NHL writers have decided who'll win the Calder trophy

PUBLICATION

Joshua Deeds
April 15, 2024 (11:41)

SHARE THIS STORY

The Chicago Blackhawks and Minnesota Wild aren't only rivals who put on a fierce battle when they face each other. They also have two of the top rookies in the league currently.

Both Brock Faber and Connor Bedard are two of the favorites for the Calder Trophy during the 2023-2024 NHL season.

But the favorite, for now, is Connor Bedard who looks to be the one to secure the Trophy and the first Hawks player to do it in the first 8 years.

The last Blackhawks player to win the Calder Trophy was Artemi Panarin in 2016.

Bedard leads the NHL rookies in goals with 22, points(60), 39 5v5 points, 7 game-opening goals, and 44 takeaways.

He also leads in numerous categories such as 19:46 TOI, and 21 power-play points ahead of all rookies.

"That's automatic, right?" Chicago coach Luke Richardson said when asked recently about Bedard's chances of winning the Calder. "I mean, his production offensively is great, but now that you're adding better and more conscious responsibility away from the puck, I think that shows a lot of maturity in a young player. And when you have the point production still coming when you're doing that, that's a sign of a real solid player that's going to be here for a long time doing this."

It seems like Connor Bedard is the consensus candidate for the Calder Trophy.

Since his return on February 15th, in 26 games he has scored 27 points.

However, Brock Faber remains not far behind, with 3 first-place votes.

Faber leads rookie defensemen, with 44 points(7 G, 37 A) in 79 games, leading rookies with 25:00 TOI and 148 blocked shots.

It seems likely that Bedard has already won the Trophy in the media's eyes, we just need an official vote to confirm.