NHL Draft grades, analysis for every 2025 first-round pick by Corey Pronman

New York Times

16 hours ago

The Athletic has live coverage of the 2025 NHL Draft.
The first round of the 2025 NHL Draft is here, and, as expected, Matthew Schaefer was selected by the New York Islanders with the first pick.
Follow along here as every pick is announced tonight to see scouting reports of every player and analysis of their selection. The pick grade reflects my thoughts on perceived value gained from the pick relative to the draft slot, plus any secondary variables a team may have had to deal with.
See what scouts really have to say about the best prospects in Corey Pronman's NHL Draft Confidential and Scott Wheeler's NHL scouts survey.
1. New York Islanders: Matthew Schaefer, LHD, Erie Otters (OHL)
September 5, 2007 | 6′ 2″ | 185 pounds
Tier: NHL Star
Player comparable: Jake Sanderson
Analysis: Schaefer was tremendous, when healthy, this season. The No. 1 pick in his OHL Draft, Schaefer was arguably the best player at the Hlinka Gretzky and the CHL/U.S. NTDP series. He was also Canada's best player at the World Juniors up until he broke his clavicle. Schaefer missed time at the start of the season due to mono as well. His main asset is his skating. He's a powerful, effortless skater who will be able to close gaps and transition up ice at a clear NHL level. He uses his feet to attack often, leading and supporting rushes very well. Schaefer is a very intelligent defenseman with legit offensive skills. He creates a lot of chances due to his skating, but he can also break down opponents one-on-one with his hands, and finds a lot of seams to make plays. He closes on checks at a high level due to his athleticism, but Schaefer is also a great competitor. He uses his size to make stops, gives a great effort every shift and projects to be able to stop top players in the NHL. He's a great talent, who has already overcome tremendous personal adversity in his life. He projects as a star No. 1 defenseman in the NHL.
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Pick grade: A-
Thoughts on the pick: For most teams, this would have been a routine decision to pick Schaefer as the top selection, but there was an unusual amount of pressure on the Islanders to go off the board to select James Hagens, who's from Long Island. Schaefer is the clear best prospect in the draft. He's a dynamic two-way defenseman who dominated routinely this season when healthy, and he's on the fringe of being eligible for the 2026 NHL Draft. He projects as a star No. 1 defenseman for them.
(Photo of Matthew Schaefer: Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)