Epic Calder Race - 25/26 (next year)

[Just Linda]

As exciting as the Calder race is/was this year... Next year looks great too.

Favourites: (no order)

Ryan Leonard - Washington

Cole Hutson - Washington

Ivan Demidov - Montreal

ASP - Detroit

Alexander Nikishin (sp?) - Carolina

And then seems like there's another 5-10 guys who could do an outsiders run.

Fantastic race next year, who do you got?

 

[Bouboumaster]

Montréal is going back-to-back with the Calder Trophies

Hutson this year, and Demidov next year

 

[wetcoast]

Montréal is going back-to-back with the Calder Trophies

Hutson this year, and Demidov next year

Hage in 27 for the trifecta eh?

 

[SannywithoutCompy]

Is Hutson expected to sign after the season? I figured he'd do 2 years like Lane did.

I think Demidov and Leonard both have a good chance, Nikishin should have a good year but will he get opportunities off the bat? Not sure how it's looking in Carolina next year honestly.

Can't imagine anyone from the 2025 draft will stand a chance, especially when I don't really see any of them as NHL ready yet.

ASP is good but I think there will be too much of an adjustment period for him to put together a calder-worthy season, he'll have his stretches though.

 

[Demandedace]

Hutson probably isn’t coming up next year, but I’d bet decent odds that Leonard pushes hard for the Calder

 

[karltonian]

Pretty early for this, players actually have to perform

 

[Kudo Shinichi]

Demidov should win it pretty comfortably

 

[TheKingSlayer]

Miroshnishenko/Yurov maybe an outside shot depending on opportunities.

 

[newsportsfan123]

Is Hutson expected to sign after the season? I figured he'd do 2 years like Lane did.

I think Demidov and Leonard both have a good chance, Nikishin should have a good year but will he get opportunities off the bat? Not sure how it's looking in Carolina next year honestly.

Can't imagine anyone from the 2025 draft will stand a chance, especially when I don't really see any of them as NHL ready yet.

ASP is good but I think there will be too much of an adjustment period for him to put together a calder-worthy season, he'll have his stretches though.

Nikishin will probably get a 2nd pair role with Chatfield, and Gostisbehere will be with Morrow (They have actually been good together). Walker with Slavin, he has been our second best defensive defenseman on the team this year.

Michael Misa could definitely contend for Calder in 25-26. 2nd fastest player in the last 25 years to reach 50 goals in a draft eligible season (Patrick Kane reached it in 47 and Misa in 50). It's crazy how underrated he is when he is putting up historical totals, also he isn't a shorter player compared to Hughes or Bedard, so I actually think he will probably translate better.

 

[Obvious Fabertism]

Miroshnishenko/Yurov maybe an outside shot depending on opportunities.

Yurov should get good opportunity, but I would throw better odds on Buium for the Wild players. Very good opportunity available to him right out of the gate if he takes it, as the Wild are short on Offensive D and he would be paired with one of Faber or Spurgeon most likely. Brodin and Middleton as his ice time competition fill the more defensive role and assignments.

 

[TheKingSlayer]

Yurov should get good opportunity, but I would throw better odds on Buium for the Wild players. Very good opportunity available to him right out of the gate if he takes it, as the Wild are short on Offensive D and he would be paired with one of Faber or Spurgeon most likely. Brodin and Middleton as his ice time competition fill the more defensive role and assignments.

Always tough for those rookie dmen. Have to remember Jiricek is there also. No way they break in both in the same year. And with Faber taking points, I doubt Buium gets enough pts to be considered.

 

[Summer Rose]

Simashev for the homer vote. I have no logical reason for this claim.

 

[BigDaddyLurch]

...Reinbacher becomes the next Seider, wins Calder...

 

[Obvious Fabertism]

Always tough for those rookie dmen. Have to remember Jiricek is there also. No way they break in both in the same year. And with Faber taking points, I doubt Buium gets enough pts to be considered.

I think its pretty likely that they do break them both in next year, Chisholm and Merrill are likely gone this offseason, they play different sides and roles too. Should be a bit clearer once Denver's season is over and Buium likely gets some games to end the year, they have indicated they will give him the Faber treatment and see how he looks in the final games and go from there.. I love Faber, but I don't think he is the long term PP QB, they will probably save him a bit more for 5v5 and shorthanded play in future years.

 

[wetcoast]

Pretty early for this, players actually have to perform

Not only that, they have to get top line or pairing and PPO as well.

We won't really know much until early on in the season how players usage might be for different teams.

 

[MoneyManny]

Would be really cool to see both Hutsons win it back to back.

 

[viceroy]

Hage in 27 for the trifecta eh?

No. 2027's Calder will be Fowler's.

 

[Ajex12x]

7 months earlier than the Calder thread last year. Can't we wait for the summer or after draft where we can all claim our prospects are better than everyone else's. Even after a server cycle to explore more new things, here we are lol.

 

[Garbageyuk]

7 months earlier than the Calder thread last year. Can't we wait for the summer or after draft where we can all claim our prospects are better than everyone else's. Even after a server cycle to explore more new things, here we are lol.

Go read the first few pages of the other thread; there’s some absolutely hilarious takes. The HF consensus favourite was Stankoven, who was supposed to “lap the field”. There were posters saying that 70+ points was guaranteed and that he’d have a 15-20 point lead on the next best rookie. One poster even suggested 100+ points lmao. Lots of gloating and premature celebration after his 7 points in 4 games start to the season. Tons of delusional Michkov craziness too. Any post picking Hutson was laughed at lol. Needless to say, most of those posters haven’t been seen in that thread in months

 

[wetcoast]

Would be really cool to see both Hutsons win it back to back.

Is Cole going pro next year?

 

[Just Linda]

Is Cole going pro next year?

We shall see. He might be ready right now, Caps blue-line is pretty deep though.

If Chychrun signs an extension, I couldn't see it. If he doesn't, there's a major opportunity for him there.

 

[Jabba11]

To be Epic, players need to prove it. Too early in my opinion. This is a jinx thread

 

[Coldnwindy]

Miroshnishenko/Yurov maybe an outside shot depending on opportunities.

Miro is no longer eligible to be a rookie next season; he's played more than 6 NHL games in each of the past two seasons.

It's hard to say what the favorites will be next season as a lot of the good prospects drafted from 2022/2023/2024 drafts will be making their debuts.