Islanders Draft Star In Matthew Schaefer, Make Huge Deal With Habs

Generation Next is on its way to the National Hockey League. The New York Islanders, who were the surprise owners of the top selection spot in the NHL Draft by virtue of a victory in the draft lottery, opened the proceedings by calling the name of defenseman Matthew Schaefer.

The poised young man will have an excellent chance of opening the season with the Islanders in the fall, but many of the first-round draft picks that followed will need time to develop their respective games in college, juniors or the minor leagues.

Center Michael Misa, a noted scorer went second to the San Jose Sharks, and the Chicago Blackhawks took big Swedish forward Anton Frondell third at the Peacock Theater in downtown Los Angeles. Center Caleb Desnoyers went fourth to the Utah Mammoth, who had also moved up in the draft lottery. The Nashville Predators chose physical forward Brady Martin with the fifth pick.

The Flyers selected right wing Porter Martone, who has size, good hands and the ability to go to the greasy areas and score. James Hagens had 37 points (11 goals, 26 assists) in 37 games as a freshman with Boston College and he was selected by the Boston Bruins at No. 7.

Schaefer is clearly a special player because he was clearly deserving of the top spot in the draft even though the 17-year-old played only 17 games last year. He scored 7 goals and 17 assists in those games before he broke his collarbone. There is no denying his skill.

Sam Bennett signs big extension with Cats

While the draft was the scheduled highlight of the day, it was not the only notable NHL event. The Florida Panthers, fresh off their second consecutive Stanley Cup, were not about to let star center Sam Bennett sidle off to free agency next week. They signed their aggressive leader to an eight-year, $64 million contract extension after he won the Conn Smythe Trophy for his brilliant performance this spring.

Bennett scored 22 points in 23 playoff games, and that came after he tallied 25 goals and 26 points during the regular season. He is clearly a brilliant postseason performer, and the Panthers made sure he stayed in the fold

Just as Bennett is staying in Florida, John Taveras is staying with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Taveras was the big prize in free agency in 2018 and the Maple Leafs won his services with a seven-year, $77 million deal at the time.

It was widely expected that Taveras would sign with a new team at the start of free agency, but he did not want to leave his hometown team and he signed a team-friendly, four-year deal that averages $4.38 million.

Taveras is coming off a 38-goal, 74-point season, and he is exceptional in the face-off circle. He was originally signed to help give the Maple Leafs a legitimate chance to win in the Stanley Cup playoffs, but that never happened. Toronto has not gotten past the second round during the Taveras run north of the border.

While the Islanders made their biggest news with the selection of Schaeffer, they also traded star defenseman Noah Dobson to the Montreal Canadiens for two first-round draft picks and forward Emil Heineman.

It was a sign-and-trade deal for Dobson and he signed an eight-year, $76 million deal with his new team. The 25-year-old had a breakout season of 70 points in 79 games in 2023-24, but he was held to 39 points and a minus-16 rating last year. The Canadiens are betting that Dobson will return to his best form and help the team become a consistent playoff regular.

The Colorado Avalanche traded forwards Charlie Coyle and Miles Wood to the Columbus Blue Jackets, freeing up much-needed salary cap space with free agency beckoning.

Columbus general manager Don Waddell explained why the Blue Jackets made the deal. “Charlie is an experienced, two-way player that adds size and versatility to our group, while Miles is one of the fastest skaters in the NHL who provides great energy and physicality,” Waddell said. “Beyond being outstanding players, both are high-character people who will fit in perfectly with our group and what we are building here in Columbus.”

The draft continues Saturday with rounds 2 through 7, starting at 11 a.m. ET. The Saturday coverage of the draft will be seen on the NHL Network. Every round will also stream on ESPN+ and Disney+.