Matthew Schaefer says he just wanted to make the Islanders out of training camp, and there is plenty of reason to believe him.

But Adam Pelech knew over the summer, when he stepped onto the ice for a skate with Schaefer, that there wasn’t a question of him making the team. Not at all.

“Obviously you could tell he was special — he’s a first overall pick — but I thought he was really, really impressive,” Pelech told The Post. “And a lot of people were asking me, ‘Do you think he’ll make the team,’ yada, yada. And I’m like, ‘Obviously. He’s gonna be one of our best players.’ You could tell right away.”

Matthew Schaefer skates with the puck during the Islanders’ home win over the Lightning on Dec. 2, 2025. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

If anything, Pelech underestimated him.

Through t

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