At the heart of Montreal’s push sits ivan demidov, a 20-year-old winger whose playmaking has lifted teammates and tracked toward nearly 65 points this season. That individual rise connects to a narrowing Calder Trophy race dominated by three names: Demidov, Beckett Sennecke and Matthew Schaefer, with just more than a month remaining in the 2025-26 regular season.
Ivan Demidov’s production and minutes with Montreal
Demidov has translated a productive KHL season into immediate NHL impact for Montreal. The 20-year-old is averaging 2. 54 points-per-60 at 5-on-5 and is on pace for nearly 65 points, a scoring rate noted in the Calder conversation. He sits 19th among NHLers with at least 700 minutes played in that points-per-60 measure, and when sorted by assists he ranks sixth at 1. 78. Those numbers arrive alongside a modest 15: 19 average ice time per night, while his regular linemates have included Oliver Kapanen and Juraj Slafkovsky.
Beckett Sennecke’s 20th goal and surprise rise for Anaheim
Beckett Sennecke gave the race another headline when he scored his 20th goal of the season, a rebound finish that pushed an Anaheim lead late in the first period. Sennecke, the 19-year-old who was a surprise No. 3 pick by the Ducks in 2024, has injected scoring punch into Anaheim’s lineup. That 20th goal is a concrete milestone that cements him among the three leading Calder candidates and highlights why voters are watching his minutes and shot production.
Matthew Schaefer’s defender season and the Calder outlook
Yet the most difficult case to dislodge may be Matthew Schaefer. The New York Islanders blueliner has reached 20 goals and is playing more than 24 minutes a night as an 18-year-old. Schaefer’s 11. 7 expected goals ranks third among all blueliners, and his season has generated comparisons to rookie defenders with historic scoring runs. He has drawn 60 penalties as a defender, a rate surpassed among defenders only by one other player, and his combination of speed, puck possession and scoring has made him a rare two-way threat.
Still, the field is not limitless. Minnesota Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt and Carolina Hurricanes blueliner Alexander Nikishin have shown solid seasons, but the three ‘‘big dogs’’ — Sennecke, Demidov and Schaefer — have led the conversation for much of the year. That narrowing is evident in the way each has impacted teammates and game flow: Demidov’s passing lifts Oliver Kapanen’s play when they share a line, Schaefer shoulders heavy minutes and defensive responsibility, and Sennecke delivers finishing ability and scoring milestones for Anaheim.
For Demidov specifically, the middle-six winger’s high-end passing and processing power stand out. Playing primarily with Kapanen and Slafkovsky, he has made those linemates more dangerous. Kapanen’s level of play has dipped when not beside Demidov, a connection that underlines how Demidov’s playmaking changes Montreal’s nightly lineup choices and scoring balance.
For Sennecke, the moment of the 20th goal is tangible proof of his progress. The rebound he buried to make it 3-1 late in the first period is now part of his season ledger and part of the narrative that turned a surprise draft pick into a bona fide Calder candidate. For Schaefer, the statistical milestones — 20 goals, heavy minutes, and notable expected-goals metrics among blueliners — have built a case that may be historic for a rookie defender.
With just more than a month to go in the 2025-26 regular season, the race is likely to be decided by what each player does in that closing stretch. Demidov’s assist rates and points-per-60, Sennecke’s goal-scoring runs, and Schaefer’s sustained minutes and scoring pace all remain measurable inputs that will shape voters’ final decisions. Wallstedt and Nikishin remain in view, but the three leaders have done the bulk of the season’s heavy lifting.
Returning to the opening image: ivan demidov sits at the center of Montreal’s middle six and the Calder conversation, his 2. 54 points-per-60 and 1. 78 assists-per-60 credentials sharpened by line fits with Oliver Kapanen and Juraj Slafkovsky. The confirmed next milestone is simple and immediate — the NHL regular season continues with just more than a month left in 2025-26, leaving time for each contender to add to the numbers that will decide the Calder Trophy.
