Matthew Schaefer being the first NHL No. 1 pick out of the Ontario Hockey League since Connor McDavid in 2015 is pressure enough. Then there’s following Connor Bedard and Macklin Celebrini into the league.
Bedard with Chicago and Celebrini with San Jose immediately were put into prominent roles. Bedard won the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year, and Celebrini finished third in the voting.
Taken atop the draft by the New York Islanders, Schaefer may not be in that conversation this season, through little fault of his own. He is a defenseman, a position that traditionally requires a longer, steeper learning curve, and the team is not going to rush a potential franchise cornerstone of the future.
“We’re going to give him time,” said coach Patrick Roy, who made the all-rookie team as a goaltender on the way to the Hall of Fame. “We’re going to be extremely patient with him. He’s a phenomenal kid, has great values. He’s very humble. It was fun in that first conversation to see him. He looks you in the eyes, and you could tell he wants to learn and he wants to be the best he can be.”
Schaefer, who just turned 18 on Sept. 5, is not alone, as most of the top picks in this year’s draft need more experience. A look at the top of the NHL’s rookie class:
Roy was Colorado’s coach in 2013 when Nathan MacKinnon was the top pick with big expectations. Roy said he plans to follow a similar approach, starting Schaefer lower in the lineup and getting the chance to earn more ice time.
Schaefer opened training camp on the third defensive pair alongside veteran Scott Mayfield.
“My ears are wide open for him to let me know what I need to do better,” Schaefer said.
The Islanders consider it a collective effort to help Schaefer acclimate to life in the pros and the hype of going first in the draft.
“Obviously, there’s going to be some sort of pressure on him,” center Bo Horvat said. “If anybody’s going to handle it, it’s going to be him. … He’s a very likable kid and easy to get along with right away, so he’s going to fit into our group really well.”
How much did hockey-mad Montreal care bout Demidov signing an NHL contract and arriving from Russia late last season? There was a livestream dedicated to his international flight landing in Toronto on the way to join the team.
“I was like, ‘Oh man, this is crazy,’” captain Nick Suzuki said.
Demidov, the fifth pick in the 2024 draft, got a head start by playing in two regular-season and five playoff games last spring. He is the prohibitive Calder favorite, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.
“It’s super impressive to see someone have that much talent at that age, and he obviously had a great start with us and had some nice moments in the playoffs, as well,” Suzuki said. “I’m looking forward to seeing what he can bring to the roster this year.”
The second pick behind Schaefer joins a talented young core in San Jose headlined by Celebrini and Will Smith.
“He’s an awesome kid,” Celebrini said. “There’s a reason he went second overall. He’s a special player.”
Misa upon getting drafted said he intended to play in the NHL right away. General manager Mike Grier expects Misa’s play to dictate that..
“He wants to be the best,” Grier said. “He wants to play against the best. I’m sure this is what he wants to do, but we’re not gonna hand him anything. He’s got to come into training camp and try and take a job and earn a spot.”
Like Demidov, Leonard broke into the NHL late last season, playing a total of 17 games as Alex Ovechkin broke the career goals record and Washington reached the second round of the playoffs.
Leonard had just two assists, but he’s now counted on to be a regular contributor for the Capitals, even if his mindset was just to earn a roster spot.
“Nothing’s guaranteed, so just going out there and try to prove that I can make the team and play at the level,” Leonard said.
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