The Islanders young core is ahead of schedule and proving it every night

We're not even 20 percent of the way through the season yet, and Matthew Schaefer has already shown the NHL universe he's going to win the Calder Trophy. He's playing at a record-breaking pace and is now pacing all NHL defensemen in goals scored.

As exciting as it is, it's not normal, and Schaefer is once again showing why he deserved to have "generational talent" labeled next to his name as the 2025 NHL Draft approached. Schaefer is leading this young Islanders core, and one that has already improved from where they were to kick off the 2025-26 season.

Some of those names include Calum Ritchie, Simon Holmstrom, Isaiah George, Emil Heineman, Max Shabanov, and Alexander Romanov. Further, Mathew Barzal is just 28 and has picked up where he left off last season with nine points and three goals in 11 games. And you also can't count out Maxim Tsyplakov.

New York Islanders' core is coming together and Matthew Schaefer is leading it

Matthew Schaefer keeps scoring like a forward, with 10 points and five goals in his first 12 career games. But keep this in mind: He's also averaging one block and a half-takeaway per game. Often, young defensemen with high potential struggle in a few areas, but Schaefer already looks like a complete player who will keep steadily improving with experience.

Then, there's Emil Heineman, who has been solid since arriving as part of the Noah Dobson trade. Heineman has cooled off some since his ultra-hot start, but he's looking like a future go-to scorer with five goals and seven points in 12 contests.

Calum Ritchie wasn't on the team to start the season, but he got a recent recall and has looked comfortable with the big club. He has four giveaways and has already seen four minutes in the penalty box, but a perfect on-ice save percentage at even strength, coupled with over 15 minutes of average total ice time, shows that the Islanders are putting their trust in him early.

Simon Holmstrom's stock keeps trending north while others get their chances

It was becoming apparent that Simon Holmstrom was turning a corner, and now, he has eight points and four goals in 12 outings, good for roughly 0.66 points per game. Holmstrom also has a 30.8 shooting percentage and has blocked 13 shots. Look for more production like that as the season wears on.

Alexander Romanov won't put up many points, but his physical nature is what makes him stand out. He has yet to find the stat sheet through seven games, but has blocked 21 shots and has 18 hits to go with a solid 90.2 on-ice save percentage at even strength.

Isaiah George, Max Shabonov, and Maxim Tsyplakov are the wild cards. George has yet to appear in a game this season, but he's routinely in the conversation. Shabonov looks like a solid addition to the fourth line, and Tsyplakov has been up and down, though he has shown high potential in the past.

With this being Year 1 of the Mathieu Darche era, what you're seeing here is the beginning. Schaefer will lead the charge and put up Calder numbers while Heineman, Ritchie, Holmstrom, and Romamov are key fixtures. Finally, George may carve out a role, while Shabanov and Tsyplakov may also end up as keepers.