New York Rangers fans may have celebrated their 2024-25 season-series sweep of the Islanders, but that success came with an unexpected price tag: a Calder Trophy-winner that got away.

The NHL announced Wednesday that Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer won the Calder Trophy as the league's top rookie—and he did it unanimously. The 18-year-old blue-liner was selected first overall in the 2025 draft after the Islanders pulled off one of the biggest lottery upsets in recent memory, jumping from 10th to first with just a 3.5 percent chance of winning.

Here's where it stings for Rangers fans: New York finished just three points ahead of the Islanders in the standings (85-82). Had they lost just one more game to their cross-town rivals, the Rangers would have slid behind them in the draft order—and potentially landed the defenseman who just swept every rookie-of-the-year vote.

Instead, the Rangers ended up 11th in the lottery standings with a 3.0 percent chance at the top pick. When they dropped to 12th overall, they had to send that pick to the Pittsburgh Penguins to complete the J.T. Miller trade. The pick eventually landed with the Philadelphia Flyers, who used it to select center Jack Nesbitt. The silver lining? The deal allowed the Rangers to keep this year's unprotected first-rounder, which sits at fifth overall.

Schaefer's Calder win came with an emotional moment when his father Todd and brother Johnathon surprised him live on ABC's "GMA3" in New York to deliver the news. "It's definitely an honor to see so many great names on that trophy," Schaefer said through tears. "It's definitely a dream come true."

One name notably absent from the Calder? Alexis Lafreniere, the Rangers' own first-overall pick from 2020. Now in his sixth NHL season, Lafreniere hasn't quite matched that top-billing hype, though he did tie his career high with 57 points this season. He has yet to break the 28-goal mark.

While Islanders fans celebrate the spark Schaefer has brought to their franchise, Rangers supporters are left wondering: Could one more loss to their rivals have changed everything? In a sport where every point matters, sometimes the ones you don't get are just as valuable as the ones you do.