Matthew Schaefer is making this start to his NHL career look almost unfair.
The Islanders defenseman has wasted no time becoming one of the team’s biggest names, and his early production has already pushed the club into fringe contender territory. On top of that, he keeps brushing up against NHL history on what feels like a weekly basis. Now he’s staring at a mark that once seemed untouchable: the teenage points record held by Phil Housley.
Schaefer is 63 points shy of Housley for the most points scored by a teenager, and if he’s going to make a run at it, this has to be the season. He’s 19 now and will turn 20 on September 2nd of next year, a couple of weeks before the NHL season begins. That means next year would be his first season as a non-teenager, so this is his last chance to chase the record while the age tag still fits.
The climb is steep, and there’s not much room for a cold spell. A scoring drought that lasts too long would end the pursuit quickly.
Still, if anyone has the profile to make it happen, it’s Schaefer. He has averaged a little under a point per game over his NHL career, which is a huge number for a defenseman.
This season, he’s taken it a step further with 11 points in 12 games.
At that pace, Schaefer is tracking toward about 83 points over the season. That puts him roughly 20 points above the total he would need to pass Housley. That’s not a guarantee, but it does give him real breathing room if his production holds up.
The Islanders are also giving him every chance to keep rolling. Schaefer leads the team in ice time at 26:43 per game, and the workload has gotten even heavier when needed. Against the Predators in the most recent game, he logged 32:16 and became the first player in NHL history to play the entire five-minute overtime.
That kind of usage matters. More ice time means more touches, more chances, more opportunities to create offense. If Schaefer keeps playing close to 30 minutes a night, he gives himself a much better chance to stack multi-point games and survive the inevitable quiet stretch that every player hits eventually.
It’s still a difficult climb, but Schaefer has put himself in the conversation. With the way he’s producing and the way the Islanders are leaning on him, he has a legitimate shot at the teenage scoring record that once looked impossible to reach.
In Other News...
Matthew Schaefer Just Gave Islanders Fans Another Reason To Watch Closely
Matthew Schaefer keeps finding ways to stand out for the Islanders, and his latest night against Nashville was another reminder of how quickly he is becoming part of the conversation. In a game that needed extra time, the young defenseman was trusted in all the biggest moments, with coach Peter DeBoer praising the way he handled the workload and noting that his ice time led all Islanders defensemen.
The most striking part came in overtime, when Schaefer stayed on the ice through the full five-minute session and the delayed-penalty sequence after drawing a tripping call early in the frame. For a player still building his NHL resume, that kind of usage says plenty about the confidence the staff has in him, and it also gives Islanders fans another reason to keep watching closely every time he jumps over the boards. [Read more 🡒]
Matthew Schaefer Just Set An Islanders Early Season Marker
Matthew Schaefer keeps adding to the Islanders early-season conversation, and Wednesdays 4-3 shootout win over the Predators gave the rookie defenseman another notable entry for the ledger. He logged 32 minutes and 16 seconds, picked up an assist and continued his strong start with 11 points in 12 games, all while New York improved to fourth in the Metropolitan Division with 14 points through 12 games.
The bigger marker came in overtime, where Schaefer was on the ice for the full five-minute sequence, a rare workload for any defenseman in todays NHL. For an Islanders team still trying to find its footing in the standings, seeing a young blueliner trusted that heavily in a tight game says plenty about how quickly hes becoming central to what they do. [Read more 🡒]
Islanders Are Asking A Lot From Matthew Schaefer Already
Matthew Schaefer is already being leaned on like a veteran, which says plenty about how quickly the Islanders have come to trust the 2025 No. 1 pick. In his second NHL season, the defenseman has been a major factor at both ends of the ice, and his role has only grown since Alexander Romanov went down with an injury. The workload has followed naturally, with Schaefer handling heavier minutes while still contributing in key moments on offense.
The concern now is less about what Schaefer can do in a night than what this kind of usage might mean over a full season. He has looked comfortable in a demanding spot, but the Islanders are asking him to carry a load that can wear on even established defensemen, especially with so much of the game running through him already. For a player this young, the production is encouraging. The question is how long the pace can hold. [Read more 🡒]