B/R NHL's Updated 2023-24 Calder Trophy Rankings
Before the 2023-24 schedule started, we did our way-too-early rankings for the Calder Memorial Trophy. It is awarded to the top rookie player at the end of each season as voted by the Professional Hockey Writers' Association.
Our ranking included Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard, Anaheim Ducks forward Leo Carlsson and Columbus Blue Jackets center Adam Fantilli. They were the top three picks in the 2023 NHL draft.
With the schedule now past the quarter mark, it's a good opportunity to revisit and update our Calder Trophy rankings.
Bedard, Carlsson and Fantilli remain on our updated ranking. Others, such as Buffalo Sabres goaltender Devon Levi, Toronto Maple Leafs forward Matthew Knies, and Los Angeles Kings defenseman Brandt Clarke, have been supplanted by other promising freshmen.
Do you agree or disagree with our ranking? Is there someone we missed that you believe belongs here? Let us know in our app comments section.
Honorable Mention
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Bobby Brink, Philadelphia Flyers
Sitting tenth among rookie scorers with 13 points in 23 games as of Dec. 12, Brink is developing a solid chemistry with young linemate Owen Tippett on the Flyers' third line.
Luke Evangelista, Nashville Predators
The 21-year-old is eighth among rookie scorers with 14 points in 28 games, just slightly off his 15 points in 24 games last season.
Kevin Korchinski, Chicago Blackhawks
Korchinski, 19, is fifth among rookies in time on ice per game (19:31) and third among Chicago skaters in that category.
Matthew Poitras, Boston Bruins
Seeing third-line minutes with the Bruins, the 19-year-old Poitras has 12 points in 25 games, all but one of those coming at even strength.
Connor Zary, Calgary Flames
Called up on Nov. 1, Zary has provided a boost of youthful energy to the Flames lineup with 14 points in 19 games, including a game-winning goal.
10. Pavel Mintyukov, Anaheim Ducks
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The Anaheim Ducks enjoyed a promising start to this season with a record of seven wins and four losses in their first 11 games. They subsequently won just three times in their next 16 contests and have tumbled toward the bottom of the Western Conference standings.
Still, there have been some promising performances among several young Ducks players such as defenseman Pavel Mintuykov, who wasn't on our way-too-early list of Calder candidates. The 19-year-old sits 11th among rookie scorers with 13 points and second among freshmen blueliners. He's also sixth among the Ducks' leading scorers.
As of Dec. 12, Mintyukov was tied with Chicago's Connor Bedard and New Jersey's Luke Hughes for the assist lead among rookies with 12. He sits sixth among rookie skaters in time on ice per game (18:58), including 2:48 of power-play ice time. He's also fifth in blocked shots with 28.
Like his Ducks teammates, Mintyukov's production has suffered during their long slump since early November. Three of his 13 points have come in his past 13 games since Nov. 14. It's part of the learning curve for the young blueliner, who continues to log second-pairing minutes
9. Joseph Woll, Toronto Maple Leafs
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The only goaltender on our ranking, Joseph Woll was enjoying a fine start to this season with the Toronto Maple Leafs until he was sidelined by a high-ankle sprain suffered during a 4-3 win over the Ottawa Senators on Dec. 7. He's listed as week-to-week with no definitive return date.
Woll wasn't part of our way-too-early ranking of Calder Trophy candidates. He was still considered a rookie this season, as he had just 11 games of NHL regular-season experience over the previous two years as well as four games of playoff activity last spring.
Before his injury, Woll had taken over the starting goalie position with the Leafs. He appeared in 15 games with a record of eight wins, five losses and one overtime loss, sporting a 2.80 goals-against average and a .916 save percentage. He also led all rookie goalies with five-plus games played this season in games-played, wins and save percentage.
Woll's performance through the first quarter of this season merited his spot on his ranking. Whether he remains in the running for the Calder Trophy will depend on how long he's sidelined and his performance once he's cleared to return to action.
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8. Logan Cooley, Arizona Coyotes
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We had Logan Cooley sitting at No. 3 on our way-too-early ranking of this season's Calder Trophy candidates. The 19-year-old Arizona Coyotes center provided a tantalizing glimpse of his offensive skills with a highlight-reel goal in preseason play against the Los Angeles Kings.
With 15 points in 28 games, Cooley sits sixth among this season's rookie scoring leaders. He's performed well on the power-play, leading all rookies with 10 power-play points. The young center is seventh among Coyotes scorers.
Cooley has had difficulty producing at five-on-five, sitting 25th among all rookies in that category. He's been averaging 16:49 of time on ice per game but his struggles at even strength saw him recently moved off the Coyotes' top line.
Despite those issues, Cooley has shown plenty of promise as an offensive forward. His overall performance could improve as the season goes along and he continues to adjust to the NHL game.
7. Dmitri Voronkov, Columbus Blue Jackets
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A fourth-round pick of the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2019 NHL Draft, Dmitri Voronkov was not on our way-too-early list of Calder Trophy candidates. However, the 23-year-old center is starting to make the case after a promising start to this season.
Voronkov spent the past four seasons playing for Kazan AK-Bars in Russia's Kontinental Hockey League. Following a four-game stint with the Blue Jackets' AHL affiliate in Cleveland, he joined their lineup on Oct. 26.
It didn't take long for Voronkov to have a positive effect, sitting fifth among rookie scorers with 15 points in 24 games. By late November, however, the young Russian was feeling homesick and considering a return to Russia.
Placed on a line with fellow Russians Yegor Chinakhov and Kirill Marchenko earlier this month seems to have alleviated Voronkov's yearnings to return home. It could have positive benefits for the struggling Jackets as well as improve his chances of moving up in the Calder Trophy contention.
6. Leo Carlsson, Anaheim Ducks
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In our way-too-early Calder Trophy rankings, we had Leo Carlsson sitting eighth. Chosen second overall in the 2023 NHL draft, the 18-year-old center has been seeing sheltered minutes with the Anaheim Ducks as they ease him into the pace of NHL action, skating in just 19 games thus far.
Carlsson, however, has been making the most of his opportunities with eight goals and five assists for 13 points. He's fourth among rookie scorers in goals and eighth in points. He's also seeing power-play time, sitting third with six points.
Injuries to Ducks centers Trevor Zegras and Mason McTavish have resulted in Carlsson earning a promotion to their first line alongside veterans Alex Killorn and Troy Terry. He probably won't be in that role for long once Zegas and McTavish return to action and the Ducks continue to manage his playing time.
Still, there's no denying Carlsson is adjusting well thus far to the NHL pace. He could see more games and an increase in his playing time if he keeps performing well.
5. Luke Hughes, New Jersey Devils
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Following in the footsteps of talented older brothers like teammate Jack Hughes and Vancouver Canucks captain Quinn Hughes, Luke Hughes faced pressure to measure up in his first NHL season with the New Jersey Devils. So far, he has acquitted himself well.
A skillful, puck-moving defenseman like Quinn, Luke has four goals and 12 assists for 16 points in 26 games, sitting third among rookie scorers and fifth among Devils scorers. He's also second among rookies with 10-plus games played in time on ice per game (20:02) and third in power-play ice time, averaging 3:10 minutes per game.
Hughes has been skating on the Devils' third defense pairing, so he hasn't logged big even-strength minutes against their opponents' best players. However, that might change with veteran Dougie Hamilton sidelined indefinitely following surgery to repair a torn pectoral muscle.
We had Hughes at No.6 on our way-too-early Calder candidates ranking. Despite the Devils' struggles in the standings, he's proven to be a good addition to their defense corps thus far. An increase in his workload throughout the season could move him higher as a Calder contender.
4. Marco Rossi, Minnesota Wild
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Marco Rossi's road to the Minnesota Wild roster had its share of potholes. A bout with COVID-19 sidelined him for most of 2020-21. The following two years saw him garner invaluable experience with the Wild's AHL affiliate in Iowa, but it still took him some time to be fully ready for NHL action.
Rossi was at No. 10 among our way-too-early Calder Trophy candidates. However, everything seems to have finally fallen into place for the 22-year-old center. He's second among rookie scorers with nine goals and fourth with 16 points in 26 games. He's also second in goals and fourth in points among Wild scorers.
Skating alongside Mats Zuccarello, Rossi has found chemistry with the 36-year-old scoring winger. The duo are tied for the Wild lead in even-strength points with 15. He's also been getting some power-play time as well, averaging 2:01 minutes per game with the man advantage.
Rossi's three-year path to becoming an NHL regular has benefitted him through the early months of this season. He's been among the few bright spots in a difficult season so far for the Wild as they attempt to remain within striking distance of a playoff spot.
3. Adam Fantilli, Columbus Blue Jackets
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It's been another difficult start for the Columbus Blue Jackets as they're mired near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings. Among the few positives is the play of rookie center Adam Fantilli, who was second on our way-too-early ranking of this season's Calder candidates.
Winner of the 2023 Hobey Baker Memorial Award as the top US college player, the 19-year-old center seems to be holding up well at the NHL level despite the Blue Jackets' difficulties. He sits third among rookie scorers with eight goals and 16 points in 30 games and fourth among Blue Jackets scorers.
The Blue Jackets have been careful to manage Fantilli's minutes through the opening quarter of this season, averaging 15:09 of ice time per game. He is seeing power-play time, averaging 2:26 in that category.
Fantilli will see more ice time with Blue Jackets captain Boone Jenner out six weeks with a broken jaw. He's been moved up to centering the second line. How well he handles that workload could improve his stats as well as his Calder Trophy contention.
2. Brock Faber, Minnesota Wild
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Brock Faber was not among the players on our way-too-early Calder candidate list. However, the 21-year-old Minnesota Wild defenseman has earned his spot on this ranking with a solid performance thus far.
The Wild are off to a disappointing start this season as they try to remain in the playoff race in the Western Conference. Faber's performance has been among their few bright spots.
Despite limited NHL experience, Faber plays a big role with the Wild. He leads all rookies in time on ice per game (23:38), sitting second among all Wild skaters in that category. He leads all Minnesota defensemen with 12 points and all Wild skaters in plus-minus with plus-7, sitting second among rookie skaters in shorthanded ice time per game (2:32).
Faber has handled his heavy workload well through the early going this season. If he can keep it up over the remainder of the season, he could merit serious consideration for the Calder Trophy.
1. Connor Bedard, Chicago Blackhawks
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As the first overall pick in the 2023 NHL draft, Connor Bedard faced enormous pressure. He was joining a rebuilding Chicago club as their foundation player, hyped before the season began as a generational talent. We had him sitting atop our way-too-early Calder Trophy candidate rankings.
So far, Bedard has handled this situation very well, showing maturity and skills beyond his age. The 18-year-old center has had little difficulty adjusting to the NHL pace, leading Chicago skaters and all rookies with 12 goals and 24 points in 28 games.
Bedard had a decent start to the season with four goals and six points in nine games through October. He stepped up his game in November, earning Rookie of the Month honors with six goals and 12 points in 12 games.
That included a four-point performance in a 5-3 upset of the Tampa Bay Lightning on Nov. 9. It made Bedard the third-youngest player in NHL history to record a four-point game and the first since Armand "Bep" Guidolin in 1944 with the Boston Bruins.
Stats (as of Tuesday) via NHL.com with lineup info via CapFriendly.
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