Poll: Who Will Win The 2025-26 Calder Trophy?
A month into the 2025-26 season, some rookies have already begun to separate themselves from the pack. Notably, recent first overall pick Matthew Schaefer and former fifth overall pick Ivan Demidov continue to make waves around the league.
There’s no questioning why the two are neck-and-neck in early Calder Trophy odds. Demidov is leading the way in rookie scoring with four goals and 12 points in 13 games with the Montreal Canadiens, while Schaefer is close behind with five goals and 11 points in 13 games with the New York Islanders.
At this point, if both players unexpectedly maintain a point-per-game scoring average, the voters will likely lean toward Schaefer, given that he’s a defenseman. Still, given the status of their respective clubs, Demidov has a far greater chance of pulling away from the pack. If Schaefer wins, it’ll be the first time that defensemen have won the award in consecutive years since Kent Douglas and Jacques Laperriere in 1962-63 and 1963-64.
Meanwhile, Schaefer and Demidov aren’t the only rookies making some noise this season. Although there are some questions regarding his play on the defensive side of the puck, blueliner Zeev Buium of the Minnesota Wild is scoring at a relatively high rate with three goals and nine points in 14 games.
Additionally, there are a pair of forwards looking to toss their hats in the ring. University of Minnesota alumnus Jimmy Snuggerud sits tied for second on the St. Louis Blues in scoring with four goals and eight points in 14 games. At the same time, recent seventh-round pick Emmitt Finnie has matched that level of scoring with the Detroit Red Wings.
Moving back to Montreal, Demidov’s performance so far hasn’t completely overshadowed the performance of his teammate, Jakub Dobes. Technically a rookie despite debuting last season, Dobes has managed a 6-0-0 record this season with a .930 SV% through the early part of the 2025-26 campaign. Unfortunately, he’s had to split the crease with Sam Montembeault, which would negatively affect his chances should that trend continue.
For most rookies, there’s about 80% of the regular season remaining, meaning there’s plenty of time for someone to pull away from the pack. Who do you think it will be?
Who Will Win The 2025-26 Calder Trophy?
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Matthew Schaefer (NYI) 50% (464)
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Ivan Demidov (MTL) 33% (306)
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Emmitt Finnie (DET) 7% (66)
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Jimmy Snuggerud (STL) 4% (35)
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Zeev Buium (MIN) 4% (33)
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Jakub Dobes (MTL) 3% (28)
Total votes: 932
Mobile users click here to vote.
Devils Reassign Seamus Casey, Recall Colton White
The New Jersey Devils are making a slight change to their defensive core. According to a team announcement, the Devils have reassigned Seamus Casey to the AHL’s Utica Comets and have recalled Colton White in a corresponding roster move.
Today’s roster move ends a 10-day stint in the NHL for Casey, though he only appeared in two contests. He went scoreless in those games with a -3 rating, averaging 18:01 of ice time per game. The University of Michigan alumnus raised a few red flags on the defensive side of the puck, though he managed a CorsiFor% on the positive side of 50%.
Still, even when factoring in his performance from last season, there’s no doubting that Casey could use some more seasoning in the AHL. Since turning professional last year, he’s scored three goals and 19 points in 31 games for the Comets.
Fortunately, the Devils have one of the deepest defensive cores when healthy, so there’s no need to rush Casey to the game’s top level. Keeping that in mind, it’ll be far better for his development if he can play in more situations and have the opportunity for more ice time in Utica.
Meanwhile, at 28 years old, White is no longer considered a prospect. Although New Jersey selected him in the fourth round of the 2015 NHL Draft, White took a brief leave from the Devils organization from 2022 to 2024, when he was playing in the Anaheim Ducks organization.
The 2025-26 campaign is the ninth professional year for White. Spending much of his time with the Devils’ AHL affiliates, he’s scored 20 goals and 91 points in 323 games with a -70 rating. In the NHL, he’s tallied 10 assists in 84 games with a -20 rating. Despite spending nearly a decade in the professional circuit, White has yet to play in a postseason contest in either the AHL or NHL.
Hurricanes Potentially On Nazem Kadri’s No-Trade List
Even before their hot start to the 2025-26 campaign, the Carolina Hurricanes were known to be looking for a quality second-line center. Unfortunately, one of the top names on the market may be unwilling to relocate to Raleigh.
In a recent article from Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos, the writer said, “Kadri has been linked to multiple teams, but we have to specifically mention the Carolina Hurricanes, who have been in a relentless pursuit for a top player since falling short on Mikko Rantanen and Mitch Marner last season. For now, the Hurricanes seem an unlikely destination for Kadri, as they are on his 13-team no-trade list.”
To be fair, Kypreos is one of the only prominent insiders attempting to confirm that the Hurricanes are on Kadri’s no-trade list. Typically, in trade negotiations, team names on no-trade lists are not disclosed unless shared directly by the player or their representatives.
Still, if the news is true, it would certainly put a wrench in Carolina’s plans this season. As of now, Kadri is one of the best centers known to be on the trade market, though that could change if the Pittsburgh Penguins pivot toward trading one or both of Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin.
After scoring 28 goals and 87 points in 71 games for the Colorado Avalanche during the 2021-22 season en route to the only Stanley Cup ring of his career, Kadri signed a seven-year, $49MM contract with the Calgary Flames the following summer. The 2025-26 season marks the first year of Kadri’s deal without a full no-movement clause, providing the Flames with greater flexibility in considering a trade.
He has maintained a strong scoring rate during his time in Alberta while staying remarkably healthy. Since signing the deal in 2022, although he hasn’t reached the postseason, Kadri hasn’t missed a game for Calgary. He’s scored 91 goals and 208 points in 260 games for Calgary while averaging 18:26 of ice time per game.
Kadri also plays a possession-heavy game, making him a hypothetical fit within Rod Brind’Amour‘s system. Additionally, it would allow younster Logan Stankoven, who’s been holding down the fort centering the second line, to move back to a more comfortable position on the wing.
Regardless, there are only five other teams that could afford Kadri outright at the time being, and none are in the same stage of competitiveness as the Hurricanes. If Kadri is traded this season, it will likely be at the trade deadline, when all the competitive teams have accrued as much cap space as possible, giving Calgary a larger list of potential suitors. Since the Hurricanes have until March, that gives them plenty of time to put together an enticing offer — one that could influence the Flames to put pressure on Kadri to alter his list.
Vancouver Canucks Reassign Kirill Kudryavtsev
According to a team announcement, the Vancouver Canucks have assigned defenseman Kirill Kudryavtsev to the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks. Vancouver did not make a corresponding roster move.
Even without Kudryavtsev on the roster for tonight’s matchup against the Chicago Blackhawks, the Canucks still have seven defensemen to choose from. The team likely felt confident about captain Quinn Hughes‘ performance on Monday, which led them to reassign Kudryavtsev. The 21-year-old Russian was originally recalled on October 26th — one day after Hughes sustained a lower-body injury against the Montreal Canadiens.
Unfortunately, given that seven healthy defensemen were ahead of him on the active roster, Kudryavtsev did not play for the Canucks despite spending 10 days with the team. After today’s reassignment, the only NHL playing time to his name came last season in mid-April.
He has spent most of his playing time in the North American professional circuit with the AHL Canucks. Last season, the first of his professional career, Kudryavtsev scored five goals and 26 points in 65 games with a +18 rating. Further, he registered one goal and 10 points in 21 postseason contests with a +18 rating, helping Abbotsford win the 2025 Calder Cup Final.
This season, he’s off to an encouraging offensive start, tallying five assists in five games. The team has had a challenging start to their Calder Cup defense, holding a record of 2-7-0-1 after their first 10 games, which places them last in the Western Conference.
Detroit Red Wings Reassign Austin Watson
11/3/2025: The Red Wings announced today that they’ve reassigned Watson back to AHL Grand Rapids. The Red Wings played in three games from Oct. 30 through Nov. 3, but Watson didn’t dress for any of them.
The main benefit for Watson during this recall was financial: he will receive a prorated bump in pay, as he has a $775K NHL salary and a $375K AHL salary. That will make it more likely he will be able to exceed his $400K guarantee by the end of the season, should he be recalled again down the line. He also gains pension credits for those three games for which he was on the NHL roster.
Therefore, while this recall did not pay any on-ice dividends for Watson, the Red Wings’ choice to provide the veteran with some additional time on its NHL roster did have some financial benefits for the player.
10/30/2025: According to a team announcement, the Detroit Red Wings have recalled forward Austin Watson from the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins. Detroit has had an open roster spot for the last few days after reassigning prospect Michael Brandsegg-Nygard on Monday.
Despite taking Brandsegg-Nygard’s spot on the active roster, there’s little chance for consistent playing time for Watson. Even without veteran Patrick Kane for the foreseeable future, the team has Elmer Soderblom, who has a much higher ceiling than Watson, to fall back on.
If Watson does enter the lineup at any point over the current recall, the Red Wings will know exactly what to expect. The 11-year veteran is in his second year with the organization, scoring three goals in 13 games for Detroit last year, averaging 7:51 of ice time.
The only value Watson can provide is his physicality and aggression. Since debuting with the Nashville Predators during the 2012-13 season, Watson has accrued 722 PIMs in 528 games while collecting 1,245 hits. Interestingly, he’s been more of an offensive contributor in the AHL, scoring 94 goals and 176 points in 298 games while managing 221 PIMs. It’s important to note that before his time with the Griffins, Watson had only managed 90 PIMs in the AHL.
Detroit begins a four-game road trip through the NHL’s Pacific Division tonight against the Los Angeles Kings. Given that no teams on the trip are particularly physical, the earliest Watson could be expected to enter the lineup is next Friday against the New York Rangers, who have the third-most hits to start the 2025-26 campaign.
Blackhawks Recall Oliver Moore, Place Jason Dickinson On IR
4 p.m: In a corresponding move, the Blackhawks have assigned forward Landon Slaggert to the minor-leagues. Head coach Jeff Blashill told Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times that Slaggert was considered the odd-man-out as the team reworked their lineup to fit in Moore. The 23-year-old has struggled through five NHL games this season, posting no scoring and a minus-two, after missing the start of the year with an injury.
3 p.m:One of the Chicago Blackhawks’ top prospects is headed to the NHL. According to a team announcement, the Blackhawks have recalled Oliver Moore from the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs. Making room for him on the roster, Chicago has placed Jason Dickinson on the injured reserve.
Much like his teammate Ryan Greene, Moore received an opportunity due to an injury. Greene has performed well during his time, leading the Blackhawks to keep him on the active roster for the time being. Although Dickinson is expected to be out for a few weeks with a shoulder injury, it remains unclear whether Moore’s current recall will be permanent or temporary.
Still, the Blackhawks must be feeling positive about Moore’s start in the AHL this year. The former 19th overall pick of the 2023 NHL Draft has scored six goals and nine points in nine games with a +8 rating. Considering he tallied four assists in nine games to end the year with the Blackhawks last season, Moore appears NHL-ready.
Unfortunately, his place in the lineup is somewhat harder to predict. While he would complement Connor Bedard and André Burakovsky on the top line, the team seems hesitant to disrupt their existing chemistry.
Nevertheless, Moore is guaranteed to enter the lineup tonight against the Seattle Kraken, according to the team. They’ll likely start him in a fourth-line role for now, and slowly unleash him into the top-six should he continue earning the opportunity.
Central Injury Notes: Hintz, Duchene, Thomas, Zuccarello
The Dallas Stars will be without some significant talent ahead of the Western Conference Final rematch tomorrow night. According to team reporter Brien Rea, the Stars won’t have forwards Roope Hintz or Matt Duchene against the Edmonton Oilers tomorrow night. Additionally, Jake Oettinger is also doubtful, given that he and his wife just had a child.
It’s more of the same for Duchene. The 17-year veteran will have missed Dallas’ last eight games due to an upper-body injury after tomorrow night’s contest. He’s only appeared in four games this year, scoring one goal and two assists with a 52.2% success rate in the faceoff dot.
Meanwhile, Hintz will miss his fifth straight game due to an undisclosed injury. He’s been a much bigger void to fill, given that he’s been a point-per-game player to start the campaign. Since Duchene left the lineup, the Stars have averaged two goals per game.
Other injury notes from the Central Division:
- In some positive news, the St. Louis Blues will return Robert Thomas to the lineup tonight. According to Lou Korac of the NHL, Thomas returned to practice this morning and was included in all line rushes. He’s missed the team’s last four games with an upper-body injury. Unfortunately, Thomas’s absence was notably evident, as the Blues lost all four contests.
- The positive news isn’t only isolated to St. Louis. According to Joe Smith of The Athletic, Minnesota Wild veteran Mats Zuccarello looks very close to returning. Zuccarello suffered a lower-body injury before the start of the regular season. Like Thomas, his absence has been noticeable. Despite leading the league in power-play goals, the Wild are only averaging 1.61 even-strength goals through their first 13 games.
Flyers Place Tyson Foerster On IR, Recall Emil Andrae
According to a team announcement, the Philadelphia Flyers have placed forward Tyson Foerster on the injured reserve, retroactive to November 1st. Philadelphia has recalled defenseman Emil Andrae from the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms in a corresponding roster move.
Despite eventually returning to the game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Foerster’s lower-body injury is from blocking a shot from Auston Matthews. He missed yesterday’s game against the Calgary Flames and won’t be eligible to return on November 12th against the Edmonton Oilers.
The Flyers have already felt the impact of Foerster’s absence. Although the team is 6-4-0 in their last 10 games, they have lost two straight. Foerster, along with his linemates Noah Cates and Bobby Brink, has been the best forward unit for Philadelphia this year. The fourth-year winger has scored four goals and seven points in 11 games, averaging 18:18 of ice time per contest.
Replacing Foerster in the lineup, although indirectly, will be Andrae. The former second-round pick has already skated in two games for the Flyers this year, going scoreless. In fact, earlier in October, a report from Anthony Di Marco of Daily Faceoff indicated that Philadelphia may actually look to trade Andrae at some point this season.
Unfortunately, the Flyers’ schedule won’t get any easier without Foerster. The team will match up against the Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators in his absence, both of whom sit ahead of Philadelphia in the Eastern Conference standings. Still, despite being in last place, the Flyers are only one point removed from a Wild Card spot, highlighting how important the next month will be for playoff positioning.
Winnipeg Jets To Activate Adam Lowry
The Winnipeg Jets captain has fully recovered from hip surgery. According to a team announcement, the Jets will activate Adam Lowry from the long-term injured reserve tomorrow. He’s expected to suit up for his first contest of the season against the Los Angeles Kings.
Lowry’s return couldn’t come at a better time. Color analyst Mitchell Clinton reported earlier that Morgan Barron is expected to miss the next weeks with a lower-body injury. Now, Lowry can easily replace Barron on the team’s third line or push Jonathan Toews down one forward unit.
Winnipeg will have only missed Lowry for 12 games to begin the 2025-26 campaign. The team performed well in his absence, managing a 9-3-0 record while sitting in second place in the NHL’s Central Division.
Still, Lowry’s value to Winnipeg’s lineup can’t be understated. In the past three years, he has scored 41 goals and accumulated 105 points in 236 games, averaging 15:44 of ice time per game. Additionally, Lowry has achieved a 50.3% success rate in the dot while maintaining his ability to be one of the most physical middlemen in the game.
Factoring in his prowess on the defensive side of the puck, Lowry is a prototypical third-line center and one of the best at it. Once Barron returns from his injury, the Jets will have a much better-looking center core.
Atlantic Injury Notes: Nylander, Lorentz, Kulich, Zucker, Cousins
The Toronto Maple Leafs will get a major boost to their forward core tonight. Earlier today, TSN’s Mark Masters reported that William Nylander and Steven Lorentz were on the ice for Toronto’s practice. Further, multiple reports after practice indicated that Nylander would return to the lineup tonight.
Nylander has been dealing with a lower-body injury for the last little while. Since the Maple Leafs’ game against the Buffalo Sabres on October 24th, Nylander has only appeared in one game, missing three. Still, he’s been more than effective when in the lineup, scoring three goals and 15 points in nine games for Toronto this year.
Meanwhile, there’s no word on whether Lorentz will return to the lineup this evening. He missed a few games in mid-October due to a concussion, and missed Toronto’s recent game against the Philadelphia Flyers due to an upper-body injury. This year, he’s registered four assists in eight games, averaging 9:56 of ice time per game.
Other Atlantic Division injury notes:
- The Buffalo Sabres had a few missing forwards from today’s practice. According to Heather Engel of the NHL, Jiri Kulich and Jason Zucker were absent from this morning’s skate. A follow-up report from Paul Hamilton of WGR Sports Radio indicated that Zucker is dealing with an illness, while Kulich is dealing with some kind of injury. Neither forward is likely to participate in tomorrow’s contest.
- Despite leaving during the third period of last night’s game against the Montreal Canadiens, it doesn’t appear Ottawa Senators forward Nick Cousins sustained any significant injury. According to TSN’s Bruce Garrioch, the fourth-line veteran fully participated in the team’s practice this morning.