As the New York Islanders visit the San Jose Sharks on Saturday, the obvious talking point is Matthew Schaefer vs. Macklin Celebrini.

But in speaking with Schaefer Saturday morning, the Islanders’ d-man wanted to put some respect on Michael Misa’s name. Misa, who was picked second overall in 2025 behind Schaefer, has bonded with Schaefer over the years.

“I know Misa pretty well, trained with him over the summer a little bit, and obviously played against him for quite a bit,” Schaefer said. “I mean, he’s such a great player. They have a good team. Celebrini is really good, too. He’s done some great things and stuff like that. It’s gonna be a great matchup tonight.”

Misa has begun to find his footing in the NHL as of late. The San Jose Sharks centerman has five points (three goals, two assists) in the past five games. Although Schaefer has his own worries with the Islanders, he told reporters he stays in contact with Misa as much as he can.

“I keep in check with him a little bit. I’ll text him every once in a bit and things like that, see how things are,” Schaefer said. “He loves it here. Obviously, the weather is nice too. It looks like he’s doing what he does best.”

The Schaefer Effect

For Schaefer, his on-ice play has been incredible. Barring an injury, the Islanders’ defenseman should be the runaway winner of the Calder Trophy for rookie of the year. But what he’s commanded off the ice has changed the landscape of the franchise. NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman talked about the “Schaefer Effect” on the latest 32 Thoughts podcast. His personality, play, and demand for excellence have made the Islanders a team where players, like the recently acquired Brayden Schenn, want to play.

But at just 18 years old, the Islanders defenseman isn’t worried about the noise and headlines he’s created. His character shined when asked how he keeps his head level.

“I mean, you really don’t want to get all mixed up in that stuff. A lot of it’s just noise at the end of the day. People can say stuff and things like that, but you play the game because you love it. You have fun,” Schaefer said.

I’m just worried about what we’ve got going on in this locker room. We’ve got something super strong, and I believe in this team so much. It’s just fun to go to work every day and go to battle with these guys and have fun. Practice and play because you love it.

Bonding with these guys, going out for dinners and things like that, it’s so fun at the end of the day. You just want to stay grounded. Someone also once told me that when you’re in the rink, the boards go up to the ceiling, and you just focus on the game. Just focus on what’s in front of you and what you want to achieve. I don’t get caught up in that stuff. People can say whatever they want, but I’m just playing hockey because I love it.”

That quote is from an 18-year-old, who has dealt with tremendous loss in his life, both his birth mother and billet mother—a mature player that the San Jose Sharks will need to worry about at every turn on Saturday.

The Sharks visited the Islanders on what was just Schaefer’s 6th NHL game. He scored a goal and an assist while playing 22:34.