Islanders top pick Schaefer makes strong impression as camp opens

EAST MEADOW, N.Y. — Matthew Schaefer is more than just a big part of the New York Islanders’ future after being taken with the first pick in the draft. He’s a good bet to make the team right away as an 18-year-old.

Schaefer opened training camp Thursday paired with veteran defenceman Scott Mayfield and received plenty of on-ice tips from coach and Hall of Fame goaltender Patrick Roy. But Roy and the Islanders are treating Schaefer like a rookie at the start of his NHL career, complete with a seat in the auxiliary locker room.

That just perfectly fits his mentality of wanting to earn a spot with the big club.

“Yeah, 100 per cent, I think everyone’s looking to earn that big spot in the locker room with the guys,” Schaefer said with a smile, eager to complement the teammates in his current room, too. “Looking to get in the big room there. A little bit more resources in that room, I’d say: cold tubs and stuff.”

Schaefer will get there before the opener Oct. 8 at Pittsburgh, barring injury or unforeseen circumstances. Roy has said he’ll treat Schaefer like he did 2014 No. 1 pick Nathan MacKinnon when they were together in Colorado more than a decade ago, starting small while offering opportunity to earn more ice time.

The first impression of how Schaefer is handling nothing being handed to him is positive.

“He’s a quality person,” said Roy, who’s in his second camp on Long Island after being hired as a mid-season replacement in January 2024. “He just wants to learn. I think when you’re saying things that make sense, he’s smart enough to use it.”

When the person saying the things is someone who has won the Stanley Cup three times and tended net for more than 1,000 games in the league such as Roy, that certainly helps.

“I want to see from his perspective what he thinks I need to work on, what I’ve got to get better at,” Schaefer said. “I want him to tell me when I’m not working my best and he knows that I have more in me. It’s just awesome to have guys like that, that can push you to be your best.”

There’s no shortage of those around the Islanders, from captain Anders Lee to experienced forwards like Bo Horvat, Mathew Barzal and Kyle Palmieri. Players have already taken notice of Schaefer’s maturity level long before he makes his NHL debut next month.

“The work that he puts in, the dedication that he has to the game and the way that he conducts himself every single day, he’s a pro in and out,” fourth-liner Casey Cizikas said. “He had a good rookie camp leading up to this. First day on ice went well, and now we just got to keep moving forward with each day.”