Trophy Tracker: Demidov of Canadiens preseason choice for Calder as rookie of year

To mark the beginning of the 2025-26 regular season, NHL.com is running its first installment of the Trophy Tracker series. Today, we look at the race for the Calder Trophy, given annually to the rookie of the year in the NHL as selected in a poll by the Professional Hockey Writers Association.

Ivan Demidov had quite a response during a 2024 NHL Scouting Combine interview when asked which player he most resembled.

"I think it's a combination of Kirill Kaprizov (Minnesota Wild) and Jack Hughes (New Jersey Devils)," Demidov told Montreal Canadiens management less than a month before the club selected him with the No. 5 pick in the 2024 NHL Draft.

Whether he reaches that elite level or not, we're about to find out. Demidov is expected to play in the top-six forward group and provide a significant boost to a power play that hasn't finished in the top 20 in the NHL since 2020-21 (tied for 17th, 19.2 percent). He also is NHL.com's preseason favorite for the Calder Trophy as NHL rookie of the year.

Demidov received 74 voting points (14 first-place votes) from the 15-person panel. New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer was second with 39 points, followed by St. Louis Blues forward Jimmy Snuggerud with 19 points, and Washington Capitals forward Ryan Leonard with 18 points (one first-place vote).

Montreal defenseman Lane Hutson won the Calder Trophy last season.

Only three times in the history of the award has a player from the same team won it in back-to-back years. The Toronto Maple Leafs had three straight winners from 1943-45 (Gaye Stewart, Gus Bodnar, Frank McCool); the New York Rangers had a recipient in 1953 (Gump Worsley) and 1954 (Camille Henry); and the Boston Bruins had winners in 1967 (Bobby Orr) and 1968 (Derek Sanderson).

Christer Rockstrom, who was a Canadiens European scout from 2010-25, is a veteran of assessing Russia-born prospects and couldn't help but be encouraged after several viewings of Demidov.

"He changes direction like Sergei Makarov did ... Alex Kovalev did it also," Rockstrom said. "He comes to the blue line and goes straight in ... you got to be a [heck] of a skater as a defenseman to defend against that because he's coming fast and it's going this way (pointing a straight line). It's not a curve, it's a 90-degree angle and in full speed. It's an elite move that he'll use but he has many other things. He can score with his shot, he can make plays, and he can beat you 1-on-1.

"So he's not a double threat, he's a triple threat offensively."

Demidov looks forward to putting opposing defenders on their heels in his first full season in North America and helping the Canadiens once again become legitimate Stanley Cup contenders.

The 19-year-old had 49 points (19 goals, 30 assists) in 65 games with SKA St. Petersburg of the Kontinental Hockey League last season and was named KHL rookie of the year. It was the most points in a season by a KHL player under 20, passing the mark set by Kaprizov (42 points, 2016-17).

Demidov's production last season particularly was impressive when you consider he averaged just 13:45 of ice time last season, including 1:25 on the power play. By comparison, Philadelphia Flyers forward Matvei Michkov had 41 points (19 goals, 22 assists) in 48 games in 2023-24, his final season in the KHL, while averaging 16:58 of ice time, including 2:52 on the power play, with SKA St. Petersburg and Sochi.

Demidov signed his three-year, entry-level contract April 8 and had two points (one goal, one assist) in two regular-season games and two assists in five Stanley Cup Playoff games last season.

"I just think his brain and his offensive processor is so high that he can make quick plays out of nothing," Canadiens amateur scout Joey Tenute said. "On the attack he's an extremely dangerous player. He can push defenders back, can manipulate postures and find teammates through a different variety of passing ... sauce, area passes, backhand, forehand. He's got a lot in his arsenal."

Schaefer, who turned 18 on Sept. 5, was the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. He's had an impressive training camp, playing mostly on a pairing with Scott Mayfield. He should play a key role for the Islanders out of the gate despite being limited to 17 games with Erie of the Ontario Hockey League last season because of a broken collarbone sustained Dec. 27 playing for Canada at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship.

Snuggerud, chosen No. 23 by the Blues in the 2022 NHL Draft, had four points (one goal, three assists) in seven regular-season games and four points (two goals, two assists) in seven playoff games last season, with a lot of his production coming on the top line with Robert Thomas and Pavel Buchnevich.

The 21-year-old had 51 points (24 goals, 27 assists) in 40 games as a junior at the University of Minnesota prior to joining the Blues.

Leonard, selected No. 8 in the 2023 NHL Draft, scored 30 goals in 37 games last season as sophomore at Boston College, after he he scored 31 goals in 41 games as a freshman in 2023-24; he was the first NCAA player with back-to-back 30-goal seasons since Boston College forward Cam Atkinson (2009-10, 2010-11).

After signing his entry-level contract March 31, he scored one goal in nine regular-season games with the Capitals and had one assist in eight playoff games. He could begin the season in a top-six role on a line with Pierre-Luc Dubois and Aliaksei Protas.

Voting totals (points awarded on a 5-4-3-2-1 basis): Ivan Demidov, Canadiens, 74 points (14 first-place votes); Matthew Schaefer, Islanders, 39; Jimmy Snuggerud, Blues, 19; Ryan Leonard, Capitals, 18 (one first-place vote); Michael Misa, San Jose Sharks, 18; Zayne Parekh, Calgary Flames, 10; Alexander Nikishin, Carolina Hurricanes, 10; Yaroslav Askarov, Sharks, 9; Zeev Buium, Minnesota Wild, 9; Isaac Howard, Edmonton Oilers, 5; Gabe Perreault, New York Rangers, 4; Maxim Shabanov, Islanders, 4; Matt Savoie, Oilers, 3; Sam Rinzel, Chicago Blackhawks, 2; Berkly Catton, Seattle Kraken, 1