2013’s NHL Calder Trophy Candidates
The Calder Trophy race is on once more with a number of names staking their claim early in the shortened season to succeed Gabriel Landeskog and be named the NHL’s most proficient rookie.
Cory Conacher of the Tampa Bay Lightning is a surprise leader in the rookie points column. After going undrafted all the way back in ’08 because of his size, Conacher blitzed the AHL last year in his first full year as a professional and now finds himself amongst the Bolts’ top 6. Indeed the similarities both in terms of stature and junior career between himself and team mate Marty St Louis are stark, anywhere close to the career of St Louis would be a dream scenario for the Bolts. If he remains on their dominant powerplay all season long, there’s no reason obvious reason other than injury why Conacher won’t be right up there in the months to come.
It was Vladimir Tarasenko who was attracting all the attention in Week 1 of the season, principally thanks to a couple of highlight reel goals but even now he still leads the St Louis Blues in scoring. Taken 16th overall in 2010 there was buzz about him making his NHL bow this year after his performances in the KHL and at the World Juniors. Currently running at a point a game pace, Tarasenko could well develop in to one of the NHL’s elite scorers with the talent he possesses.
On the evidence of the first two weeks, 2012’s No. 1 pick Nail Yakupov has a knack for clutch goals after notching a couple of late game tying/winning scores for the Edmonton Oilers. One of those was celebrated with a knee slide the length of the ice complete with fist pumps, which was fun to see though unappreciated in some quarters. Five goals and eight points is an excellent platform for Yakupov as he continues to adapt to the senior game. With the Russian alongside other first picks Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Taylor Hall the Oilers’ top line looks a terrifying prospect for the future.
Plenty of first years are impressing on the blueline as well, Justin Schultz is another of Edmonton’s youthful crop and is set to be a big time offensive defenseman. Also drafted in 2008 by Anaheim, he failed to agree terms with the Ducks and so decided to progress his game at college, this summer he was one of the most prized free agents and the Oilers won the race to snap him up. Principally, Schultz is an excellent mover of the puck at the point, but with three goals already to his name he can shoot too so he’s a real asset particularly on the powerplay.
There’s double the rookie trouble in Montreal as well with Alex Galchenyuk and Brendan Gallagher making waves on the same line. They may come from different ends of the draft, but the third selection from 2012 Galchenyuk has real playmaking poise, and Gallagher has been burying his setups. Combining for a total +13 is impressive too showing defensive responsibility, although they aren’t being given too much ice time in tricky situations. Galchenyuk will be seen as one of the faces of the franchise going forward, creating chemistry early with a guy also in for the long haul can only be beneficial to that.
Dougie Hamilton is huge, and he’s also very good. Standing 6”5 it seems a little unfair that the Boston Bruins get another massive defenseman, you can blame the Toronto Maple Leafs and their horrible trade to get Phil Kessel for that. Claude Julien has had nothing but praise for Hamilton and as his Head Coach is trusting him with a lot of ice time alongside Dennis Seidenberg. Unless he starts putting up a few more points I doubt he’ll get a mention for the award, but that shouldn’t detract from how well he has been playing.
Only four rookie goaltenders have appeared across the league and none of them more than twice, so it’s unlikely that any of them will have a chance at the Calder.