The Islanders arrived in SoCal having already scored a victory by bucking the odds and moving up to snatch the first pick in the draft, which they used to choose virtuoso puck-moving defenseman Matthew Schaefer from Erie of the OHL.

The Rangers' first 2025 NHL Draft pick is the 18-year-old Michigan commit, who is from Mississauga, Ontario, and has spent the past three years with the Ontario Hockey League's Erie Otters. In 195 games from 2022-25, Spence totaled 177 points on 67 goals and 110 assists.