In a unanimous Calder Trophy vote, New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer was declared the winner with 198 first-place votes. Not much of a surprise there, as this kid will win multiple Norris Trophies over the lifetime of his career.
But, there was a little bit of a nice surprise when looking down the list of the other potential rookies of the year. St. Louis Blues breakout star Jimmy Snuggerud was amongst them, and finished in fifth-place.
Matthew Schaefer was the unanimous choice for NHL rookie of the year. @NYIslanders pic.twitter.com/442zKiEJj8
— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) May 13, 2026
With 171 votes, he finishes behind Schaefer, Montreal Canadiens star Ivan Demidov, Anaheim Ducks forward Beckett Senneckem, and another Canadiens rookie, Jakub Dobes. His vote tally, which included two runner-up votes, was ahead of Minnesota Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt.
Snuggerud had a phenomenal rookie season and was very worthy of being on this list. His fifth-place finish was about right, but with all things considered, he could have been placed ahead of the Dobes due to their being not one, but two, Canadiens on this list.
The Canadiens are currently in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, with a very well-rounded and complete roster. Snuggerud had to do most of the work himself on an underwhelming and non-playoff worthy Blues team.
Going forward, this result is not what Snuggerud might have wanted, but it puts him in good company. Cutter Gauthier of Anaheim finished in fifth-place last season, and he finished this 2025-26 campaign with an astounding 41-goal explosion.
The Blues have a solid rookie on their hands, and he is quickly developing into being the next face of this franchise. A few more seasons from now, and there is a real possibility of his name being mentioned in the Rocket Richard trophy category.
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