Calder Trophy Odds & Predictions 2025-26: Ivan Demidov Favorite for NHL Rookie of the Year

The upcoming NHL season will once again feature many talented freshmen, and betting on the Calder Trophy odds can be a fun - and profitable - way to project which fresh face will take the league by storm and be crowned the NHL's Rookie of the Year.

The Montreal Canadiens' Ivan Demidov is the clear-cut favorite to take home the hardware this year as the NHL’s top rookie, but we’re also looking much further down the board to identify our best value pick and a long shot worth backing.

📊 Calder Trophy odds 2025-26

Calder Trophy odds update live in real time; see the latest NHL odds for every game.

🏆 Who will win the Calder Trophy?

Check out all of our NHL picks entering the regular season.

Ivan Demidov, RW, Canadiens (+190)

Ivan Demidov’s +190 odds at FanDuel make him the clear betting favorite to win the Calder Trophy (Edmonton’s Isaac Howard is a distant second, paying +1000), and his odds are shortening by the day. Demidov has already proven himself at the NHL level, recording a goal and an assist in his debut last spring and then adding two assists in five playoff games.

That came on the heels of recording 49 points in 65 games in the KHL, setting a league record for most points by a player under 21 years of age.

Demidov is also slotted to play significant minutes, with NHL.com projecting him on Montreal's second line alongside former 44-goal-scorer Patrik Laine. As long as he stays healthy, Demidov should easily clear the 50-point plateau - worth noting, since each of the last 10 Calder Trophy winners recorded at least 50 points.

Finally, Demidov will get no shortage of attention and hype playing in the hockey-mad Montreal market, similar to what teammate Lane Hutson received last year on his way to a Calder Trophy win.

Even at +190 Calder Trophy odds and an implied probability of 34.5% he'll be the NHL's Rookie of the Year, it’s easy to pull the trigger on a Demidov Calder Trophy bet with the chance to profit $19 on a $10 wager.

💰 Best bet to win Calder Trophy

Our NHL player prop odds tool shows the best odds for every market (including the Calder Trophy) across legal sportsbooks in your area.

Zayne Parekh, D, Flames (+2500)

Calder Trophy voters have shown a tendency to love their blueliners, with defensemen taking home the trophy in three of the last six years. Of the five rearguards closest to the top of the Calder odds, Calgary Flames defenseman Zayne Parekh stands out for his potential to put up big point numbers.

How big? Well, Parekh is the only defenseman in Ontario Hockey League history to record 30 goals in back-to-back seasons, having racked up 66 goals and 203 points in his final two years with the Saginaw Spirit. And he’s batting 1.000 in the NHL when it comes to denting the twine, scoring in his first and only appearance with the Flames last April.

Parekh played more than 20 minutes in that game and is expected to receive heavy minutes as a top-four defenseman with the Flames this year, possibly with high-scoring blueliners Rasmus Andersson or MacKenzie Weegar.

FanDuel’s fat price on Parekh to win the Calder Trophy (+2500, compared to +2000 at many of the other best NHL betting sites) makes this my favorite Calder Trophy value bet, presenting the opportunity to win $250 on a $10 wager.

🎯 Long shot to win Calder Trophy

Follow along with the rest of our NHL analysis for more futures picks.

Jesper Wallstedt, G, Wild (+6000)

I'm happy to buy low on Minnesota Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt, who was widely considered Minnesota's goalie of the future when he was drafted 20th overall in 2021.

He is coming off a sub-par campaign in the AHL (.879 save percentage, down 31 points from his previous year), but attributes those struggles to being disappointed by not making the Wild's roster last fall. Wallstedt has worked with a sports psychologist this summer and says he's determined to bounce back strong.

If he does, the opportunity should be there to turn some heads. Filip Gustavsson has never played more than 58 games in his NHL career, and the Wild should be eager to ride the hot hand in net after allowing more than 500 goals over the past two seasons.

At BetMGM's +6000 odds (implying a 1.64% probability) and the chance to return $600 on a $10 wager, Wallstedt is worth a sprinkle as a Calder Trophy long shot.