There’s been an explosion of talent in the NHL brought about by the last few entry drafts.
Two of the players in the running for the Hart Memorial Trophy this season, Connor Bedard and Macklin Celebrini, were selected with the first overall picks within the last three years. And three of the top four players currently leading the league in points were drafted in the previous three years: Celebrini in 2024 and Bedard and Anaheim’s Leo Carlsson in 2023.
Maybe some players from the 2025 NHL Draft Class could become Hart candidates someday, but right now, those guys are more concerned about the Calder Trophy, the award given to the league’s best rookie.
Here’s an updated look at which player has the best odds to win the Calder Trophy as of January 7.
Calder Trophy Odds
| Rank | Player | Team | Odds |
| 1 | Matthew Schaefer | Islanders | -525 |
| 2 | Ivan Demidov | Canadiens | +500 |
| 3 | Backett Sennecke | Ducks | +1200 |
| 4 | Jesper Wallstedt | Wild | +3500 |
| 5 | Ryan Leonard | Capitals | +15000 |
| 6 | Zeev Buium | Canadiens | +20000 |
| 7 | Jacob Fowler | Canadiens | +20000 |
| 8 | Igor Chernyshov | Sharks | +20000 |
| 9 | Yaroslav Askarov | Sharks | +25000 |
| 10 | Emmitt Finnie | Red Wings | +25000 |
Who’s Favored to Win the 2025-26 Calder Trophy?
Matthew Schaefer, D, Islanders (-525)
The Islanders’ 18-year-old defenseman Matthew Schaefer remains a prohibitive favorite to win the Calder Trophy.
If Schaefer wins the Calder Trophy this season, it would be only the second time in league history that the award was given to a defenseman in consecutive years after Montreal’s Lane Hutson won the award last year. The last time this happened was in 1964 when Montreal’s Jacques Laperriere won it after Toronto’s Kent Douglas.
The rookie defenseman is putting up great numbers on both ends of the ice. Through 43 games played this season, he has 12 goals and 17 assists. He’s also earned a +10 plus/minus rating.
He’s doing well in the advanced defensive stat categories, too. Schaefer has earned a 3.3 defensive point share, which ranks fourth in the league.
The recent team success in New York is also helping Schaefer’s candidacy. They’re now second in the Metropolitan Division with a 24-15-4 record and 52 team points.
Schaefer will remain a favorite as long as he keeps pace and the Islanders keep winning.
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