2025-26 Calder Trophy January Rankings: Top 10 first-half standouts
The NHL officially recognized Jan. 2, 2026 as the halfway mark of the 2025-26 NHL season.
For now, this is the last 82-game regular season, with the league electing to go for a slightly longer 84-game spread in 2026-27. What does that mean for future Calder races? Not much, but the grind of the NHL season is a tough ask for even the top young guns.
With such a large sample size under our belt, we have a good sense of the pretenders and contenders in the 2026 Calder Trophy race. It’s still Matthew Schaefer’s title to lose, but the class goes quite deep – this is truly a strong group.
Let’s check out the top 10 rookies from the first half of the NHL season:
1. Matthew Schaefer, LHD (New York Islanders)
The Islanders would have been an absolute disaster without Schaefer this season. He’s tracking for more than 20 goals and 50 points, and while the early season near-historic pace he was working with looks impossible now, he could still finish with one of the best first-year outputs in recent memory. Schaefer is averaging close to 24 minutes a night, while playing all situations for the club. Even away from the puck, Schaefer’s defensive reads and speed make him absolutely unstoppable at times. Many expected Schaefer to slow down at some point this year after missing over half of his draft season due to injury. Instead, he continues to prove on a nightly basis that he’s truly a special blueliner worth building around.
2. Ivan Demidov, RW (Montreal Canadiens)
You could probably put three different players in this spot, but I’m giving Demidov the edge thanks to his continued consistency. The 20-year-old winger is tracking for 67 points this season, which would just edge out what Lane Hutson did en route to the Calder a year ago. Demidov’s ice time has fluctuated throughout the season, but he has consistently found ways to remain relevant on the scoresheet. Notably, he only has two goals on the power play, so he hasn’t had to rely on it to create damage. Once that comes around, he’s going to be absolutely lethal.
3. Beckett Sennecke, RW (Anaheim Ducks)
Sennecke remains Anaheim’s No. 1 right winger, playing at a full-season pace of just more than 60 points. The Ducks have had an ugly go over the past 15 games or so, but Sennecke has continued to be a fixture on the scoreboard. Given he’s the youngest forward on this list, Sennecke has shown time and time again that his mix of skill and physicality is so advanced for his age. Sennecke hasn’t received as much love for his rookie campaign, but few 19-year-old forwards have been as deadly in recent memory. The Ducks might be struggling now, but watch his play as a power forward – it’s worth it.
4. Jesper Wallstedt, G (Minnesota Wild)
In a shocking twist, Wallstedt finally lost a pair of games in December. Gasp! The past month hasn’t been easy for him, yet he still looks like a top-10 goaltender in the league, regardless of age. The 23-year-old has been so good that Sweden is bringing him to the Olympics – which, given how awful his AHL campaign was a year ago, is hard to believe. But Wallstedt gives the Wild a chance to win every night, with his size, mobility and strong mental game allowing him to ignore the pressure and still come out on top. It’s difficult for a goaltender to win the Calder Trophy, but Wallstedt was instrumental in helping with Wild get into a playoff position early on and deserves a ton of love.
5. Alexander Nikishin, LHD (Carolina Hurricanes)
Nikishin hasn’t lit the world on fire offensively. But defensively? The 24-year-old is getting the job done. The 6-foot-3 blueliner leads all NHL rookies in hits, while also averaging around 1:30 a night on the penalty kill. As an actual defenseman, Nikishin has been remarkable this season. Any offense beyond that is secondary. Nikishin will force you to the outside, where he’ll then either poke the puck away or absolutely annihilate you. He primarily skates on the third pairing, but that has proven to be a matchup nightmare for even some of the league’s speediest forwards.
6. Ryan Leonard, RW (Washington Capitals)
An injury in early December kept Leonard on the sidelines for 18 days, but he came back roaring to close out 2025. Since his return on Dec. 23, Leonard has points in nearly every game, and his confidence seems to be at an all-time high. The former Boston College star is on track for 50 points, which, given his slow start to the season, seemed unlikely at one point. Leonard’s ice time has been inconsistent, but he has surpassed the 20-minute mark a few times now. Leonard is expected to be a long-term top-six option for the Caps, and he’s starting to prove why with the way he’s getting pucks on net and hitting everyone in sight.
7. Yaroslav Askarov, G (San Jose Sharks)
Askarov’s numbers aren’t pretty – that’s a tall task playing on a team like the Sharks, even as they chase a playoff spot. But Askarov has proven he can handle the pressure, posting a winning record while playing around 30 games thus far. Askarov loves the spotlight and tends to play better the more shots he faces. He’s definitely not going to surpass Wallstedt in the Calder rankings, but Askarov’s athleticism is among the best you’ll find in a U-24 goalie. By all measures, Askarov has officially established himself as a starter, which isn’t easy to do as a freshman.
8. Oliver Kapanen, C (Montreal Canadiens)
Mr. Consistency. Kapanen has been hovering around the 50-point pace all season, surpassing all previous expectations. Injuries to Kirby Dach and Alex Newhook thrust Kapanen into second-line duty, and he has delivered. He has played some of his best hockey in recent weeks, which included his first career three-point effort against the Florida Panthers. Even though Kapanen would likely play less on a fully healthy Canadiens squad, his work ethic will continue to open up opportunities for him. He’s not going to finish as a Calder finalist, but like Emil Heineman a year ago, Kapanen has found ways to become a useful contributor.
9. Zeev Buium, LHD (Vancouver Canucks)
Buium was the central return for the Canucks in the Quinn Hughes trade, and he started off strong with a two-point team debut. He hasn’t done much else offensively since then, but the Canucks have continued to fall down the standings in recent weeks. Buium is averaging 20:55 a night in Vancouver, which is significantly up from his 18:28 in Minnesota. It still feels like his decision-making under pressure needs a bit more work. But the confidence has clearly shone through as the Canucks’ coaching staff has continued to show faith in him.
10. Dennis Hildeby, G (Toronto Maple Leafs)
Hildeby has had some rough patches, but, for the most part, he has been huge in keeping the Leafs in the playoff hunt. His surface-level stats are good, and he has been a top-30 goalie for a while now in terms of even-strength goals saved above expected. Wins have been hard to come by, especially in December when he went 2-5-1. The team itself was a bit of a dumpster fire, though, and his most recent starts have been quite impressive. Hildeby is rarely the reason for a Toronto loss, which is all you could ask for.
Other notables: Fraser Minten, C (Boston Bruins); Artyom Levshunov, D (Chicago Blackhawks); Arseny Gritsyuk, RW (New Jersey Devils); Ben Kindel, C (Pittsburgh Penguins); Arturs Silovs, G (Pittsburgh Penguins)
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