LOS ANGELES — The expectation always was for the Islanders to select defenseman Matthew Schaefer with the first pick in the NHL Draft. Friday’s other first-round doings were not as planned.

“It was a busy day,” recently hired general manager/executive vice president Mathieu Darche said via Zoom from UBS Arena. “I guess that’s why they pay me.”

Darche wisely went with the consensus and selected the 17-year-old Schaefer from the junior Ontario Hockey League. He was ranked first on the NHL Central Scouting Bureau’s list of North American skaters and was considered to have the best skating availability of any of the draft prospects.

Darche also traded pending restricted free agent defenseman Noah Dobson to the Canadiens after an impasse in contract negotiations for fourth-line energizer Emil Heineman and picks Nos. 16 and 17. Dobson promptly signed an eight-year, $76 million extension with Montreal, but Darche got good value with the added picks, taking Swedish wing Victor Eklund and OHL defenseman Kashawn Aitcheson.

That was only after he tried to package those picks to move up to draft Hauppauge’s James Hagens, who wound up being selected seventh by the Bruins.

“Once we got those picks, I was either trading those picks for players that are in the NHL right now [or] we did try to trade up, actually a couple of times, in the first round,” Darche said. “We couldn’t get a deal done. Sometimes everything happens for a reason because the guys we drafted at 16 and 17, we had them much higher on our list and we were beyond excited they were still available at those spots.”

Darche said that after meeting with Schaefer at the NHL Scouting Combine in Buffalo the first week of June, he knew quickly that he would be the first pick.

The moment it became official. #LGI | @UBS pic.twitter.com/vBuT2U3akY

— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) June 27, 2025

“First and foremost, we’re drafting him because he’s an unbelievable hockey player,” Darche said. “The human being is exceptional. A 17-year-old to have that resilience and maturity with everything he’s gone through is beyond impressive.”

Schaefer, who lost his mother, Jennifer, to cancer in February 2024 and spoke openly of it in the weeks leading up to the draft, shed tears on stage as he thought of her. The Islanders placed a cancer ribbon on the jersey he donned on stage and Schaefer immediately kissed it.

“I’m just honored to be picked,” Schaefer said. “I dreamed about it my whole life. I couldn’t control the tears. Obviously thinking about my mom a little extra today. I know she’d be proud.”

Schaefer said he didn’t know the Islanders would place a cancer ribbon on the jersey.

“This is how high-class this organization is, to do that for me,” Schaefer said. “My mom is a big part of my life and this jersey I’m going to hang up for sure and that ribbon has a little extra meaning to it.”

Drafting Schaefer does not mean he will be an immediate replacement for Dobson. For one, the 6-2, 183-pound Schaefer is lefthanded and Dobson shoots righty. For two, there’s no guarantee Schaefer will jump straight to the NHL, as Dobson did after being selected 12th overall in 2018.

Schaefer understands his real work starts now.

“I want to go back to the gym and on the ice and train and work as hard as I can,” he said, “so when the season comes, I’m ready to play at that NHL level.”

Schaefer blends his elite skating skills with a strong playmaking ability and high hockey IQ. But illness and a broken collarbone limited him to 17 OHL games as he recorded seven goals and 15 assists for Erie.

Schaefer is fully recovered and he, Aitcheson and Eklund will participate in the Islanders’ summer prospect development camp, which opens Monday at Northwell Health Ice Center in East Meadow.

Schaefer becomes the Islanders’ fifth first overall pick after John Tavares (2009), Rick DiPietro (2000), Denis Potvin (1973) and Billy Harris (1972).

The 5-11, 161-pound Eklund, who had 19 goals and 12 assists in 42 games for Durgardens, said he will return to play in Sweden. The 6-2, 196-pound Aitcheson, who had 26 goals and 33 assists in 64 games and plays a physical, agitating game, most likely will play a fourth OHL season for Barrie.

Aitcheson played against Schaefer in the OHL.

“Great kid, wonderful personality,” Aitcheson said. “An amazing hockey player, too. I’m excited to get going with him.”