Trophy Tracker: Calder

To mark the beginning of the 2020-21 regular season, NHL.com is running its first installment of the Trophy Tracker series. Today, we look at the race for the Calder Trophy, given annually to the best rookie in the NHL as selected in a poll by the Professional Hockey Writers Association.

Igor Shesterkin doesn't yet consider himself the No. 1 goalie for the New York Rangers, but he is determined to prove he is.
"It would be quite an experience to be the face of the franchise, but so much has to be done to achieve that level of success," Shesterkin said. "As far as pressure is concerned, I don't feel any pressure. I don't consider myself a No. 1. I think we have two really good goalies who will do whatever it takes to help the team win."
The 25-year-old didn't disappoint during 12 games for the Rangers last season, going 10-2-0 with a 2.52 goals-against average and .932 save percentage, and is NHL.com's preseason favorite for the Calder Trophy as NHL rookie of the year.
Shesterkin and Rangers forward
Alexis Lafreniere
each received 54 voting points from NHL.com's 19-person panel, but Shesterkin got six first-place votes to four for Lafreniere. Minnesota Wild forward Kirill Kaprizov was third in the poll with 51 points (five first-place votes), followed by Ottawa Senators forward Tim Stützle with 44 points (three first-place votes).
Lafreniere, the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, led the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League with 112 points (35 goals, 77 assists) in 52 games in 2019-20. He was named the Canadian Hockey League Player of the Year for the second straight season.
"You can see he plays fast, he's got his head up, is strong on his skates, competes hard, and he's got world-class talent," Rangers coach David Quinn said of Lafreniere. "He's got a lot of pro to him already."

Shesterkin was recalled from Hartford of the American Hockey League on Jan. 6, 2020, and after his strong regular season, he started one game in the Stanley Cup Qualifiers, making 27 saves in a 4-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes that eliminated the Rangers in Game 3 of the best-of-5 series. Shesterkin was unfit to play in Games 1 and 2 of the series.
"It's a small sample," Quinn said. "We also have to keep in mind he's not a 22-year-old kid who came out of college or junior hockey. He's got a pro background (in the Kontinental Hockey League) where he's had an awful lot of success. But again, I know everybody wants to talk about Shesterkin], but [Alexandar Georgiev
, Los Angeles Kings, 12 points; Alexander Romanov, Montreal Canadiens, 10 points; Nicholas Robertson, Toronto Maple Leafs, 9 points (one first-place vote);
Trevor Zegras
, Anaheim Ducks, 9 points; Dylan Cozens, Buffalo Sabres, 9 points; Ilya Sorokin, New York Islanders, 8 points; Bowen Byram, Colorado Avalanche, 7 points; Owen Tippett, Florida Panthers, 5 points; Joel Kiviranta, Dallas Stars, 4 points;
Moritz Seider
, Detroit Red Wings, 4 points;
Alex Turcotte
, Los Angeles Kings, 3 points; Grigori Denisenko, Florida Panthers, 1 point;
Jake Sanderson
, Ottawa Senators, 1 point