NHL Calder Trophy Tracker: Stankoven, Michkov And Hutson In Dead Heat, But Celebrini Lurks

The NHL’s Calder Trophy race is shaping into a real thriller starring Matvei Michkov, Lane Hutson, Logan Stankoven and Macklin Celebrini.

A handful of rookies have been quite good through the first month of the season. There are also several rookies who were expected to be instantly effective players and have had a slow start.

As usual, the early stage of the Calder race is wild, and it will look vastly different at the end of the season. Here’s how the top eight looks at the midway point of November.

1. Logan Stankoven, RW, Dallas Stars

It’s not exactly a shock to see Stankoven atop the Calder leaderboard after he played so well at the end of last season. That said, it’s still impressive the undersized Stars right winger has been this consistently effective. He’s been low-maintenance in the Stars lineup and has never been accused of not showing his best effort on the ice.

Stankoven’s relentlessness has put him atop the rookie scoring race, with 14 points in 15 games. Playing alongside Stars captain Jamie Benn has helped keep Benn dangerous as the areas where Stankoven excels help fill the gaps in Benn’s game.

Stankoven has been everything the Stars hoped they were getting when they selected him in the second round of the 2021 NHL draft and more.

2. Lane Hutson, D, Montreal Canadiens

The human highlight reel, Lane Hutson, is right up there with Stankoven as the top rookie in the class.

At the end of the day, Stankoven’s consistent high-end play kept him ahead of Hutson. Although the extreme highs with Hutson are as high as any player in the NHL, the lows right now are as low as they get. Hutson is still figuring out NHL hockey, and that should get sorted out as the season progresses.

With all of that said, this kid has been electric. It would surprise no one if he collected the Calder at the end of the season. His creativity and skill with the puck are in the upper echelon of all defenders in the NHL. His dynamism is impressive beyond belief. His 10 points are tied for third in NHL rookie scoring and fourth among Canadiens players.

If he can clean up his defensive play just a bit, he could be a shoo-in for rookie of the year.

3. Matvei Michkov, RW, Philadelphia Flyers

The good news is Michkov leads NHL rookies in goal-scoring, with six, including Thursday’s overtime-winner over the Ottawa Senators. The bad news is he’s been a healthy scratch twice this season.

Michkov hasn’t had the perfect integration into the NHL, but he has had far more ups than downs despite the healthy scratches. The reality is that Michkov plays for John Tortorella, who is notoriously hard on his players. Michkov being healthy scratched a couple of times should have been expected.

If Michkov can stay out of the press box, we could realistically see him challenge 30 goals, especially as he gets more comfortable in the NHL. Michkov’s shot in wicked. He needs to push to the slot more consistently, but he’s a lethal offensive presence. He is what Philly needs, and if Tortorella can remember that next time Michkov makes a defensive mistake, maybe he can get back up to the top of the Calder tracker.

Related: Flyers’ John Tortorella Healthy Scratching Top Rookie Matvei Michkov Is Perfectly OK

4. Macklin Celebrini, C, San Jose Sharks

After scoring in his first NHL game, the Sharks held their top prospect out of the lineup with a lingering hip injury for a few weeks. That held back Celebrini’s opportunity to put together a solid start to his rookie season.

Upon his return, the 2024 first-overall pick has asserted himself as the Sharks’ best player with three goals and four points in six games, and he looks like he can handle the No. 1 center role for San Jose.

Celebrini is incredibly smart with and without the puck. He constantly looks to move play up ice. Celebrini plays like a veteran already, and that should help him vault to the top of this list as soon as next month.

If he can stay healthy and keep putting up impressive numbers – both counting stats and underlying – he should be one of the Calder favorites.

5. Dustin Wolf, G, Calgary Flames

The Flames have been at their best when Dustin Wolf is in net. The 23-year-old netminder has posted a .913 save percentage and a 5-2-1 record through eight games, and he looks like he really is the future of the Flames crease.

Wolf will always have to fight the critics who knock him for his six-foot height. But if he keeps putting up impressive numbers, as he has at every level to this point, he could find his way to the top of the Calder Trophy list by the end of the season.

6. Maxim Tsyplakov, LW, New York Islanders

Signed out of Russia, 26-year-old Tsyplakov barely meets the age requirements for the Calder Trophy, but the physical left winger has been a shot in the arm for the Islanders. He is excellent along the boards, shows off some sneaky skill in open ice and has been scoring at almost a 50-point pace, with 10 points in 17 games.

While Tsyplakov will likely get dinged for his age, he should be in the Calder conversation all year.

7. Jackson Blake, RW, Carolina Hurricanes

Stepping into the NHL lineup after a solid NCAA career, Blake has been quite good in a fairly limited role for the Hurricanes. He has four goals – two of which were game-winners – and six points in 15 games while averaging 11:42 in ice time. He isn’t blowing anyone away, but he consistently works hard and shows some really nice skill in tight spaces. He’s slid into the Carolina system without issue.

Blake may not be a part of the main Calder conversation, but he looks like he will be on the periphery of it all season long.

8. Joel Blomqvist, G, Pittsburgh Penguins

Aside from an ugly night against the Dallas Stars on Monday, Blomqvist has been the best netminder for the struggling Penguins. But on Thursday, the Penguins sent him to the AHL now that Tristan Jarry is back in the NHL. That won’t help his Calder case if he’s there for the long term.

The young Finnish netminder is one of the very few bright spots for Pittsburgh to this point in the season. The Penguins seem to have found their goalie for the future, and they now need to figure out what’s next for the rest of the roster.

Related: Are More Trades Coming For The Pittsburgh Penguins?

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