NHL: Top 5 Calder Trophy candidates for the 2019-20 season

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA - JUNE 21: Jack Hughes, first overall pick by the New Jersey Devils, poses for a portrait during the first round of the 2019 NHL Draft at Rogers Arena on June 21, 2019 in Vancouver, Canada. (Photo by Andre Ringuette/NHLI via Getty Images)
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA - JUNE 21: Jack Hughes, first overall pick by the New Jersey Devils, poses for a portrait during the first round of the 2019 NHL Draft at Rogers Arena on June 21, 2019 in Vancouver, Canada. (Photo by Andre Ringuette/NHLI via Getty Images)
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Photo by Jeff Vinnick/NHLI via Getty Images

The Calder Trophy goes to the NHL’s top rookie each season. Who are the top contenders the coveted award as the 2019-20 season draws near?

Every season, the NHL awards the Calder Trophy to the league’s top rookie. It’s one of the hardest awards to predict because it’s very hard to predict which rookies are going to get significant playing time, aside from the huge names. The 2019-20 season has a pretty strong group of young players who could win the Calder Trophy.

Of course, someone could always come from out of nowhere and be a serious contender. Just look at last season, when Jordan Binnington took the league by surprise, finishing second in the voting. Virtually no one knew who he was a year ago. But cases like Binnington are the exception, not the rule.

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Here’s a look at the top five Calder Trophy candidates.

Quinn Hughes

The case for Hughes: Few rookies are set to get more prime playing time than Quinn Hughes. Last season, Rasmus Dahlin and Miro Heiskanen wowed fans by standing out as defensemen. Neither are as dynamic as Hughes.

Much like Dahlin and Heiskanen, he should get either top-pairing or second-pairing minutes with the Vancouver Canucks. There’s not a lot of competition there and, during his brief cup of coffee in the NHL last season, head coach Travis Green showed he trusted him quite a bit. In five games, Hughes averaged over 18 minutes per game. Expect that to go up this season.

Quinn also has an extra year over Jack (yes, they are brothers). That extra year of experience and maturity could prove to be very beneficial. Hughes has minimal experience against professional players, but he has stood out whenever he’s played against them.

The case against Hughes: It’s hard for a defenseman to win the Calder Trophy. Only two blueliners have won it in the salary cap era – Tyler Myers (2009-10) and Aaron Ekblad (2014-15). That’s likely because it takes a while for defensemen to fully develop, even after they reach the NHL. But to be fair, neither of the two had the outstanding skating that Hughes possesses.

Verdict: Quinn Hughes should compete for one of the three finalist spots. The odds are against him, but he’s got enough skill to turn some heads.