Stats:<\/strong> 20 GP, 7G-8A-15P, 22:30 ATOI<\/p>\n The NHL has been blessed with some historic seasons from rookie defensemen over the last half-dozen years, including those of Cale Makar, Quinn Hughes and Lane Hutson. However, what Matthew Schaefer is accomplishing relative to his age is shockingly precocious and unprecedented this century.<\/p>\n Schaefer just turned 18 this past September; had he been born 11 days later, he wouldn\u2019t have been draft-eligible until 2026. For reference, when Makar had just turned 18, he was in the early stages of his draft season for the Brooks Bandits of the Alberta Junior Hockey League<\/a>. Schaefer has a chance to author the best season we\u2019ve ever seen from an 18-year-old NHL defenseman.<\/p>\n Only three defenders in history have eclipsed the 40-point mark as an 18-year-old: Phil Housley (66 points), Rasmus Dahlin (44 points) and Bobby Orr (41 points). With seven goals and 15 points in 20 games, Schaefer is easily on track to enter that rarified air.<\/p>\n If Matthew Schaefer finished this \ud83d\ude31 pic.twitter.com\/6qNh08yAff<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 B\/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) November 19, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n The most impressive part about Schaefer\u2019s early impact is that he\u2019s been excellent outside of just the flashy point totals. He has fundamentally transformed the Islanders with his elite skating and puck-moving ability from the back end. He\u2019s never cheated for offense, and his defensive play has been mature and steady. Schaefer is averaging nearly 23 minutes per game, being trusted with increasingly difficult defensive matchups and winning the two-way battle, with the Islanders generating more shots and goals than they surrender during his five-on-five minutes.<\/p>\n This isn\u2019t just a young defender piling up points in sheltered minutes; Schaefer is performing like an elite, do-it-all No. 1 defenseman. Versus the Avalanche, for example, he played 5:10 head-to-head against Nathan MacKinnon at five-on-five. In those minutes, Colorado generated a measly 0.12 expected goals offensively.<\/p>\n in 5:10 against schaefer, colorado generated just 0.12 xG with mackinnon on the ice \ud83d\udc40 https:\/\/t.co\/Vu1Jw7JOgY<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 dom \ud83d\udcc8 (@domluszczyszyn) November 17, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n If Schaefer keeps this up, he\u2019ll be one of the top 5-10 defensemen in the Norris Trophy race.<\/p>\n 2. Ivan Demidov \u2014 RW, 19, Montreal Canadiens<\/p>\n Stats:\u00a0<\/strong>19 GP, 4G-10A-14PTS, 14:28 ATOI<\/p>\n Schaefer is the best rookie in the NHL, but Ivan Demidov might be the most purely skilled. And a year after he led SKA in scoring, playing 13 minutes and change a night in the KHL, he\u2019s now producing at a 60-point pace, playing 14 minutes and change a night in the NHL. That\u2019s normally the magic number for Calder consideration, and yet it still feels as if he has another level to find. Demidov leads all rookie forwards in scoring, and he has done it without playing alongside the Habs\u2019 top dogs at even strength and while bouncing on and off the top power-play unit. He looks like he\u2019s going to become one of the league\u2019s most talented wingers.<\/p>\n 3. Alexander Nikishin \u2014 LHD, 24, Carolina Hurricanes<\/p>\n Stats:<\/strong> 19 GP, 2G-6A-8P, 20:06 ATOI<\/p>\n The Hurricanes\u2019 13-5-1 record is impressive considering the rash of blue line injuries they\u2019ve faced, as Jaccob Slavin, K\u2019Andre Miller, Jalen Chatfield and Shayne Gostisbehere have all missed time at various stages. Alexander Nikishin\u2019s two-way impact is one of the key reasons Carolina\u2019s back end has stayed afloat.<\/p>\n Nikishin has averaged 20:06, logging significant minutes at both even strength and on the penalty kill. He\u2019s decisively winning his two-way matchups, with the Canes controlling 57 percent of shot attempts and outscoring opponents by a dominant 21-9 margin during his five-on-five shifts.<\/p>\n The towering 24-year-old Russian has a fun, old-school flavor to his game, with his knack for throwing massive hits and unloading booming point shots.<\/p>\n The sound of his hit by Nikishin \ud83d\udd09 pic.twitter.com\/ISoxSqEIOv<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 B\/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) November 1, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n There are some raw qualities to Nikishin\u2019s game, but he has demonstrated a mature, advanced understanding of how to shut down plays defensively. He\u2019s also skilled enough to break pucks out and contribute offensively. In fact, there\u2019s untapped upside for Nikishin to produce more points as the season rolls on. Also, he\u2019s barely received any power-play time despite perennially being one of the highest-scoring defensemen in the KHL before his North American arrival.<\/p>\n Nikishin may not be a household name yet, but he has all the makings of a budding star with his tantalizing combination of size, physicality, defensive acumen and offensive upside.<\/p>\n 4. Artyom Levshunov \u2014 RHD, 20, Chicago Blackhawks<\/p>\n Stats:\u00a0<\/strong>18 GP, 0G-10A-10PTS, 16:08<\/p>\n Artyom Levshunov has had a rocky start to the year, making a lot of mistakes early and even getting healthy scratched. However, he has really turned a corner over the last dozen or so games. His game might always come with some brain cramps, but he also looks like a force when he\u2019s at his best, involving himself in everything that happens on the ice and playing freely. He has played to positive results overall this year at five-on-five, and while Sam Rinzel got the benefit of the doubt on the top power play to start the season, the Blackhawks have handed the keys to that unit to Levshunov. He has played beyond his ice-time season average in seven straight games now, and it doesn\u2019t appear he\u2019s going to look back from here on out.<\/p>\n That first NHL goal is coming, too.<\/p>\n 5. Beckett Sennecke \u2014 RW, 19, Anaheim Ducks<\/p>\n Stats:<\/strong> 19 GP, 6G-7A-13P,\u00a016:31 ATOI<\/p>\n Leo Carlsson\u2019s and Cutter Gauthier\u2019s monster breakouts have overshadowed the immediate impact Beckett Sennecke has had in SoCal. The No. 3 pick in 2024, Sennecke has gone from not even being a lock for a full-time NHL roster spot in training camp to becoming a top-six fixture. Sennecke is on pace for nearly 60 points and has been part of a lethal second line with Mason McTavish and Gauthier, which has controlled over 58 percent of expected goals and outscored opponents by an 8-3 margin.<\/p>\n The lanky 6-foot-3 winger can impact the game in many ways. He\u2019s a gifted puckhandler and skates well for his size, which adds to Anaheim\u2019s terrifying speed and skill off the rush. Here\u2019s an example of him deking through the New Jersey Devils\u2019 defense for a high-danger chance:<\/p>\n Sennecke also has some power elements to his game. He leverages his long wingspan to win puck battles and extend offensive zone possessions, and has shown some edge to his game. It\u2019s exciting to think about how lethal his toolkit could become in future years once he adds muscle and fills out his frame. Sennecke\u2019s intelligence is also an underrated asset. Watch his impressive vision to find the backdoor tap-in rather than shoot on this overtime winner against Utah earlier this week:<\/p>\n \ud83d\udea8 OLEN ANDRE ZELLWEGER!!!! \ud83d\udea8<\/p>\n WHAT A PLAY BY KILLER AND SENNECKE! <\/p>\n WE WIN!!! #FlyTogether<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/Kji15FgDbN<\/a><\/p>\n\n
\n
\n
![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/nFcm-3GORXc4sWiS.gif\")
<\/p>\n\n