Matthew Schaefer and other top draft picks make NHL season-opening rosters
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The NHL’s season-opening rosters are in, and they include three of the top five picks from the most recent draft.
No. 1 choice Matthew Schaefer made the New York Islanders after a strong training camp, No. 2 Michael Misa will start with the San Jose Sharks and No. 5 Brady Martin has gone from his family’s farm in Elora, Ontario, to the first line with the Nashville Predators.
“You’ve seen teams having young guys, they keep them up and they manage the workload,” Islanders first-year general manager Mathieu Darche said Monday.
Schaefer, a smooth-skating defenseman who turned 18 on Sept. 5, is getting eased in, though there was little doubt about him sticking on Long Island and not returning to his junior team in Erie. Darche confirmed that Schaefer will be in the lineup Thursday night at Pittsburgh.
“He’s completely earned his spot on the team,” Darche said. “He’s ready for this. And then we’ll start the season and see where it goes at this point. … The way he’s going to play is going to dictate what we do.”
San Jose’s final few cuts left Misa and 2024 No. 11 pick Sam Dickinson to add to the rebuilding club’s youth movement. The Sharks finished last in the NHL last season when Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith were rookies and are again projected to miss the playoffs, though the long-term future is bright.
With Nashville trying to climb back into contender status, Martin skated alongside Filip Forsberg and Ryan O’Reilly at practice Monday.
It had become clear at Rangers practices that versatile forward Conor Sheary was on track to make the team after attending camp on a professional tryout agreement. Sheary won the Stanley Cup in 2016 and ’17 when New York coach Mike Sullivan was with the Penguins.
Sheary signed a two-way contract worth the league-minimum $775,000, according to a person familiar with the deal who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because financial terms were not disclosed. Brett Berard was sent to Hartford of the American Hockey League to make room under the salary cap.
“There’s a lot of pressure on players when they’re on a PTO and obviously a lot of uncertainty, so you’re just happy for guys when they work so hard,” Rangers Hall of Fame goaltender-turned-TNT analyst Henrik Lundqvist said in a video call with the AP. “You’re happy for a guy like that, for sure, when you put in the hours and preparation to try to make it.”
Veteran defenseman Matt Grzelcyk also signed with Chicago after his PTO, getting $1 million for the season from the Blackhawks. Kevin Rooney signed for the league minimum with Utah after trying out at New Jersey’s camp.
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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl