The 2026-27 season is on the horizon for the New York Islanders, so it's time to preview the season and highlight expectations for the team and each specific player.
This time, it's time to preview the one superstar everyone wants to know about: Matthew Schaefer.
Schaefer, 18, lit the NHL on fire in his rookie season, posting 23 goals and 59 points, shattering all records for 18-year-old rookie defensemen, as he won the Calder Trophy and became the Islanders' present and future.
It feels almost impossible to raise the ceiling in any capacity for Schaefer beyond what he's already achieved, but it feels completely reasonable to see him to take another leap in his sophomore season.
With added physicality and a full, normal NHL summer, perhaps 25+ goals and flirting with 70+ points is reasonable, especially with an expanded season on the horizon for the Islanders.
