NHL Odds to Win Calder Trophy 2026: Matthew Schaefer Takes Home Rookie Honors

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New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer ran away with the Calder Trophy odds, closing at -6000 in the final month of the regular season.

On Wednesday, Schaefer was officially named the first Islander to win top rookie honors since Matthew Barzal in 2018.

The first overall pick tallied 23 goals and 36 assists in his first NHL season, the most points by an 18-year-old rookie defenseman in league history.

Odds to win 2026 Calder Trophy

Player

Movement

Matthew Schaefer

-6000

▲

Ivan Demidov

+3500

▼

Beckett Sennecke

+3300

▼

Jesper Wallstedt

+20000

▼

Odds before the market closed, courtesy of BET99, one of our best betting sites. Sign up with our BET99 promo code, or get one of our other sportsbook promos.

Odds movement

3/23: BET99 has pulled Calder odds, with Matthew Schaefer leading the race the whole way. The Isles' D-man has put together a historic season, and he'll be awarded properly.

3/4: Matthew Schaefer went into the break at -1000 and has since responded with four goals in three games since returning from the Olympic break. Schaefer took the league by storm and seemed to have this award wrapped up before Christmas, but now it's pretty much a given.

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Understanding NHL Calder odds

Most sportsbooks will display odds in the American format as listed above. When the regular season is nearly finished and a consensus has emerged, you might see a player with a minus sign (-) ahead of his odds, like this:

Matthew Schaefer -600

The (-) means that Schaefer is the odds-on favorite, and a bettor would need to wager $6000 to win $100. Other contenders in the Calder race might have plus (+) odds to win.

Ivan Demidov +3500

Here, a bettor stood to profit $3500 for every $100 wagered.

If American odds aren't your thing, simply use a tool like our odds converter to switch the odds to decimal or fractional format. Most online sportsbooks also give you the option to change the odds format that you see.

Calder Trophy betting splits

Highest ticket percentage: Ivan Demidov (16.6%)
Highest handle percentage: Matthew Schaefer (30.2%)
Biggest liability: Matthew Schaefer

Data courtesy of BetMGM.

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NHL Calder Trophy trends

Only nine No. 1 overall picks have gone on to win the Calder Trophy.
Only 16 goaltenders have ever won the Calder Trophy, with Steve Mason being the last netminder to capture the award (2009).
In 1990, Sergei Makarov became the oldest player to win the Calder at 31 years old.