Matthew Schaefer, Ivan Demidov among finalists for NHL’s Calder Trophy

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Nate Duffett, ClutchPoints

Wed, May 6, 2026 at 12:05 AM UTC ·

2 min read

Matthew Schaefer, Ivan Demidov among finalists for NHL’s Calder Trophy appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .

Montreal Canadiens fans had a rough night watching the Toronto Maple Leafs win the 2026 Draft Lottery , but a small consolation is seeing their young star Ivan Demidov be a Calder Trophy finalist alongside New York Islanders ’ defenseman Matthew Schaefer and Anaheim Ducks forward Beckett Sennecke . Schaefer feels like the runaway favorite to win after being not only the league’s best rookie but also one of the best defensemen. However, the other two finalists are more than deserving , according to Sportsnet via X, formerly Twitter.

Schaefer burst onto the scene for the Islanders after being the first overall selection in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft. 18-year-olds aren’t supposed to dominate from the backend as Schaefer did at times this season, and knowing he still has another year before he’s no longer a teenager should worry every other fanbase in the league. Schaefer is the future of the league from the backend, and his prime may still be 6-7 years away.

Demidov arrived in Montreal last season to plenty of fanfare and made an immediate impact in his debut. He was one of the Canadiens’ top scorers this season, recording 19 goals and 43 assists while playing in every game. The playoffs haven’t been as kind to him, but he has a chance to change that in the second round against the Buffalo Sabres .

Sennecke is another player from a second-round playoff team who has made a big impact. The forward had 60 points in 82 games this season, but like Demidov, has just one point through seven playoff games this spring.