NHL Best Bets – NHL Futures and Awards: The Calder Trophy
Written by: Brad Blakemore
Published: Thu Sep 24, 2026, 5:34 pm ET
Read Time: 7 minutes
nhl
The Calder Trophy is one you really can ride throughout the ups and downs of the season. Players who may be the favorites right now, could potentially be sent down to their NHL squad's minor league team, or not make it to that top power play unit. So it's one of the better NHL awards to play the field early, and then hone in on favorites later. So that means it's time to get our future NHL best bets locked in now, because we only have a couple more days before the first puck drop. We already broke down my favorite NHL award, the Norris Trophy, and the top goalie in the league. Now it's time to breakdown the leagues best rookie!
Gavin McKenna is the player everyone's heard about — the generational talent who had scouts drooling for three years before draft night. The hype is real. But right now, at +280, you're paying for the ceiling and hoping the floor doesn't hit. Both him and Porter Martone are the current favorites for the Calder, and I will wait until both have their prices get a bit better. Both Martone and McKenna are projected to be on their team's 2nd lines, and McKenna isn't playing on the top power play unit. Let both of them show you a month of second-line production, watch the odds lengthen slightl, especially if they are getting sheltered starts, and reassess. They are names to monitor, not a place as an NHL best bet at current price.
As we ramp up to the first puck drop of the season, I will highlight some of my favorite NHL best bets in the futures market. We will kick it off with the trophies and move to player props next week. This will be an ongoing series until 9/29/26 when I will switch over to my weekly NHL best bet prop pieces.
So without further ado, let's kick it off with NHL best bets of the future markets!
1. The Blackhawks New Hope for the Calder Trophy: Anton Frondell +950
Chicago Blackhawks forward Anton Frondell could be Bedard's partner in crime
Here's the angle nobody's talking about enough: Connor Bedard had shoulder surgery in July and won't be back until early-to-mid November. That's six to eight weeks of Connor Bedard's roster spot, first-line minutes, and power-play time sitting in the lap of a 19-year-old who put up points at a 61-point pace in his brief NHL debut last season.
Frondell has publicly stated he's fighting for the No. 1 center role in Bedard's absence. "That's what I am going to be fighting for," he told reporters at camp. He's been working all summer on center-specific skills — faceoffs, one-on-one defense — after Chicago transitioned him from wing. He's played against men in Sweden. The Blackhawks have given him every opportunity to win the starting gig. And if he pulls that off, he could be putting up big points, making this an NHL best bet.
His competition is Frank Nazar, who posted 41 points in 66 games last year and has been skating with new Blackhawks signee Patrick Kane. But Frondell has the bigger upside and the better prior pace. Plus an elite pedigree, being drafted 3rd overall two drafts ago.
Now imagine what Frondell's production can look like once Bedard returns. If these two players have undeniable chemistry, Frondell could easily set the rookie points race at a number others cannot reach.
At +950, this is the sweet spot of the Calder market. You're getting a player with top-line deployment, a built-in multi-week runway of elevated minutes, and a pathway to sustained production even after Bedard returns. This is the number to bet before the season starts and those early box scores tighten the line.
Get 50% up to $750 Deposit on BetOnline for this pick
2. The True Rookie for the Calder Trophy: Anton Stendberg +600
Ivar Stenberg could be a top winger in the NHL
Stenberg made his preseason debut this week and looked exactly like what you want in a Calder candidate — 22:17 of ice time, four shots on goal, an assist, and a goal in the shootout in a near-win over Vegas. San Jose's head coach noted he "has progressed really well through camp" and is "picking things up quickly." That's coach-speak for: he'll be here on opening night.
The only problem is that San Jose projects him on the third line to start the year. For a player with his toolkit, that's a conservative deployment, and third-line minutes make Calder accumulation harder. This isn't terribly surprising for such a young player, and we have seen players with this caliber sheltered early into seasons before. And honestly, this is a big reason why the price is set at +600 instead of more similar to McKenna or Martone in the +200 to +300 range.
All of this said, here's why you still act now: Stenberg is a riser all season long. If he produces on the third line the first three weeks, he earns second-line minutes. If he produces there, he earns first-line consideration. San Jose is a bad team with a talent vacuum at the top of their depth chart — great players on bad teams get promoted fast. This is a situation where the initial line assignment tells you the floor, not the ceiling. And if Stenberg lands on a line with superstar Macklin Celebrini, you wont be able to sniff a price like this again.
At +600, don't wait for the promotion to happen and then chase a tighter number. The time to get on Stenberg is now, before the early-season box scores move this line to +350. He's a riser, and risers punish the patient bettor.
Get 50% up to $750 Deposit on BetOnline for this pick
3. The Longshot for Calder Trophy Winner: Brady Martin +8,000
Brady Martin may not be the flashiest player, but he plays BIG
We like to end these articles with a dart through, and this one may be a bullseye. No other rookie could be set up to have a similar situation as Brady Martin: an 19-year-old rookie — Nashville's 2025 fifth-overall pick — is playing with Filip Forsberg and Ryan O'Reilly this preseason. If Brady Martin not only makes the the roster, he could be walking out with two franchise cornerstones.
Martin scored two goals against Tampa Bay on September 23rd. His line with Forsberg and O'Reilly logged 11:37 in their final tune-up, a meaningful share for a top-line at even strength. Head coach Andrew Brunette said outright: "I think he's earned the opportunity to play… it was hard not to have him on that line." O'Reilly called him "a natural center." Forsberg highlighted their stylistic alignment.
If Martin produces like a genuine top-line forward on a playoff-caliber team, he will get Calder votes. He just needs to stay healthy, keep the role, and put up respectable numbers alongside two elite veterans who will create a constant stream of chances to be very very productive. Forsberg and O'Reilly are going to generate offense regardless; the question is whether Martin can convert enough of it to register.
The risks are obvious. He's 19. The NHL is a different planet from junior hockey. His role could shrink if he struggles, and a demotion kills the ticket. This isn't a core position — it's a few units sprinkled in for upside.
But at +8000 with confirmed top-line deployment alongside two future Hall of Famers, this is the best lottery ticket on the Calder board. A $25 bet pays $2,000 if he runs away with it. The role is real. The teammates are real. The preseason is real. Throw the dart.
Get 50% up to $750 Deposit on BetOnline for this pick
-
Interested in More Content?
More NHL Content on Betting News:
Get FREE Picks and Props Weekly
Sign up for
THE WEEKENDER NEWSLETTER
Follow me on X @gretzkybetzkys for daily plays and find me every Tuesday on the Puck It show 5:30 pm Eastern from the Betting News Twitch.
Make sure you are following Betting News on X and Twitch to keep up with everything we have going on! Notifications ON to stay on top of all the action.
Also tune in to one of our many streams during the week! Comes for the vibes, stay for the winners!
In need of a sportsbook? Check out one of our best online sportsbooks below and sign-up for a bonus!
Brad Blakemore, better known as Betzky, is a desert rat who was born and raised in Tempe Arizona. Shockingly this didn't stop Betzky from becoming a hockey fanatic. He specializes in NHL capping, and is (unfortunately) a diehard Coyotes fan, through all the highs and (mostly) lows. When not consuming NHL action Betzky collects records of all genres, attends tons of concerts and spends time with the Mrs, their cat Brain and doggo Ned. Follow Betzky on Twitter/X @gretzkybetzkys or on the Parlay Science discord.
This site contains commercial content. We may be compensated for the links provided on this page. The content on this page is for informational purposes only. Betting News makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the information given or the outcome of any game or event.
More NHL News
NHL Betting News
NHL Way Too Early Futures – The Calder Trophy
Brad Blakemore