Matthew Schaefer could accomplish a truly rare feat for NHL defensemen

New York Islanders blueliner Matthew Schaefer just got the recognition he has justifiably earned. And it’s something that shouldn’t really surprise anyone.

Schaefer landed in the upper echelon of The Athletic’s recent ranking of the NHL’s best young players. As a 1B player, Schaefer is firmly in the conversation of players earmarked as “MVP” caliber.

So, that situation brings a question to mind: Could Schaefer achieve something truly rare for an NHL defenseman, that is, win an MVP award?

That would be the Hart Trophy.

And it’s a feat that’s only been accomplished thrice in NHL history.

The last time a blueliner took home the Hart Trophy was Chris Pronger back in 2000. Before him, the great Bobby Orr took it home three consecutive seasons, from 1970 to 1972. To find the other defenseman to win the NHL MVP, you have to go back to 1944 to find Babe Pratt of the Toronto Maple Leafs taking the hardware.

That’s it. Three total blueliners. In fact, more goalies have won the Hart than defensemen.

As such, could Matthew Schaefer be the next guy to pull off the feat?

With the way things are going, if there’s any NHL defenseman who has a chance to go it, it’s Schaefer. Yes, Cale Makar could do it before Schaefer. It would take a 100-point season, and just an overall historic season from Makar, to convince voters that a defenseman deserves it more than a forward.

But then again, Schaefer seems destined to make NHL history.

Matthew Schaefer could have the best chance to win a Hart Trophy among defensemen

There are plenty of great young NHL defensemen. Lane Hutson, Jackson LaCombe, Moritz Seider, Luke Hughes, and Jake Sanderson, among others.

While all them could have a Norris Trophy in their futures, a Hart Trophy would be wishful thinking.

But when it comes to Schaefer, there’s something truly special about him. He had a career season by blueliner standards at 18. And that’s what makes him such a tantalizing candidate to achieve such a rare feat.

Of course, it will take some major numbers to propel Schaefer to a Hart Trophy. For example, Pronger’s 1999-2000 season saw him score 14 goals and 48 assists for 62 points. While that wasn’t particularly special, the Hall of Famer averaged over 30 minutes of ice time, registering a +52 rating.

Orr won the Art Ross Trophy in 1970 with 120 points.

That situation means that Schaefer will need a crazy number of points or a singular track record, like averaging over 30 minutes a night for multiple seasons, to truly ingrain himself in voters’ minds.

Beyond individual stats, it might take something like a remarkably heroic season en route to a dominant regular-season performance by the Islanders.

Ultimately, the talent will certainly be there. It will just be a matter of voters having the numbers to justify picking him.

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