The New York Islanders have selected Canadian defenseman Matthew Schaefer as the first player in the NHL’s 2025 draft. Schaefer, 17, who is considered a future franchise defenseman and has been compared to Miro Heiskanen, suffered a serious injury in the under-20 World Juniors at the turn of the year, playing only 17 games throughout the season with stats of 7+15=22. The young player represented the Erie Otters in the WHL.

Rounding out the top five picks of the draft were Michael Misa (San Jose), Anton Frondell (Chicago), Caleb Desnoyers (Utah), and Brady Martin (Nashville).

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