Rookies Isaac Howard and Jimmy Snuggerud appear to be best cases behind Montreal's Ivan Demidov for 2026 Calder trophy
As the NHL offseason unfolds and teams begin to shape their rosters for the upcoming season, oddsmakers are already turning their attention to one of the most exciting individual races in hockey with the Calder Memorial Trophy. Awarded annually to the league’s top rookie, the Calder has become a popular futures market for NHL bettors, and sportsbooks like FanDuel are wasting no time releasing early odds for the 2025 campaign.
At the top of the board, all eyes are on Montreal's Ivan Demidov, who enters the race as the early favorite at +270 odds. Demidov is one of the most electrifying young talents to enter the NHL in recent years, is widely expected to make an immediate impact after making a showstopping debut this past season with a goal and an assist in his very first game.
Trailing him, but still firmly in the spotlight, is Minnesota’s Zeev Buium, listed at +1000, and San Jose’s highly-touted forward Michael Misa, who currently sits at +1200 odds. The rest of the field outside of Demidov, including Buium and Misa along with the rest of the rookie crop entering the league are collectively priced at -380 odds, showing just how dominant oddsmakers believe Demidov could be as he's being pinned against the entire class.
As with any preseason futures market, some odds represent true value with hidden gems with potential to surprise while others may be inflated due to hype or uncertain ice time. We look to break down the best and worst bets on the board, and highlight some sneaky value picks who could emerge as serious threats in the Calder race as the season unfolds.
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Best Bet: Isaac Howard (+1500) or The Field (-370)
The Oilers made a splash trade when dealing prospect Sam O'Reilly for Tampa Bay prospect Isaac Howard. The 21-year-old winger was growing restless of waiting in the wings for an opportunity to make the jump to the NHL and the early impression is he will get it ten-fold. The early lineup projections show Howard playing on the Oilers top line with Connor McDavid and Zach Hyman.
This immediately gives him the best opportunity to record points out of any rookie in the class as he will get a chance to put up anywhere from 40-70 points with the help of one of the best players in the world. Howard has proven to be an elite offensive talent with 34 goals and 54 assists for 88 points over 73 games in the last two seasons with the Michigan State Spartans. If the McDavid reports are true and he sees top line minutes, Howard is a must-bet in this spot as he will be almost certainly a lock to be in the conversation for the Calder.
Second-Best Bet: Ivan Demidov (+210)
Demidov has made a significant impact since joining the NHL and prior to his debut, he set a KHL record for points in a season by a player under age 20, earning 49 points (19 goals, 30 assists) in 65 games with SKA St. Petersburg. His exceptional performance in the KHL, combined with his seamless transition to the NHL, has solidified his position as a leading candidate for the Calder Trophy.
Playing time won't be a concern as early projections for the Habs next season have Demidov as high as the team's second forward line along with Kirby Dach and Patrik Laine. This combination coupled with some projected power play minutes for Demidov make him the obvious betting favorite for good reason as he is poised to enter a favorable position in the lineup with meaningful minutes and will get every opportunity to show his world-class upside.
Bad Bet: James Hagens (+2500)
There is a lot of excitement in the Bruins organization around nabbing a marquee prospect like Hagens, who was at one point the No. 1 consensus pick for his draft class. However, there is a lot of spectulation that Hagens will be returning to Boston College for one more season and early lineup projections for the Bruins indicate the same as he isn't listed.
Hagens recorded a point-per-game average in 35 games during the 2024-25 NCAA season but has been noted as small and needs to add weight, causing his draft stock to fall as bigger players past him. He needs more time to further develop and many people have indicated this, meaning it's probably not worth taking the risk when there are many other options for the award that are far more likely to win as they'll be playing more NHL minutes like Demidov.
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Sneaky Bet: Jimmy Snuggerud (+1800)
Much like the case for Howard, Snuggerud will reportedly see top line minutes with Blues centre Robert Thomas and winger Pavel Buchnevich. The setup isn't as advantageous as Howard playing with McDavid but it is a very favorable spot for the former Golden Gopher. Snuggerud is an older prospect at 21 years old and should give him a leg up over the competition like it does for Howard.
Snuggerud has arguably logged the most impactful minutes among the rookie class, appearing in 14 games, seven in the regular season and seven in the first-round playoff series against the Winnipeg Jets. During that stretch, he made a strong impression, tallying four points in both segments: four points in the regular season and another four (two goals, two assists) in the playoffs.
He emerged as one of the team’s most productive forwards during this time. With a full season under his belt, his point-per-game average at 0.57 would balance out to roughly 46 points, which could have him in the conversation for a Calder.