Two offensive superstar rookies begin to run away with the competition, however, a few other rookies look to keep the Calder race wide open.
The race for the Calder trophy in 2021-22 could be a tight one by the end of the season. Multiple rookies have made an impact for their teams this season, but only one can take home the Calder at the end of the season.
In October, we ranked the rookies. Plenty has changed since, some have fallen off and others have emerged out of nowhere. This time, we will rank the top 5 since the race is tightening.
5. Michael Bunting - Left Wing (Toronto Maple Leafs)
Michael Bunting has really stepped up his game recently, with 10 points in his last 7 games. Overall he now has 18 points (7 Goals, 11 Assists) in 26 games with the Maple Leafs, and plenty of this recent offense from Bunting has been a result of Auston Matthews recent goal streak (8 goals in 6 games). Bunting plays on the top line wing beside Matthews and Simmonds.
Michael Bunting was drafted 117th overall in the 2014 NHL draft by the Arizona Coyotes. There's no doubt he was a hidden gem in that mediocre draft year.
4. Trevor Zegras - Center (Anaheim Ducks)
Trevor Zegras has been red hot lately with 16 points in his last 11 games, and his current streak may include assisting on the goal-of-the-year. Watch down below.
His 22 points is tied for first in the rookie scoring race, and his 0.88 Points/game is the best among all rookies.
Trevor has a new role as the Ducks first line center, since Ryan Getzlaf left the team due to an injury. He has stepped up when his team needed him most, and the Ducks are now holding onto second in the Pacific Division.
Zegras was drafted 9th-overall in 2019, and fans had high expectations right away. He has significantly improved from the start of the season (5 points in 13 games) and continues to improve.
3. Dan Vladar - Goaltender (Calgary Flames)
I normally side with goaltenders when im making my pick for rookie of the year, however, 6 games is still a rather small sample size when the seasons already 1/3 of the way complete.
Vladar was drafted 75th overall by Boston in 2015, and looks like a very promising young goaltender. In 6 games so far this season, he is 5-0-1 with a Save-Percentage of .939%, a rookie leading Goals-Against-Average of 1.78 with 2 shutouts.
The potential is definitely there for Vladar to take home the Calder at the end of the year, but he need's to get more games under his belt first.
2. Moritz Seider - Defense (Detroit Red Wings)
Seider has been phenomenal for the Red Wings so far this season, with 18 points (3 Goals, 15 Assists) in 26 games.
He averages over 22-minutes of ice time/game which leads all rookies. Seider also leads all rookies in Power Play ice-time, and he occasionally finds the back of the net, like he did on this laser beam shot against the New York Islanders on Saturday night.
His puck smart's and locked in defensive play has been a major contributor to Detroit currently holding onto that second wildcard spot, in a season where they had been counted out already.
Expect a lot more highlight reel plays from Seider in his rookie season as he continues to increase his stock value.
1. Lucas Raymond - Left Wing (Detroit Red Wings)
There should be no surprise here that Lucas Raymond is holding onto the top spot, as he continues to lead all rookies with goals (10) and tied with Zegras in points (22) in 26 games, Raymond has been an untamable beast for the Red Wings.
Consistency has been key for the 19-year-old Swedish rookie. He continues to gain trust in his coach as he plays many key roles in this Detroit team, including a position on the 1st-unit Power Play.
Comments