The San Jose Sharks continue to struggle in the early days of the NHL season, now holding a record of 0-3-2 after suffering a 3-0 defeat at the hands of the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday. As the Sharks gear up to face the New York Islanders on Tuesday, all eyes are on rookie sensation Matthew Schaefer, the 2025 NHL Draft’s first overall pick.
Sharks’ head coach Ryan Warsofsky has high praise for Schaefer, noting his impressive skills on the ice. “He’s pretty electric out there…There’s no panic in his game. When you think you have him pinned in the corner, next thing you know he’s leading the rush. [The Islanders] got a special one for a long time,” Warsofsky remarked about the budding star.
Schaefer has made an electrifying start to his season, tallying points in each of his first five games, including one goal and four assists. However, he shares the disappointment of his team, which currently sits at 2-3-0. The talented player has already faced a string of elite competition, including past No. 1 overall picks such as Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin.
In a unique twist, Schaefer’s upcoming matchup features him pitted against Macklin Celebrini, the top pick of the previous year’s draft. The last time back-to-back No. 1 picks faced off was in 2005 when Crosby and Ovechkin took the ice together in their inaugural NHL seasons. Reflecting on such matchups, Crosby expressed, “It’s special. It’s something that when you come into the League, you hope it can be something that lasts a long time.”
Fans and analysts alike are hopeful that Tuesday’s game is just the start of a thrilling rivalry between Schaefer and Celebrini, with their next encounter already scheduled for March 7 in San Jose. The highly anticipated game at UBS Arena is set to commence shortly after 7:00 p.m. ET.