Schaefer, Wallstedt highlight NHL.com’s Rookie All-Star Team

The impact several rookies are making on the NHL is one of the major storylines of the 2025-26 season. Each week, NHL.com will examine topics related to this season's class in the Rookie Watch.

This week, to mark the midway point of the NHL season, NHL.com presents the All-Rookie All-Star Team:

GOALIE

Jesper Wallstedt, Minnesota Wild: Wallstedt, chosen No. 20 in the 2021 NHL Draft, is 12-4-4 with a 2.64 goals-against average, .916 save percentage and four shutouts in 20 games (all starts) this season. He was named the NHL's Rookie of the Month for November after going 6-0-0 with a League-best 1.14 GAA, .967 save percentage and three shutouts in six games. Wallstedt became the fourth rookie goalie in League history and first in 87 years to have four shutouts over a span of six games, joining Frank Brimsek (Boston Bruins, 1938-39), Dolly Dolson (Detroit Cougars, 1928-29) and Tiny Thompson (Bruins, 1928-29). He'll join his goalie partner, Filip Gustavsson, on Team Sweden at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 next month after the 23-year-old was a longshot just a few months ago. He played for Sweden at the IIHF Under-18 World Championship (2019 gold), twice at the World Junior Championship (2021, 2022 bronze) and twice at the World Championship (2023, 2024 bronze).

DEFENSEMEN

Matthew Schaefer, New York Islanders: The 18-year-old continues to be a rookie-setting machine. He's the first teenage defenseman in NHL history to score eight goals through his first 25 career games, breaking a tie with Bobby Orr (seven in 25 games). He was named the NHL's Rookie of the Month for October after getting eight points (three goals, five assists) in 11 games, becoming the first Islanders player selected for the award since current teammate Mathew Barzal in January 2018. Schaefer is third among all NHL rookies with 32 points (13 goals, 19 assists), is first with six power-play goals, 122 shots on goal and in average ice time (24:02) in 48 games. He has drawn 26 penalties, which is tied for third in the League. He became the first Islanders teenager to reach 27 minutes of ice time in a single game (27:40 against the Philadelphia Flyers on Oct. 25) since that statistic was first tracked in 1997-98. His 13 goals are the most by a rookie defenseman in a season since defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere scored 17 with the Philadelphia Flyers in 2015-16. The Islanders control 48.9 percent of all shots attempted and own a 57.3 percent on-ice goals-for percentage with Schaefer on the ice at 5-on-5. Schaefer was NHL.com's favorite in its Trophy Tracker series for the Calder Trophy as NHL rookie of the year at the halfway point of the season after receiving the maximum 78 voting points (15 first-place votes) from a 16-person panel.

Alexander Nikishin, Carolina Hurricanes: Nikishin (6-foot-3, 218 pounds) is a big, fast, physical, two-way defenseman and was captain of SKA St. Petersburg in the Kontinental Hockey League last season. His plus-12 leads all rookie defensemen, and he ranks second with six goals and third with 20 points in 48 games. Nikishin required the second-fewest games by a defenseman in Hurricanes/Hartford Whalers history (47 games) to reach 20 career points, right behind leader and Hockey Hall of Famer Mark Howe (23 games). The 24-year-old, selected in the third round (No. 69) of the 2020 NHL Draft, leads first-year defensemen in hits (89) and blocked shots (59) and is second in shots on goal (76). Nikishin ranked second among KHL defensemen in goals (17) and game-winning goals (four) and third in points (46) in 61 games last season. "We understand the offensive part of his game has always been there, but it's such a learning curve playing defense in this league on the other side of it," Carolina coach Rod Brind'Amour said. "That's still where we got to grow as a player and we're seeing signs of it for sure. The offensive part will keep growing, but there's not much more he needs to do there. It's just the other part of the game and I think he's coming along."

FORWARDS

Ivan Demidov, Montreal Canadiens: The 20-year-old has found chemistry at right wing alongside rookie center Oliver Kapanen this season. He's first among first-year forwards with 30 assists and 41 points (11 goals) while averaging 15:17 of ice time in 49 games. Demidov was named the NHL's Rookie of the Month for December after leading all first-year players with 14 points (four goals, 10 assists) in 15 games, becoming the second Canadiens player in as many seasons to be named a Rookie of the Month after defenseman Lane Hutson (the eventual Calder Memorial Trophy winner) in December 2024 and March 2025. Selected No. 5 in the 2024 NHL Draft, he had 49 points (19 goals, 30 assists) in 65 regular-season games with SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL last season and earned the KHL Aleksei Cherepanov Award as the league’s top rookie. He's a player who wants the puck, thrives on the challenges to generate scoring chances and possesses elite skills.

Beckett Sennecke, Anaheim Ducks: Sennecke, chosen No. 3 in the 2024 NHL Draft, became the second-fastest player in Ducks history to have 20 points (in 26 games played), behind only Paul Kariya (24 games). He ranks second among NHL rookies with 15 goals and 38 points (23 assists) in a second-line role with center Mikael Granlund and left wing Alex Killorn in 28 games. He averages 17:09 of ice time and is third among first-year players with 19 penalties drawn. Sennecke, who turns 20 years old on Jan. 28, has nine points (four goals, five assists) in his past nine games. Sennecke was a finalist for the NHL's Rookie of the Month for November, when he led all first-year forwards in average ice time (16:16) and had 14 points (four goals, 10 assists) in 15 games. "He's grown up right in front of our eyes here," Anaheim coach Joel Quenneville said. "Offensively, he's capable of making high-end plays. At the same time, he has some plays that he's starting to eliminate out of his game, turnovers in tough areas to make a play. He has the puck a lot, which we like, and his play recognition is high-end."

Ryan Leonard, Washington Capitals: The 20-year-old, chosen No. 8 in the 2023 NHL Draft, is fourth among rookies with 29 points (10 goals, 19 assists) in 42 games, including nine points (three goals, six assists) in his past 10 games. Leonard had two goals and two assists in a 7-1 win at the San Jose Sharks on Dec. 3 to become the first Capitals rookie to record a four-point game since Nicklas Backstrom on March 3, 2008. He was also the first rookie to do so this season; just one did it in 2024-25 (Will Smith on April 9, 2025). Leonard ranks tied for ninth among rookie forwards in hits (60) and he averages 14:21 of ice time. The Capials control 47.9 percent of all shots attempted and own a 65.0 percent on-ice goals-for percentage with Leonard on the ice at 5-on-5. "It's not surprising the talent and the drive that he has as a young man ... I saw that Day 1," Washington coach Spencer Carbery said. "He's shown that talent through even going back to development camp and in college. But what he's doing, he's continuing to push over the last few weeks to get better and he's very driven. That's where you're excited as a coach because he's so coachable and he wants to get better and wants information and that's a big reason why you see a young man like that continuing to just chip away, earn more opportunity and just continue to produce and play better."