Ranking the Top Candidates for the 2015-16 Calder Trophy

The Calder Trophy race is starting to look a little like a runaway, but it's not the guy who was predicted to pace the freshman who is dominating the stat lines this season.

With Connor McDavid suffering a devastating injury a baker's dozen into his rookie season, the Chicago Blackhawks secret weapon, Artemi Panarin, has been scoring at a point-per-game pace and posting strong possession numbers as well. 

It helps that he plays with one of the game's elite wingers.

Panarin does have some stiff competition from a handful of other top picks from past drafts, though, many of whom are finding their niche quickly in their first NHL season. 

Click ahead to see how the top of the class is ranked. We look at points, possession and other unique talents they have to slot them in. 

Stats are found on NHL.com and stats.hockeyanalysis.com.

Honorable Mentions

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Nikolaj Ehlers, Winnipeg Jets: The 19-year-old winger has a dozen points in 28 games and is among the top 10 rookie scorers so far this season. He's slick but doesn't have a lot of help this year.

Colin Miller, Boston Bruins: With 10 points in 21 games, Miller has helped pick up some of the slack left by the departure of Dougie Hamilton.

Darnell Nurse, Edmonton Oilers: The 2013 seventh overall draft pick has just five points in 19 games but is offering some strong minutes for a young player with more than 20 per game—the second most among all rookies and tops on his team as well.

Anthony Duclair, Arizona Coyotes: Duclair has been a fine fit for the Coyotes, playing alongside Max Domi on the top line early in the year and rounding out the second line lately.

Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers: Yes, the top pick of last spring's draft is still top 10 in the rookie scoring race despite appearing in just 13 games. If he can get healthy in the new year, however, he may still play his way into the top five or even top three. He's that skilled.

8. Oscar Lindberg, New York Rangers

Winslow Townson/Associated Press

Previous Ranking: Ninth

By the Numbers: 28 games played, 10 goals, seven assists, 17 points, plus-seven, 53 shots, 46.2% Corsi rating.

Performance: Averaging less than 13 minutes per game, Oscar Lindberg may be doing more with less than any other rookie of note this season. He continues to produce at a strong pace in a limited role with very little special teams time. Despite the lack of ice time, he's fourth in rookie scoring and on pace for nearly 50 points.

Bottom Line: Lindberg is a long shot to climb into the top half of a competitive list by the end of the season unless his minutes increase and his production-per-minute remains as strong as it is now. Any team in the league would love to have him as a third-line center, however.

7. Anders Nilsson, Edmonton Oilers

Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press

Previous Ranking: Unranked

By the Numbers: 16 games played, 8-7-1 record, .922 save percentage, 2.49 goals-against average.

Performance: Anders Nilsson wasn't expected to be the one carrying the load as the Edmonton Oilers' No. 1 netminder this season. That job was supposed to go to Cam Talbot. But it's the 25-year-old Swede who has stolen the net in recent weeks and been a breath of fresh air for the Oilers.

Bottom Line: Mike Condon of the Montreal Canadiens has been sharp in relief of the injured Carey Price, but he'll lose that job as quickly as Price is ready again. Chad Johnson has taken control of the Buffalo Sabres net, leaving freshman Linus Ullmark on the bench. So it's Nilsson who has the title of top rookie goalie so far in 2015-16. The former New York Islanders draft pick (third overall in 2009) has a bright future ahead of him if you believe Oilers coach Todd McLellan, via Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal.

6. Colton Parayko, St. Louis Blues

Bruce Fedyck-USA TODAY Sports

Previous Ranking: Seventh

By the Numbers: 25 games played, five goals, eight assists, 13 points, plus-11, 54 shots, 56.0% Corsi rating.

Performance: Colton Parayko came out of nowhere to win a spot in training camp. He rose to the occasion when Kevin Shattenkirk was hurt, playing big minutes and putting up an impressive batch of points. His minutes and production have dwindled somewhat since Shattenkirk's return, but he's still the best rookie defender this season and has impressive possession numbers.

Bottom Line: The big blueliner with the heavy shot is still getting power-play minutes and is relied on for top-four minutes, now primarily playing alongside Shattenkirk on the second pairing. The fact he plays on a team with so many solid defensemen might hurt his share of the spotlight, but he could gain steam over the full season if he continues to hold down his key role.

5. Sam Bennett, Calgary Flames

George Nikitin/Associated Press

Previous Ranking: Fourth

By the Numbers: 25 games played, five goals, eight assists, 13 points, minus-three, 36 shots, 50.4% Corsi rating.

Performance: Sam Bennett has added to his growing reputation with a really strong month of November that saw him post four goals and eight points in a dozen games. It has helped propel him to the eighth spot in the rookie scoring race. His Corsi rating on a dreadful possession team is an encouraging sign.

Bottom Line: Bennett has flashed the offensive skill that made him the fourth overall pick of the 2014 NHL draft, and after a season lost to a shoulder injury, he's shown that his determination combined with the other talents make for a nice package in a secondary scoring role. He would need a massive second half of the season to climb into a realistic spot of contention, but he's capable of it.

4. Jack Eichel, Buffalo Sabres

Paul Sancya/Associated Press

Previous Ranking: First

By the Numbers: 28 games played, nine goals, five assists, 14 points, minus-four, 92 shots, 46.0% Corsi rating.

Performance: The second-overall pick in last spring's NHL draft continues to pace all rookies in shots on goal but has only managed to get into a tie for sixth in rookie scoring so far. The low shooting percentage appears to be an indication of bad luck, which could turn at any moment for a guy who shoots as much as Jack Eichel.

Bottom Line: Eichel is barely 19 and on one of the worst teams in the league, so voters will consider his environment along with his numbers. He's second only to Ryan O'Reilly in scoring for the Buffalo Sabres and is playing the second most minutes of any freshman forward. He's capable of climbing the ranks quickly and has as much raw skill as the more senior members of the class. 

3. Max Domi, Arizona Coyotes

Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

Previous Ranking: Sixth

By the Numbers: 27 games played, 10 goals, 13 assists, 23 points, plus-two, 53 shots, 43.0% Corsi rating.

Performance: Max Domi has showed no signs of slowing down offensively for the Arizona Coyotes and sits second in rookie scoring, leading his team in goals and points. His shots are fifth most among the freshman class.

Bottom Line: The 20-year-old has a high shooting percentage, and the underlying numbers suggest his contributions may dwindle as the season progresses. For now though, he's in the thick of the Calder hunt thanks to his electric abilities with the puck and his game-changing speed. His play is reminiscent of last season's finalist Johnny Gaudreau.

2. Dylan Larkin, Detroit Red Wings

Paul Sancya/Associated Press

Previous Ranking: Eighth

By the Numbers: 27 games played, 11 goals, 10 assists, 21 points, plus-19, 75 shots, 53.2% Corsi rating.

Performance: Dylan Larkin has been a pleasant surprise for the Detroit Red Wings, giving the team a huge boost with his stellar two-way play. He leads the entire league in plus/minus, sits second among the rookies in shots on goal and third in points.

Bottom Line: Larkin's presence on the top line with captain Henrik Zetterberg and Justin Abdelkader has allowed the Wings to spread out their impressive array of talented forwards throughout the lineup. At 19, Larkin is mature beyond his years and has a good shot at winning the Calder Trophy if he can stay close to the leaders offensively and continue to shine in his own end.

1. Artemi Panarin, Chicago Blackhawks

Nam Y. Huh/Associated Press

Previous Ranking: Second

By the Numbers: 27 games played, nine goals, 18 assists, 27 points, plus-five, 69 shots, 56.9% Corsi rating.

Performance: Artemi Panarin's offensive output is tops among all rookies, and he's also been able to maintain a plus rating and a Corsi-for that ranks top 30 in the league regardless of age or position. The 24-year-old has had no trouble transitioning from the KHL and has a Corsi-for rating that ranks in the top 30 in the NHL, according to stats.hockeyanalysis.com.

Bottom Line: No NHL rookie has managed a full season at a point-per-game pace since Pittsburgh's Evgeni Malkin back in 2007, although Panarin's Chicago Blackhawks linemate Patrick Kane came close in 2008. If Panarin can keep his pace up—and there's little reason to believe he won't as long as he's part of that high-powered unit in Chicago—he's going to be hard to beat as the top rookie-of-the-year candidate.