The search for Matthew Schaefer rookie comps — and what it sets up for his Islanders Year 2

Source: New York Post

Matthew Schaefer’s rookie year was good enough that, in trying to find others to compare it to, there is almost no choice but to loosen the criteria. The idea of this newsletter was to look at sophomore seasons for defensemen that followed comparable rookie seasons to Schaefer’s. Except, at least in the post-lockout era — which is an obvious demarcation point for any relevant comparison — Schaefer’s rookie season is, just as a matter of course, the best that any defenseman has had.