Matthew Schaefer Pick Excites Fans as Islanders Select D-Man No. 1 in NHL Draft 2025

The New York Islanders have selected defenseman Matthew Schaefer with the No. 1 pick of the 2025 NHL draft.

Schaefer was visibly emotional when he heard his name called at the top of the 2025 draft.

A 17-year-old defenseman for the OHL's Erie Otters, Schaefer was ranked as the top North American skater by NHL Central Scouting ahead of the draft.

He was described as "the total package as a skater" on the post-draft scouting report by Bleacher Report's Adam Herman.

Fans are both excited to see him bolster the blue line and happy for Schaefer, who arrived at the draft with a photo of his late mother in his jacket lining.

This marks the fifth time in franchise history that the Islanders have drafted a player with the No. 1 pick. Prior to adding Schaefer, the franchise most recently selected a top pick when choosing former team captain John Tavares at the top of the 2009 draft.

Schaefer, who turned 17 in September, was one of the youngest prospects available in the 2025 draft. He is just two months older than Gavin McKenna, the projected top pick of the 2026 NHL draft.

The defenseman was limited to just 17 games last season due to mononucleosis and the broken clavicle he suffered while playing for Team Canada at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship in December.

He recorded seven goals and 15 assists for 22 points in 17 games for the Otters, and recorded an assist and an empty-net goal in Canada's World Juniors tournament opener prior to his season-ending injury.

Despite not being able to see Schaefer play a full season heading into the draft, scouts have remained high on the blueliner due to his skating and his projection as a two-way defenseman at the NHL level.

Choosing Schaefer meant leaving forward Michael Misa on the board. Misa was projected as the top pick in Bleacher Report's final 2025 Big Board ahead of the draft.

The Isles decided to target defense instead, hours after trading Noah Dobson to the Montreal Canadiens. The Habs plan to sign Dobson to an eight-year, $9.5 million AAV extension, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

Newly-hired Islanders general manager Mathieu Darche received the No. 16 and No. 17 picks of the 2025 draft, in addition to forward Emil Heineman, in return.

The Islanders' hopes of not only coming out on top of the Dobson trade but of returning to playoff contention hinge on not only hitting on those two additional first-round picks but on Schaefer developing into an elite two-way defender who can anchor the New York blueline in the near future.