The New York Islanders may have lost on Sunday, but one brewing NHL star made history when he passed an NHL legend.
Matthew Schaefer keeps turning heads. In Sunday’s 6-3 loss to the Dallas Stars, Schaefer tied the game early when he notched his second goal of the season and the 25th of his career. Schaefer knotted the game up at the 13:43 mark of the first period and sailed past the legendary Bobby Orr in the process.
Per Robert Tiffin of NHL.com, “The 19-year-old passed Bobby Orr for the second most goals by a teenage defenseman in NHL history. He has 25 goals in 93 games.”
That’s a remarkable number for Schaefer, who turned 19 on Sep. 5. He still has 73 more regular-season games to catch the number-one name on the list, Phil Housley, who has 46. Schaefer isn’t exactly not on pace here to catch Housley. Per his 82-game rate on Hockey-Reference, Schaefer had a 21-goal average heading into Sunday’s matchup.
That puts him on pace for 42 career goals by the time the 2026-27 season wraps up. If he ups his scoring frequency a little more, he will be well within striking distance of Housley.
Matthew Schaefer Continues To Put Up Big Numbers For The Islanders
Opponents have had a tough time figuring out Schaefer since he arrived in Nassau County. After winning the Calder Trophy in 2026 thanks to his 59-point, 23-goal outburst, Schaefer is playing at another level in 2026-27.
He has two goals and eight assists in 11 games, putting him on an 84-game pace of between 76 and 77 points. That puts him in the top 10 among all defensemen in points so far this season. If Schaefer keeps up this production, he may find himself in serious contention for the Norris Trophy.
But it’s not just points reflecting Schaefer’s play. He has shown durability, averaging over 26 minutes per game. He also has 13 takeaways in 11 games. That puts him on an 84-game pace for a staggering 99. Not only does Schaefer have some of Housley and Orr in him, but there is also a lot of former NHL center Pavel Datsyuk thanks to his ability to routinely steal the puck.
Schaefer Continues To Help Create Chances For Himself And New York
Schaefer’s play at even strength also jumps out. He had a 58.9 Corsi For Percentage going into Sunday’s matchup despite an offensive zone starting percentage of just 46.0. It shows how often Schaefer is helping to put the Islanders into position to score so far in 2026-27.
While the Isles are still scoring under three goals per game on average, it hasn’t come from a lack of chances. Their Corsi For as a team is 53.5 at 5-on-5, and Schaefer has been a big part of that. If they can start converting those chances into goals, they will be one dangerous hockey team in the offensive zone, and once again, a lot of that credit goes to Schaefer.
Schaefer and Co. will get another chance to figure things out when they head into Nashville on Tuesday to face the Predators, a team that just put up six goals on the mighty Colorado Avalanche.
Islanders Young Star Passes Bobby Orr In NHL History