2026-27 Calder Trophy picks, odds: Fade favorites Gavin McKenna, Porter Martone
Every year, it seems like the NHL’s rookie class gets better and better.In 2023, we saw the arrival of Connor Bedard and Leo Carlsson; the next year, we got introduced to Macklin Celebrini, Lane Hutson, and Cutter Gauthier; and last season was the coming-out party for Matthew Schaefer and Ivan Demidov.The 2026-27 debutantes have big skates to fill, and it’s unlikely any player in this group will match what we saw from Schaefer last season, but there is reason to believe that this year’s crop of rookies will be the deepest we’ve seen in a long time.That means the race for the Calder Trophy will be wide open.
The bookmakers at bet365 Sportsbook believe that there are two clear favorites to win the Calder: Philadelphia’s Porter Martone and Toronto’s Gavin McKenna.It should surprise nobody that these two wunderkinds top the board.Martone turned plenty of heads last spring when he posted 10 points (4G, 6A) in nine contests in the regular season and then added five more in 10 playoff games.The No.
6 overall pick will almost certainly land a top-six role with Philadelphia out of the gate, and he’s already proven he’s up to NHL speed.With 19 games of high-stakes NHL action already under his belt, it’s sensible that the market has pegged Martone as a +270 favorite.The price is too short for my liking in an award that is extremely volatile, but I can’t argue with the logic of putting Martone in the catbird seat.It’s much more of a guessing game with McKenna.Selected No.
1 overall this June by the Maple Leafs, McKenna certainly has the skill to be an impact rookie, but his size is a concern.Generously listed at 170 pounds, the Whitehorse, Northwest Territories native will have to prove he can handle the rigors of an 84-game NHL season.All of that uncertainty makes his +300 price quite unappealing.The good news about having two players priced this short in a volatile market is that it means you will be able to grab some lofty numbers on other rookies w...