With most teams having played at least 12 games, we're starting to get a clearer picture of who the front-runners for the Rookie of the Year honors may be. I will preface this by stating that it is still quite early and with most of these players being very young and still carving out their identities at the highest level, this list is definitely subject to change. Players who have been omitted may very well turn on the jets, leap-frog the competition and finish ahead of every player on this list. You just never know.
Victor Olofsson - Affectionately referred to as "Goalofsson" by the fans and some other hockey personalities, it's not difficult to see why the Swede has made this list. With 6 goals and 10 points through the first 13 games for the Buffalo Sabres this season, Olofsson is putting together quite the impressive campaign in '19/'20. Olofsson has scored each of his first 8 NHL goals on the power play, setting an NHL record as the only player ever to do so.
The road to the NHL has not been an easy one for the 24-year-old. Olofsson was drafted by the Sabres in the 7th round (181st overall). Olofsson has been through a remarkable SIX Sabres training camps before making the team. He did get a 6-game look last season, posting 2 goals (on the power play, of course) and 2 assists for 4 points in that span, but was ultimately assigned to AHL Rochester where he would proceed to score 63 points in 66 games. Prior to spending last season with the Americans, Olofsson spent five seasons in the Swedish Hockey League, playing with MODO Hockey Ornskoldsvik and Frolunda HC.
Olofsson was named NHL.com's Rookie of the Month for October.
-
Ilya Mikheyev - The big Russian has made two things known early on in the '19/'20 season. 1) He loves soup. 2) He didn't just come to play. He came to dominate. Mikheyev was a rising star in the KHL, having spent the last five seasons with Omsk Avangard. Last season, he recorded 23 goals and 45 points in 62 games.
Like Olofsson, Mikheyev is also 24-years-old, which is well above the age range of your typical Calder candidate, but learning to play the game on a smaller ice surface with less room and less time to make decisions poses quite the challenge for most players who come over from the KHL. A lot of European players struggle in the NHL, as we saw with Vadim Shipachyov when the Russian superstar came over in 2017-2018 to join the Vegas Golden Knights, only finding his way into 3 games before returning home to rejoin St. Petersburgh SKA. Mikheyev seems to be adjusting much more quickly, thriving on North American ice rather than struggling. Through the Maple Leafs first 14 games, "Souperman" has recorded 4 goals and 10 points for the Buds, quickly becoming a fan-favourite.
If Mikheyev can continue to play at the level he has been at through the first 14 games, he may follow in the footsteps of fellow overage Russian, Artemi Panarin, and walk away with his own Calder Trophy as well.
Cale Makar - This kid is lightning in a bottle. Cale Makar is the real deal. Drafted 4th overall in 2017 by the Colorado Avalanche, GM Joe Sakic knew he was getting a special player when he selected the slick-skating defenseman. Makar is excellent in all three zones, but really excels at creating scoring chances for his teammates by using his agility, excellent stickhandling and elite-level hockey IQ to get the puck into high danger scoring areas. He has a lethal shot and he is not afraid to pull the trigger, which is great for an Avs team who recently traded power play specialist, Tyson Barrie to the Maple Leafs.
Makar has been a more-than-adequate replacement for Barrie to date, recording 1 goal and 9 assists for 10 points in 12 contests. With defense being one of the more difficult positions to excel at, especially at such a young age, the 21-year-old may be the early favorite to run away with the Calder votes if he maintains this high level of play.
Quinn Hughes - Many expected a Hughes to run away with the Calder this season, but I don't think many thought it would be Quinn. The older brother of USDP standout Jack Hughes, Quinn has stormed out of the gate early in the 2019-2020 season, recording 10 points (1g, 9a) helping to lead the Vancouver Canucks to an impressive 8-3-1 start through the club's first 12 games.
The elder Hughes has impeccable vision and elite-level skating. Add to that the fact that he can eat some big minutes and play in all situations and you've got the recipe for an excellent National Hockey League defenseman. Did I mention this he is still only 20 years old? The Canucks are going to love this kid.
There is still plenty of time for his brother, Jack, to come in and make this a race between the two siblings to see who can take home the Calder, but early on, Quinn has looked dominant with a Canucks team that looks almost unstoppable, which Jack has struggled with a Devils team that leaves a lot to be desired.
Honorable mention goes to Jack Hughes (5 points in 10 games), Max Comtois (5 points in 9 games) and Cody Glass (7 points in 14 games).
