Canadiens' Ivan Demidov stays hot, but Matthew Schaefer remains Calder front-runner

With the mid-season approaching, Montreal Canadiens forward Ivan Demidov is producing consistently. He is maintaining chances of winning the Calder Trophy, but New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer is currently ahead of him in the race for the title of the NHL's outstanding rookie.

Having been named the NHL's Rookie of the Month for December on Thursday, the 20-year-old Russian ranks first in scoring among first-year players, with a tally of 35 points, including 10 goals, in 40 games since the start of the season.

This is a notable production for Demidov, especially as he has been limited to an average of about 15 minutes per game by head coach Martin St. Louis. On Thursday, in the Canadiens' 7-5 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes, Demidov recorded two assists, contributing to goals by Oliver Kapanen and Juraj Slafkovsky. The forward also had a three-game streak with two points each between Dec. 21 and Dec. 28.

Despite his offensive output, Demidov remains behind Schaefer. Selected first overall in the most recent NHL draft, the defenseman has totaled 26 points in 41 games — the 18-year-old leads in numerous offensive statistics.

How Matthew Schaefer's numbers outpace Canadiens' Ivan Demidov

Demidov stands out with his completed passes into the slot. He has done so 66 times, ranking second among rookies, while Schaefer has made 78 such passes. This data reflects Schaefer's higher usage, as he plays for nearly 24 minutes per game with the Islanders. Regarding successful passes in the offensive zone, Schaefer leads Demidov with 758 against 499.

Other offensive statistics reveal why the Canadiens forward currently trails Schaefer in the Calder race. In terms of shots on goal, Demidov ranks ninth among NHL rookies with 55, while Schaefer leads with 111. Arseny Gritsyuk (80), Emmitt Finnie (78), Ben Kindel (77), and Beckett Senecke (76) round out the top five, while another Canadiens rookie, Oliver Kapanen (71), comes in sixth. For scoring chances, Demidov, a playmaker, drops to 11th among rookies.

Before Schaefer's emergence, Demidov was considered a contender to succeed his Canadiens teammate Lane Hutson as the winner. It has been 58 years since two players from the same team were named Rookie of the Year in consecutive seasons, a feat last accomplished by the Boston Bruins in 1967 (Bobby Orr) and 1968 (Derek Sanderson).

If Schaefer were to win after Hutson, it would be the second time in history that two defensemen received the honor consecutively, following Montreal's Jacques Laperriere in 1964 and Kent Douglas of the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1963.