Anaheim Ducks ahead Beckett Sennecke was second within the voting with 56 factors, and Montreal Canadiens ahead Ivan Demidov was third (54).
“I know Sennecke and Demidov have had great years, but it really feels like with every passing day the Calder is getting more and more of a sure thing for Matthew Schaefer,” Johnson stated.
Schaefer additionally leads all first-year defensemen in assists (26), factors, power-play factors (15), pictures on aim (156), blocked pictures (88) and common ice time. He can also be first amongst all rookies in penalties drawn (30).
“I’ll never doubt his IQ,” coach Patrick Roy stated. “The ability to find those shooting lanes and manage to, when you jump in, bring pucks to the net. It’s impressive, I won’t lie.”
Schaefer was named NHL “First Star of the Week” for video games ending March 1. He scored a League-high 4 targets in three video games to assist the Islanders grow to be the tenth staff within the NHL historical past to have at the least three straight multigoal comeback wins.
“He puts himself in positions to score and regardless if he gets a bounce or two, he’s getting the puck through to the net and he does that night in and night out, and that’s why the last few games especially he’s putting it in the net because he’s starting to find those lanes,” New York captain Anders Lee stated. “His game is only going to grow, but in this short period of time it looks like he came back (from the break for the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026) and has continued to see the ice so well.”
It’s no surprise Islanders followers are in some unspecified time in the future chanting his identify every residence sport.
“If I wasn’t playing a game I’d be smiling and super happy, but I’ve got to stay dialed in as much as I can,” Schaefer stated. “When I hear the group, that will get me tremendous fired up and it is so enjoyable. I wish to rating as many targets as I can if I hear that each night time, however clearly it is such a staff effort.
“At the top of the day, guys are discovering me and all I’ve to do is put it on internet. So, it isn’t me — it is a staff effort.”
