it comes to deceptiveness, some guys really have to work hard at it. It seems to come very naturally for Schaefer.
"I feel like it's just the eyes and the hands," DeAngelo said. "Sergei Zubov used to do this thing with his hands. He'd push his hands up. He really wasn't doing anything at all besides pushing his hands. But then somebody has to move, right? You're in front of me. You might move right. You might move left than you put it both sides. This kid, you just watch come across. His hands are in front of him. It's very easy for him. Some guys have to practice that. He's just coming across. It's smooth, so it's fun to watch."
Anders Lee, who didn't work with Schaefer on Saturday, didn't even have to watch to know what Schaefer brings at the point.
"I actually wasn't on the other side, so I didn't see him much," Lee said. "But there's no doubt in my mind he was doing great down there."
There's a strong possibility that Schaefer will play in the Islanders' preseason opener on Sunday night against the Philadelpha
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