Calder Watch

[Travis Munroe]

Impressed to see Monahan is 13th in league scoring!
Its hard to compare Arcobello with the rest of the rookies when talking of awards.
1) His actual age and experience
2) Every point is an assist. I am not trying to discredit the assist but I can't see a rookie with 40 assists being put into the same conversation as a rookie with 20/20 come year end.

[Imported_Aussie]

First thing that strikes me here is how low MacKinnon's shooting percentage is - a couple of lucky breaks and he is way higher in the points. With the Avalanche playing well he hasn't been needed beyond 13min per game, but I can see him starting to impose himself more, especially if a few more of those shots go in. I would have him as my favourite based on potential/projections, and Jones too - look at those minutes he is playing, he will come into contention if the forwards scoring paces flatten out and he contributes a lot game in, game out.

Monahan, Hertl, Tyler Johnson, Chiasson and Barkov all other good candidates

[undercoverbrother]

This may be tuff to answer, but does anyone know the criteria for rookie of the year? Is it purely numbers driven, or do they look at the team on which the rookie plays, ie: the supporting cast around the player. Hertl has a bit of a stronger team and Monahan for example.

[CliffFletcher]

Jones will win it if he keeps playing 25 minutes a game. It's so much harder for d-men to make the jump to the NHL, that voters give them the benefit of the doubt if it's a close race.

[Tinordi]

Agreed, Jones has been the most impressive rookie to-date.

[Flash Walken]

Brodin lost out last year doing something similar though.

Sure, he doesn't have the 'pedigree' of Jones, but, goal scoring is goal scoring.

[TurdFerguson]

I was just going to bring up Brodin. Award voting is a funny thing though, and Jones is significantly better known and watched then Brodin was.

Wonder if Jones gets discredited for playing with Weber to the same extent Brodin did for being paired with Suter.

[Tinordi]

Brodin also has a broken cheek right now so remains to be seen how that will affect his game.

[Flames Draft Watcher]

Originally Posted by FBI

For some reason I am getting some satisfaction about Drouin the #3 pick being back in the minors.

He's in junior, not minor pro.

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by Tinordi

Brodin also has a broken cheek right now so remains to be seen how that will affect his game.

I meant he should have won it last year playing an effective top pairing role, but Huberdeau's goals on a bad team won out.

[TurdFerguson]

Amazing that Brodin wasn't even a finalist, let alone a winner. Still dumbfounds me.

Anyway...Calder 2014! Go Monorail!

[Vinny01]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

Jones will win it if he keeps playing 25 minutes a game. It's so much harder for d-men to make the jump to the NHL, that voters give them the benefit of the doubt if it's a close race.

If Jones hits 30+pts then I agree but if he doesn't put up the numbers and there is a forward like MacKinnon, Monahan, or Hertl that scores 65+pts then I think it will be the forward

[Oling_Roachinen]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

This may be tuff to answer, but does anyone know the criteria for rookie of the year? Is it purely numbers driven, or do they look at the team on which the rookie plays, ie: the supporting cast around the player. Hertl has a bit of a stronger team and Monahan for example.

It's voted on by the same people who voted Ovechkin as First All-Star Team right wing and Second All Star Team left wing last year. A lot of these people obviously don't do their homework, so name recognition is important. In that case higher scoring has always been favourable, but even playing in a big hockey crazed city could help the cause. And this is the case for pretty much every award they vote on

For the voters who know their stuff, the actual voting criteria is best rookie. That should mean the team they play for, supporting cast, defense, minutes, role, anything and everything (with the exception of age) playing a role. Age is a bit iffy, it's suppose to go to the best rookie regardless of age.

But the last forward to win the Calder and not lead the rookie scoring race I believe was Drury in 1999 (44 points in 79 games) who beat out his teammate Hejduk (48 points in 82 games). Last year Yakupov and Huberdeau tied with 31 points and the year before that when Landeskog and Hopkins tied in points but Hopkins missed a lot of games, but again I believe Drury was the last forward to win it and not at least tie for points.

[djsFlames]

I predict the three finalists will be MacKinnon, Monorail and Jones. I see Nathan hitting his offensive stride later this season, Jones putting up 35 points and big mins, and Money being consistent all season contribution-wise. 55 points is my prediction. I also think Sven goes on another late season tear and hits 40+ points.

[Vinny01]

It would be great if Sven hits his stride pretty soon and puts himself in the mix. It would be fantastic to have 2 Calder candidates playing together.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by Jake

Chiasson is a bit of an underdog, but I can see him hanging in there and maybe getting a nomination over a few higher profile names.

Of all the rookies I've seen, I think Chiasson and Monahan have been the most consistent and have a style of play that lends to having consistency through the year.

Hertl got a bunch points in a few games. MacKinnon looks inconsistent now, but could gain better form over time.

I think the nominees for the calder race will be: Chiasson, Monahan, S. Jones.

I'd say Frederik Andersen is the dark horse. He's the only goalie in Anaheim playing well right now.

[Saqe]

Why isn´t Hampus Lindholm getting any attention? He leads the Ducks and is tied for the league lead with +11 which is pretty insane. Also plays top-4 minutes every game. Incredibly mature for his age.

[Oling_Roachinen]

Originally Posted by Saqe

Why isn´t Hampus Lindholm getting any attention? He leads the Ducks and is tied for the league lead with +11 which is pretty insane. Also plays top-4 minutes every game. Incredibly mature for his age.

It's the same with Brodin last year. Unless you're extremely highly touted or putting up points as a defenseman, the odds are not in your favour. Really the only non-offensive defenseman to win the Calder in modern times has been Barret Jackman. And his competition was Rick Nash who put up less than 40 points that season.

[Heavy Jack]

Well even through his scoring slump Monahan finds himself comfortably in 2nd place just 4 goals/points behind Hertl while playing in much tougher conditions, averaging 1:21 more per game. Gotta love that the Flames actually have a player in discussion for the rookie race right now a quarter of the way through the season.

[Makarov]

Originally Posted by Heavy Jack

Well even through his scoring slump Monahan finds himself comfortably in 2nd place just 4 goals/points behind Hertl while playing in much tougher conditions, averaging 1:21 more per game. Gotta love that the Flames actually have a player in discussion for the rookie race right now a quarter of the way through the season.

I wouldn't dismiss the chance that Sven plays himself into the conversation by the end of the season either. We've seen him get hot before (albeit only twice.)