- Pete DeBoer says Matthew Schaefer will be a future captain of the Islanders
- Schaefer just won the Calder Trophy after a record-setting rookie season on defense
- Read below for what DeBoer told reporters and where the Islanders captaincy stands
Pete DeBoer isn’t waiting around to make the call on Matthew Schaefer.
The Islanders coach was asked about his 19-year-old defenseman Wednesday, and he didn’t hedge on where Schaefer is headed.
“He’s going to be a future captain of this team.”
Watch the moment DeBoer said it:
That’s a big projection for a guy who’s only played one NHL season. Bo Horvat already wears the “C” this year after the Islanders handed it to him this month, replacing Anders Lee, who left for Utah in free agency. Schaefer’s path to the letter, in DeBoer’s eyes, still runs through Long Island.
Schaefer’s rookie season makes it easy to see why DeBoer feels that way. He finished with 23 goals and 36 assists for 59 points last season while logging 24:41 of ice time a night, numbers that got him a unanimous Calder Trophy as the NHL’s top rookie.
See him react to that win back in May:
Those 23 goals tied Brian Leetch’s rookie record for a defenseman. Schaefer also became the youngest blueliner in NHL history to reach 50 points in a season, and his goal total ranked second among all NHL defensemen, trailing only Washington’s Jakob Chychrun.
He got to Long Island despite a rocky path through junior hockey. Injuries limited Schaefer to 73 career games with the Erie Otters, and he still finished with 39 points across two partial OHL seasons. None of that stopped the Islanders from taking him first overall in 2025, and it hasn’t stopped him from becoming the best player on a rebuilding roster.
New York finished last season 43-34-5, eight points out of a wildcard spot. DeBoer isn’t just optimistic about Schaefer’s game. He’s already picturing him wearing the “C” once Horvat’s run with it ends.
