2025-2026 NHL Calder Trophy Odds - Rookie of the Year Favorites

The #1 pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, Macklin Celebrini, was not able to follow up on his predecessor of the number one pick, Connor Bedard, due to the incredible season of Lane Hutson. The 21-year-old Montreal Canadiens' defenceman took home the Rookie of the Year honors, receiving 1832 total points in the 2024-25 Calder voting, including 165 first-place votes.

Calgary Flames goalie Dustin Wolf, who was second in the voting, had only 15 first-place votes, while Celebrini had to settle for 11 first-place votes.

With the NHL ROTY award already handed out, it's time to set our sights on the next NHL season. Luckily, the 2025-26 Calder Trophy betting markets are already open, with brand new odds released!

2025-26 NHL Calder Trophy - Best Odds Right Now

Odds as of June 30, 2025

* = the same odds are offered by multiple sportsbooks.

2025-26 NHL Calder Trophy Odds Comparison - TOP10 Candidates

Odds as of June 30, 2025

Current Favorites

Ivan Demidov (MTL): The Canadiens drafted this Russian phenom with the 5th pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, and while it had the potential to be a franchise-altering pick, the question was when he would come to the NHL. Well, with two games left in the regular season, Demidov made the trip to Montreal for his NHL debut. After recording one goal and one assist in his debut, Demidov went on to play five postseason games in which he recorded two assists. With the experience now under his belt, many NHL experts believe Demidov will become a vital piece of the young core in Montreal.

Alexander Nikishin (CAR): Similarly to Demidov, the Hurricanes' talented young defenseman did not make the trip to the U.S until the end of the 2024-25 season. In fact, Nikishin made his NHL debut in Game Five of the second round in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Nikishin's first NHL point would then come in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Finals, so much like his former teammate in Russia, the defenseman will have a bit of experience entering his true rookie season.

Zayne Parekh (CAL): While the Calgary Flames did not reach the playoffs during the 2024-25 season, their final game of the regular season should've given the Flames faithful a glimmer of hope. In that game, the Flames called up Zayne Parekh, who was the 9th overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft. In his debut, the 19-year-old wasted little time registering his first NHL goal. Flames fans will be hoping there is plenty more where that came from, and they certainly have good reason too, as Parekh buried 33 goals and dished out 74 assists in 61 games in the OHL last season.

2025 Calder Winner: Lane Hutson (Montreal Canadiens)

Hutson led all rookies in assists with 60 and points with 66 on the year. While the defenseman has only found the back of the net six times this season, he was tied for 9th in the league in assists through 82 games. With such numbers, the 21-year-old didn't just surpass Chris Chelios for the most points by a rookie defenseman in Montreal Canadiens' franchise history but also tied for the most assists by a rookie defenceman in NHL history with Hall of Famer Larry Murphy.

While both Matvei Michkov (80 games, 26+37) and Macklin Celebrini (70 games, 25+38) delivered truly brilliant and Calder-worthy rookie seasons, Hutson's campaign still shines the brightest in this comparison. Therefore, it isn't a surprise that all US sportsbooks closed the market with Hutson as the favorite by a wide margin.

Hutson's Calder-Worthy Stat Line

2025 NHL Calder Voting

Past Rookie of the Year Winners & Odds

Even though the Calder Trophy was first presented at the conclusion of the 1936–37 NHL season, the Rookie of the Year accolade has been given out annually ever since 1933. From there to now, after Lane Hutson won the trophy in 2024-25, only 14 rookie defencemen have been able to claim the ROTY honors.

When looking at between the pipes, the last time a goalie was able to win the award was back in 2009 when Steve Mason (Columbus Blue Jackets) took home the title. However, despite the 15 years of no-goalie Rookie of the Year winners, a total of 16 goaltenders have been able to win the accolade throughout the Calder Trophy's history.

The Invisible Stats That Still Influence Calder Outcomes

The influx of talent into the NHL is at an all-time high, so betting on the Calder Trophy before and early in the season has never been more challenging. Sure, there are years when the opening favorite takes home the award, but more often than not, there are a handful of players who shuffle in and out of being favored all season.

With that said, the actual question becomes what stats separate the genuine contenders, and how can bettors use that knowledge in their handicapping process? There is no exact science to betting on the award, but by keying in on a few stats, bettors can make more informed decisions. 

To start, a sneaky stat to look for is power-play time on ice per game. While this stat won’t show true production, it can show which rookies get the most opportunities to record points. Over the past five years, the Calder winner has been in the top five for rookies in this stat.

As far as scoring goes, trends have shown that points per game holds a lot of weight in voters' eyes for this award, as most Calder winners have either led all rookies in this stat or been within the top three. During the 2023-24 season, Connor Bedard led all rookies with .90 points per game, while the second closest rookie was Luke Hughes with .57 points per game.

Stats like goals and assists will always be at the forefront, as good numbers in one or both areas are a standard. However, bettors need to look past them to identify what the voters value.

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