Follow me on Twitter @ToddCordell

Welcome to another edition of the Hockeybuzz Hotstove.

As we continue to preview the upcoming season, we'll be predicting winners for most of the major awards.

In this one we'll share our picks for the Calder Trophy in 2014-15.

Todd Cordell: Evgeny Kuznetsov

I'm going to go with the young Russian as this year's Calder pick. Kuznetsov is a very good skater and his skill level is off the charts. He's versatile and can play either center or wing, which should help him stay somewhere in the top-6 all season long, regardless of how Barry Trotz juggles the lines.

The Capitals are pretty shallow at left wing, especially if Alex Ovechkin stays on the right side, so he should be spoon fed minutes in a scoring role. The possibility of lining up alongside Nicklas Backstrom and Ovechkin is pretty attractive, too.

He showed flashes in his short NHL stint last season, and I think he'll show he's the real deal this season.

Bill Meltzer: Johnny Gaudreau

Gaudreau is a somewhat older prospect, which is sometimes beneficial from a rookie production standpoint. His lack of size will be a concern until he proves otherwise, but his skill level, ice vision and hands are outstanding. Additionally, his Calder chances are helped by the ice time he'll get as part of the young nucleus the Calgary Flames have assembled as they rebuild.

Ryan Wilson: Leon Draisaitl

I have three players in mind for the 2015 Calder Trophy.

Jonathan Drouin

Drouin probably could have competed at the NHL level last year but Tampa did him a favor by giving him another year of development. He is extremely talented and will be entering a great situation in Tampa. Tampa will be one of the East's better teams and if Drouin bumps over to the wing he could find himself in a top 6 role.

John Gibson

Gibson got a taste of NHL action at the tail end of last year which included some playoff games. Gibson played very strong and I think he is more than ready to handle the workload at the NHL level. The Ducks should be a good team and this will give Gibson a situation that he can find success in. Look for the success he had last year to continue into 2014-15.

Leon Draisaitl

The Oilers have some quality young forwards but outside of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins they don't really have another offensive minded center. Draisaitl will fill that void. Draisaitl has size, skill, and instincts to be a quality offensive player at the NHL level. If he plays in a top 6 role he will also have some talented linemates to play with. If Ryan Nugent-Hopkins runs into shoulder issues again Draisaitl may find his way up to the top line playing with Taylor Hall.

All three have strong cases to be considered the favorite for the Calder Trophy but I am going with Leon Draisaitl. Draisaitl is more of a lock to receive top 6 minutes over the course of the season in my opinion.

Adam French: Evgeni Kuznetsov

The easiest answer is Jonathan Drouin, and I would be lying if I didn't think the idea of a Drouin-Stamkos-Palat line didn't sound like a dream come true. However Kuznetsov is 3 years older and a guy who should be poised to play a massive role on a team who can't seem to buy forward depth to save their lives. Trotz system is worrying, but you can't take the talent out of the player. At 22 and having faced years of top KHL competition, Kuznetsov has the experience and skills needed to be a serious candidate for Rookie of the Year.

Considering he can play both centre and wing, I would expect to see him on the first PP unit at some point in the season, if not to start. He already had a very productive start after making the move late last season with 9 points in 17 games.

I like him to have a more productive season than most rookies, if only due to his age compared to many of the expected Calder contenders.

Matt Henderson: Jonathan Drouin

If I’m going to take a stab at predicting the most likely winner of the Calder Trophy then I’m going to guess Jonathan Drouin of the Tampa Bay Lightning. This kid has 3 seasons in the QMJHL and has been an elite scorer in the last 2. He has the pedigree and the past production to suggest he’s a real player and there’s a real possibility that he will play with a few elite players on a good team. 108 points in 46 games is quite impressive and then he scored 41 in 16 playoff games.

I think his extra year of development gives him a leg up over raw 18 year old rookies like Reinhart, Bennett, and Draisaitl. However if I had to pick from the latest crop of rookies I would think that Draisaitl has the benefit of playing on a team that is strong on the wings and will not likely throw him to the wolves, whereas in Calgary or Buffalo the new picks might be relied upon greatly and be out of their depth.

Carol Schram: Johnny Gaudreau

My pick for the 2015 Calder Trophy is Johnny Gaudreau of the Calgary Flames.

Already 21 years old, Gaudreau has three years of NCAA experience at Boston College, where he won the 2014 Hobey Baker Award. He's undersized at 5'9" and 160 pounds, but he's speedy, shifty and oozing with talent.

I saw Gaudreau play his one-and-only NHL game to date last season. He scored on his first shot on goal against the Vancouver Canucks.

Gaudreau has lit it up at this year's YoungStars Classic in Penticton and looks poised to follow in the footsteps of small-but-effective NHLers like Martin St. Louis and Danny Briere.

On an offensively-challenged Flames team, Gaudreau will get plenty of quality ice time. I expect to see him lead all rookies in scoring, then take home the Calder Trophy in June.

Recent posts

Predicting the Hart winner

Predicting the Vezina winner

Predicting the Norris winner

Predicting Conference winners

Predicting a couple disappointment teams for 2014-15

Predicting a couple surprise teams for 2014-15

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Email: [email protected]