Logan Stankoven is leading the pack | Calder Trophy’s race
The race for the Calder Trophy will be highly competitive this season in the NHL. Several rookies have entered the league this year and will be battling each week to win this prestigious honor. A weekly report will be published to track the performances of the key players in this marathon, which is currently led by Dallas Stars prospect Logan Stankoven.
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The race for the Calder Trophy: Logan Stankoven leads the pack
With 14 points in 24 regular-season games last year and 8 points in 19 playoff games, it’s no surprise to see Logan Stankoven with a head start over the competition. The young Dallas Stars sensation already has high-level NHL experience and knew what to expect from the very first moments of the season. His 7 points in 6 games are easily explainable for someone who could have lost Calder Trophy eligibility if he had played just one more game last year.
His fearless play despite his size and his smarts are what stand out the most right now. Logan Stankoven has collected many of his points on counterattacks or in traffic, catching opponents off guard with his quick, creative decisions. During his junior career, his shot was his standout skill, but he has yet to score this season. This allows us to witness the full range of the talent from an attacker who was favored to win even before the season began, according to many.
Lane Hutson making a name for himself
No one doubted the talent of Lane Hutson, a Montreal Canadiens prospect. Concerns were more about the size of the former Boston University player and his defensive game. Currently, the skeptics are on their way to being proven wrong, as Martin St. Louis trusts him (with over 23 minutes of average ice time) and with good reason. The American is at the top in terms of puck possession time and has 4 assists in 6 games. The prospect wants the puck and is creating an impressive number of chances for his team.
Is his game flawless? No, absolutely not, but when a player has the puck on his stick constantly and everyone trusts him at just 20 years old, the learning process sometimes comes with turnovers. Fortunately, there aren’t many critics of him within the Canadiens’ ranks due to what Lane Hutson can do. The positives significantly outweigh the negatives.
Matvei Michkov, Dustin Wolf, and Seamus Casey in the thick of the race
The controversial Philadelphia Flyers winger, Matvei Michkov, is not disappointing so far in John Tortorella’s lineup. The Russian has 4 points in 5 games and is averaging 18 minutes and 35 seconds on the ice. The veteran coach hasn’t been afraid to use his young players so far this season, which should pay off in the long run. The team is near the bottom of the Metropolitan Division, but the experience gained is invaluable.
Seamus Casey has surprised many since the start of the regular season. With 4 points in 8 games, including 3 goals, the defenseman has come out of nowhere with an explosive offensive start. Injuries on the Devils’ roster have helped his path so far, but he’s being protected by his coaches, with his ice time averaging around 12 minutes per game. When the injured players return to the lineup, the young defenseman could lose his spot. That remains to be seen.
Dustin Wolf is currently the standout rookie goalie. With 2 wins in 2 games, a 2.02 goals-against average, and a .944 save percentage, the netminder has been a key player in the surprising start to the Calgary Flames’ season. The team currently leads the Pacific Division with 9 points out of a possible 10.
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