Written by Todd Cordell, who can be found on twitter @ToddCordell.
A year ago Nathan MacKinnon was the runaway winner for the Calder Trophy, but this year’s rookie class was very deep, with a plethora of rookies making similarly large contributions to their team. As a result, nobody was able to gain clear separation from the rest of the pack.
For much of the year it was a three-horse race between skilled forwards Johnny Gaudreau, Filip Forsberg and Aaron Ekblad. The 2nd half has been a lot different, though, as Mark Stone has been one of the best players in hockey over the last few months, while defenseman John Klingberg has quietly developed into a very important piece for the Stars out West.
Let’s take a closer look at my top-5 candidates.
Aaron Ekblad
Coming into the NHL at 18 years of age and holding your own is very tough to do. Coming into the NHL at 18 years of age and making a significant impact is even tougher to do, especially as a defenseman.
The 2014 1st overall pick did just that, though, and was a big part of Florida’s resurgence that saw them rise 25 points in the standings from 2013-14, the biggest swing in the NHL.
Playing over 20 minutes a night for the #FancyCats, Ekblad potted 12 goals and came up a hair shy of reaching the 40-point plateau. How many defensemen reached that mark? 26 to be exact, which equates to less than one per team. Factor in a) Ekblad is a rookie and; b) Florida was a low-scoring team, and his year was truly impressive.
Sure, he spent a lot of time with Brian Campbell, and he certainly helped his numbers, but Ekblad was a kid learning – and succeeding – on the job and, well, good players typically play with other good players.
Ekblad was nothing short of spectacular this season and, whether he wins the Calder or not, is certainly a worthy candidate.
Filip Forsberg
Forsberg burst onto the scene this year recording 50 points in his first 55 games for a team that has been one of the biggest surprises in all of hockey. He has since slowed down recording just 12 points in his last 26 contests, giving him 62 points in 81 games.
Still, it’s been a very impressive year for Forsberg, who was just a couple points off the pace in rookie scoring, and was 29th in the NHL among forwards with 750+ even-strength minutes with 2.20 points/60.
To put that into perspective, his production rate is ahead of the likes of Steven Stamkos, Patrick Kane, John Tavares and Alexander Ovechkin, among many others.
Not bad for a rookie.
Johnny Gaudreau
There were certainly some questions surrounding Johnny Gaudreau as to whether or not he could be successful at the NHL level given his size, but it didn’t take long to put those to an end.
After going pointless in his first five games, Gaudreau broke out and recorded 12 points in his next 10 games, and hasn’t looked back.
As good as Mark Stone has been in the 2nd half of the season, Gaudreau was still able to tie him for the rookie scoring lead with matching totals of 64 points in 80 games.
Gaudreau has provided a breathe of fresh air to a team that needed it, and he has electrified fans while being a pivotal factor in Calgary returning to the playoffs.
John Klingberg
John Klingberg doesn’t get the mainstream hype that most of these other guys get – perhaps because he’s 22 and plays out west – but he deserves a lot of credit for what he was able to accomplish.
Dallas’ defense was a mess to start the season, and Klingberg was a big reason they improved in that regard as the year went on.
While logging almost 22 minutes a game, Klingberg had a positive impact on the team in terms of possession – he posted a +2.1 Corsi Relative percentage – and scored 11 times while tallying 39 points in just 64 games.
Had he played a full season, he’d likely have 45+ points and would probably get a lot more recognition as a Calder candidate.
Nevertheless, his impressive rookie campaign didn’t go unnoticed to all.
Mark Stone
After making the Senators out of training camp, Stone started the season off with a respectable 11 points in 25 games. He wasn’t a major contributor, but his production was encouraging playing – and succeeding – in a depth role as a rookie in the NHL.
Things really started to change when Dave Cameron took over as the team’s new coach. Stone was given the opportunity to play top-6 minutes on a nightly basis, and he certainly made the most of it.
Since January 1st, Stone has put up 45 points in 45 games while playing a large role in Ottawa’s successful playoff push. Only four players in the NHL have more points in that span: John Tavares, Jamie Benn, Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin. That’s a pretty good group to be in.
Perhaps the most impressive note regarding Stone’s production is that he leads the NHL with 33 even-strength points over that time period, and has contributed a ludicrous 3.27 points/60 minutes at evens, good for 6th in the NHL.
Stone has not only been the best rookie over the last few months, but he’s been one of the best players in all of hockey, and is as good of a candidate as any for this year’s Calder Trophy.
Comparisons
My Ballot
- Mark Stone – Ottawa
- Aaron Ekblad – Florida
- Filip Forsberg – Nashville
- Johnny Gaudreau – Calgary
- John Klingberg – Dallas
Aaron Ekblad
Filip Forsberg
Johnny Gaudreau
John Klingberg
Mark Stone