NHL: Top Ten Calder Trophy Candidates

Last year, Connor Bedard was the favorite at the start of the season to win the Calder Trophy given to the NHL’s outstanding rookie, and it was he who got his hands on the prize. Will the logic be respected again in 2024-2025?

Several interesting candidates will compete for this honor.

Here are ten players who have the best chance of succeeding Bedard.

1. Matvei Michkov, left winger, Philadelphia Flyers

Michkov seems the favorite at the start of the season, if the odds are anything to go by, and that’s not necessarily surprising. In his draft year, many saw him as having a talent level similar to that of Connor Bedard, but he ultimately slipped to the Flyers at seventh overall due to a multitude of factors that don’t necessarily have to do with his talent. The Russian was supposed to spend three years in the KHL before making the jump to the NHL, but here he is, and the Flyers rolled out the red carpet for him. There is no doubt that they see it as a gem and will use it as such.

2. Macklin Celebrini, centre, Sharks de San Jose

Celebrini could very well end up at the top of this list. The talent of the young first overall pick is undeniable and he dominated the NCAA last season at 17 years old. In San Jose, however, he finds himself with a team in the midst of a rebuild and, although they made a few acquisitions during the summer, we will have to expect some difficult nights for the Sharks. It’s not easy for a young center to establish themselves in their first season in the NHL, and Celebrini’s rookie season could look more like those of Adam Fantilli and Leo Carlsson last year.

3. Logan Stankoven, right winger, Dallas Stars

The rules are the rules: Logan Stankoven may have played a total of 43 games in the NHL last year including his 19 in the playoffs, he remains eligible for the rookie of the year award, since he played less of 25 games in the regular season (24). With that experience, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Stars small forward is in the thick of the Calder fight. After all, he still scored 22 points in his first 43 NHL games and was an important part of the Stars in the playoffs. We wouldn’t be surprised in the least if he was the rookie of the year in the Bettman circuit.

4. Dustin Wolf, goaltender, Calgary Flames

We put Wolf in fourth place, even though recent history indicates that it is extremely difficult for a rookie goaltender to win the Calder Trophy. The last two to have done it? Andrew Raycroft in 2004 and Steve Mason in 2009. But the opportunity is too good for Wolf this season. The departure of Jakob Markstrom opened the door for him to finally establish himself as a starting goaltender in the NHL, after dominating the American League for three seasons. At 6 ft and 166 lbs, Wolf will however have to prove that he can be a starter despite his size being below standards.

5. Cutter Gauthier, center/left wing, Anaheim Ducks

Gauthier caused a lot of ink to flow last season when he refused to come to an agreement with the Philadelphia Flyers, who had claimed him fifth overall in 2022. They ultimately traded him to the Ducks in return from defender Jamie Drysdale. Gauthier therefore joins a core of promising young forwards in Anaheim, made up of Leo Carlsson, Trevor Zegras, Troy Terry and Mason McTavish. The role he will play remains to be determined, but Gauthier is a natural scorer whose style could complement that of the forwards mentioned above.

6. Lane Hutson, defenseman, Montreal Canadiens

It’s difficult to place Lane Hutson higher than sixth at the moment due to two main factors: uncertainty over his status with the Canadiens and the fact that it’s rare for defensemen his age to dominate at the point. to win the Calder Trophy. That being said, Hutson demonstrated at the end of the season last year that he was able to reproduce the magic he did in the NCAA. Given his size and the inevitable ups and downs of a rookie season, his usage could vary in the NHL, if he stays there all season. The talent is there, though.

7. Rutger McGroarty, left winger, Pittsburgh Penguins

The American forward shunned the Winnipeg Jets before being traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins with whom he signed his first professional contract. Already, we are hearing that he could start the season on one of the Pens’ first two lines, therefore on the wing of Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin. It’s hard to ask for a better way to start a career, right? McGroarty produced offensively at all levels, despite shortcomings in his skating. If he were able to establish himself quickly on a roster that lacks players to complement the big guns, he could very well make it into the Calder finalists at the end of the season.

8. Will Smith, centre, Sharks de San Jose

Like Celebrini, Smith decided to forgo the NCAA to begin his professional career with the San Jose Sharks. The fourth overall pick in the 2023 draft, Smith has undeniable natural skills and will become a formidable offensive player in the NHL, if all goes well. It might not be in its first season, however. The Sharks will have to make sure they don’t send all their youngsters into the den of the wolf from the start, and it may be Smith who could suffer. He remains one of the most talented players not to play in the NHL and it’s impossible to ignore his name.

9. Mavrik Bourque, center, Dallas Stars

The time has come for Mavrik Bourque. The Quebecer finished first in scoring in the American Hockey League last season and it seems he has nothing left to prove in the minors. Now, it remains to be seen if he will be able to get offensive opportunities in his first steps as a regular with the Dallas Stars, who already have an interesting mix of veterans and young future stars. Bourque is, however, an injury or two away with the Stars from being given important responsibilities.

10. Nikolai Kovalenko, left winger, Colorado Avalanche

Kovalenko remains a rookie even though he is 24 years old (he turns 25 on October 17) and already has six full seasons of experience at the professional level, in the KHL. Kovalenko scored 54 points in 56 games in 2022-2023, then 35 in 42 last season with the Nizhny Novgorod Torpedo. The loss of Valeri Nichushkin opened up a top-6 spot with the Avalanche, and it’s not out of the question that the team tries Kovalenko on one of the top two lines.

They narrowly missed the cut: Yaroslav Askarov (San Jose), Joshua Roy (Montréal), Jesper Wallstedt (Minnesota)