The NHL Awards Are a Pretty Exciting Feature of the Offseason. One of the Best NHL Award Races to Follow All Season Long is the Race for the Calder Trophy. The Top Rookies Every Season go Head to Head for the Coveted Trophy.
This season, there’s been plenty of exciting rookies. From Chicago, which has help from the trio of Nick Schmaltz, Ryan Hartman, and Michal Kempny, to Nashville’s number one goalie of the future Juuse Saros. Rookies run the league again, and the NHL is in the middle of a youth renaissance.
But who are the best rookies in the NHL this year? It’s one of the best, and deepest, Calder races in years, but who’s going to be there in the end? Who deserves the Calder Trophy most? Let’s break it down.
Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs
Auston Matthews was drafted first overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs in last year’s draft. I think at this point it’s safe to say that Toronto doesn’t regret the pick.
Matthews has been great for the Maple Leafs all season and has 55 points in 68 games. That includes 31 goals and 24 assists.
Auston has helped the Leafs become playoff contenders again. They’re far removed from the last place finish they had last year.
Matthews has played with a variety of linemates this season. From Zach Hyman and Connor Brown to Mitch Marner and William Nylander, they’ve all been pretty young. The one consistent thing about Matthews year – he’s been really solid. He continues to produce, and he’s earned the first line center job in Toronto.
If the Maple Leafs do make the playoffs this year, it will be a testament not only to Matthews’s abilities on the ice but also to the next up on this list.
Mitch Marner, Toronto Maple Leafs
Mitch Marner is Matthews’s partner on ice, even if they’re separated, they’re eternally tied together. Marner is Patrick Kane to Matthews’s Jonathan Toews. Marner is a dazzling right-wing with playmaking abilities who’s genuinely exciting – the Patrick Kane metaphor fits him well.
Marner has 54 points this season in 63 games. One point less than Marner in 5 games less. Unlike Matthews, Marner’s points have mostly come from assists, but when he scores he scores with very pretty goals.
Marner was the 4th Overall pick in the 2015 draft. He continued playing for his junior team last year, which makes sense. Toronto wanted to get Matthews. Now that we see Auston and Mitch together – it was a great choice by Toronto.
Marner’s case for the Calder is simple: he leads all rookies in assists and is second in points-per-game. Unfortunately, I don’t think this is Marner’s race to win. The other four players in this race are simply posting better numbers this year, and if one Toronto Maple Leaf is in this competition, it’s Matthews.
Patrik Laine, Winnipeg Jets
Patrik Laine has perhaps the best case out of all forwards. He’s playing with perhaps the best linemates out of all rookies. But he’s also elevated their games to highs above their last few years. Laine leads all rookies in goals, points-per-game, points, shooting percentage, and is first among rookie forwards in
He leads all rookies in goals, points-per-game, points, shooting percentage, and is first among rookie forwards in average time on ice with eighteen minutes and three seconds. He’s been great statistically all season, from his hat trick just four games in forward.
In fact, in Patrik’s debut, he scored both a goal and an assist. Laine’s been firing on all cylinders, and he’s helped to elevate a Jets team to near playoff status in just his first year.
While that’s not as impressive as the boys in Toronto, Patrik’s one player versus two.
In fact, the improvement of Winnipeg is remarkable, and that plays into Laine’s Calder case as well. In 12 games less, the Jets are only behind last season by 11 points. Their win percentage has gone up, even despite the fact they’ve yet to find a true goaltender.
And they’re ahead of both the Stars and Avalanche when last year, they finished behind all teams in the Central division.
Zach Werenski, Columbus Blue Jackets
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When Columbus was on their winning streak in November, December, and January, Zach Werenski was a major factor. He’s quickly morphed into a first pairing defenseman for Columbus, a remarkable feat for a rookie.
He’s sixth in points among rookies, and he’s got a commanding lead for rookie defensemen. While Werenski has the most minutes played a night of any rookies on this list, he’s third amongst all rookies, only behind Nikita Zaitsev and Ivan Provorov.
With Columbus having morphed into a surprise contender this year, Werenski is one of the reasons why. Werenski’s a surprise this year, but can a surprise really be drafted 8th overall?
Columbus picked well, and it’s one of the reasons GM Jarmo Kekalainen is in the GM of the Year conversation.
Werenski is a very fast, very young, very capable young defenseman. Someday, he might be one of the best in the league. He’s certainly one of the best of this generation of defensemen, up there with Aaron Ekblad. He’s got a great Calder case, as the best defenseman of this year.
Matt Murray, Pittsburgh Penguins
The goaltender on this list, Matt Murray has already won the Stanley Cup with the Penguins. But guess what? So did Ken Dryden, and he won the Calder. Murray’s having a rookie year that, in a different day and era of hockey, could be considered comparable to Dryden’s.
Murray is posting a 2.37 GAA and a .924 SV%. That’s good for thirteenth in the league in GAA and sixth in SV%. Those are really good numbers for a rookie year. Murray is bound to be an elite goaltender in the NHL. If he isn’t one already.
Murray was drafted in the 3rd round of the 2012 draft. Goaltenders are weird draft choices. That was a pretty high goaltender pick, and the Penguins now have two goaltenders. I’m pretty sure they’re happy with their choice.
Murray’s case for the Calder is a simple one: the Penguins still lack defense. Without Murray’s abilities in net, they’re not the contenders they are right now. Murray’s done really well when the goaltender position is perhaps the hardest in hockey. So well that the Penguins are contending for the President’s Cup. With a lot of guys hurt.
So, Who Wins the Calder Trophy?
Patrik Laine. He leads in both points and goals, as well as in points-per-game. Those are the most impressive stats with the voters, and that’s why Artemi Panarin won. Unless something astounding happens in Toronto, he’s got it locked up.
Who should win is a different question. Matt Murray’s kind of a dark horse this year. Yes, the voters have elected Calder champions in the past who have won the Stanley Cup – Tony Esposito and Ken Dryden. But there’s no guarantee that these voters will agree.
Next: Patrik Laine's Growing Calder Campaign
Murray’s winning the Stanley Cup is a downfall for his Calder case, which it absolutely should not be. Murray should be the Calder winner, his stats are that impressive. But I don’t think that he will when all is said and done. And that’s unfortunate.