NHL analyst rules out ‘two-horse race’ between Matthew Schaefer & 19 y.o Canadiens star for Calder trophy

The Calder Trophy race is already getting discussed early in the 2025-26 season between Matthew Schaefer and Ivan Demidov. NHL analyst Frank Corrado discussed the strong starts from Schaefer of the New York Islanders and Demidov of the Montreal Canadiens.

Speaking on Friday's TSN broadcast with host Sarah Davis, Corrado said it is too early to call it a two-horse race between the two rookies.

"It does feel like, early on, it's going to be a two-horse race between both of these guys [Schaefer and Demidov]" Corrado said. "Demidov was the favorite coming in based on what he did in a smaller sample size last year, ...Now with both of these players, it's different situations when it comes to how they're deployed and what kind of ice time they're getting.

Matthew Schaefer has made an immediate impact on the Islanders. The 18-year-old defenseman was the first overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. He has one goal and three assists in his first four games. Schaefer is already playing a big role, averaging about 22 minutes per game and getting time on the top power play. He moves the puck well, defends with confidence, and looks calm under pressure.

Corrado said Schaefer might already be the Islanders’ best defenseman.

For Matthew Schaefer, he's on the top power play unit, and he's already playing 23 minutes a night," Corrado said.

"He's hit the ground running. He's doing it all right now for the New York Islanders, who, quite honestly, are not a very good team, if Patrick [Roy] was looking down the bench, he'd probably be looking at Matthew Schaefer and being like, 'This is my best defenseman. This is my best option. I'm going to play as much as I possibly can.' He's handled it well so far."

Ivan Demidov, 19, was drafted fifth overall by Montreal in 2024. He has one goal and two assists in his first five games with a +2 rating. Demidov is averaging about 14 minutes per game. He has not yet joined the top power play unit or played with top forwards like Nick Suzuki or Cole Caulfield.

Davis said the Canadiens are letting him grow step by step. As he gets more puck touches, his skill will show more clearly.

For Ivan Demidov, there's a little bit of, maybe, making sure that he takes every stage appropriately before he moves on to the next one," Corrado said.

"What I mean by that is he's not getting first power play unit reps just yet with Montreal. He's not playing with Nick Suzuki or Cole Caulfield just quite yet, he's mastering one thing at a time, but I'll say this about Demidov. The more the puck touches his stick, the more the puck goes through his hands, the more his game comes to life."

Corrado said that if Demidov gets a bigger role at five-on-five, his game will improve. He added that moving to the first power play unit would also help him gain confidence. Corrado compared him to Lane Hutson, who started on the second unit last year and later joined the first.

Corado called Matthew Schaefer and Demidov "supremely talented players"

Matthew Schaefer’s strong start as a defenseman stands out because of his heavy workload and quick adjustment. Demidov’s start is comparatively slower, but he shows strong potential as his role increases.

"So we'll see how the season shakes out, but both of these guys are supremely talented players," Corrado said. "Demidov's role is going to grow with his team. Matthew Schaefer's role is already as big as it can get for the New York Islanders."

Matthew Schaefer and Demidov are both talented players and have shown why they were high draft picks. So, the Calder Trophy race will likely become clear as the season continues.