Rinkside Roundup: Matthew Schaefer returns to top-5 form

From elite 2025 draft-eligible prospects to young NHLers entrenching their spots high in their teams’ lineups, the past week saw strong displays from a wide variety of young players.

Matthew Schaefer and Simon Edvinsson have gotten better every single week this year, delivering reliable two-way impacts and flashes of dynamic skill in the OHL and NHL, respectively. Between the pipes, college scorers continued to be frustrated by Boston College’s ever-present netminder, Jacob Fowler, who overperformed on his .950 save percentage season average through a pair of Eagles victories this past week.

Among forwards, 2023 Washington Capitals draft pick Andrew Cristall has continued to create offence at a higher clip than any other WHLer, while Luca Pinelli potted a half dozen points in two games for the Ottawa 67s, adding to his goal-per-game pace in the OHL, which should excite Blue Jackets fans.

Let’s kick off this rundown of the past week’s top performers with a big name in the upcoming NHL draft.

Matthew Schaefer, LD, Erie Otters (2025 Draft)

Season Stats: 3G, 7A, 10PTS

Last Week Stats: 2G, 4A, 6PTS

Following a dominant display at the Hlinka Gretzky as Team Canada captain, Matthew Schaefer was primed to start the OHL season off running. Unfortunately, a bout with mono put an abrupt halt to his momentum, missing the opening weeks of the campaign and not quite looking himself upon return, with his stamina clearly having taken a hit. So, watching him deliver one of the season’s best draft-eligible performances against Niagara on Thursday was fantastic to see. 

Schaefer scored two goals and as many assists in Erie’s 9-3 thrashing but delivered so much beyond what showed up on the scoresheet. As OHL scout Lauren Kelly writes:

“What a game from Schaefer, who looked every bit the first overall challenger he was projected to be coming into the season[...] He's such a dynamic handler, confident on retrievals and breakouts, escapes forechecking pressure with ease, ducking around defenders and able to start the breakout[...]  He's so good at defending 1-on-1 situations, mirroring footwork, matching pace, and sealing off quickly in open ice before stripping carriers of the puck. He steps into lanes and forces players into turnovers, kills rushes before they've even fully materialized.”

Schaefer stands alone atop the 2025 class’ blueliners, with elite upside in all three zones, refined habits, and game-changing dynamic skill and skating. He’s also among the draft class’ youngest players, as a September 5, 2007 birthday. His developmental runway remains tantalizingly long.

Simon Edvinsson, LD, Detroit Red Wings

Season Stats: 1G, 4A, 5PTS

Last Week Stats: 0G, 1A, 1PT

Simon Edvinsson is finding his footing in the NHL and delivered a pair of strong performances this past week, shutting down pacy rushes and suffocating cycles with impressive ease. The towering 6-foot-6 defenceman had a strong AHL campaign in Grand Rapids last season, developing his on-puck decision-making on the road to a 30-point season in 54 games.

That positive momentum has carried him to consistently reliable performances playing north of 20 minutes most nights in Detroit. His ability to layer his mobility and stickwork – aided by powerful strides and a massive reach – makes Edvinsson a particularly unpleasant defender to attack in transition. 

The Swedish defender plays a conservative game, limiting offensive activations and preferring to patrol the offensive blueline on the cycle snuffing out exit attempts. Edvinsson pushed his way into the Red Wings’ top-four by leveraging the excellent physical tools that Detroit drafted him at sixth overall for in 2021. However, it has been his improved habits and composure that have kept him there and differentiated his play from his NHL stints over the past two years.

Having made a terrific pairing-mate for Moritz Seider early on in the 2024-25 season – freeing the German up for frequent offensive incursions and lightening his defensive workload – Edvinsson is getting closer to becoming a key piece on the Red Wings roster every week.

Jacob Fowler, G, Boston College (Montréal Canadiens)

Season Stats: 7W, .950SV%, 1.26 GAA

Last Week Stats: 2W, .966SV%, 1.00 GAA

One of the most competitive goaltending prospects in hockey, Jacob Fowler’s dominant run as Boston College’s starting netminder is showing no signs of slowing down. On the contrary, each performance seems to best the previous. On Sunday, he secured his sixth consecutive victory in a shutout performance against the University of Maine, raising his season save percentage to a ludicrous .950. 

With potentially the most dynamic offensive forward corps in the country and improved defensive support, Fowler hasn’t needed to be as dominant as he was last season. With just two one-goal games among the Eagles’ wins, his hitting of midseason form out of the gates has been integral in injecting his team with confidence. His composed yet competitive demeanour is infectious to his teammates both on and off the ice.

The Montréal Canadiens’ third-round selection in 2023 continues to develop as the heir-apparent to the Habs’ crease. Alongside the aforementioned qualities, Fowler’s reading of attackers, lateral explosiveness, and positioning, it’s easy to see why he’s become a favourite among Habs faithful already. 

While inconsistent performances in the crease to start the season haven’t helped the post-Price goaltending anxiety in Montreal, Fowler shouldn’t be rushed in his development; goaltenders need time. Highly touted 2020 11th-overall pick Yaroslav Askarov has yet to pass 3 NHL games. Even once Fowler is signed – and there’s no guarantee that will happen at season’s end – a year minimum in Laval will be important for his transition to the professional pace and to continue refining his agility. While patience is necessary with Fowler, his development has continued to follow a torrid pace, and few college netminders come close to his ability to close out and win games. Montreal got a steal.

Andrew Cristall, LW, Kelowna Rockets (Washington Capitals)

Season Stats: 8G, 16A, 24PTS

Last Week Stats: 3G, 5A, 8PTS

Andrew Cristall continues to dominate the WHL. Despite having played about half as many games (9) as most of the league’s top scorers, he sits tied for 21st in points with a torrid 2.67 points-per-game pace. Cristall has mastered on-puck manipulation against junior competition and has progressed in the cohesive layering of his various elite puck skills.

The slightly undersized (5-foot-10, 183-pound) winger still needs to work on his explosiveness, stride mechanics, and ability to play through contact, but his diversifying arsenal of skating tools has made it significantly easier to evade pressure and deceive defenders. He’s shown an increased use of situational 10-and-2 skating to beat individual defensive layers, while his low centre of gravity paired with constant head and shoulder fakes make him difficult to contain.

While there still are a few hurdles on his road to a top-six NHL role, Cristall’s dynamism with the puck on his stick is among the CHL’s very best and could well propel him to stardom on a resurging Capitals team. Few wingers in the prospect world complement his style of play better than Ryan Leonard would, either. It will be fun to see those two on a line together in the not-so-distant future.

Luca Pinelli, C, Ottawa 67's (Columbus Blue Jackets)

Season Stats: 15G, 8A, 23PTS

Last Week Stats: 3G, 3A, 6PTS

I got to watch Luca Pinelli play live this past Friday and, once again, he impressed with his off-puck tenacity, nuanced deceptive skills, including well-timed look-offs and delays, and clinical finishing skill. The 67's captain has been the team’s one consistent star producer over the past few seasons and set the pace on just about every shift against Brampton, especially in the game’s back half.

While he will still need to refine his stride mechanics and playmaking consistency before he makes the jump to the NHL, he’s taken yet another step in his development this season and continues to work toward his upside as a middle-six energy forward with goal-scoring upside and potential on both special teams units.

The Toronto Jr. Canadiens product now sits fourth in OHL goals, just one behind Kevin He and Porter Martone – while Michael Misa has cleared the pair by six. Pinelli’s wrist shot and one-timer are both threats, but it's the habits underlying his goal-scoring that set him apart. He’s adept at changing his angle of release last second and targeting defenders’ triangles to both get pucks through on goals and use defenders as screens.

The 19-year-old’s development is trending upward and the Blue Jackets may well have nabbed a gem in the fifth round of the 2023 NHL Draft. Having watched him develop through live viewings from his OHL debut to this goal-per-game start to his second year as team captain, I have a soft spot for the player – and am optimistic about his chances of overcoming the odds of being a 5-foot-9, 168-pound late-round pick who cracks the NHL in a valuable role.