Through the first 59 games of his first NHL season, Anaheim Ducks rookie winger Beckett Sennecke has notched 49 points (19-30=49). That places him on a 68-point pace, which would be the most points from a Ducks’ rookie in franchise history and the best scoring rate (.83 points per game) from a Ducks rookie since Bobby Ryan scored 57 points (31-26=57) in 64 games in 2008-09.
Most weren’t expecting the Ducks to draft Sennecke with the third-overall pick in the 2024 Draft, as most outlets had him ranked in the 8-20 range. Many weren’t expecting him to play the entire season with the Ducks, in the NHL, and in a premium top-six role. But he’s earned every opportunity afforded and is making the most of it.
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He’s made monumental leaps in his development in just five months, greatly improving his situational awareness and limiting mistakes, while amplifying his impact shift-to-shift, increasingly driving play, and quickly discovering how to best utilize his skillset to become a true difference maker for the Ducks during this transitional season for the franchise.
Sennecke is a puck magnet. He uses his scanning and anticipation skills to read how pucks will bounce loose from battles. His puck skills are dynamic, and when combined with his motor and how slippery he is, it becomes difficult for even the most veteran of NHL defensemen to strip him of the puck cleanly.
If results hold, Sennecke will likely be one of the three Calder Trophy finalists at the end of the year, and in some years, his production rate over a full season would be enough to take home the hardware.
The 2025-26 NHL season has provided a generational rookie defenseman, however. Matthew Schaefer was selected by the New York Islanders with the first overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, having just played 17 games in his draft year and just 11 days away from being eligible for the 2026 Draft.
When Schaefer stepped foot on the ice for the Islanders’ season opener, he became the first player in NHL history born after the Ducks won their sole Stanley Cup championship in June of 2007.
Schaefer’s career began with a six-game point streak, and the trajectory of the Islanders’ franchise shifted completely. Through his first 61 games in the NHL, Schaefer has tallied 44 points (20-24=44) while averaging 24:07 TOI per game, including 3:10 TOI/g on the power play and 1:11 TOI/g on the penalty kill.
He controls the game with and without the puck on his stick, as he can make every dynamic play the current top NHL defensemen can make, driving offense for his club from the blueline. Defensively, he blends his elite speed and four-way mobility to eliminate time and space against opposing attackers, as well as an active and smart stick to disrupt developing plays in all three zones. He’s already one of the NHL’s best defensemen.
“Yeah, it’s skating. His lateral mobility,” Sennecke said when asked about what stands out about Schaefer’s game. “It’s just his ability to look so smooth when he’s skating, so controlled. He’s unbelievable. It’s crazy he’s only 18, doing it.”
Schaefer will likely win the Calder Trophy, and it shouldn’t be close.
Schaefer and his Isles will come to Anaheim on Wednesday to face Sennecke’s Ducks. The first time the two had met was a 5-2 victory for the Isles in New York, and both rookies went scoreless.
At the 2024 Draft, unanimously, Ivan Demidov was ranked second behind Macklin Celebrini by most publications. Questions surrounding his level of competition (MHL) in his draft year and how his game would translate to the NHL led to him “falling” to the Montreal Canadiens at fifth-overall. The moment the Ducks selected Sennecke above Demidov, as they play the same position, likely tied the two together for the entirety of their careers.
In his rookie season, Demidov has scored 47 points (12-35=47) in 59 games, and his numbers are remarkably similar to Sennecke’s. At 5v5, Sennecke has produced 2.3 points per 60 minutes, and Demidov has produced 2.65. On the power play, Sennecke has scored 4.71 points per 60, and Demidov has scored 4.76.
Sennecke has the underlying advantage over Demidov, as when Sennecke’s on the ice at 5v5, the Ducks account for 51.25% of the shots on goal, 51.98% of the shot attempts, and 51.30% of the expected goals. When Demidov is on the ice, the Habs account for 45.69% of the shots on goal, 45.95% of the shot attempts, and 46.39% of the expected goals.
After the Ducks host Schaefer’s Islanders on Wednesday, Sennecke and the Ducks will go head-to-head against Demidov and the Canadiens on Friday at Honda Center. Sennecke and Demidov, though likely always linked moving forward, have never shared the ice.
All three players are having special seasons and project as key pieces if/when their franchises are contending in the future. However, Schaefer’s impact is undeniable, and the excellence of his first season in the NHL, at his age, can’t be understated.
“It’s awesome. Those guys are incredible,” Sennecke said when asked about his upcoming games against Schaefer and Demidov. “Schaefer’s like breaking all the records right now, which is pretty crazy. It’s nice to see, and it’s cool.”
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