Entry Level Contract rules out one 2025-26 option for NY Islanders D Matthew Schaefer

The New York Islanders have signed Matthew Schaefer, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, to a three-year entry-level contract, the team announced Friday.

According to PuckPedia, the contract includes an $877,500 base salary, a $97,500 signing bonus, and the potential for $3.5 million in performance bonuses—split between $1 million in Class “A” bonuses and $2.5 million in Class “B” incentives.

By signing the entry-level deal, Schaefer is no longer eligible to play in the NCAA, effectively narrowing his immediate path to one of three options: the NHL, a return to the OHL’s Erie Otters, or a rare move to Europe. The 17-year-old turns 18 on September 5 and will be eligible to play up to nine NHL games before the first year of his contract kicks in. If he’s returned to junior hockey within that window, the contract would slide, delaying its start until the 2026–27 season.

The Islanders have confirmed that Schaefer will wear No. 48, and his rapid signing just weeks after being drafted signals that the organization views him as a legitimate contender for an NHL roster spot out of training camp.

Before Friday night’s Mets game at Citi Field, Schaefer took part in a ceremonial jersey exchange with Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo. Schaefer gifted Nimmo a custom “Schaefer 48” Islanders jersey, and Nimmo presented Schaefer with a pink baseball bat in support of breast cancer awareness. The Islanders' draft jersey given to Schaefer in June featured a breast cancer ribbon and the initials of his late mother sewn inside. Later, the team posted a video showing how Schaefer met with 20 kids who had lost a parent. The kids then helped Schaefer sign his contract.

Despite a shortened season in 2024–25 due to illness and injury, Schaefer posted 22 points in just 17 games with Erie. After missing the first nine games with mononucleosis, he suffered a broken collarbone at the World Junior Championship in December after crashing into the goalpost in a game against Latvia. Schaefer was later awarded the CHL Top Prospect Award and became the fifth first-overall pick in Islanders' franchise history.