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Photo of NHL player Matthew Schaefer

New York Islanders Logo Matthew Schaefer

Position Left Defense Current Team New York Islanders
Shoots Left Current Contract 3 years ($975.0K CapHit)
Height 6'2" Expires 2027-28
Weight (lbs) 186 Expiry Age (Jun 30) 20
Age (DOB) 18 (Sep 5, 2007) Expiry Status RFA
Drafted 2025, Round 1, Overall 1 (NYI)
Date Team Transaction
Feb 5, 2026 Nashville Predators Assigned to AHL
Aug 4, 2025 New York Islanders Signed to an entry level contract.
Status History Coming Soon

2025-26 Player Card



URL: https://thestanleycap.com/cdn/player_cards/20252026/matthew-schaefer-8485366.png

About Player Cards

Player cards present an infographic of a players performance. In this case it shows the player performance over a 3 season span. Each square is separated into three separate sub-boxes with the two smaller boxes on top representing the past two seasons and the larger box on the bottom representing the current or most recent season. This allows the reader to guage how consistent a player has been, and if early in the season it can help identify whether a players performance may be impacted by small sample size and subject to regression or is consistent with recent past performance.

Notes and Definitions
  • The numbers represent percentiles so the higher the better.
  • Percentiles are determined by comparing Forwards to Forwards and Defensemen to Defensemen.
  • Bursts/mi are calculated from NHL Edge Data are are speed bursts above 20mpg per mile skated. The NHL doesn't adjust for ice time so the players that skate more will naturally have more bursts over 20, or at least more opportunity to have more. The NHL also does not provide ice time in the context of NHL Edge Statistics, however, it does provide distance skated. By adjusting for distance skated it will have a similar effect to adjusting for ice time but also adjust for situationional effect. For example, Players don't typically skate as much on the PK, mostly within the defensive zone, so don't get significant opportunity in that ice time to get speed bursts above 20mph. Adjusting with miles skates would account for this better than adjusting with ice time.
  • Sh%AE is Shooting Percentage above Expected (Sh% - xSh%) and is an indicator of how good a shooter is at converting chances into goals.
  • Relative statistics are On Ice - Off Ice statistics and can be an indicator of whether the player makes his teammates better or worse.
  • All data is 5v5 except Shooting Hardest and Average, Skating Top Speed and Bursts/mi which are all situations, ES Average which is even strength (NHL doesn't give a specific definition).
Data Sources
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5v5 Individual Stats

Season Team(s) GP TOI G/60 A/60 Pts/60 xG/60 GAE/60 Sh% xSh% Sh%AE %SA Rush %SA Reb.
2025-26 NYI 74 1345:57 0.40 0.80 1.20 0.32 0.08 7.20 5.78 1.42 0.00 5.92

5v5 On Ice Stats

Season Team(s) GP TOI SAF/60 GF/60 xGF/60 SAA/60 GA/60 xGA/60 GF% xGF% xGF Rel xGA Rel xGF% Rel
2025-26 NYI 74 1345:57 42.39 3.03 2.83 41.55 2.01 2.73 60.18 50.88 0.40 -0.01 3.84

NHL Edge Stats

Skating Shooting Zone Time
Season GP Top Speed Bursts>20/mi Avg. Speed ES Avg. Speed Top Speed Avg. Speed %Long Range %Mid Range %High Danger ES DZ% ES NZ% ES OZ%
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Legend

Percentile 0-25 Percentile 25-50 Percentile 50-75 Percentile 75-100
Forwards are compared with forwards and Defensemen are are compared with Defensemen.

5v5 Defense Pairs

Season
Season Teammate Team TOI GF/60 GA/60 GF% xGF/60 xGA/60 xGF% xGF Rel xGA Rel xGF% Rel
This table is for Basic and Premium subscribers only. To view please login to and/or subscribe to one of our subscription plans. 2021-22 2022-23 2023-24 2024-25 2025-26 2026-27 2027-28 2028-29 2030-31 2031-32 2032-33 2033-34 2034-35

Glossary

Type Statistic Definition
IndividualG/60Goals Against per 60 minutes.
IndividualA/60Assists per 60 minutes.
IndividualPts/60Points per 60 minutes.
IndividualxG/60Expected Goals per 60 minutes.
IndividualGAE/60Goals Above Expected (G/60 - xG/60).
IndividualSh%Shooting Percentage.
IndividualxSh%Expected Shooting Percentage.
IndividualSh%AEShooting percentage above expected (Sh% - xSh%).
Individual%SA RushPercentage of shot attempts determined to be on the rush.
Individual%SA Reb.Percentage of shot attempts determined to be from rebounds.
On IceSAF/60Shot Attempts For per 60 minutes.
On IceGF/60Goals For per 60 minutes.
On IcexGF/60Expected Goals For per 60 minutes.
On IceSAA/60Shot Attempts Against per 60 minutes (lower is better).
On IceGA/60Goals Against per 60 minutes (lower is better).
On IcexGA/60Expected Goals Against per 60 minutes (lower is better).
On IceGF%Goals For Percentage = Goals For / (Goals For + Goals Against)
On IcexGF%Expected Goals For Percentage = Expected Goals For / (Expected Goals For + Expected Goals Against)
On IcexGF RelxGF/60 when On Ice - xGF/60 when not On Ice.
On IcexGA RelxGA/60 when On Ice - xGA/60 when not On Ice (lower is better).
On IcexGF% RelxGF% when On Ice - xGF% when not On Ice.
Individual and On-Ice stats from Puckalytics.com (starting in 2015-16). NHL Edge Stats from edge.nhl.com (starting in 2021-22). Edge statistic definitions can be found at the Edge Stats Glossary.

News and Opinions

Current Contract

Matthew Schaefer signed a $2,925,000 3-year contract with the New York Islanders and General Manager Mathieu Darche on August 4, 2025 with an AAV of $975,000. This contract will start in 2025-26 and end after the 2027-28 season. In the first season of the contract the cap hit was equivalent to 1.02% of the salary cap.

Entry Level Contract ( )  (0 ratings)

Season Age* Clause Cap Hit AAV Perf. Bonus Sign. Bonus Salary Compensation Minors Salary Status
2025-26 18 $975,000 $4,475,000 $3,500,000 $97,500 $877,500 $975,000 $85,000 ELC
2026-27 19 $975,000 $4,475,000 $3,500,000 $97,500 $877,500 $975,000 $85,000 ELC
2027-28 20 $975,000 $4,475,000 $3,500,000 $97,500 $877,500 $975,000 $85,000 ELC
Total $10,500,000 $292,500 $2,632,500 $2,925,000 $255,000
Signed: Aug 4, 2025
Team: New York Islanders
GM: Mathieu Darche
Exp. Status: RFA

Career Statistics

Regular Season Playoffs
Season League Team GP G A Pts +/- PIM Shots Sh% TOI/G GP G A Pts +/- PIM Shots Sh% TOI/G
2021-22 SCTA U15 Hamilton Jr. Bulldogs U15 AAA 31 17 34 51 14
2021-22 WSI U15 Draftday Selects U15 9 1 6 7
2021-22 SCTA U16 Hamilton Jr. Bulldogs U16 AAA 3 1 1 2 2
2021-22 SCTA U16 Hamilton Steel U16 AAA 2 1 1 2 2
2021-22 SCTA U15 Hamilton Steel U15 AAA 2 1 1 2 2
2023-24 OHL Erie Otters 56 3 14 17 -2 16 6 3 3 +4 2
2024-25 OHL Erie Otters 17 7 15 22 +21 8
2024-25 Hlinka Gretzky Cup Canada U18 5 2 4 6
2024-25 Prospects Challenge Team CHL 2 1 1 2 +3 2
2024-25 WJC-20 Canada U20 2 1 1 2 +2
2025-26 NHL New York Islanders 74 22 34 56 +21 36 195 11.3 24:31
NHL Career 74 22 34 56 +21 36 195 11.3 24:31