When the NHL returned after the lockout that wiped out the 2004-5 season, one of the most riveting storylines was the promise of a fierce battle for rookie of the year honours between two very highly touted prospects in Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin, both of whom lived up to expectations. Last year, Russian phenom Evgeni Malkin was predicted to win the Calder Memorial Trophy before the season began, and eventually did take home the award. This season, however, there was no consensus favourite heading into the campaign and there still isn’t. With only a dozen or so games left in the regular season, this year’s race for the Calder Trophy is more wide open than it’s been in years. Here’s a look at who’s been turning heads this year.
Patrick Kane – RW, Chicago Blackhawks
When the Blackhawks chose Patrick Kane with the first overall pick in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, they knew they were getting a highly skilled forward with tremendous offensive potential. But few expected him to land a spot in the NHL so soon and make the transition so smoothly. Kane stands at only 5’10”, weighing a meager 163 lbs. Because of his diminutive stature, many observers doubted his ability to play at a high level before packing on a few pounds of muscle. Despite his size, Kane has been lighting the lamp regularly for the Blackhawks. He’s been a key cog in their offence all year long and he and fellow rookie Jonathan Toews have become the face of a resurgent Blackhawks franchise recovering from years of poor management under the ownership of the recently deceased Bill Wirtz. The right winger from Buffalo leads all rookies in scoring with 59 points and has held the lead most of the year.
Kane’s skill at handling the puck and setting up plays on the half boards has helped inject life into Chicago’s moribund power play, which was the worst in the league last year. His wizardry with the puck has also come in handy in shootouts, where he’s 5-for-7, leading all first year players in shootout goals and shooting percentage.
Kane had an incredible start to the season, and if NHL awards were handed out in December he’d be a lock for the Calder. But his production has slowed in recent months — perhaps he hasn’t become strong enough to endure the wear and tear that an 82-game NHL season brings — and he could relinquish the rookie scoring title before the end of the year. Kane’s -7 plus-minus rating is among the worst on his team and if his offensive output is not at the top of the heap, he’s not a well-rounded enough player to win the Calder Trophy.
Jonathan Toews – C, Chicago Blackhawks
Jonathan Toews led Team Canada in scoring at the 2007 world junior championships, almost singlehandedly carrying the team to the gold medal game with an impressive performance in Canada’s semifinal shootout win over the United States. He was once again selected to represent Canada at the IIHF men’s world championships and did not look out of place with seven points in nine games. He scored his first NHL goal on his first shot in his first game and registered a point in each of his next nine contests, the second-longest scoring streak to start an NHL career in league history. In short, Toews has proven that selecting him second overall in 2006 was a very wise decision.
The 19-year-old Chicago centre is fourth in rookie scoring and second in goals, despite having played only 51 games due to injury. While he’s been scoring at a higher pace than Kane, he’s easily the most well-rounded forward in this year’s crop of rookies. He plays in all situations and his 18:38 average ice time per game — thirdmost among Chicago forwards and second among rookie forwards — includes time on the power play and the penalty kill. His +9 plusminus ranking is sixth on his team. Known as being mature beyond his 19 years, Toews has also begun to showcase his leadership skills and many observers have him pegged as Chicago’s next captain. While Kane may be a fl ashier player, Toews has shown his potential as a franchise centre and proven to be a vital component of a young team on the rise. When he went down with a sprained knee in early January, the Blackhawks, who had assembled a 19-16-3 record to that point, fell into a 5-9-2 rut but have gone 9-4- 3 since his return. If he’d played a full season, Toews would almost undoubtedly be the leading Calder candidate this year, but thanks to injury he’ll be able to play 64 games at most. Will that be enough?
Nicklas Backstrom – C, Washington Capitals
Washington’s 2006 first-round pick (fourth overall) is having a terrific season centering the Capitals’ top line with Alexander Ovechkin, the NHL’s leader in both goals and points, on his left wing. A skilled passer and playmaker, Backstrom leads all rookies in assists and his 58 points trail only Kane among rookie scorers. Having Ovechkin, arguably the best left winger and most potent scoring threat in the game, on the receiving end of so many of Backstrom’s passes has undoubtedly helped him rack up 47 helpers, but it would be a mistake to suggest that Ovechkin’s skill alone is helping Backstrom pad his stats. Ovechkin’s production has surpassed last year’s totally with 16 games still left to play, thanks in part to the presence of a highly skilled pivot. Backstrom’s hockey sense, combined with Ovechkin’s scoring touch, have allowed Washington’s offence to terrorize the Eastern Conference all season. The young Swede’s addition to the powerplay has also helped improve the Caps’ record with the man advantage, ranked sixth this year after being seventhworst in the league last season. If Kane continues to cool off after such a hot start, Backstrom could win the rookie scoring race and capture the Calder in the process.
Peter Mueller – C/RW, Phoenix Coyotes
Another first-round draft pick from 2006 (eighth overall), Peter Mueller already has a rookie of the year award under his belt as a member of the WHL’s Everett Silvertips in 2006. With a knack for finding the back of a net and a powerful 6’2”, 205-lb frame, Mueller has the potential to be a potent offensive force for the Coyotes and has already started to show it — Mueller leads all first-year players with 21 goals. Although he initially entered the league as a centre, Mueller struggled at that position and head coach Wayne Gretzky moved him to right wing. Since then, he’s become an important part of a surprising young Coyotes team’s offence, seeing action on the top line with Shane Doan and Steven Reinprecht, and trailing only Doan and Radim Vrbata in goal scoring. His 47 points are good for third in the rookie scoring race and like Kane and Backstrom, Mueller has been a key component of a resurgent Coyotes powerplay.
While Mueller’s 21 goals are impressive for a rookie, he leads by a slim margin and could soon be overtaken by Toews, who has played fewer games but scored at a higher pace. Unless he goes on a tear in the Coyotes’ final push for a playoff spot, Mueller is probably a long shot to win the Calder but stands a good chance at being nominated.
Tobias Enstrom – D, Atlanta Thrashers
Tobias Enstrom is another product of an incredible 2003 draft class that produced such standout players as Dion Phaneuf, Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, Eric Staal, Thomas Vanek and Zach Parise. But unlike these young stars, Enstrom was not a highly touted first round pick but an undersized defenceman chosen by the Atlanta Thrashers in the eighth round (238th overall). Yet Enstrom could prove to be the Thrashers’ best acquisition that year (especially after trading away Braydon Coburn), if his rookie campaign is any indication. Although he will likely never be a hard-hitting, shut-down defenceman with his 5’10”, 175-lb frame, he’s shown a lot of offensive upside. Enstrom has emerged as a capable power-play quarterback, and leads first-year defenceman with 37 points (he’s seventh among all rookie skaters), good for 17th among all blueliners. By comparison, Kane’s 59 points put him only 36th among all forwards. The 23-year-old blueliner also logs a ton of minutes for Atlanta — his 24:37 leads rookie skaters. He’s 18th in the league in time on ice, which is surprising for such a young player. Enstrom’s -1 rating may not look great, but he plays on one of the worst teams in the league and spends a lot of time on the ice against the opposing team’s top forwards. While Enstrom’s 19 hits are nothing to write home about, his 92 blocked shots are third among rookie defencemen.
Historically, blueliners have not fared well in Calder Trophy voting. Only one of the last nine and two of the last 17 winners have been defencemen, likely because they take longer to develop into valuable NHL players. That being said, Enstrom has proven himself worthy of Calder consideration, although the fact that he’s a relatively unknown player in a weak hockey market may hurt his chances. Enstrem is definitely the dark horse of the lot.
