Who Will Win the Calder Trophy: Connor Bedard or Brock Faber?

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Joshua Deeds
April 6, 2024 (2:04 PM)

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With Connor Bedard's month lost from January to February as a result of his fractured jaw, many thought he wouldn't be in the running for the Calder Trophy later this season.

In his first 39 games during the NHL season, Bedard looked every bit the general talent posting 15 goals and 18 assists for 33 points. He remained a fixture on the Blackhawks top line and would later be named a 2024 NHL All-Star.

But as a result of his month off, many people think Brock Faber, the Minnesota Wild defenseman, who as of April 4th has 7 goals and 34 assists for 41 points, should win the Calder.

Brock Faber

Brock Faber was selected in the 2020 NHL Draft, in the 2nd round, and would be traded in June 2022 for Kevin Fiala. Faber was one of the Kings' top prospects at the time.

He averages 25 TOI nightly, and with Wild Captain Jared Spurgeon out and veteran Jonas Brodin out, Faber has been put in a tough spot and found a way to keep the Wild in the game and stay relevant. He has been a top-pairing defenseman since Spurgeon has been out of the lineup during the winter.

While Bedard was out earlier in the season, Faber led all rookies in scoring with 17 points in 16 games.

He is a great two-way defender, who has been able to correct his game on the fly and shown great hockey IQ while being tasked as a 1 defenseman for the Wild.

Not only that, but Faber has shown he can handle responsibilities like the Penalty Kill, Power-Play, and match-up against other teams 1st lines.

He's made some small mistakes expected from a first-year player, but he's shown the ability to learn from those mistakes. Sometimes, he can even fix it himself before it ends up as a goal against his team. However, he's not only great on defense but also impressive on offense, with 41 points so far this season, 34 of which are assists.

Connor Bedard

Before Bedard's return to the ice, he has been on a hot streak, with 33 points in 39 games. Since he's been back, he's been ever better posting 25 points, 11 of those being on the power-play.

With Bedard's utilization, the Blackhawk's power play has improved from #32 in the league, now to #28 which is no small feat for Bedard himself.

For the third time this season pic.twitter.com/qSfMZ66E4K� Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) April 2, 2024

Bedard would gain accolades again, as the NHL named him Rookie of the Month for March, for a 3rd time. The only player to be named Rookie of the Month 3-times, since 2015-2016 only done by Connor McDavid before him.

Bedard's playmaking is smart and reminds you of veteran players, despite only being 18 and he plays like a 30-year-old. If he had been healthy all year would he be a point-per-game player with an 80-point ceiling? It seems likely, all along that this was Bedard's race to lose.

Bedard Wins

It seems likely that Bedard will win the Calder Trophy and that isn't to discount Faber's game, as he will likely be a Norris Trophy contender in the future, as his potential upside still hasn't been realized.

But as a future superstar, like Bedard, the Trophy is a lock for the Rookie center.

Source: The Hockey Writers
Connor Bedard vs. Brock Faber: Who Will Win the Calder Trophy?