Matthew Schaefer has already done enough in one NHL season to push the conversation well beyond “promising rookie.” After only a year with the New York Islanders, the former first overall pick has become one of the team’s most recognizable players, and his debut season was strong enough to rank among the best rookie campaigns in franchise history.
That’s why the talk has shifted so quickly to the Norris Trophy. Schaefer’s first year gave fans plenty to dream on, but it also raises a fair question: is it too soon to expect that kind of leap?
The numbers from last season make the excitement easy to understand. Schaefer played 82 games and finished with 23 goals and 36 assists for 59 points.
He was tied with Beckett Sennecke for the most goals by a rookie, and he finished in the top three among rookies in both assists and points. For a defenseman, that production stands out even more.
His underlying numbers were solid too. Natural Stat Trick had him at a 50.02 CF%, a 49.93 SCF%, and a 50.66 xG%. That kind of all-around profile is part of why he mattered so much to the Islanders last season, especially while they spent much of the year in the playoff hunt.
There are also signs that he’s set up for another jump. Schaefer has added a little more physical maturity this offseason, which should help him handle the grind of an NHL season.
He also now has a full year of experience to lean on, and he has shaped his offseason training around what he knows is coming. If that translates the way people around him hope, a gain of 10 to 15 points is very much in play, which would put him near the 70-point range.
That matters because 70-plus points is the kind of benchmark that gets a defenseman into the Norris conversation. Last season, all three Norris finalists finished above 70 points. Points are not the whole story for a blue liner, but they are part of the bar you have to clear to get serious award attention.
Still, expecting Schaefer to win the trophy is a different matter entirely. The more realistic hope is that he keeps building on what he already showed and avoids the kind of sophomore dip that can hit young players after a big rookie year. For the Islanders, the best-case outcome is simpler than an award race: Schaefer keeps producing at a high level and proves last season was the start of something sustainable.
In Other News...
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The Islanders used a late pick in the 2026 NHL Draft to address something they can always use more of: a right-shot defenseman with some size and a reputation for doing the work the right way. Vladimir Dravecky, 18, spent last season with the Brantford Bulldogs and the Czechia U20 team, and the sense around him is that he brought enough steady play and effort to make himself worth a look well beyond where he was taken.
He still has a development path ahead, but the next stop should help sort out what comes next. After rookie and training camp, Dravecky is expected to head to the OHL's Guelph Storm after Brantford and Guelph completed a trade, giving him a new setting to keep building on the kind of profile that made him appealing to the Islanders in the first place. [Read more 🡒]
Islanders Prospect Got Unusual Summer Help For A Big North American Test
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Prokhorovs adjustment has gone beyond hockey, too, with the summer group helping him settle into the language and rhythm of life here. What makes the setup stand out is the kind of support he found around him, and how far his day-to-day communication has come as he heads into a season that should tell the Islanders much more about his progress. [Read more 🡒]
Isaiah George Is Making The Islanders Roster Battle More Serious
Isaiah George is back at rookie camp for the Islanders, and this time the assignment feels a little different. The 22-year-old defenseman is taking part in his fifth such camp, but after logging 37 NHL games over the past two seasons, he is no longer just another young player trying to get noticed. Injuries and coaching preferences have slowed his rise at times, yet the new staff, including Pete DeBoer, has made it clear George is in the conversation for a more permanent NHL role.
For the Islanders, that makes the coming roster battle more than routine September competition. George has enough pro experience now to push for a real opening on the blue line, and the confidence he has received from the new coaching group suggests he will get every chance to prove he belongs. The next step comes at main camp, where his path to a regular spot will start to take shape. [Read more 🡒]