Tony Ferrari predicts the star rookies on the New York Islanders, Montreal Canadiens and Anaheim Ducks will be the three finalists on the NHL Calder Trophy ballot. Here's how important they were to their teams.
Now that the NHL playoffs are underway, it's time to predict the rookie of the year.
In each of the last two years, the Calder Trophy Tracker on TheHockeyNews.com has correctly predicted not only the winner but the three finalists.
This season, we aim to keep that streak alive in a race that started off tightly contested but ended up being a race for second by the end of the season.
Coming into the season, the hype around Russian prospect Ivan Demidov of the Montreal Canadiens was through the roof, especially after his short stint at the end last season.
He's done nothing to quell that hype, simply leading all rookies in scoring. His skill has tantalized all season, helping bring a dynamism offensively that Montreal hasn't had in decades.
Matthew Schaefer was the New York Islanders' first overall pick last June, and after playing in under 30 total games across all competitions last year, there were questions about just how seamlessly he would adapt to the NHL.
He's answered every question emphatically, putting up 23 goals – tying Brian Leetch for the rookie D-man record – and transforming the Islanders as a whole.
Beckett Sennecke's rise throughout the season warranted the same kind of reaction the kid himself had when he was drafted third overall by the Anaheim Ducks.
Sennecke was almost certainly going to play NHL games to start this season after showing he had little to prove at the OHL level, but his ascension to budding star status has him more than deserving of a finalist nod.
Let's get into the final mock ballot, examining the impact each player has had on their team and their outlook moving forward as we wrap up this year's NHL Calder Trophy Tracker.
Winner: Matthew Schaefer, D, New York Islanders
Schaefer set the bar incredibly high moving forward.
He may even get Norris Trophy votes for the incredible season he put together for the Islanders as one of the youngest defenders to ever play in the NHL.
He put his name in the record books a number of times this season, and anything but elite play moving forward will be a disappointment.
When watching Schaefer take the ice for the Islanders, it wasn't long before realizing he was not only their best defenseman but their best player, period.
His skating isn't always the most explosive, but he's as fluid as they come, and he understands how to manipulate opponents with his four-way mobility and edge work.
Schaefer's puckhandling and offensive skills are already nearly as good as those of Cale Makar and Quinn Hughes. He was a game-breaker for a team that hasn't had one in quite some time.
As good as Demidov and Sennecke were in a strong rookie class, Schaefer elevated the game. He elevated the Islanders. His play almost got the Islanders into the post-season when they weren't expected to even compete.
A Calder Trophy win and Norris Trophy votes should be the bare minimum for Schaefer's rookie season.
Finalist: Ivan Demidov, RW, Montreal Canadiens
In a typical year, Ivan Demidov's production and overall impact in Montreal would have him as the favorite to win the NHL's rookie of the year award.
This isn't a typical year, though, so Montreal's most skilled and dynamic forward will have to settle for a finalist nod.
While there were some ups and downs in his first full NHL season, Demidov looked fantastic overall, showing a level of pure skill and dynamism Montreal hasn't had in decades. He put up 19 goals and 43 assists for 62 points in 82 games to take home the rookie scoring title.
It's not a coincidence that the offense opened up even more for the other top players in a Habs jersey.
Captain Nick Suzuki hit 100 points, Cole Caufield hit 50 goals, and both had their lives made easier by opposing teams not being able to load up their defensive players against that top line.
Having Demidov not only be a legitimate threat on the second line but do so without needing the Habs' big guns alongside him opened things up for Montreal.
Finalist: Beckett Sennecke, RW, Anaheim Ducks
In many ways, Sennecke is the rookie no one really expected to be here.
With little growth opportunity in the OHL and no opportunity to go to the AHL, Sennecke stepped into the NHL almost by default.
After starting a bit slow, Sennecke exploded and put himself in the race for the rookie scoring title. He finished just two points short of the lead, with 60 points in 82 games. He did tie Schaefer for the goal-scoring lead, however, with 23.
His raw tools and exciting skills brought an element to the Ducks that they needed. Sennecke's game continued to grow and show more refinement as the season went on, and now he will be one of the team's most relied-upon scorers in the post-season.
In fact, Sennecke is a big reason the Ducks are back in the playoffs for the first time since the 2017-18 season. He has a bright future ahead of him.
Honorable Mentions: Jesper Wallstedt (G, Minnesota Wild), Ryan Leonard (LW, Washington Capitals), Alexander Nikishin (D, Carolina Hurricanes)
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