The race for NHL Rookie of the Year is coming down to the wire, and it’s anyone’s guess who’ll take home the Calder Trophy this season.
Two young stars have emerged as the frontrunners: Montreal’s Lane Hutson and San Jose’s Macklin Celebrini. But Calgary goalie Dustin Wolf and Philadelphia’s Matvei Michkov aren’t far behind.
Macklin Celebrini has been a bright spot in San Jose’s tough season. The 18-year-old missed his first 12 games with a hip injury but still leads all rookie candidates with 21 goals. He’s racked up 50 points total, just two behind Hutson.
One NHL executive called him a "poor man’s Sidney Crosby" – pretty high praise for a teenager. It’s fitting, since Celebrini grew up idolizing Crosby.
"We grew up getting his jersey, getting his sticks," Celebrini said earlier this season.
Lane Hutson has been absolutely crushing it for Montreal. The young defenseman leads all rookies with 52 points, including 48 assists. He’s also making history – on March 3, he became the fastest Montreal defenseman ever to hit 50 points, doing it in just 63 games. The previous record? NHL legend Chris Chelios needed 66 games.
Here’s where it gets interesting: Hutson and Celebrini were teammates at Boston University last year. Their college coach thinks they should share the award.
Dustin Wolf might be the dark horse in this race. The Calgary goalie has been incredible, playing 41 games with 22 wins and a .912 save percentage. He’s tied with Ottawa’s Linus Ullmark for the best save percentage among all NHL goalies – not just rookies.
If the Flames make the playoffs, Wolf’s chances could skyrocket.
Matvei Michkov has been making the most of his limited ice time in Philadelphia. Despite playing about 16 minutes per game (compared to Hutson’s 22), he’s put up 20 goals and 27 assists.
The only catch? He’s gone cold lately, with no goals in his last five games. With some tough games ahead, he’ll need to find his scoring touch again to stay in the running.
Betting odds have Celebrini as the favorite, followed by Hutson, Wolf, and Michkov. But with several weeks left in the season, anything could happen.
