Trophy Tracker: Schaefer of Islanders top choice for Calder as rookie of year 

To mark the quarter mark of the 2025-26 regular season, NHL.com is running its second installment of the Trophy Tracker series. Today, we look at the race for the Calder Trophy, given annually to the best rookie in the NHL as selected in a poll by the Professional Hockey Writers Association.

Matthew Schaefer is enjoying a pace not many could have predicted.

The 18-year-old defenseman with the New York Islanders has been a record-setting machine after being the No. 1 pick at the 2025 NHL Draft, ranking third among all rookies with 15 points (seven goals, eight assists), second with seven power-play points and first in average time on ice (23:00) in 23 games.

"If I'm a fan, I'll pay to watch him play. There's no doubt about it," Islanders coach Patrick Roy said in October when Schaefer was recognized as the NHL's "Rookie of the Month".

The hot start has enabled Schaefer to become NHL.com's favorite for the Calder Trophy as NHL rookie of the year through the first quarter of the season after receiving the maximum 80 voting points (16 first-place votes) from a 16-person panel.

Montreal Canadiens forward Ivan Demidov was second in the voting with 57 points, and Anaheim Ducks forward Beckett Sennecke was third (34).

There were questions surrounding Schaefer's ability to hold up as an NHL rookie since he played just 17 games with Erie of the Ontario Hockey League last season after sustaining a broken clavicle on Dec. 27, 2024, while playing for Canada at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship in Ottawa.

"I remember Schaefer's agent calling and asking for my thoughts on if [Schaefer] needed to return [to play last season] because it was going to be really tight for him to get back and it could be risky because he would be rushing it," Central Scouting associate director David Gregory said. "I told him not to worry about that at all. I talked to Matt [at the NHL Scouting Combine] and got a gist of what kind of person he is. Spending the week with him at the Combine ... it just blew me away.

"I know he only played 17 games last year, and this season there were questions on if he'd be able to stay in the NHL as a 17-year-old turning 18. But after you get to know the kid, you realize nothing's going to stop him and he's not going to be denied. It's been tremendous watching him."

Schaefer most recently became the youngest player (18 years, 70 days) in NHL history to score an overtime goal in the regular season, a one-timer from the right face-off circle at 2:06 in a 3-2 win at the Utah Mammoth on Nov. 14. Sidney Crosby (18 years, 101 days on Nov. 16, 2005) had been the youngest prior to Schaefer's heroics.

He also became the third-youngest player in the past 80 years to score in consecutive games (Nov. 13-14), after Jordan Staal (two games, 2006-07, 18 years, 44 days) and Pierre Turgeon (two games, 1987-88, 18 years, 68 days). Schaefer, though, is the youngest defenseman in NHL history to achieve the feat.

New York has a 52.0 shot-attempts percentage at 5-on-5 and a 59.5 on-ice goals-for percentage at 5-on-5 when Schaefer is on the ice. He's also averaging 3:31 of ice time on the Islanders' top power-play unit, 1:16 of ice time on the first penalty killing unit and is tied for first in the NHL in penalties drawn (13).

Demidov is first among NHL rookies with 17 points (four goals, 13 assists) and is tied for third with six power-play points (one goal, five assists) in 21 games. He averages 14:30 of ice time.

"He's a special talent, a special work ethic," said Montreal defenseman Lane Hutson, who won the Calder last season. "To see what he does every day is really impressive. We're very fortunate to have him."

Sennecke is second among first-year skaters with 16 points (seven goals, nine assists) and is first with 14 even-strength points (six goals) while averaging 16:46 in 22 games for the Ducks.

Voting totals (points awarded on a 5-4-3-2-1 basis): Matthew Schaefer, New York Islanders, 80 points (16 first-place votes); Ivan Demidov, Montreal Canadiens, 57; Beckett Sennecke, Anaheim Ducks, 34; Alexander Nikishin, Carolina Hurricanes, 19; Jakub Dobes, Montreal Canadiens, 18; Zeev Buium, Minnesota Wild, 6; Artyom Levshunov, Chicago Blackhawks, 6; Jesper Wallstedt, Minnesota Wild, 6; Oliver Kapanen, Montreal Canadiens, 5; Arturs Silovs, Pittsburgh Penguins, 4; Matthew Wood, Nashville Predators, 3; Yaroslav Askarov, San Jose Sharks, 2