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Associated Press
9 hours ago
- Sport
- Associated Press
The New York Islanders have the top pick in the NHL draft: Who will they choose?
The two-day NHL draft will be held at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles this weekend, with the first round held on Friday night. The New York Islanders have the No. 1 pick after winning the draft lottery in May. The San Jose Sharks, who finished last in the overall standings, pick second followed by Chicago and Utah. Six of the top prospects: Matthew Schaefer, defenseman, OHL Erie Hometown: Hamilton, Ontario. Measurables: 6-foot-2, 183 pounds. Turns 18 on Sept. 5. Expected to be selected: No. 1 by the New York Islanders. Accomplishments/background: Schaefer maintained the top spot in NHL Central Scouting rankings despite missing start of the season with mononucleosis and the final three months after breaking his collarbone. Scouts believe he did enough to show off his offensive flair with 22 points (seven goals, 15 assists) in 17 games. That's a jump from the his rookie season (seven goals and 17 points in 56 games). Schaefer also had two goals and four assists in captaining Canada to win the Hlinka/Gretzky Cup in August. Schaefer has shown poise and maturity in dealing with tragedy. His mother died of cancer in February 2024. Two months earlier, the mother of his billet family was struck and killed by a train and last December Otters owner and Schaefer's mentor, Jim Waters, died of a heart attack. Would become first OHL player to go No. 1 since Erie star Connor McDavid went first in 2015. NHL Central Scouting report: 'He does it all on the ice -- defends well as an elite skater with good gap control and has the ability and smarts to consistently produce offensively. ... A special talent.' Michael Misa, center, OHL Saginaw Hometown: Oakville, Ontario. Measurables: 6-foot-1, 184 pounds. Turned 18 in February. Expected to be selected: No. 2 to San Jose, and shouldn't fall any lower than No. 4. Accomplishments/background: Misa led the CHL in scoring last season with 134 points (62 goals, 72 assists), matching the most by an under-18 OHL player since 2009 No. 1 selection John Tavares in 2006-07. He was the eighth player granted CHL exceptional status, allowing him to play at 15. He was the OHL's rookie of the year in 2022 and helped Saginaw win the Memorial Cup championship the following year. After playing wing his first two seasons, he seamlessly made the switch to center this season. NHL Central Scouting report: 'He's bigger, stronger and faster than previous seasons. ... A clever play-maker who makes plays at speed and knows how to put the puck in the net. ... His quickness, creativity and hockey sense are off the charts.' Anton Frondell, center, Djurgarden, Sweden (Tier 2) Hometown: Stockholm, Sweden. Measurables: 6-feet, 198 pounds. Turned 18 in May. Expected to be selected: Could go No. 2 to San Jose. Shouldn't drop lower than No. 5 (Nashville). Accomplishments/background: Frondell finished the season as central scouting's top-ranked international skater. He's a puck-possession forward, with an outgoing personality. He joked about how much his English improved during team interviews at the draft combine. After playing 10 games in Sweden's junior league, he made the jump to the second division, where he had 11 goals and 25 points in 29 games. In 2023-24, Frondell led his junior team and finished tied for sixth in the league with 39 points (18 goals, 21 assists) in 29 games. NHL Central Scouting report: 'Has perfect balance in his skating and makes it difficult for opponents to catch him. Wins most of the one-on-one battles.' James Hagens, center, Boston College Hometown: Hauppauge, New York. Measurables: 5-foot-11, 177 pounds. Turned 18 in November. Expected to be selected: A top-10 selection, who could prompt teams to trade up should he fall to No. 9 (Buffalo). Accomplishments/background: Hagens is the top-ranked American-born player at No. 3 on central scouting's list. A high-scoring playmaker who grew up an Islanders fan on Long Island. With 11 goals and 26 assists, he finished fourth in points among college freshmen. He scored five goals for America's gold medal-winning team at the world juniors. A year earlier, Hagens earned world junior tournament MVP honors with nine goals and 22 points. In two years on the U.S. national development team, he finished fifth on the career list with 187 points and 115 assists. NHL Central Scouting report: 'Always a scoring threat off the rush and can set up his teammates from anywhere. ... He wants the puck on his stick and has game-changer ability. The complete offensive package.' Caleb Desnoyers, center, QMJHL Moncton Hometown: Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec. Measurables: 6-foot-2, 178 pounds. Turned 18 in April. Expected to be selected: Chance to go 4th (Utah). Accomplishments/background: Though ranked seventh on the central scouting list of North American skaters, Desnoyers has risen up the charts after leading Moncton to a Memorial Cup berth. He finished fifth in the Q with 84 points (35 goals, 49 assists) in 56 games. He followed up in earning QMJHL playoff MVP honors with nine goals and 30 points in 19 games. He's a three-time gold medalist in winning at the Under-17, Under-18 championship and the 2024 Hlinka/Gretzky Cup. NHL Central Scouting report: 'He's willing to do most of the dirty work to retrieve 50-50 pucks, and will play a physical style when needed. His skating is good and will continue to get more powerful as he matures physically. ... Prospect who has lots of transferable pro elements in his game.' Joshua Ravensbergen, goalie, WHL Prince George Hometown: North Vancouver, British Columbia. Measurables: 6-foot-5, 190 pounds. Turned 18 in November. Expected to be selected: Has opportunity to be the ninth goalie taken in the first round since 2011. Both Philadelphia (No. 6, 22, 31) and Nashville (5, 23, 26) are potential landing spots, with each having three first-round selections. Accomplishments/background: Ravensbergen is central scouting's top-ranked North American goalie and went 33-13-4, finishing tied for the WHL's second-most wins. He went 26-4-1 last year, with a rookie league record-tying six shutouts. In two WHL seasons, he has a 2.78 goals-against average and .904 save percentage. NHL Central Scouting report: 'Has a huge pro presence and plays big even when down in the butterfly with excellent low-net coverage. ... A combination of size and ability, he has a good chance to become an NHL starter.' ___ AP NHL:
Associated Press
3 days ago
- Sport
- Associated Press
Top NHL draft prospect Schaefer honors late-mother in not letting personal tragedies define him
When the time comes for defenseman Matthew Schaefer to take the stage at the NHL draft inside the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles this week, the top-ranked prospect won't be climbing the stairs alone. There's no doubt in Schaefer's mind his late mother Jennifer will be accompanying him in spirit. It will stand as a joyous moment for the 17-year-old Erie Otters player celebrating the person who's been at his side for every step even after she died of cancer some 16 months ago. 'I love talking about my mom, because I talk about the happy memories instead of the sad memories,' Schaefer said. He recalled the times Jennifer suited up in goalie equipment to face shots from him and his older brother. Even when sick, she'd muster the energy to play mini-sticks in the family basement. 'She's always with me in spirit. I know she has a front-row seat to every game,' Schaefer added. 'I just want to carry on her legacy and character and the person she was.' His mother's poise and strength are reflected in shaping Schaefer's-upbeat perspective in the face of other losses and setbacks. Some two months before Schaefer's mother died, the mother of his billet family was struck and killed by a train in what was ruled a death by suicide. In December, he was in Ottawa representing Canada at the world junior championships when Otters owner and Schaefer's mentor, Jim Waters, died of a heart attack. Schaefer broke his collarbone at the tournament, forcing him to miss the final three months of the season. Through it all, Schaefer refuses to be defined by pain and tragedy. 'My mindset has changed a lot with everything. Just seeing what my mom went through, having a smile on her face with cancer kind of trying to bring her down, but she wouldn't let it,' he said. 'She's the strongest person I've ever known.' No. 1 in Central Scouting rankings A testament to Schaefer's perseverance: The 6-foot-2, 183-pound player from Hamilton, Ontario, has remained atop NHL Central Scouting's rankings among North American skaters with the two-day draft opening on Friday. Though the debate between ranking Schaefer over high-scoring OHL Saginaw Spirit center Michael Misa was close, scouting director Dan Marr said Schaefer earned the nod because of the development he showed when healthy. Marr referred to Schaefer as 'stealing the show' at Canada's Under-18 summer camp before scoring six points (two goals, four assists) in captaining Canada to win the Hlinka/Gretzky Cup in August. After missing the start of the OHL season with mononucleosis, he posted 22 points (seven goals, 15 assists) in 17 games with Erie before being sidelined at the world juniors. 'He's one of the guys I think teams can safely interpret what you see is what you get,' Marr said of a two-way, fluid-skating defenseman who is responsible defensively, a play-maker offensively, and labeled 'a special talent' by Central Scouting. What's unmeasurable is Schaefer's character. 'He's just a breath of fresh air,' Marr said. It's a quality Otters forward Malcolm Spence saw in Schaefer every day as a roommate. 'He's a guy that you wouldn't even know what he's gone through,' Spence said. 'He wakes up every day with a smile on his face.' Engaging personality Schaefer's engaging personality was on display throughout the pre-draft combine in Buffalo, New York, followed by him joining top prospects in attending Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final in Florida. In skipping the combine's bench-press and pullup testing portions, he urged his fellow prospects to succeed. In Florida, Schaefer recalled how his hotel room wasn't ready upon arrival, so he took advantage of a sunny day. 'We got a little tan going on, a couple of us,' he said. 'I'm happy with that. I'm pretty light as it is. I have a hockey rink tan, as I'd say.' The only thing fazing him was being awestruck in meeting several NHL players, including Florida's Brad Marchand and Edmonton's Connor McDavid, a former Otters player who went No. 1 in the 2015 draft. Schaefer elicited a laugh when saying he was rooting for the Oilers, before noting he failed to mention that in meeting Marchand. Sharing his story There is a serious side to Schaefer, evident during the combine. He made a point to visit a Buffalo-area outreach group for grieving youths. Gwen Mysiak, co-founder of Western New York Compassion Connection, was impressed by how Schaefer engaged an audience that included about 15 youths, ranging in ages 7 to 17. 'When he walked through these doors, you sensed the genuine nature he has, and how passionate he is to make a difference with all his pain,' she said. 'To have peer support coming from a young man like that on the precipice of his NHL career was a gift,' added Mysiak, whose husband died two years ago. 'I will be watching the NHL draft for the first time in my life because he really captured our hearts.' Schaefer said the visit was the least he could do, noting he skipped his high school graduation ceremony to be there. 'There's young kids that are going through tough times. A lot of people love to keep it in, and I want to try to put their minds at ease in any way,' Schaefer said, before reflecting on his experiences. 'You know, if love could have saved them, they would have lived forever. That's a good saying I go by,' he said. 'But everything happens for a reason in life. Makes me super stronger. And I want to help people.' ___ AP NHL:
