Schaefer turned 18 years old on September 5th after being selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft in June.
After their game against Pittsburgh, they'll head home for a matchup against the Washington Capitals, making Schaefer just the eighth player in NHL history to face both Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin in their first two career games.
The defenceman recorded two assists in four preseason games with the Islanders, pairing mostly with fellow defenceman and veteran Scott Mayfield.
Even recording this highlight against the Philadelphia Flyers' young star Matvei Michkov to prevent a possible goal.
"Being an 18-year-old playing professional hockey in the NHL in a market like New York, his maturity really gave me confidence that it won’t be an issue,” said Islanders general manager Mathieu Darche. “That’s what comforts me - he’s ready for this."
Prior to being drafted, Schaefer played the past two seasons with the Erie Otters of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL).
He missed nine games to start the 2024-25 season with glandular fever, then suffered a broken collarbone at the 2025 World Junior Championships.
Amid those setbacks, he finished the season with seven goals and 15 assists in just 17 games played, but that didn't dim the prospects for a player admired for his maturity as well as his skills.