Ranking NHL Calder Trophy finalists
Connor Bedard, center for the Chicago Blackhawks, is the front runner for the Calder Trophy, and led rookies in points this season. He recorded 22 goals and 61 points in 68 games, while missing 14 games due to injury (Photo courtesy of Patrick McDermott/Getty Images).
On Apr. 30, 2024, the National Hockey League (NHL) announced the finalists for the 2024 Calder Trophy, awarded to the league’s top rookie. In the running, as voted on by Professional Hockey Writers Association members, are Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard, Minnesota Wild defenseman Brock Faber, and New Jersey Devils defenseman Luke Hughes. I thought it would be fun to rank the finalists for a very much coveted award amongst NHL newcomers.
1. Connor Bedard
As the heavy favorite for the Calder, Bedard has been named a generational talent and player viewed as the greatest prospect since Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid. At just 18 years old, the 2023 number-one draft pick led all NHL rookies in points with 22 goals and 61 points in 68 games, and it’s worth mentioning that he missed 14 games due to a fractured jaw that required surgery. The Blackhawks have Bedard at the center of their rebuild, and for good reason: he became the second-youngest player in league history to finish the year as the leader or co-leader in rookie points, goals, and assists, a feat not easy to do even without an injury. In the very likely situation that Bedard wins the Calder, he will become the tenth player in Blackhawks franchise history to do so since left-wing Artemi Panarin in 2015-16.
2. Brock Faber
In my opinion, Brock Faber should be winning the Calder, however, in the eyes of other hockey fans, they might be thinking differently. Let me defend myself by saying that Faber stepped up immensely after defenseman Jared Spurgeon’s season-ending injury. He went from fresh in the league to a top-pairing defenseman in just one season. With Faber on the blue line, the Wild had him to thank for their power play and penalty-kill success. Faber was the Wild’s 2020 second-round pick who picked up eight goals and 47 points in just 82 games. He led all NHL rookies in time on ice (TOI) per game and blocked shots while ranking first among rookie defensemen with 39 assists and second among rookie defensemen in points, tied with Hughes. Faber also established the new Wild season rookie records for assists, blocked shots, and TOI per game and ranks second only to Kirill Kaprizov (51 points, 2020-21 season) for the team's single-season rookie point record. That type of production out of a rookie is only the start of a hopefully very successful career in the NHL.
3. Luke Hughes
Luke Hughes’ rookie season was one of the best things to come out of the New Jersey Devils’ disappointing season. Hughes went fourth overall in the 2021 draft and had nine goals and 38 assists combined for 47 points in 82 games, leading all rookie defensemen in power-play assists and power-play points. His success extended beyond other rookies. He led all Devils’ defensemen in points this season and ranked fifth in the franchise while also holding the second-most points by a rookie defenseman in Devils franchise history, behind Barry Beck's 60 points in 1977-78 with the Colorado Rockies. The hockey talent coming out of the Hughes family has been something that could not go unnoticed. Luke’s oldest brother Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes was a Calder trophy finalist in 2020, making this year the first time two brothers have been named a finalist for the award.