Matthew Schaefer is a 17-year-old left shot defenseman. He was born on September 5, 2007, in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Schaefer spent the 2024-25 season playing for the Erie Otters, an OHL team. His season was cut short by missing the first nine games with mononucleosis and ending his season on March 5, 2025, with a clavicle injury. He is projected to be drafted around #3 in this year’s draft by Inside the Rink.
Draft Projections
#3 Inside the Rink
#1 NHL Central Scouting North American Skaters
#1 TSN Bob McKenzie
Diving Deeper
Schaefer played in 17 games for the Erie Otters throughout the 2024-25 season and finished the year with seven goals and 15 assists for a total of 22 points. He also participated in the 2025 U-20 World Junior Championships for Team Canada for two games and had one goal and one assist during the tournament. Schaefer helped lead the 2025 U-18 WJC team to the Hlinka Gretzky Cup with two goals and four assists over five games.
Hockey IQ
Schaefer plays a dominant two-way game on the ice, he moves quickly and easily across the sheet and is able to change direction on a dime. Schaefer has a knack for seeing how a play will develop in front of him, allowing him to find space for himself and maintain puck possession. He has been known to have flashes of Cale Makar in his offensive game.
Schaefer is a marvellous skater who can move the puck up the ice quickly with his feet or his hands. His offensive instincts are top-notch. He can make plays; he can score goals. He’s totally fearless — the broken collarbone happened while driving hard to the net — and he’s constantly looking to be in attack mode. He can run a power play; he can walk the blueline and get shots through from the point, and even if he’s caught deep in the offensive zone on offensive forays, he can swiftly race back into defensive position. Without the puck, he can defend physically or cerebrally. He has a great stick; his gap control is excellent. He’s a premier penalty killer and his game is suited to all situations in all zones.
– Bob McKenzie, TSN
Areas to Improve
Matthew Schaefer doesn’t have much to improve on, while he was just 11 days away from going in the 2026 draft, his age might be his biggest downfall. Another area of weakness is lack of strength and overall offensive ability. His lack of strength can be resolved with offseason training, and his offensive ability can be coached to make him a truly elite two-way defenseman.
Final Thoughts
Schaefer uses bursts of speed to create openings allowing him to be exactly where he needs to be while breaking up plays. He consistently uses intentional positioning in both the offensive and defensive zones along with blocking shots and killing penalties. With Schaefer projected to go in the top five, he could be a good addition to an NHL team in the future, but he will need to work on his strength before he’s able to play a consistent role in the big league.
ITR 44: We Have A Champion…Again – Inside The Rink
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