Linus Karlsson finished 10th in league scoring among rookies.
On Wednesday, the NHL announced that New York Islanders defenceman Matthew Schaefer was the winner of the 2026 Calder Trophy. Schaefer won in a landslide, as he received all 198 first-place ballots. The voting is done by members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association, who list their top five candidates for the award.
Of the 14 players who received a vote, one is a current member of the Vancouver Canucks. The player in question is forward Linus Karlsson, who received a fifth-place vote. While it is currently unknown which PHWA member voted for Karlsson, all ballots will eventually be released for public viewing.
Karlsson finished the 2025-26 campaign ranked 10th in rookie scoring. In 79 games, he scored 15 goals while recording 35 points. This year, Karlsson also signed a two-year extension with the organization, which carries a cap hit of $2.25 million.
2026 Calder Trophy Voting
1.Matthew Schaefer, NYI
1,980 (198-0-0-0-0)
2. Ivan Demidov, MTL
1,158 (0-120-48-25-3)
3. Beckett Sennecke, ANA
958 (0-41-110-38-7)
4. Jakub Dobes, MTL
529 (0-32-23-55-25)
5. Jimmy Snuggerud, STL
171 (0-2-6-25-52)
6. Jesper Wallstedt, MIN
139 (0-3-6-23-19)
7. Alexander Nikishin, CAR
92 (0-0-2-14-40)
8. Ryan Leonard, WSH
36 (0-0-1-4-19)
9. Ben Kindel, PIT
33 (0-0-2-4-11)
10. Fraser Minten, BOS
30 (0-0-0-6-12)
11. Oliver Kapanen, MTL
16 (0-0-0-3-7)
12. Justin Sourdif, WSH
4 (0-0-0-1-1)
t-13. Justin Hryckowian, DAL
1 (0-0-0-0-1)
Linus Karlsson, VAN
1 (0-0-0-0-1)
Apr 14, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks forward Linus Karlsson (94) handles the puck against the Los Angeles Kings in the second period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn ImagesMake sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
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