The 18-year-old forward from Edmonton was chosen by the Oilers in the first round (No. 32) of the 2022 NHL Draft and attended his first development camp in July.
"I've been watching the Oilers growing up, so I know the guys who are on the team," Schaefer said at the camp. "I don't know them as friends, but I know of them and it's awesome to be a part of the organization with guys like Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid. It's a great organization to be a part of, it's just a competitive environment, and I'm proud to be a part of it."
Schaefer had 58 points (32 goals, 26 assists) in 66 games with the Seattle Thunderbirds of the Western Hockey League last season, then had 21 points (six goals, 15 assists) in 25 playoff games to help them reach the best-of-7 WHL Championship, a six-game loss to the Edmonton Oil Kings.
"We liked a lot of things about him," Oilers director of amateur scouting and player personnel Tyler Wright said. "We talked about trying to get a little bit bigger and heavier and going to the trenches, all those small intangibles. Progressively as the year went on, we had him ranked, and he kept climbing up the ladder."
Schaefer (6-foot-3, 215 pounds) will play with Seattle this season and is expected to take on a bigger role for a team projected to again contend for the WHL championship with a majority of its roster returning. Schaefer hopes to continue developing his all-around game as he works toward the NHL.
"I see playing a two-way power forward role, but I see myself with that offensive upside that can contribute offensively," Schaefer said. "I think I'm pretty unique in that sense. I can play up and down the lineup and play PK and stuff like that. I'm definitely a role player that competes every night and [can] be an energy guy."
With forwards McDavid and Draisaitl, the Oilers are considered among the highest-skilled teams in the NHL. They are looking to add a strong physical element to the roster, and Schaefer fits that category.
"He's a big-bodied guy that plays physical," Wright said. "He's a hard player to play against. I don't think he gets enough credit for the skill set he does have, and his hockey sense. We think he's a guy that's a little bit of a late bloomer that is coming into his own."
Schaefer has enormous upside and is already considered one of the Oilers' top prospects, according to Wright. He is expected to attend their rookie camp in September.
"Being an eighth-round draft pick in the WHL and then going to a first-round pick in the NHL, I think that shows how hard I've worked," Schaefer said. "I'm a very self-determined individual and like to work behind the scenes and prove people wrong. It's a credit to my coaching staff in Seattle, they've worked me hard and developed me well. It's surreal that I'm in this moment right now."
