How Unanimous Top NHL Rookie Matthew Schaefer Compares To Other Calder-Winning D-Men
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.
Islanders Matthew Schaefer Wins Calder Trophy
The 18-year-old phenom makes NHL history as the youngest rookie ever to claim the award, shattering records with a dominant 59-point season on the New York blue line.
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.
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This story was originally published May 13, 2026 at 2:58 PM.