Mid-Season Calder Trophy Watch: It’s the Brock Faber show in Bedard’s absence

Suddenly, we have a new frontrunner for the Calder Trophy race.

Remember the curse last year that seemed to plague every player that won rookie of the month? Connor Bedard won it for December. Just days later, he took a big hit from Brendan Smith that broke his jaw and will keep him sidelined for at least 6-8 weeks.

It has shades of Connor McDavid in 2015-16, really.

The elongated sit-down will put a dagger in Bedard’s Calder Trophy hopes. That’s probably not high on his priority list, but it would have been nice to see if he could eclipse, say, the 80-point mark. But now the Calder Trophy race is wide open, with many in the sport focusing their eyes on Minnesota’s Brock Faber – and rightfully so.

Let’s look at Bedard, Faber and another eight prospects keeping the Calder Trophy race interesting this year:

Connor Bedard, C (Chicago Blackhawks)

Injury be damned, it’s truly spectacular to see how much he has carried a terrible Blackhawks team on his back. Bedard was playing at a 70-point pace before his collision with Smith, a total only reached by Mathew Barzal (85 in 2017-18) and Artemi Panarin (77 in 2015-16) since the start of the 2010s. Bedard is doing it all with very minimal support, which makes you wonder just how dominant he’d be with better linemates than Philipp Kurashev and Nick Foligno. Defensively, though, Bedard is very, very much a work in progress. It’ll be interesting to see if he can bounce back enough to win the Calder once he’s healthy.

Brock Faber, D (Minnesota Wild)

Perhaps the average fan hasn’t appreciated Faber’s efforts just yet, but scouts and others tightly connected to the league have fallen in love with him. And for good reason: the numbers are staggering. Faber plays 25 minutes a night in a leading role for a Wild team that has been plagued by injuries, and he deserves every minute. He’s given the hardest matchups each night and thrives. Evolving-Hockey has his goals above replacement at 8.4, which leads all rookie defenders and is good for third overall. He’s not far off from playing elite-level defense, either – so much so that I wouldn’t be surprised if he earns some stray Norris Trophy votes this year. It won’t be long until he’s a serious part of the conversation on an annual basis.

Luke Hughes, D (New Jersey Devils)

Hughes’ ice time has jumped by nearly a minute over the past quarter as the Devils navigate life without Dougie Hamilton’s two-way exploits. While he isn’t anywhere near Faber territory, 20 minutes a night as a rookie is nothing to sneeze at, and he’s playing at a solid 50-point pace this year. Offensively, there isn’t a more dynamic rookie defenseman, although he’s still prone to D-zone coverage issues. Regardless, we knew there’d be some growing pains for the gifted two-way defender, but it’s still been a tremendous start for someone who deserves serious Calder consideration.

Marco Rossi, C (Minnesota Wild)

Rossi’s struggles in recent years have been well-documented. So it’s nice to see him playing such an integral role with Minnesota, sitting second among rookie scorers with 12 goals and 24 points. Rossi’s two-way game has really blossomed this year, something the extra year of AHL hockey clearly helped with after a difficult start to the 2022-23 NHL season. He’s been equally valuable as an offensive contributor and shot generator as he has been in helping shut things down in his own zone. Rossi deserves his spot on Minnesota’s top line, and it’s only going to get better from here.

Pavel Mintyukov, D (Anaheim Ducks)

Mintyukov’s emergence as a future power-play star made it easier for the Ducks to part with Jamie Drysdale. Mintyukov’s defensive play, as expected, hasn’t looked great as he continues to adjust to heavy assignments against pros with 18 minutes of ice time a night. Still, he’s one of the best scoring generators among rookie defenders, and he’s doing it on one of the worst NHL teams in the league. He’s on par with Faber’s offensive numbers, but it’s the defensive play that really helps set them apart right now.

Connor Zary, C (Calgary Flames)

Zary was called up early after a great start in the AHL and hasn’t looked back. With 21 points in 31 games, he’s just three points behind Rossi and Adam Fantilli for second in rookie scoring despite playing eight and 11 fewer games, respectively. Zary has been such an integral piece of Calgary’s offense this year, far beyond anyone’s expectations. He draws penalties, get shots on net and has solid defensive metrics, too.

Adam Fantilli, C (Columbus Blue Jackets)

Despite watching his ice time bounce like a yo-yo early on, Fantilli has still played at a 50-point pace on a Blue Jackets team that has been a bit of a mess… again. Fantilli loves havng the puck on his stick and he uses his speed to help generate chances. His defensive game is nowhere near ready, but I’m really enjoying watching him start plays with Johnny Gaudreau and company. I’ve especially liked his play since Boone Jenner went down with an injury.

Dmitri Voronkov, LW (Columbus Blue Jackets)

Voronkov, 23, started the season with a four-game stint with the Cleveland Monsters before earning a call-up late in October. He’s been vital to Columbus’ attack ever since, sitting near the top of the scoring race with 20 points in 36 games. Voronkov’s KHL experience came in clutch in helping him adjust to the pro game, and he seems to really like playing on the smaller ice, too. He’s been surprisingly good defensively, but he might also be one of the team’s best play-starters, too.

Luke Evangelista, RW (Nashville Predators)

Evangelista has quietly been trucking along near the top of the NHL rookie scoring race, averaging a 40-point pace this year. The 21-year-old winger has had a few stretches where we seems snakebitten, but he’s still getting three to four shots per game on his best nights. He’s been more of a playmaker since turning pro, but he’s got a good shot that he looks more comfortable using this year. And I’ve also noticed he’s been willing to get to the net to try and bury goals more often, too.

Pyotr Kochetkov, G (Carolina Hurricanes)

Kochetkov hasn’t been blowing anyone away with his play this year, but the Hurricanes would be in a much worse spot had Kochetkov not saved their bacon. He’s been especially good as of late with a 7-1-2 record over the past 10 games, with the lone loss being a one-goal affair. With Frederik Andersen out with blood clots and Antti Raanta struggling, Kochetkov has established himself as a vital piece of this team’s core. You never know what you’re going to get in Carolina’s crease on the average night, though, that’s for sure.

Other notables: Samuel Ersson, G (Philadelphia Flyers), Joseph Woll, G (Toronto Maple Leafs), Bobby Brink, RW (Philadelphia Flyers), Tyson Foerster, RW (Philadelphia Flyers), Leo Carlsson, C (Anaheim Ducks), Zach Benson, LW (Buffalo Sabres), Simon Nemec, D (New Jersey Devils)