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The New York Islanders have kicked off the season with a respectable 5-3-1 record, and a key factor has been the play of one of their young stars.
Even with several injuries early on and top offensive player Mathew Barzal yet to suit up this year, the Islanders have performed well, especially at home. Expectations were mixed entering the season, but the team's strong start is encouraging.
As expected, goaltender Ilya Sorokin has been excellent, but the emergence of Matthew Schaefer has also been crucial. The reigning Calder Trophy winner has picked up right where he left off, living up to the immense hype surrounding him.
In his rookie season, Schaefer racked up 59 points (23 goals, 36 assists), including eight power-play goals and 10 power-play assists, and posted a plus-13 rating. This season, while he hasn't scored a goal in nine games, he has eight assists, three on the power play, making him nearly a point-per-game player early on.
Schaefer is carrying a heavy workload, averaging almost 26 minutes per game. At 19 years old, he appears fresh, but head coach Peter DeBoer will need to monitor his minutes over the long season.
Key Analysis
Despite the lack of goals, Schaefer's sophomore campaign has been excellent. His ability to generate assists and contribute on the power play while logging major minutes demonstrates his value to the Islanders. As he continues to develop, the sky is the limit for the young defenseman.