Ranking: They lead the way at mid-season Calder Trophy race
The 2017 NHL draft didn’t boast a true superstar talent like the 2016 and 2015 drafts did. That’s nothing against Nico Hischier and Nolan Patrick, both of whom are fantastic prospects, but the draft didn’t have a Connor McDavid or Auston Matthews calibre headliner at the top of the list.
As a result, the 2018 Calder Trophy race was inevitably going to be an interesting one. At the NHL’s All-Star break, we have a very interesting group of players who should get some recognition for the award. Here’s my Calder Trophy ballot for the mid-way point of the season.
5. Mikhail Sergachyov, D (TBL)
Acquired in a one-for-one deal over the summer for Jonathan Drouin, Mikhail Sergachyov has burst onto the scene in Tampa Bay quicker than anybody realistically could have expected. The No. 9 overall pick by the Canadiens from 2016 has 27 points in 47 games with the Lightning and appears to be en route to become a top offensive defenceman in the NHL. Of course, Sergachyov has been playing sheltered minutes on a very good team, but playing as a defender in the NHL at 19 years of age is always impressive.
4. Clayton Keller, LW (ARZ)
The No. 7 overall pick from the 2016 NHL draft had an excellent season as a prospect in 2016-17. He led Boston University in scoring, led the United States in scoring and helped them to a World Junior gold, and even had a seven-points-in-eight-games showing for the United States at the World Hockey Championships. His transition to the NHL this season has been seamless as Keller leads the Arizona Coyotes in scoring as a 19-year-old. If the team wasn’t so bad, Keller could easily be at the top of the rookie scoring race, but he currently stands in third with 36 points in 49 games.
3. Charlie McAvoy, D (BOS)
Clayton Keller’s teammate at Boston University and the American World Junior and World Championship team has had an equally impressive jump to the NHL this season. McAvoy has plated a key role on a shockingly good Boston Bruins team, producing 25 points in 45 games on the team’s top pair with Zdeno Chara. The most impressive thing is how the 20-year-old averages 22:49 minutes of ice time per game and doesn’t face easy competition. McAvoy was placed on the Injured Reserve with an abnormal heart rhythm, which is a terrifying turn of events for an otherwise perfect rookie year. Let’s hope this isn’t something that has a long-term effect on his career and life.
2. Brock Boeser, RW (VAN)
Brock Boeser went from heartbreak at the NCAA Frozen Four last spring right into the NHL and he hasn’t missed a beat since. He scored four goals in nine games with the Canucks last season, and this year, in his first full season, had recorded 43 points in 46 games. His 24 goals is currently tops among all rookies in the NHL. Most recently, Boeser became the first rookie to win All-Star game Most Valuable Player since Mario Lemieux, which is always nice company.
1. Mathew Barzal, C (NYI)
While Boeser’s season has been excellent, Mathew Barzal has been this season’s best rookie. The No. 16 pick from the 2015 NHL draft has exploded onto the scene this year in New York, posting 51 points in 50 games with the Islanders. He’s been a driving force behind one of, if not the best second line in hockey along with Jordan Eberle and fellow rookie Anthony Beauvillier, and ranks not only first in league rookie scoring, but 16th in the league overall. I certainly wouldn’t want to be the general manager who dealt the Barzal draft pick for Griffin Reinhart.
Other names worth mentioning:
I want to also mention some strong performances from other rookies around the league that didn’t crack my top five.
New Jersey has a few of them. 2017 first overall pick Nico Hischier has had a strong rookie season, posting 29 points in 44 games. Jesper Bratt, drafted in the sixth round in 2016, has come out nowhere to score 30 points in 47 games, and Will Butcher, a college free agent signing, leads all rookie defenders in points with 28.
Speaking of coming out of nowhere, the undrafted Yanni Gourde has 33 points in 49 games with the Tampa Bay Lightning (and, while it’s a flawed stat, leads rookies in +/-). Also, Danton Heinen, a fourth-round pick from 2014, has 33 points in 43 games for the Bruins. Malcom Subban, after being placed on waivers by the Bruins, has a .914 save percentage for the Golden Knights.
