Aaron Ekblad, Johnny Gaudreau and Mark Stone were recently named as finalists for the Calder Trophy.
In this edition of of the hotstove we share our thoughts on which player should win the award.
Todd Cordell You could make a case for all three candidates, along with Filip Forsberg and even John Klingberg, but I'm going to go with Mark Stone.
Stone was not only the best rookie in the 2nd half of the season, but he was one of the best players in all of hockey.
He tallied 45 points after the turn of the calendar, which was good for 5th in the NHL in that span. The only players who had more: John Tavares, Jamie Benn, Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin.
That's elite company to be keeping.
Stone also led the NHL in even-strength points during that span, and finished the year 6th in the NHL with 3.27 points/60 minutes of 5 vs 5 time.
After Dave Cameron took over he was given a legitimate opportunity to produce, and he made the most of it.
Matt Henderson Ekblad should win this award. I have a lot of time for what Gaudreau and Stone did, but neither of them played top pairing minutes in the NHL's most difficult position as teenagers. Aaron Ekblad did. There is something to be said for producing offensively at 130 pounds like Gaudreau or having a final half that outpaced legitimate NHL stars like Stone, but the NHL is no place for teenage defensemen and Ekblad didn't just play, he excelled. Almost 22 minutes per game and a volume shooter, he produced 39 points from the blueline. Did I mention he's a teenager? BECAUSE HES A TEENAGER.
The Calder has criteria already listed just to be considered for the award that takes age into consideration, but that doesn't mean the age of these players should stop playing a part in who gets the award right there. There is a world of difference between stepping into the NHL on the Wing in your 20's than as a defensemen months after being drafted. My vote (I don't have one) goes to Ekblad.
Tim Chiasson Aaron Ekblad
I think Ekblad should win because not many players have come in on the blueline at his age and played so well. He had a tremendous season and looked more like a veteran than a rookie for most of the year.
The knock on him is that he may have been a little sheltered - but he wasn't outrageously sheltered and still logged big minutes in an unforgiving role. You can't hide on defence; your mistakes will never go unnoticed.
Stone and Gaudreau had great seasons as well and this isn't to take away from them, but Ekblad's rookie season is the most impressive for me.
Recent posts