TSN goes wild with comparisons of NY Islanders' Matthew Schaefer during the Maple Leafs intermission

It’s hard not to get excited over Matthew Schaefer’s play to start the season. The 18-year-old has been the talk of the league since making his debut, already drawing comparisons to some of the game's top defenders.

During the first intermission of the Toronto Maple Leafs' win over the Nashville Predators, the staff at TSN had a bit of fun during their Harvey’s Quiz segment. 

Before asking the question, host James Duthie led off by saying, “I believe there may be groans or screams from the audience when I list the answers of the following question.”

Who does Schaefer remind you of?

The question raised was, “Who does Schaefer remind you of?” And the answers were quite comical for a kid who has played three NHL games.

A. Cale Makar
B. Quinn Hughes
C. Scott Niedermayer
D. Bobby Orr

Upon seeing their choices, all four members of the panel let out an audible sigh, giving off a sentiment of, “Are you kidding me?”

Duthie made sure to emphasize that the question was, "Who does he remind you of," not, "Whose career will he have."

While the panelists shared their thoughts on the question with Duthie, they each responded by praising Schaefer’s play this season. 

“I’m going to say Makar-esque,” Cheryl Pounder responded. “The efficiency of his skating, I mean, just unbelievable. He can hit top speed with or without the puck. He’s balanced on his feet. He’s got IQ, and I think his defensive game is going to grow. So I’m looking at Cale Makar.”

The final tallies were two votes for Makar and two for Hughes.

The Islanders aren’t typically in the national spotlight, so it’s fun to see even the Canadian media be over-enthusiastic about what appears to be a star in the making.