Connor Bedard is the overwhelming favourite to win the Calder Trophy and be coronated as the NHL’s next rookie of the year. Yes, the Chicago Blackhawks forward really is that talented and warrants this level of hype.
The 18-year-old centreman is the sport’s most coveted prospect since Connor McDavid and is widely forecast to at least equal, if not eclipse, the historic accomplishments laid down by his countryman with the Edmonton Oilers.
Still, Bedard is not the only rookie expected to make a splash this season and there is a chance, however slender, that his Calder Trophy push is derailed in the months ahead.
With that in mind, here are three prospects not named ‘Connor Bedard’ to keep an eye on in this season’s rookie of the year race.
Arizona Coyotes forward Logan Cooley well-placed to fight Connor Bedard for Calder Trophy
If Bedard falters, Arizona Coyotes centreman Logan Cooley will find himself in pole position to step in and dominate the Calder Trophy conversation.
The 19-year-old has the opportunity to step into his professional locker room and become the main man, much like Bedard, placing him in the perfect position to stake his claim for the rookie of the year award.
Cooley put the hockey world on notice with a spectacular spin-o-rama strike on his preseason debut, which also happened to be the opener of the 2023 NHL Global Series in Melbourne.
Selected third overall in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, the American graduated from the NCAA with 60 points (22 goals, 38 assists) in his freshman season with the University of Minnesota, demonstrating his outstanding offensive skill at the collegiate level before inking his first professional contract with the Coyotes this offseason.
Cooley will attract plenty of Calder Trophy votes if he plays a talismanic role in Arizona this term – which is likely.
Could Devon Levi become the first goalie to win the Calder Trophy since 2009?
Steve Mason was the last netminder to win the Calder Trophy, but Devon Levi has the ability and platform to break the position’s 15-season rookie of the year drought.
With the Buffalo Sabres under pressure to contend for a playoff spot, the 21-year-old has the opportunity to seize the No. 1 role from Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and run with it behind one of the most promising teams in the league.
At Northeastern University, Levi became the first player in collegiate hockey history to win back-to-back Mike Richter Awards as the NCAA’s top netminder and his best form is yet to come.
The American produced a tantalising preview of his ability to cope at the professional level last term, recording a .905 save percentage in seven starts for the Sabres.
If the Sabres make the playoffs with Levi as their starter, he will fly into Calder Trophy contention.
Adam Fantilli’s Calder Trophy charge rests on the Columbus Blue Jackets’ lack of depth
Like Cooley, Columbus Blue Jackets centreman Adam Fantilli finds himself parachuted onto a roster that lacks quality and depth down the middle. The 18-year-old will shoulder heavy top-six minutes as a result, likely playing alongside Kent Johnson and Jack Roslovic.
Selected third overall earlier this year, Fantilli is already an exceptional two-way forward, who plays with the kind of physical edge that makes waves in the NHL.
With 65 points (30 goals, 35 assists) in 36 appearances in his rookie season with the University of Michigan, the Canadian already looks the part of a Calder Trophy finalist.
However, the list of potential Calder Trophy finalists does not end with our list of three most likely to challenge Bedard.
New Jersey Devils defenceman Luke Hughes arrives in the NHL at the right time and is set to play sheltered, third-pair minutes for a Stanley Cup-contending team. If he crushes his opponents, a spot on the Calder Trophy ballot could be there for the taking.
Brandt Clarke is a similar situation on the opposite coast, joining the Los Angeles Kings after a sparkling career in major junior.
Toronto Maple Leafs forward Matthew Knies is a dark-horse contender, but only if he sticks in the top-six and helps his team run away at the top of the Atlantic Division.
In other words, the Calder Trophy race isn’t already a foregone conclusion for Bedard.
