Calder Trophy Power Rankings: Matthew Schaefer holds top spot as Beckett Sennecke rises

This year's NHL rookie class features a little bit of everything, and it’s safe to say that with two months of NHL action in the books, the chase for the Calder Trophy and Rookie of the Year honours is very much underway.

While the two names at the top have remained steady from last month, that’s about the only thing that’s remained. Things have already shifted significantly.

To accurately showcase the battle for top freshman, we’ve assembled a collection of seven scouts across the Elite Prospects vertical to provide their top 10 rankings. While the start-of-season edition hinged a good deal on projections, past results, and trends, this month’s version is based more on fact and function.

Matthew Schaefer, D - New York Islanders

Matthew Schaefer continues to pace all first-year defenders with 19 points in 26 games. He’s averaged nearly four minutes more per night than any other rookie. His offensive impact has also been bested by his incredible defensive metrics. He’s continued to amaze on and off the ice and swept the top spot on all seven lists for this exercise.

Ivan Demidov, RW - Montreal Canadiens

November was another strong month for Ivan Demidov. He collected four goals and 10 points in 13 November games and landed as the clear second choice once again. The increase in goal scoring is promising, as is his slight uptick in shots per game. But in order to unseat Schaefer, he’s going to need to keep ramping up the production.

Beckett Sennecke, RW - Anaheim Ducks

That this is Beckett Sennecke’s first month on this list is more than a little surprising. However, the doubt appears to be over. He’s earned this finalist slot backed by an impressive four goals and 14 points in 15 November games. Only one of those points came while on the man-advantage. The 19-year-old is tied with Demidov for the rookie scoring lead with 20 points.

Jesper Wallstedt, G - Minnesota Wild

The evolution of Jesper Wallstedt over the past 12 months warrants further study. Last year, he posted a 0.879 save percentage in 27 AHL games. This year, he owns a league-leading four shutouts and a 0.944 save percentage mark over 10 starts. If he keeps this up, he’ll be up for the Vezina on top of the Calder!

Yaroslav Askarov, G - San Jose Sharks

To say Yaroslav Askarov had a strong November would be an understatement. The 23-year-old stopper posted an 8-2-0 record with a 0.947 save percentage while stopping a whopping 15.47 goals above expected. The Sharks find themselves in a playoff spot at the moment, and a huge reason for that is the play of Askarov.

Alexander Nikishin, D - Carolina Hurricanes

One of the oldest in this freshman class, Alexander Nikishin paces all first-years with a +15 rating to go along with nine points. He’s acclimating very well to a second-pairing role while seeing a healthy dose of penalty-killing and limited man-advantage opportunities. Steady and mature is the name of the game with Nikishin. 

Artyom Levshunov, D - Chicago Blackhawks

Chicago has clearly had a plan for Artyom Levshunov, limiting his minutes and controlling situations for him. Now, they’re beginning to take the training wheels off. He recorded nine points in 14 November games while usurping the point spot on the top power play unit.

Ryan Leonard, RW - Washington Capitals

Ryan Leonard has been tracking in the right direction for some time. His blend of tenacity and offensive creation has been a shot in the arm for the Caps. It should be noted that this list was voted on before his explosive four-point performance against the Sharks on Wednesday night and his subsequent leap up to 4th in rookie scoring.

Arseny Gritsyuk, RW - New Jersey Devils

Arseni Gritsyuk continues to maintain a spot on this list month-over-month. He chips in offensively at even-strength and has proven to be a strong defensive player. His impact on the Devils' top nine has been noteworthy.

Zeev Buium, D - Minnesota Wild

Finally, Zeev Buium takes the final spot on this ranking. Frankly, he could and likely will make his way back up this board in future months. But for now, a bit of quiet November that saw just four points and barely 0.75 shots per game was just enough to keep him on the list. And as long as he’s skating on the Wild’s top power play unit, the potential to pop will remain.