5 players that can win the Calder Trophy with Connor Bedard out

Connor Zary of the Flames is becoming a true Calder Trophy dark-horse

The Calgary Flames probably didn't think they were coming into the year with a legit Calder Trophy threat but they have one here in January.

Connor Zary was a first-round pick (24th overall) in the 2020 NHL Draft and he is finally in the league on a full-time basis.

His rookie season is going very well. So far, he has nine goals and 12 assists for 21 points in 31 games played. That is fifth in league rookie scoring.

The Calgary Flames are having another disappointing year but Zary is someone to be excited about for them. If he continues to play well and be amongst the rookie scoring leaders with that disappointing team, he could be in the Calder conversation.

The fact of the matter is that Bedard getting hurt opens the window for a lot of players to be in this Calder Trophy race.

There are even a few honorable mentions like Dmitri Voronkov, Luke Evangelista, and Logan Cooley as well. All of these guys are going to make the league a better place for a long time.