Matthew Schaefer

Gavin McKenna is the projected No. 1 pick, and he is making a point of praising Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer. In draft rooms, that kind of public respect usually says as much about the player speaking as the one being praised. Schaefer has clearly made an impression on one of the top names in the class, which only adds more intrigue to how teams are lining up their boards. The closer the draft gets, the more every compliment starts to feel like a clue.

The under-23 conversation is where the league’s future starts getting sorted in public, and this group gives the draft-and-development crowd plenty to argue about. Celebrini, Schaefer, and Hutson are the kind of names that make teams look smart or foolish for years, which is why these lists always trigger a little front-office panic. kens5.com breaks down its U23 NHL team of the season, and that usually reveals as much about the league’s next wave as it does about the present one.