Matthew Schaefer has been a penalty drawing machine for the NY Islanders

New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer is quickly building a reputation around the NHL as something every defense fears to see on the ice: a penalty-drawing machine.

According to statistician Eric Hornick, at just 18 years old, the Islanders’ rookie defenseman has already drawn 24 penalties this season — more than any defenseman in the league and second overall behind only Connor McDavid (25). Just as impressive is the other side of the ledger: Schaefer has taken only 10 penalties, giving him a +14 net differential, again second only to McDavid’s +17.

That number matters. A lot.

Since the NHL began officially tracking penalties drawn in 2009-10, no Islanders defenseman has ever finished a season higher than +11, a mark set by Noah Dobson in 2021-22. Schaefer has already blown past that benchmark before the midpoint of his rookie year.

Zoom out further and the context becomes even louder. The Islanders’ single-season franchise record belongs to John Tavares at +29 in 2011-12, while Mathew Barzal finished at +26 during his Calder Trophy season in 2017-18. Those are elite forwards driving play with the puck — not teenage defensemen tasked with handling top competition every night.

Across the entire league, the comparison list is short. Cale Makar is the only defenseman since tracking began to post a higher full-season total, finishing at +19 in 2024-25 and +17 the year before. That’s the standard Schaefer is already flirting with.

How does he do it? Speed, deception, and confidence. Schaefer forces opponents into bad angles, beats them with his feet, and draws hooks, holds, trips, and reach-ins when defenders panic. Just as importantly, he avoids retaliation penalties — a rare trait for young players learning the league.

For the Islanders, this isn’t just a fun stat. It’s power plays, momentum swings, and territorial advantage created by an 18-year-old who already bends games to his will.