Quinn Hughes called Matthew Schaefer "really impressive" after the Islanders beat the Wild in overtime Thursday night.
Schaefer finished that 4-3 game with 2 goals, an assist and the game-winning goal. He logged 30:01 and put 6 shots on goal.
Hughes had a monster night himself, with a goal, an assist and 33:41 of ice time in the loss. Michael Russo then shared what the Wild defenseman had to say about his 19-year-old counterpart.
"He's really impressive. I mean, when I was 19, I was a sophomore at Michigan." Hughes didn't stop there, and the comparison tells you plenty about how unusual Schaefer's path is.
He went on to bring up Cale, then Fox, then Werenski. Of Fox he said "he did three years," and the quote trails off before he finishes the thought.
Russo posted Hughes measuring his own age-19 season at Michigan against what Schaefer is doing in the NHL right now.
-
Entering Thursday, Schaefer had 4 goals and 10 assists in 13 games. Then he added a three-point night against a Wild team that finished its homestand-opening win streak on the wrong side of an overtime result.
| GP | G | A | PTS | +/- | |
| 2026-27 | 13 | 4 | 10 | 14 | +1 |
| Career | 95 | 27 | 46 | 73 | +14 |
The Islanders were 7-4-2 before the game, according to the standings in our records, and Peter DeBoer leaned on his young defenseman heavily. It wasn't a clean night for Schaefer's side of the ledger either, since he took a high stick from Matt Boldy that went uncalled.
Schaefer's 30 minutes show how fast Islanders trust has grown
Thirty minutes in a one-goal game on the road is not a gift to a teenager. It's an earned role, and DeBoer handed it to him without hesitation.
Hughes knows that workload. He has 522 NHL games and 505 points, and he's still the one praising a 19-year-old.
| Goalie | Seasons | GP | W | L | OL | SV% | GAA |
| Matthew Schaefer | 2 | 95 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 0.00 |
| Quinn Hughes | 9 | 522 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 0.00 |
| Adam Fox | 8 | 500 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 0.00 |
| Zachary Werenski | 11 | 653 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 0.00 |
Schaefer has 95 games and 73 points over his NHL career. Fox sits at 500 games and Werenski at 653, so the gap in experience is enormous, and the production isn't as far behind as it should be.
Hughes' own situation in Minnesota is the other thread. Bill Guerin's doubts about re-signing Quinn Hughes hang over the Wild, who visit Washington on Sunday.
The Islanders host Edmonton on Saturday, and the question is whether Schaefer can keep playing this way while carrying that much of the blue line.
Is Matthew Schaefer already the best young defenseman in the NHL?
Also read on Markerzone.com:
Jake DeBrusk still wants a trade from the 3-10-1 Canucks, reports David Pagnotta
