Connor Bedard leads the three Calder Trophy nominees

Every year, the NHL is loaded with incredible rookie talent. Some of them are already in their 20s, some are 19, and now and again we see a few 18-year-olds making an impact.

For the 2023-24 season, there was a long list of great rookies helping their teams win. On Tuesday, we learned who the Calder Trophy nominees are.

First is Connor Bedard of the Chicago Blackhawks. The 2023 number one overall pick lived up to all the hype and Chicago has a cornerstone player.

Next is Brock Faber of the Minnesota Wild. Faber was a second-round pick by the Los Angeles Kings in 2020 and he played his college hockey at Minnesota. He was traded to the Wild in the Kevin Fiala trade.

The third nominee is Luke Hughes of the New Jersey Devils. The former fourth-overall pick (2021) played in the NHL this season for his first full year and was great. He had some problems defensively at times but his offensive impact can't be overstated.

The three Calder Trophy finalists will be incredible in their NHL careers

Hughes and Faber each had their rookie moments defensively in 2023 but overall played very well. For being defensemen, it was truly incredible that they tied for second in rookie scoring.

Neither of them has a chance at winning the Calder Trophy over Connor Bedard. The 18-year-old was the youngest player in the league and was a star.

He had 22 goals and 39 assists for 61 points in 68 games played. To lead an NHL team in scoring at his age is absoltuely incredible. It won't be long before he is a 100+ point player in Hart Trophy conversations.

That speaks volumes about Bedard because both Faber and Hughes will be Norris Trophy contenders in short order as well.

It has been a lot of fun seeing these three play hockey this season and it will be even better to watch them turn into truly elite players soon.