Matthew Schaefer received all the first-place votes for the NHL's Calder Trophy as rookie of the year. Based on how his stats compare to those of other Calder-winning defensemen, he could be a superstar.
New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer is the unanimous winner of the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year.
He is the first rookie to receive all first-place votes for the Calder Trophy since right winger Teemu Selanne in 1992-93.
Fifteen defensemen have introduced themselves to the NHL as the Calder Trophy winner in their first season. The last four blueliners to win the award before Schaefer are Lane Hutson, Moritz Seider, Cale Makar and Aaron Ekblad.
With how Schaefer performed this season with the Islanders, and even gained consideration to be named to Team Canada's roster for the 2026 Olympics, there's very little doubt that the young defenseman can have a career as impressive as the aforementioned Calder winners from the back end.
The 18-year-old scored 23 goals and 59 points in this campaign for the Isles. He tied the Anaheim Ducks' Beckett Sennecke – who finished third in Calder Trophy voting – for most goals by rookies this season.
Schaefer also tied Brian Leetch for the most goals by a rookie defenseman in a season. Leetch won the Calder in 1988-89 and went on to win two Norris Trophies, the Stanley Cup with the New York Rangers and the Conn Smythe Trophy.
It doesn't take as far a flashback to compare Schaefer with the previous Calder-winning defenseman, however. Montreal Canadiens defenseman Hutson was last year's winner and actually outscored Schaefer during their first seasons, 66 points to 59.
That said, Hutson spent two years in the NCAA after being drafted before turning pro, while Schaefer joined the Islanders right away after they selected him first overall in 2025.
Hutson is just in his sophomore year but is giving the impression that he'll be one of the best offensive defensemen in the game for years to come. He may have a Norris Trophy coming his way eventually.
In 2021-22, Detroit Red Wings D-man Seider took home the Calder, recording seven goals and 50 points. He's not as offensively dominant as Schaefer can be, but he's been a force on the back end and a physical presence that will lead the Red Wings for several years. Seider had 151 hits and 161 blocked shots in his rookie season, while Schaefer had 40 hits and 111 blocked shots.
Makar was the Calder Trophy winner in 2019-20, scoring 12 goals and 50 points in just 57 games. Since then, he's arguably been the best defenseman in the NHL, winning the Stanley Cup, Conn Smythe Trophy and two Norris Trophies, all before the age of 27. But like Hutson, Makar played two seasons in college before turning pro.
Ekblad won the award in 2014-15. It was the first season after being drafted first overall, which is something he and Schaefer now have in common. Ekblad finished that campaign with 12 goals and 39 points in 81 games, but his maturity and reliability on the back end for the Florida Panthers were what really made him the rookie of the year. Ekblad's 109 hits were many more than Schaefer's 40, but his 80 blocks weren't as many as Schaefer's 111.
Schaefer has a little bit of everything from the four defensemen that were mentioned here. He's proven his prolific ability to score and put up points like Hutson and Makar, and he earned a lot of trust from his coach, like all four. Schaefer's 24:41 of average ice time this season is evidence of that.
When you look at all the accolades and the reputation that these blueliners have developed over the years, Stanley Cup champions, award winners and Olympians, Schaefer is on track to become a superstar defenseman, too.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.