Epic Calder Race 2024-25

[Kudo Shinichi]

I'm not quite sure that there's an argument for Celebrini with the form Hutson has been in the last 20 games, he's the reason why the Canadiens went from looking like they were tanking this season to being in the playoff race.

Disagree on the 2nd part. Hutson has been great all season, and is a big part of the reason the habs are doing well, but the difference between the habs now and earlier in the season is that the rest of his teammates have started performing better and the team as a whole is playing with a lot more confidence.

 

[Zalos]

Disagree on the 2nd part. Hutson has been great all season, and is a big part of the reason the habs are doing well, but the difference between the habs now and earlier in the season is that the rest of his teammates have started performing better and the team as a whole is playing with a lot more confidence.

Yep. While Hutson has been great pretty much all year, he hasn't been carrying the team on his back. The team as a whole has just been playing better this past month. Getting Carrier and Laine definitely helped.

 

[HabbyGuy]

Why is Ovechkin on that list? I thought it was only defensemen.

 

[LuGBuG]

Why is Ovechkin on that list? I thought it was only defensemen.

It also has Klingberg for Anaheim. Weird list.

 

[Jurivan Demidovsky]

Right now, Lane Hutson is the front runner.

 

[SannywithoutCompy]

I'll pump Hutson's tires all day but this is a really bizarre stat to post about lol

 

[Doom Bot]

I'll pump Hutson's tires all day but this is a really bizarre stat to post about lol

Can't tell who cherry picks for our stats harder; us Habs fans or Michkov

 

[Jabba11]

I'll pump Hutson's tires all day but this is a really bizarre stat to post about lol

Useless stats. This is getting ridiculous

And I'm a Habs fan. Just let his play do the talking. Kid is good, but let's stop overhyping him. He's special but it's only half a season..in his rookie year. Jeez Louise

And why are our avatars so small..thank God we got the old colorways back, couldn't stand the terrible template colors lol

 

[Captain Mountain]

I think the funniest thing with the Celebrini vs. Hutson debate is that they were teammates last year and are probably cheering each other on.

They probably both want to win, but I suspect they care less than the fans do.

 

[featherhawk]

an extra two years is a difference, yes can't forget about Wolf, he has been outstanding, it would not suprise me to see him get in the top three.

Hutson for me right now, its much harder to have a Calder type year at D than F or G IMO....

Celebrini is next and likely will win in the end IMO, kids got talent in spades, injuries and slump have slowed but over the long haul who knows...

Wolf and Mitchkov to round out the top 4, I have

Wolf >Mitchkov

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

Player who has the best season as a rookie

Not the best player

Not who will be the best player.

Correct. It doesn’t matter if Celebrini is 18 or 21. Makarov won rookie of the year at around 30 years old.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

an extra two years is a difference,

It doesn’t make a difference in terms of the Calder.

 

[JPeeper]

Wolf by the end of the night will be 15-6-2 and has a GAA 2.5 of and SV% of .916, Vladar is 6-8-5 3.08 GAA .888 SV%. Most thought the Flames would be awful this year and offensively they are, Flames are 28th in Goals For and that's only after tonight, before tonight we were 30th.

Wolf has a legitimate shot at the Calder and I'd argue he should be in MVP conversations as well. Flames are a bottom 5 team without Wolf, with him we're in a playoff spot. Wolf is 7-1-1 in his last 9 starts.

Sharks are just as bad with Celebrini than without (ok they're slightly better with him obviously but they're 31st in the league).

 

[featherhawk]

It doesn’t make a difference in terms of the Calder.

it may not have an official difference but it does...

 

[HabsMD97]

Disagree on the 2nd part. Hutson has been great all season, and is a big part of the reason the habs are doing well, but the difference between the habs now and earlier in the season is that the rest of his teammates have started performing better and the team as a whole is playing with a lot more confidence.

Yes Hutson has been good all year, but in the past 21 games there have been games where he just took over and was the best player on the ice. He's reached a whole new level very very few rookies are capable of reaching.

 

[ViD]

Michkov quietly roaring back

 

[Frank Drebin]

it may not have an official difference but it does...

Of course it makes a difference for the player, but the voters aren’t going to adjust for age

 

[wetcoast]

Michkov quietly roaring back

What, did someone hear something?

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

it may not have an official difference but it does...

I don’t think so.

 

[I Hart Conor Garland]

Wolf by the end of the night will be 15-6-2 and has a GAA 2.5 of and SV% of .916, Vladar is 6-8-5 3.08 GAA .888 SV%. Most thought the Flames would be awful this year and offensively they are, Flames are 28th in Goals For and that's only after tonight, before tonight we were 30th.

Wolf has a legitimate shot at the Calder and I'd argue he should be in MVP conversations as well. Flames are a bottom 5 team without Wolf, with him we're in a playoff spot. Wolf is 7-1-1 in his last 9 starts.

Sharks are just as bad with Celebrini than without (ok they're slightly better with him obviously but they're 31st in the league).

He doesn't look big in the net.

 

[karltonian]

Correct. It doesn’t matter if Celebrini is 18 or 21. Makarov won rookie of the year at around 30 years old.

And they didnt think that was right so they changed the rules to make that impossible to ever happen again. Because age DOES matter.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

And they didnt think that was right so they changed the rules to make that impossible to ever happen again. Because age DOES matter.

Not if you’re 26 or younger… Do you think people would care about Dustin Wolf being about to turn 24? Of course not.

 

[Frank Drebin]

And they didnt think that was right so they changed the rules to make that impossible to ever happen again. Because age DOES matter.

Tough to see any age adjusted winners on that list. If an 18 year old won the calder it was because they had the best rookie season. With the exception of Ekblad possibly.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

View attachment 960659

Tough to see any age adjusted winners on that list. If an 18 year old won the calder it was because they had the best rookie season. With the exception of Ekblad possibly.

Ekblad definitely was a less than worthy winner, but I think him winning it had less to do with age and more to do with 1OA hype.

But I think age may have hurt Bunting in 2022. Dude had 63 points with a +27 and lost to Seider, a 50 point dman who was -9 with 23 mins TOI.

A few years later, Bedard's 61 point -44 season beat out Faber's 47 point season, where he was only -1 and played 25 mins a night.

I think Bedard benefited from the same hype that got Ekblad the Calder, but I do think age can make a difference among voters as well, just to a lesser extent.

Regardless, Hutson will be up against a similar 1OA hype disadvantage. He's emerged as the front runner for me, but he's still fighting an uphill battle vs draft hype. I think if the roles were reversed, and Hutson was the 18 year-old first overall pick, he'd be the overwhelming favorite among writers.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

View attachment 960659

Tough to see any age adjusted winners on that list. If an 18 year old won the calder it was because they had the best rookie season. With the exception of Ekblad possibly.

Exactly.

Forwards tend to win it over blueliners so that would favour Celebrini. Age? Nah.

It’s a fun race. I’m looking forward to following it in the second half. So many good performances this year.