The Latest York Islanders drafted Matthew Schaefer first overall within the 2025 NHL Draft. Schaefer separated himself from his peers within the draft this past season. And he definitely has a shiny future ahead of him. On Monday, though, Latest York and Schaefer made a significant decision regarding his more immediate future in hockey.
Schaefer has signed his entry-level contract, because the Islanders announced on social media. As with most entry-level contracts within the NHL, it is a three-year deal. Latest York didn’t confirm the financial terms of this deal. In accordance with PuckPedia, though, Schaefer’s entry-level contract will carry a cap hit of $975K.
The Islanders defenseman had an injury-shortened junior season in 2024-25. Nevertheless, he showed enough with the Erie Otters to develop into the primary overall pick. The 17-year-old scored seven goals and 22 points in his first 17 games with the Otters last season. He suffered an injury on the IIHF World Championships that ended his season, as mentioned.
Where Islanders’ Matthew Schaefer could play in 2025-26
Schaefer is under the age of 18 as of now. And he won’t turn 18 until early September. Consequently, the Islanders draft pick has two straightforward options for the following step in his skilled hockey profession.
On one hand, Schaefer could return to junior hockey. He could rejoin the Otters and help them try to win the Ontario Hockey League next season. In the event that they win the OHL Championship, he could then try to win the Memorial Cup, which is the highest prize in Canadian major junior hockey.
The opposite option is that he begins the season with the Islanders. This can be a likely scenario for a number of reasons. Chief amongst them is a provision within the collective bargaining agreement. Schaefer can appear in nine games before the primary 12 months of his entry level contract comes into effect.
Latest York definitely has high hopes for Schaefer’s NHL future. Signing him to this contract is step one toward realizing his potential. It’s going to definitely be interesting to see where he begins the 2025-26 season.