Latest news with #MatthewSchaefer
Time of India
5 hours ago
- Sport
- Time of India
NHL trade rumors: The Boston Bruins and New York Islanders eye a blockbuster deal ahead of the 2025 Draft
Matthew Schaefer sits ahead of Michael Misa and Anton Frondell in Craig Button's FINAL edition of 'Craig's List.' (Credit: X/@TSN_Sports) The New York Islanders appear to be going all in ahead of the NHL Draft. According to multiple reports, they are aggressively pursuing a second top-10 pick to go alongside the one they already hold. The rumored goal is to select both star defenseman Matthew Schaefer and local standout forward James Hagens. Boston Bruins open to trading seventh overall pick for roster-ready player The Boston Bruins, owners of the 7th overall pick, are reportedly willing to part with the selection if it lands them a player who can help immediately. Their front office has made it clear they are more focused on improving the current roster rather than adding another developmental prospect. According to reports from RG Media's James Murphy and Stefan Rosney, talks between the Bruins and Islanders have become increasingly serious. Sources close to the situation suggest that Boston's priority is to add a top-six forward or a top-four defenseman if they are to surrender such a valuable draft position. Noah Dobson and Alexander Romanov floated as trade options In order for the trade to materialize, the Islanders would have to offer more than draft capital. Reports indicate that defensemen Noah Dobson and Alexander Romanov, along with forward Jean-Gabriel Pageau, have come up in trade discussions. Among the trio, Dobson would be the most impactful piece. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch CFD với công nghệ và tốc độ tốt hơn IC Markets Đăng ký Undo The 24-year-old logged a career-best season and has grown into one of the Islanders' most dependable blue liners. Trade talks expected to intensify as draft nears With less than a week to go before the NHL Draft on June 27, time is ticking. The Islanders remain determined to secure their draft targets, while the Bruins weigh immediate returns against long-term prospects. Read more: NHL trade rumor: Edmonton Oilers eye bold eight-year deal in less than 24 hours after Stanley Cup loss This deal, if it happens, could reshape both rosters heading into the 2025–26 season. League observers now have June 27 circled, as this rumored transaction might be the headline moment of the draft. Game On Season 1 kicks off with Sakshi Malik's inspiring story. Watch Episode 1 here
New York Times
11 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
2025 NHL Draft survey: Scouts dish on top defense prospects, Roger McQueen, Ivan Ryabkin
Welcome to my 2025 NHL Draft scouts survey. This year-end annual project polls NHL scouts with a different set of two or three questions each year, granting them anonymity to encourage honest — and hopefully candid — answers. This year, 16 scouts (including multiple directors) were sent three questions on hot-button topics in the 2025 class. They were asked which of the seven consensus top defensemen after Matthew Schaefer they liked the best and least, for their comfort level with Roger McQueen as a top-10 pick and for their opinions on difficult and mercurial Russian prospect Ivan Ryabkin. Here are the full results, plus some of the back-and-forths I had with them on their answers. A year ago, I asked a version of this question about the top D grouping in the 2024 class, and I thought it really worked, allowing scouts to reveal something about the group without asking them to just give me their rankings. Because slotting the D behind Schaefer has been a major topic of conversation in this year's draft, I decided to bring the question back. And the results were again really interesting. Advertisement Four different players received votes as the 'best' of the bunch: Mrtka (8), Smith (5), Reid (3) and Aitcheson (2). Reid and Aitcheson were also mentioned in the 'least' category. There was less of a consensus in the 'least' category, with five of the seven players getting a vote or a mention at the bottom of the group. Fiddler was most often slotted at the back (6), followed by Boumedienne (4), but Hensler and even Reid and Aitcheson were mentioned there as well. Scout 1: Best: Smith. Least: Boumedienne. Is it the decision-making/reads for you with Boumedienne? Yes, and the carelessness with which he makes the poor decisions. Scout 2: Best: Reid. Least: Aitcheson. Anything in particular you don't like about Aitcheson? Hockey sense. Scout 3: Out of that D group, I like Mrtka best and Boumedienne least. Scout 4: Best: Smith. Worst: Fiddler. Scout 5: Unfortunately, I can't answer based on a lack of information. The only opinion I can offer is I think Aitcheson will be overdrafted. Great kid who will end up playing in the league, but will always be fighting expectations early on, given how high he could end up going. You would have seen Reid a lot in the OHL. You prefer him to Aitcheson? I didn't see him listed at first … Yeah, I prefer Reid over Aitcheson, but it's close. Aitcheson had some big moments this year offensively; he had multiple OT winners this year, but outside of his shot, I don't see him being as offensive at the next level. Aitcheson plays hard and likes the physical stuff, but he's not a particularly strong defender. I see Reid as being a smarter player and a better skater than Aitcheson. But again, I didn't do huge deep dives on these guys this year. Scout 6: Every year, it seems we have a mushy group of first-round D. These guys are not as good as last year's crop. Smith and Aitcheson are at the top for me. Their offensive skill and activity in transition, combined with the physical tools you want from a top-4 D, makes them hard to pass over. They both need to learn to defend, but I believe that is a matter of development time. All the others are very good players and would be strong picks. I don't have much difference between them. Boumedienne is at the back of the pack, but not by much. There is a lot to like still; he moves pucks well and can skate. I just worry he is not dynamic enough offensively to be more than a bottom-pair puck mover. Curious: What holds Mrtka back from being in the group with Smith/Aitcheson for you, as opposed to that next group? I have him with Smith/Aitcheson. Advertisement I have Mrtka third in that group after Smith and Aitcheson. I don't think his production is a good indication of his impact on ice, and outside of size, he has no high-end attributes. He is too much of a project for me to want before either of the other two. Being well-rounded at his size should get him to the NHL, and his high-side could be the highest if he develops as one hopes, but there is more risk as well. Scout 7: Best is Smith. Worst is Boumedienne. Scout 8: Best: Mrtka. He's a project, but his potential is worth it. Least: Fiddler. His puck game isn't good. Scout 9: Best: Mrtka. Scout 10: I like Mrtka best (raw but in the very end, the best upside). I like Blake Fiddler least from this group (hockey sense is a bit questionable). Scout 11: Best: Mrtka. Least: Fiddler. I'm not too much different than your order. Scout 12: Can't answer the second and third questions (but) I like Mrtka among the D, personally. Scout 13: Top to bottom: 1. Aitcheson 2. Smith 3. Mrtka 4. Boumedienne 5. Hensler 6. Reid 7. Fiddler My D take likely puts (me) on an island … Sascha ahead of Reid is the only thing that jumps out versus the consensus there, really. Sascha has been the most common answer at the back of that group. I'm somewhat surprised at that. Sascha has a lot of work to do to complete his game — no question there. Just think the upside is pretty interesting if it comes together for him. Scout 14: Best would be Mrtka and Reid. These guys have an edge for me, IQ-wise. Like least would be Fiddler and Hensler. More questions on sense with these two at this stage. All nice players, but bring different assets. Scout 15: Best: Really close between Smith, Mrtka, Aitcheson. Smith in the lead. Least: Reid. The Reid part is interesting. You're the first to slot him at the back of that group. Advertisement If I'm being honest, I probably answered that from a team perspective. Myself, I may have Hensler lower. Scout 16: I've only seen the west kids. Same order as you put them in (Mrtka, Smith, Fiddler). There were more yes (8) answers than no (4) answers to this one, but it wasn't a clear consensus, other than that it's close. If the results here are an indication of the way it'll go for McQueen, it looks more likely that he goes top 10 than not, however. That he participated in the combine and did well in interviews seems to have helped move some from apprehension to willingness, even if it didn't get everyone to outright confidence. Scout 1: No. Scout 2: Yes. Scout 3: I would be OK taking a chance late top 10 on McQueen. Scout 4: Yes, but it's close. Scout 5: Loved McQueen the first time I saw him back at the U17 camp in Calgary. Looked like he was going to be a star. But back injuries are a black hole, so it's a bit of a shame. Scout 6: He is saying/doing all the right things to assure teams that his back is not an issue. Draft-year injuries should not be deciding factors if you can get a sense of a player's value. In this case, there are enough games over the last two years to make an assessment of the player. His profile: a big, productive center that has underlying skill, usually goes in the top 10. I don't feel he is out of place there. Scout 7: I have no problem with McQueen in the top 10. Scout 8: Yes, it's not like there are 10 elite talents in this draft, so might as well. Scout 10: I wouldn't take Roger McQueen in the top 10. He is a mid-first-rounder in my books. Scout 11: No (but I didn't see enough of McQueen). Scout 13: Yes. Scout 14: I'd be comfortable taking him. While it's not ideal and there would be a level of risk, his talent and potential to be a star are higher than most. Advertisement Scout 15: No, worried about trouble there. One of the most common things I heard coming out of the NHL Combine was that Ryabkin — whose attitude, maturity, discipline and even fitness had already been talked about for more than a year as an issue — was that his interviews went really poorly (even more poorly than expected in some cases). He also looked like he was in horrible shape. And so this question felt like it could be revealing of the gap between the player's perceived talent level and the actual range that teams might consider taking him. Predictably, the answers were all over the place. Some teams don't even have him on their lists, and one director told me his team didn't interview him because it was a 'waste of time.' Others view him as a first-round talent and would consider even taking him as early as the late-first or second round. But the consensus seemed to be that he was a late-first/second-round talent and a Round 3-5 pick. Scout 1: Second round. Fifth round. Not a fan of the person or the player. Scout 2: Haven't seen him. Scout 3: Ryabkin is a first-round talent that you maybe take a chance on on Day 2, like (Igor) Chernyshov last year. Scout 4: Round 2 on talent (though that definition is tough). Probably consider Round 3-4. Seems like a big faller, but we'll see. Scout 5: Don't know much about Ryabkin other than a lot of the chatter I've heard from scouts is that he is a major red flag. Scout 6: Does a player have talent if he never shows it? His impact on games this year was very muted. If he were more impactful given the talent his underage play showed, he would be in the mid-to-late first alongside the other slightly undersized incomplete but dynamic forwards. Given how far his game has gotten off the rails, I would be willing to take the calculated risk on his talent after making a couple other selections — third round. Advertisement Scout 7: Ryabkin's not on our list. Scout 8: On talent, probably first round. With all the big red flags on him, third round at the earliest. Scout 10: On talent alone, Ryabkin's top six in the draft. Personally, I would draft him late first round. I have some personality doubts. Scout 11: Mid-first talent. Second round. Scout 13: First round/third round, but that's because I have a lot of seconds I like. Scout 14: I can only speak to what I saw this season, so talent would be mid-first. His stats from the past indicate he's got more skill, though. I just haven't seen that this season. Scout 15: Early Round 2 on talent, Round 4 earliest with all the stuff that comes with it. (Photos of Jackson Smith and Radim Mrtka: Dennis Pajot and Leila Devlin / Getty Images)
New York Times
a day ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Matthew Schaefer at No. 1, who goes next and answering the 2025 NHL Draft's 10 biggest questions
With the 2025 NHL Draft just over a week away, we line up the 10 biggest questions to be answered when the picks start flying on June 27. The New York Islanders hold the top pick, and the consensus No. 1 prospect is defenseman Matthew Schaefer. The left-shot blueliner has the full package: size, skating, legit offense and a high compete level. He projects to play big minutes in all situations and has the potential to be a legit No. 1 NHL defenseman. Advertisement But there's a local wrinkle. James Hagens, once projected to be the top pick in this class, hails from Long Island. The idea of the Islanders drafting a homegrown, dynamic forward with elite skill has emotional and marketing appeal. That said, Hagens' stock cooled in the second half of the year, with many scouts now placing him closer to No. 5 on their boards. It seems highly unlikely the Islanders would go away from Schaefer for either Hagens or Saginaw's Michael Misa, but still, within the NHL, the possibility hasn't been completely discounted in the lead-up to the draft. Misa, the exceptional status forward who was the top player in the OHL this season, seems like the safest bet to be the first forward off the board. He's a creative, pace-driving center who has produced at a very high level. But there are some other options. Porter Martone is a very skilled big winger with a strong compete level. Anton Frondell brings a complete game to go with a high skill level and an elite shot. Caleb Desnoyers had a monster year in the QMJHL and projects as a tough minutes NHL center. Jake O'Brien and Roger McQueen bring size and skill down the middle. In discussions with NHL teams, most have Misa as their top forward, but each of the above names got at least one vote as the best forward in the class. There is a notable section of the league, for example, that prefers Frondell to Misa currently. McQueen has all the tools an NHL team wants: a 6-foot-5 frame, NHL-level foot speed, great hands, a high hockey IQ and a willingness to use his big body. But he missed the majority of the season, and the cause, a back injury, is notoriously tricky for NHL teams. The risk-reward calculus here is steep. If healthy, McQueen is a matchup nightmare who could become a dominant NHL center. The question is when does a team feel confident enough to roll the dice on him. Joshua Ravensbergen has been the top-rated goaltender this draft season, but his play was inconsistent. He's big and highly athletic, and tracks pucks well enough, but his game was a bit chaotic at times. First-round goalies are always a gamble, and organizational philosophy often plays a role. Some teams simply don't take goalies early, and Ravensbergen lacks the pedigree of other goalies who have gone high in recent years. Still, with few elite goalie prospects in recent years, someone may decide to secure their crease of the future in Round 1. If that happens, look for it to be in the 20-32 range. After Schaefer is picked, it's unclear who will be the next defenseman selected. Radim Mrtka is a huge right-shot defenseman who can skate, has legit offensive skill and hockey sense, although he's not overly physical. Jackson Smith brings size, mobility and high-end offensive skill, but his game can be a roller coaster. Kashawn Aitcheson is highly physical but has good enough speed and skill. Advertisement Team preference will dictate who goes next. Mrtka probably has the safest profile. Smith is the most purely talented. Aitcheson is the most unique profile that could translate the best to the playoffs. Brady Martin's stock was sharply on the rise following a good second half and a great U18 worlds. He's relentless, physical and also highly skilled. Teams are also falling in love with his background and character. Two months ago, it felt like Martin had a strong chance to be a top-10 pick in the draft, but as things stand right now, the question is now more about how high in the top 10 he goes. Hagens entered his draft year rated by many as the top prospect in the draft. He's extremely skilled and creative, a great skater and projects to run an NHL PP1. He had a very good but not great season at Boston College, though, and some scouts have raised concerns about how his barely 5-foot-11 frame will translate, especially given he's not overly physical. He's still likely a top-10 pick, but it's not clear where he goes in that range. Frankly, I've talked to more teams that have him in the 6-10 range than those who see him as a top-five prospect. Ivan Ryabkin entered the season being projected as a potential top-10 pick by some scouts. He was just as productive as Matvei Michkov and Ivan Demidov were as underage players, and talking to scouts a year ago, he was being discussed in the same light as them. He's a super-skilled winger who plays hard and was quite productive in the USHL in the second half this season. However, the term 'headache' has followed Ryabkin. He wore out his welcome in Dynamo Moscow, leading to a mid-year transfer, and his time in the USHL involved several suspensions and scouts picking apart the habits in his game. He also came in noticeably overweight at the NHL Combine. He's a legit first-round talent, but I haven't talked to many people excited to call his name in recent months. Advertisement This is one of the weakest Finnish draft classes in recent memory. There isn't a clear-cut top-100 player from Finland, but there are a few players at least on the radar. From the 2007 age group, defenseman Lasse Boelius is a good skater who was a top player internationally. In terms of re-entry candidates, Benjamin Rautiainen up front and Petteri Rimpinen in goal were good versus men and for Finland's World Junior team. Mason West might be the most intriguing athlete in the class. A legitimate dual-sport prospect in football and hockey, he has the physical tools of a legit first-round pick. He's a powerful center with NHL-caliber footspeed and puck skills, but will teams hesitate if they think he might eventually pivot to football? West has been trying to reassure teams he is going to eventually commit to hockey full-time after playing high school football this fall. (Photo of Michael Misa and Matthew Schaefer: Joe Hrycych / NHLI via Getty Images)
New York Times
4 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Submit your 2025 NHL Draft questions for Corey Pronman's mailbag
Corey Pronman is opening the mailbag as we near the 2025 NHL Draft. If you want a certain question answered, give it a like as it will increase the chances of a reply. Read Corey's latest stories: • Which 2025 NHL Draft prospects have the best skills? Ranking 6 different tools and traits • How do 2025 NHL Draft's best prospects compare with 2024's top 10? • NHL Draft 2025 ranking: Matthew Schaefer leads Corey Pronman's top 125 prospects list • NHL Draft Confidential 2025: What insiders think of Matthew Schaefer, goalies and more
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Otters' Schaefer awarded with CHL top draft prospect award
Otters defenseman Matthew Schaefer was recognized by the CHL as the league's top draft prospect award winner. The 17-year-old, Schaefer, is the second Otter to receive that recognition with Connor McDavid being the other back in 2015. Schaefer, a former number one overall pick in the OHL priority selection back in 2023 who had his season cut short after suffering a broken collarbone in December, totaled 22 points in 17 games this past season. Currently ranked as the #1 North American Skater by NHL Central Scouting and projected to go first overall in the NHL Entry Draft in Los Angeles on June 27, this award adds to the list of accolades for Schaefer. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
