The Detroit Red Wings are having a strong start to the season, as they are 5-2-0 in their first seven games, good enough for second place in the Atlantic Division. For the Red Wings faithful, they want to see the team stack wins throughout the season.
For Thursday's game, they face off against the New York Islanders. The Islanders boast Matthew Schaefer on their roster, the No. 1 overall pick in this past year's NHL Draft. Schaefer has been on a heater since the start of the season, as he has seven points in his first six games.
There is a reason why Schaefer was considered to be lock to be selected first overall. The Islanders and their opponents can see that firsthand.
Ahead of the game, Red Wings head coach Todd McLellan heaped tremendous praise on Schaefer, and gave an incredible comparison. When watching Schaefer, McLellan sees "a bit of Paul Coffey." Quote comes courtesy of Stefen Rosner of NHL.com.
#LGRW HC Todd McLellan on #Isles Matthew Schaefer:
— Stefen Rosner (@stefen_rosner) October 23, 2025
“He’s an incredible young player the way he can skate and glide on top of the ice surface. He doesn't waste a lot of energy, a little bit Paul Coffey like, in my opinion.”
Todd McLellan sees a bit of Paul Coffey in Islanders rookie and upcoming Red Wings opponent Matthew Schaefer
To say that's lofty praise is an understatement. Coffey is known as one of the best defensemen in NHL history, as he was fast and could put points on the stat sheets with relative ease. Coffey is perhaps best known for his time during the Edmonton Oilers dynasty years in the 1980s, where he won three Stanley Cup titles.
Coffey spent three-and-a-half years with the Red Wings, beginning in the 1992-93 season after being traded by the Los Angeles Kings. In his first full season, Coffey put up 77 points (14 goals, 63 assists) to earn a spot in the All-Star Game.
In the 1994-95 season, he won the Norris Trophy for best defenseman for recording 58 points in just 45 games and had a plus/minus rating of +18. Coffey helped lead the Red Wings to the Stanley Cup Final that season, where he recorded 18 points (six goals, 12 assists) in 18 playoff games.
In that stretch in Detroit, Coffey scored 46 goals and recorded 193 assists for 239 points in the regular season. During his 21-year career, Coffey recorded 396 goals and 1,135 assists for 1,531 points. Coffey was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2004, three years after his final NHL season with the Boston Bruins.
There is still a ton of time for NHL fans to determine whether Schaefer gets anywhere near Coffey's level. But getting that kind of praise from McLellan shouldn't go unnoticed. Schaefer is fast and has shown he can put the puck past the goaltender or set up his teammates for goals this early into his NHL career. We'll see what the rookie can do on Thursday night against Detroit.