Earlier today, the NHL announced the All-Rookie Team from the 2025-26 season, with no surprises. The team is as follows:
F Ivan Demidov, Montreal Canadiens
F Beckett Sennecke, Anaheim Ducks
F Jimmy Snuggerud, St. Louis Blues
D Matthew Schaefer, New York Islanders
D Alexander Nikishin, Carolina Hurricanes
G Jakub Dobes, Montreal Canadiens
The group is highlighted by the three Calder Trophy finalists: Demidov, Sennecke, and Schaefer. In a runaway performance, Schaefer ultimately took home Rookie of the Year honors, but Demidov and Sennecke each had exceptional seasons in their own right.
The final forward spot came down to the wire between Snuggerud and Ryan Leonard of the Washington Capitals. Snuggerud barely surpassed Leonard in scoring, finishing with 21 goals and 51 points in 70 games to Leonard’s 20 goals and 45 points in 75 games. The higher point totals in fewer games likely pushed Snuggerud over the edge.
Unlike the voting at forward, Nikishin made it fairly easy to round out the defense. He finished well short of Schaefer’s totals with 11 goals and 33 points in 81 games, but he plays a much different game. Nikishin’s +18 rating was only three behind Fraser Minten‘s rating with the Boston Bruins for the highest in the league among rookies.
The goaltending vote could have gone either way, and maybe should have. Not to knock Dobes, who had a quality year, but Jesper Wallstedt of the Minnesota Wild was fairly dominant this season. The former first-round pick finished with an 18-9-6 record in 35 games with a .916 SV% and 2.61 GAA.
Not only did Wallstedt’s save percentage finish as the top among rookie netminders, but he also finished second in the league among qualified goaltenders, only slightly behind Scott Wedgewood of the Colorado Avalanche.
Still, Dobe’s entry onto the All-Rookie Team was well deserved. He had a heavier workload than Wallstedt, finishing with a 29-10-4 record in 43 games with a .901 SV% and 2.78 GAA.