Can Matthew Schaefer break any NY Islanders rookie records ?

The New York Islanders started their offseason with a bang, drafting Matthew Schaefer with the first overall pick. Many scouts and analysts considered him to be the best prospect in this draft.

Over his two seasons with the Erie Otters of the OHL, he's racked up 10 goals and 29 assists for 39 points. He was also impressive during international play, tallying three goals and eight assists for 11 points in 17 games for Team Canada.

With so much hype surrounding Schaefer, fans have let their imagination run wild on what he could be. The projections about Schaefer have been everywhere from a solid top-four defenseman to being the face of the franchise one day.

With all this excitement surrounding him, he should be in store for a decent rookie season with memorable moments along the way. But is it possible that Schaefer can break any of the Islanders' rookie records?

Matthew Schaefer path to re-writing the Islanders record book

The biggest hurdle that Schaefer is currently facing is whether or not he'll make the opening night roster. Although most project him to be on the third pairing with Scott Mayfield, this is not something that has come from the Islanders. In fact, the Islanders are waiting to see how he does in training camp and the preseason before they make any final decisions.

However, if Schaefer can prove he doesn't need more time in the OHL and makes the opening night roster, he should get a good amount of ice time. While he's projected to be a bottom-pairing defenseman, it's unlikely that's where he'll play.

The Islanders would most likely move Tony DeAngelo to the third pairing and bump Schaefer to the second pairing. This is a good spot for Schaefer to develop because he can expect around 20 minutes of ice time, without the pressure of carrying the defense.

This ample ice time is a step in the right direction for him to break a record. The only question is which one can he break?

Based on scouting reports, Schaefer is a player who controls the game around him and gets the puck to open teammates. This is a type of player who racks up a lot of assists, which means the most likely record he can break is the rookie assist record.

Stefan Persson currently holds the record for most assists by a rookie with 50 in only 66 games during the 1977-78 season. The closest anyone has come to breaking it was Bryan Berard in 1996-97 when he registered 40 assists in his rookie season. Current Islanders defenseman Ryan Pulock is the closest any rookie has come recently, recording 22 assists over 68 games in 2017-18.

With all that said, it seems like a long shot that Schaefer is able to break that record. While he may be in store for a big rookie season, it will take him to be historically good to break a record. But the best part of hockey is we won't know for sure until the teams hit the ice.

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