Trophy Tracker: Bedard of Blackhawks choice for Calder as rookie of year

To mark the final week of the 2023-24 regular season, NHL.com is running its fourth 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.

Connor Bedard could become the first player from the Chicago Blackhawks in eight years to win the Calder Trophy as NHL rookie of the year.

The last Chicago player to win the award was forward Artemi Panarin in 2016. The Blackhawks also had winners in 2008 (Patrick Kane), 1991 (Ed Belfour), 1983 (Steve Larmer), 1970 (Tony Esposito), 1960 (Bill Hay), 1955 (Ed Litzenberger), 1938 (Cully Dahlstrom), and 1936 (Mike Karakas).

Bedard, the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, leads the League's rookies in goals (22), points (60), even-strength points (39), game-opening goals (seven), and takeaways (44) in 65 games this season. He also tops first-year forwards in average ice time per game (19:46) and power-play points (21) and is third with 24 penalties drawn.

And he's accomplished all this despite missing more than a month of playing time because of a fractured jaw sustained Jan. 5.

The 18-year-old is the favorite among NHL.com writers for the Calder Trophy in the final trophy tracker of the season, receiving 72 voting points, including 12 of 15 first-place votes.

"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."

Minnesota Wild defenseman Brock Faber was second with 61 points (three first-place votes), followed by New Jersey Devils defenseman Luke Hughes (36 points), Carolina Hurricanes goalie Pyotr Kochetkov (24 points), and Minnesota Wild forward Marco Rossi (14 points).

In 26 games since returning to the lineup Feb. 15, Bedard leads all rookies with 27 points (seven goals, 20 assists).

Faber is second first among rookie defensemen with 37 assists and 44 points in 79 games. The right-handed shot also leads all rookies in average ice time (25:00) and blocked shots (148).

"To me, the situations that he's played in are the hardest situations you can play," Minnesota coach John Hynes said. "Whether that's matchups, top power play, top penalty kill, 4-on-4, 3-on-3, and all those types of situations. He's been really consistent in his game, he's been reliable. That's what it takes to have the talent that Brock has. But to take that talent to the highest level is that consistency, reliability, and the ability to thrive in those situations. It's been great to see."

Faber was selected by the Los Angeles Kings in the second round (No. 45) of the 2020 NHL Draft and traded to the Wild on June 29, 2022 for forward Kevin Fiala.

Hughes, chosen No. 4 in the 2021 NHL Draft, ranks first among NHL rookie defensemen in goals (nine), assists (38), points (47) and takeaways (41) in 81 games. He is the highest-scoring rookie defenseman since the team relocated to New Jersey in 1982 and second in New Jersey/Colorado Rockies/Kansas City Scouts history (Barry Beck, Colorado, 60 points, 1977-78). The 20-year-old also leads all NHL rookies with 25 power-play points and is first among rookie defensemen with four power-play goals. He averages 21:26 of ice time, and the Devils control 54.3 percent of shot attempts at 5-on-5 when he's on the ice, first among rookie defensemen to play at least 20 games.

"I think with young defensemen there's a lot to learn and people don't really understand what that means," New Jersey coach Travis Green said. "Learning to take space offensively comes naturally for a lot of players but learning to take space defensively doesn't. I think that's the one part you have to teach young defensemen ... how to take space, how to create space, how to tie up, how to get inside body position. There's a lot that goes into that, but Luke has taken steps in that area, for sure."

Kochetkov, a second-round pick (No. 36) in the 2019 NHL Draft, is 22-13-4 with a 2.34 goals-against average, .911 save percentage and four shutouts in 41 games. He's second among rookie goalies in wins and is tied for first in shutouts, and among rookie goalies to play at least 20 games he's first in GAA and second in save percentage. 

Voting totals (points awarded on a 5-4-3-2-1 basis): Connor Bedard, Blackhawks, 72 points (12 first-place votes); Brock Faber, Wild, 61 (3 first-place votes); Luke Hughes, Devils, 36; Pyotr Kochetkov, Hurricanes, 24; Marco Rossi, Wild, 14; Logan Cooley, Arizona Coyotes, 8; Tyson Foerster, Philadelphia Flyers, 5; Samuel Ersson, Flyers, 4; Dmitri Voronkov, Blue Jackets, 1