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Andy's NHL power rankings for the top-10 Calder Memorial Trophy candidates for the 2025-26 season. His top Calder Trophy candidates of March 2026 include Matthew Schaefer, Beckett Sennecke, Jakub Dobeš, more.
Over the past few weeks, we have updated our rankings for the Vezina Trophy, James Norris Trophy, and Hart Memorial Trophy. Now, it's time to shift our focus to the top rookies in the NHL.
While the top candidate has to separate himself from the pack, the race for the No. 2/No. 3 spots is quite close, as is the bottom half of this list.
Let's dive into the current top-10 favorites to win the 2025-26 Calder Memorial Trophy. All statistics and records mentioned are updated as of Wednesday, March 11.
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No. 10 - Ben Kindel, F, Pittsburgh Penguins
The 18-year-old was not even considered a legit candidate to break camp with the NHL roster. However, the former 11th overall pick from last summer's NHL Draft exceeded all expectations and has been a lineup regular during his debut campaign.
Through 61 contests, Kindel has found the back of the net 15 times and tacked on 15 helpers while holding a -9 +/- rating. He has logged four game-winning goals with 10 of his points (four goals) coming on the man-advantage. He has not been afraid to take hits in the defensive zone, as evidenced by his 48 blocked shots.
His 30 points place him seventh among rookie skaters, while his 15 goals place him fourth, trailing players just above him on this list. However, he has typically been on the third line, limiting his scoring opportunities.
The Wake Me Up Goal of The Game goes to Ben KIndel and puts the Pens up 1-0. #LetsGoPens pic.twitter.com/MeTFE41cTO
— JK4 From Pittsburgh. Let's Go Pens! (@Joek72) March 1, 2026
Under the hood, he posted an elite 57% Corsi%, suggesting he is more than holding his own during his rookie season.
No. 9 - Fraser Minten, F, Boston Bruins
Fraser Minten was emerging as a dark horse to enter the top half of the rankings following his dominant play in January. During that month, the former second-round selection totaled 14 points (eight goals) over 14 games and was emerging as a consistent contributor in the Boston offense.
However, since this surge, Minten has faced some significant regression. Over his last nine games, he has not tallied a point and has held a modest -3 rating. He has only logged 12 total shots on goal in this stretch.
Despite this cold slump, Minten still sits eighth among rookie skaters in total points (29) and is in sole possession of fourth place in terms of goals (14). If Minten can begin to rekindle his pre-Olympic production, he could make a strong push to enter the top five.
No. 8 - Jesper Wallstedt, G, Minnesota Wild
Wallstedt looked like an early season favorite for the Calder and potentially the Vezina following his dominant start. In his first 10 outings, Wallstedt was flirting with league records, posting an elite 1.74 GAA with a strong .944% SV%. However, the young Swedish netminder has taken a step back since the start of January and has ceded the No. 1 role to Filip Gustavsson.
Over his most recent 16 outings, Wallstedt has held a 3.55 GAA and a .889% SV%. Since February 26 (Minnesota's return from the Olympic break), Wallstedt has only gotten the starting nod in three of its seven games, which has pushed him down our rankings.
Despite this, Wallstedt still sits with an overall .913% SV%, which leads all rookie goalies. His four shutouts tie him for third in the sport, alongside John Gibson and Gustavsson.
No. 7 - Alexander Nikishin, D, Carolina Hurricanes
When looking at rookie defensemen, only two names truly stand out and are worthy of a spot on our list. While Chicago's Artyom Levshunov and Vancouver's Zeev Buium have been impressive at times, they sit on the outside of our top 10 in the honorable mentions section.
The first of the two definitions we will spotlight is Alexander Nikishin of the Carolina Hurricanes. Nikishin has primarily played on the bottom pairing but has been highly impactful, logging a hefty 111 hits and 70 blocked shots.
He has posted a strong +13 rating while scoring nine goals and taking on 16 helpers across 63 games played.
Under the hood, he boasted a strong 55.6% On-Ice Expected Goals% and a 56% Off-Ice Expected Goals%, suggesting the team is slightly worse when he is not in the game action. Additionally, his 58% Corsi% is well above average and suggests that when he is playing, the Hurricanes are in full control of the play.
No. 6 - Ryan Leonard, F, Washington Capitals
The Capitals have had a disappointing season in relation to how good they were just a year ago; however, a bright spot for their 2025-26 club has been young breakout forward Ryan Leonard. The former eighth overall pick from the 2023 NHL Draft has emerged as a legit top-6 winger in this offense and appears to have a bright future ahead of him.
Through 58 games, Leonard has scored 12 times and dished out 21 assists. His overall 33 points tie him alongside Oliver Kapanen for the third most among rookie forwards. Leonard would have likely been in the top three if it weren't for his lengthy 14-game scoring drought. From January 17 through February 28, the young forward logged just one total helper while holding a -6 rating.
Fortunately, the Amherst native has found the back of the net twice over his last three games and tallied three points over this stretch, and is slowly breaking out of his prolonged slump. A strong finish can push him up these rankings.
Ryan Leonard gave us one more pretty goal before the @Capitals secured the dub 🤩 pic.twitter.com/4r3yMZoPBB
— NHL (@NHL) March 10, 2026
No. 5 - Jakub Dobeš, G, Montreal Canadiens
The lone rookie netminder who has eclipsed the 20-win mark will hold the next spot on our list. Dobeš has operated in a timeshare with Sam Montembeault for most of the seasons but has recently begun to take over the Montreal crease ahead of the final stretch. Over the last five games (following the Olympic break), Dobeš has gotten the starting nod in all but one.
During this stretch, the young netminder has posted a solid 3.03 GAA with a .894% SV% and a 3-1 record. Since January 1, Dobeš has posted a 9-1-1 record with a .899% SV% and a 3.07 GAA. Overall, Dobeš sits at 21-6-4 over 31 games, with a 2.97 GAA and a .892% SV%.
According to MoneyPuck.com, Dobeš holds a 1.1 Goals Saved Above Expected and a 0.30 WAR (wins above replacement). Given that Montembeault carries a 3.27 since the start of the new year and a 4.28 GAA over his last two games of the Olympic break, Dobeš can continue to add to his resume over the final month of the regular season, given he is in full control of the starting job.
No. 4 - Oliver Kapanen, F, Montreal Canadiens
Only three rookies have hit the 20-goal mark this season, and Oliver Kapanen is one of them. Kapanen has been slightly overshadowed by a fellow rookie on his own team (more on him later), but has still been quite impressive for Montreal.
Through 63 games, the former 64th overall selection has found the back of the net 20 times while taking on 13 helpers. In terms of points among rookies, he sits fourth on the leaderboard.
Over his last 10 games, Kapanen has taken a major step forward in the offensive game, recording six points (four goals) and posting a +5 rating. This comes after a seven-game scoreless drought. What keeps him a bit lower on our list and outside of the top three, despite his high-end scoring ability, is his low 41% Corsi% and 43% Fenwick%, according to MoneyPuck.com.
No. 3 - Ivan Demidov, F, Montreal Canadiens
The other Montreal skater on our list is Ivan Demidov. The former fifth overall pick from the 2024 NHL Draft has looked the part in his first full NHL campaign and looks like a franchise cornerstone.
Over 63 games this season, Demidov has scored 13 goals and taken an eye-catching 36 helpers. He's overall got 49 points, placing him second among all forward skaters, trailing only the No. 2 player on our list (51 points). However, his 36 assists currently lead all rookie skaters.
Over his last 18 contests, the 20-year-old has been a near point-per-game player, tallying 13 points with three of them coming as goals. Under the hood, he holds a stellar 55% Corsi% and 57% Fenwick%, according to MoneyPuck.com.
No. 2 - Beckett Sennecke, F, Anaheim Ducks
In most seasons, Beckett Sennecke would be the runaway favorite for the Calder. The Anaheim winger has been nothing short of dominant in his debut campaign, scoring 20 goals with 31 helpers over 64 games. His total of 51 points places him first among all rookies, and he is the only rookie to have hit the 50-point plateau.
His 20 goals tie him with the No. 1 player on our list and the previously noted Kapanen.
With the Ducks, the former third overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft has played in a top-6 role all seasons and has been a major contributor to their placement at the top of the Pacific Division.
The forward has generated an impressive 54.5% On-Ice Expected Goals% and an eye-catching 47.6% Off-Ice Expected Goals%, according to MoneyPuck.com, both of which are elite marks.
🚨 Sennecke 🚨
He jumps on that one!
It's 3-1! #FlyTogether pic.twitter.com/xmkBJuq64z— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) March 5, 2026
No. 1 - Matthew Schaefer, D, New York Islanders
Without a doubt, Matthew Schaefer stands at the top of our list. Schaefer was selected with the first overall pick in the 2025 draft and had smashed all expectations he had entering the season.
Schaefer has not only emerged as the favorite for the Calder, but should also serve as a sneaky contender for the Norris Trophy, given his elite play on the New York blue line.
Throughout his first 65 NHL games, Schaefer has found the back of the net an eye-catching 20 times while taking on 27 helpers. He has posted a +13 rating while logging 89 blocked shots and 29 hits. He has been just as effective on the man-advantage, tallying 15 of his points (seven goals) while on the man-advantage.
However, Schaefer's profile shines when looking not only among rookies but among all defenders in the sport. Per MoneyPuck.com, Schaefer sits third among all defenders with an 11.5 Flurry Adjusted xGoals, trailing only top Norris candidates Jakob Chychrun and Cale Makar.
Additionally, his low 43.2% Off-Ice Expected Goals% places him sixth among all defenders, further showing the massive impact he has in the offensive zone and how he is driving the New York offense from the blue line.
On the Outside Looking In
- Artyom Levshunov, CHI
- Jimmy Snuggerud, STL
- Zeev Buium, VAN
- Yaroslav Askarov, SJ
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