Advanced stats data capture Matthew Schaefer's unicorn NY Islanders rookie season

Matthew Schaefer was easy to notice during his rookie season with the New York Islanders.

His skating, confidence with the puck and willingness to attack from the blue line stood out almost immediately. The advanced numbers made the picture even more striking, showing that Schaefer was not just impressive for an 18-year-old, but performing at levels rarely seen from any defenseman.

According to NHL.com Edge Stats, Schaefer led all NHL defensemen with 269 speed bursts of at least 20 mph, 46 more than Colorado’s Cale Makar. It was the highest total by a defenseman in a single season since the league began puck and player tracking in 2021-22.

Schaefer also recorded 33 bursts of at least 22 mph, tied for eighth in the NHL, and reached a top speed of 23.09 mph. He averaged 24:41 of ice time, the highest mark ever by an 18-year-old defenseman, and ranked fifth in the league with 298.6 miles skated.

His shot profile was just as unusual. Schaefer ranked in the top 10 among NHL defensemen in all six major shot-location categories, including high-danger shots and goals, mid-range shots and goals, and long-range shots and goals. He finished third among defensemen with 81 mid-range shots and tied for third with 12 mid-range goals, while his eight long-range goals ranked second at the position.

The production followed. Schaefer finished with 59 points on 23 goals and 36 assists, the most ever by an 18-year-old defenseman. His 23 goals tied Brian Leetch’s single-season NHL record for a rookie defenseman, and he became the youngest Calder Trophy winner in league history.

Watching Schaefer made it obvious he was different.

The tracking data showed just how much of a unicorn his rookie season really was.

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