New York (35-35-12), which finished 23rd in the NHL, could use the No. 1 pick to select defenseman Matthew Schaefer (6-foot-2, 183 pounds) with Erie of the Ontario Hockey League. Schaefer is No. 1 on NHL Central Scouting’s final ranking of North American skaters.
He had surgery on Dec. 30 after sustaining a broken clavicle three days earlier while playing for Canada at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship in Ottawa. He also missed the opening nine games of the season because of mononucleosis. He had 22 points (seven goals, 15 assists) and a plus-21 rating in 17 games.
If the Islanders decide to select Schaefer, he’ll be the first player from Erie to go No. 1 in the NHL draft since Connor McDavid was chosen by the Edmonton Oilers in 2015.
“There’s very few doing what he’s doing at his age,” senior Western scout John Williams said. “You don’t like to use the comparison, but he’s ahead of where Cale Makar was at the same age. I’m not saying he’s going to be better or anything like that, but to do what he’s doing … Canada just wasn’t the same team without him at World Juniors.”
Other options for the top pick are Michael Misa (6-1, 184), a center with Saginaw. He is the first player in team history to win the Eddie Powers Trophy as the top scorer in the OHL, finishing the regular season with 134 points (62 goals, 72 assists). He’s No. 2 on Central Scouting’s final ranking of North American skaters.
Boston College center James Hagens (5-10, 177) is No. 3 on Central Scouting’s final rankings of North American skaters. Hagens, who was born in Hauppauge, New York, finished with 37 points (11 goals, 26 assists) in 37 games this season.
Additionally, center Jake O’Brien (6-2, 172) of Brantford (OHL) is No. 4 on Central Scouting’s list. He’s been trending positively all season, as has Czechia-born defenseman Radim Mrtka (6-6, 207) of Seattle in the Western Hockey League; Mrtka is No. 5.
Porter Martone (6-3, 208) remains one of the top players for this year’s draft for the NHL team seeking a power-forward with good finish around the cage. The Brampton captain, No. 6 on Central Scouting’s final North American rankings of skaters, finished seventh in the OHL with 98 points (37 goals, 61 assists) in 57 regular-season games.
The two top players on Central Scouting’s final ranking of International skaters could also be chosen among the top eight selections: center Anton Frondell and right wing Victor Eklund, each of Djurgarden in Sweden’s second division. Frondell is No. 1, and Eklund is No. 2 on Central Scouting’s list of International skaters.
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