Called Up: The Hockey Prospects Podcast · FloSports

Calder Trophy Contenders And Pretenders: Ivan Demidov, Matthew Schaefer, Zeev Buium And More

·1 hr 14 min·4 clips

Alexander Nikishin brings 46 KHL points, a six-foot-four frame, and top-pairing habits to Carolina.

1. Called Up: The Hockey Prospects Podcast focuses on the Calder Trophy race for NHL rookies, with Ivan Demidov, Matthew Schaefer, and Alexander Nikishin at the center. 2. Chris Peters of Flow Hockey and Cam Robinson of Elite Prospects host the episode, and Cam’s upcoming scout poll and prospect evaluation frame the discussion. 3. The episode asks which rookies are real contenders, which are pretenders, and which dark horses could still move up if their deployment changes. 4. Demidov is treated as the runaway favorite because Montreal can give him top-six minutes and top power-play time. 5. The hosts say Demidov can score from the outside, crash the net, and use a shot-playmaking package that fits with Nick Suzuki, Lane Hutson, and Cole Caufield. 6. They also compare Demidov’s long-term upside to Kirill Kaprizov, while noting that Kaprizov had a much longer runway to the NHL. 7. Schaefer is presented as a contender because his skating, first-overall name value, and preseason highlights will draw media attention. 8. The main concern for Schaefer is production, since the hosts doubt he reaches 40 or 50 points with the New York Islanders. 9. Nikishin is described as a 24-year-old KHL veteran who won KHL defenseman of the year and posted 46, 56, and 55 points in recent seasons. 10. The Carolina discussion stresses that Nikishin’s size, skating, and minutes could make him a high-impact rookie even if Demidov has the stronger Calder case. 11. The hosts say Nikishin’s age will likely hurt him with voters, because rookies in their mid-20s are often docked in this race. 12. Ike Howard’s case depends on whether Edmonton plays him with Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl and gives him power-play minutes. 13. Chris and Cam mention that Howard was traded from Tampa after not reaching a signing agreement and that Edmonton did not acquire him to send him to Bakersfield. 14. Liam Ohgren and Danila Yurov are both labeled pretenders for the Calder race, even though the Wild give them a useful context for team building. 15. The hosts note that Yurov’s center options and KHL background might help him more than Ohgren, but not enough to change the overall race. 16. Jimmy Snuggerud is pushed into contender territory because he has three straight 20-goal college seasons, 24 goals last year, and a path to Robert Thomas and the first power play in St. Louis. 17. Sam Rinzel is discussed as a dark horse, but the Blackhawks’ weak team environment and uncertain power-play usage make his path difficult. 18. Michael Misa is described as talented enough to flash in San Jose, but likely to start slowly with third-line minutes and second-power-play usage. 19. The episode has an informed, conversational scouting tone, with Chris and Cam moving quickly from player to player and grounding opinions in usage, age, and production. 20. Listeners who follow NHL prospects, rookie roles, and Calder Trophy voting will get the most from it, while casual fans looking for game recaps can skip it.

As heard by us

A steady look at the rookie race, with the NHL season opening up around the Calder conversation.

Called Up looks at the NHL season through the Calder race, with the focus on role, ice time, and how much trust each team can give a rookie. Chris Peters and Cam Robinson sound fully at home in that space, so the talk stays grounded in practical questions rather than empty hype:…

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For a prospect-podcast Calder chat before puck drop.

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