Two Washington Capitals rookies were recognized for the 2025-26 Calder Trophy. Ryan Leonard and Justin Sourdiff both received top-12 votes for the NHL's Rookie of the Year.
Leonard finished eighth in the voting with one third-place vote, four fourth-place votes and 19 fifth-place votes. Meanwhile, Sourdough finished in 12th place with a fourth-place vote and a fifth-place vote.
Meanwhile, New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer won this year's Calder unanimously. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft did so by earning all 198 first-place votes.
Leonard made his NHL debut at the end of the 2024–25 season, recording one goal and an assist in nine regular season games and eight playoff games. He then returned for his first full NHL season and finished with 20 goals and 25 assists in 75 games.
Additionally, Leonard was a vital part of the lineup and helped spark the Capitals' power play. Although he missed a period due to injury, he returned and led the team in goals by March.
Meanwhile, the Sourdough Capitals had a new addition via trade with the Florida Panthers. After some call-ups and time in the AHL he made quite an impact in his first full NHL season.
Following an injury to Pierre-Luc Dubois in late October, Sourdiff moved from the fourth-line wing to full-time centre. In 78 games, the 24-year-old player recorded 15 goals and 20 assists for 35 points.
