Emotional Night

All the feels were on display on Draft Night

Good Morning, Islanders Country.

What a night. A night of twists, turns, and emotional highs and lows — a blockbuster trade, a franchise-changing No. 1 pick, and two more first-rounders.

Hope, a bit of heartbreak, and a whole lot of drama.

For the first time in 16 years, the New York Islanders held the No. 1 overall pick—and with it, they selected Mathew Schaefer, the dynamic defenseman from the Erie Otters. But this wasn’t just a draft pick. This was something more.

As NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman called Schaefer’s name, it wasn’t just the UBS Arena crowd erupting in celebration—it was the culmination of a long, emotional journey for a 17-year-old who’s already endured more than most ever will. Schaefer took the stage with tears in his eyes, overwhelmed with emotion. Not just because he achieved a lifelong dream, but because someone was missing: his mother, who passed away from cancer during his draft year.

This moment wasn’t about rankings, projections, or scouting reports. It was about love, loss, and triumph. And you could see in Schaefer’s eyes how much this meant—not just to him, but to his family and the memory of the woman who raised him. Schaefer spoke about his Mom with such poise and perspective throughout the process, displaying a maturity well beyond his years, but in that moment, you saw a 17-year-old who misses his Mom.

Islanders fans should be proud—not only of the player they drafted but of the person. Schaefer has all the tools to be a franchise defenseman: smooth skating, sharp hockey IQ, and composure under pressure.

But more than that, he’s got character, and I can’t wait to root for him.

Let’s dive in.

📰 NEWS: Earlier in the day, the Islanders traded 25-year-old defenseman Noah Dobson to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for picks No. 16, No. 17, and winger Emil Heineman. Here’s what Dobson had to say to the media about what led to his departure from Long Island.

THESE THINGS HAPPEN: I think obviously after the season, played the World Championships, came back. We had a new GM. Obviously, he was getting settled. Once conversations started with my representation, we tried to work on finding a deal and staying on Long Island," Dobson said. "At some point, we just felt best to go in different directions and maybe look for a trade. I got nothing but great things to say about the Islanders organization and my time there, and wish them nothing but the best moving forward. At the end of the day, these things happen."

That trade led to immense speculation (and hope) that Mathieu Darche would be able to turn those two new assets into moving up in the draft to select Long Island’s James Hagens.

Darche confirmed to ESPN later in the night that the Islanders tried to move up to make “Schaegens” an unlikely reality. So, as disappointed as the Draft Party at UBS Arena and Islanders fans were watching Happy Gilmore say James Hagens’ name as the Bruins’ pick, it wasn’t due to a lack of effort.

“We looked at a lot of options tonight ...We tried to move up, but we ended up getting guys we never thought would be there at 16 and 17, so we are really excited about that because we ended up with Victor and Kashawn.”

Let’s talk about those picks, shall we?

Victor Eklund

With the first of their new picks, the Islanders selected Victor Eklund, a 5’11” winger out of Djurgardens (HockeyAllsvenskan, Sweden). The 18-year-old measures in at 5'11" but is nonetheless an effective wall player. His perseverance through contact is remarkable, and you won't be able to count the number of times an opposing player seems to have pinned him to the wall, only for him to squirm his way out.

Scouting Snapshot:

• Stats: 31 points (19 G, 12 A) in 50 games

• Style: Relentless forechecker, deceptive puck handler

• Comparable: Travis Konecny, Seth Jarvis

• Elite Prospects Rank: No. 9

• FC Hockey Rank: No. 6

Eklund brings high-end motor and tenacity, ranked second-best in work rate among this year’s class. His ability to pressure defenders and force mistakes in the offensive zone makes him a nightmare to play against.

Kashawn Aitcheson

No. 17 overall in the 2025 NHL Draft, the Islanders snagged Kashawn Aitcheson, the tough, two-way defenseman from the Barrie Colts.

Standing 6‑1 and packing a mean 198‑pound frame, Aitcheson shattered expectations in his draft year, scoring 26 goals and adding 33 assists for 59 points in 64 OHL games, placing third among league defensemen in goals and top 7 in scoring. He even set Barrie’s single‑season goal record for defensemen with 24 goals. The Colts' GM noted his versatility—he blends top-pair shutdown ability with offensive instincts and leadership.

Strengths:

• Physical Presence: Drives the net, throws impactful hits, and clears the crease with authority.

• Versatility: Functions as a shutdown defender, PK specialist, and power-play contributor—truly a “Swiss Army knife” on the blue line.

• Improving Discipline: Penalty minutes decreased from 126 to 88, indicating better decision-making without sacrificing physicality.

"This is a guy that you want to have on your team," Dan Marr of NHL Central Scouting said during the draft process. "I think he's a consummate team player. He has got the game, the punch skills, the hockey sense and just the intuition. Because he knows when it's time to up his physical game, he knows when the game's on the line and you need a goal or you're protecting a lead, how to make those plays or generate those chances."

A New Era (of haircuts)

The Islanders hosted their draft party at UBS Arena (complete with a Ferris wheel) and several players were in attendance, including Mathew Barzal, equipped with a new-look mullet. No facial hair added - yet.

📚 SOUND SMART: Per Eric Hornick on X, this draft was the first time since 2018 that the Islanders made multiple 1st round picks (Wahlstrom-11, Dobson-12); also two picks in 2015 (Barzal -16, Beauvillier-28), 2014 (Dal Colle-5, HoSang-28), 2010 (Nino-5, Nelson-30), 2009 (JT-1, deHaan-12), 2000 (DiPietro -1, Torres-5), but haven't had 3+ since 1999 (Connolly-5, Pyatt-8, Mezei-10, Kudroc-28).

🎥 ISLES REWIND: On June 28, 2025, the Islanders selected Cole Eiserman in the first round, 20^th overall, of the 2024 National Hockey League Draft. Eiserman, 17, scored 89 points (58 goals, 31 assists) in 57 games with the United States National Team Development Program (NTDP) last season. His 58 goals led the team, and his 89 points were second.

Eiserman scored 34 points (25 goals, nine assists) in 24 games against United States Hockey League (USHL) opponents last season. His 25 goals led the team and 34 points were third. He had 17 points (10 goals, seven assists) in 12 games against NCAA Division I competition.

📺 Up The Turnpike: NHL Draft LIVE REACTION

🔗 NY Islanders GM Mathieu Darche confirms team tried their best to bring Hagens home via Eyes on Isles “The New York Islanders made a splash on draft night, but one name they didn't call left a bittersweet taste for fans: James Hagens, the Long Island-born phenom, who went earlier than the team could reach”

🔗 Mathieu Darche adroitly avoided sentiment in important first Islanders draft by Larry Brooks, New York Post “Maybe the Islanders wanted Hagens and maybe they didn’t. Maybe they made an effort to get back into the draft before the Bruins selected Gabe Perreault’s center at BC seventh overall. Maybe the hockey department’s vision was aligned with the marketing and ticket sales departments and maybe it was not.”

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And we leave you with this…Matthew Schaefer makes his first Newsday backpage.

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