Islanders' Schaefer and Habs' Demidov dominate the Calder Trophy tracker, looking every bit like Olympians amid rookie chaos. Voters already buzz about their poise under pressure, a rarity for first-year guys facing NHL grind. With the field wide open, these two force contenders to elevate, setting up a trophy fight that echoes through the trade deadline.

Chris Pronger, the Hall of Famer who's seen every kind of blueliner this league throws at you, isn't holding back on Team Canada's decision to leave Matthew Schaefer off the Olympic roster. The Islanders' 18-year-old phenom, who's lighting up score sheets with 25 points in 41 games while logging more ice time than any rookie, drew rare praise from GM Doug Armstrong himself for his maturity and skill.

New York Islanders' No. 1 draft choice Matthew Schaefer reveals the story behind selecting jersey No. 48, a number loaded with personal meaning for the young blueliner. This choice signals his mindset as he breaks into the NHL system, blending homage with ambition. For a top prospect, the right digits set the tone from day one in the pros.

Matthew Schaefer's advanced metrics explode past this year's rookie class, marking him as a blue-chip defender with immediate NHL impact. Scouts rave about his calculated value, blending size, smarts, and puck-moving that screams top-pair potential. As teams eye post-Olympic tweaks, Schaefer emerges as the steal who could reshape a contender's back end for years.

New York's Islanders crash the party after Boston's Nikita Zadorov lays a rough one on Matthew Schaefer, turning a routine shift into old-school NHL payback with gloves flying. Zadorov's bruising style draws the line in the sand during this heated Metro clash, where Isles enforcers protect their own amid a Bruins push for playoff positioning. Coaches on both benches review tape furiously, knowing these tilts set tones for rivalry games that linger all season.

Matthew Schaefer, the No. 1 pick who trash-talked the Rangers on draft night, backs it up with a clutch goal that seals the Islanders' first season sweep of their crosstown rivals since who knows when. The 18-year-old rookie now sits second all-time in goals by a defenseman his age, passing Bobby Orr while chasing Phil Housley, and his shot from the circle exploits yet another Rangers giveaway.