<p>Hockey fans are passionate folks. And the diehards will defend their teams – and their players – to the death.</p>



<p>So when it comes to the Calder Trophy race, it’s easy for a fanbase to be overly emotional and biased toward their own talent. Just go on social media and you’ll see fans often using rose-colored logic as to why their favorite player deserves the rookie of the year award. And its not that they’re wrong –&nbsp;but it’s hard to not find a discussion that doesn’t feature a multitude of cherry-picked stats.</p>



<p>That’s fine. It’s hockey. It’s all for fun. Whoever wins the Calder Trophy shouldn’t change your life in any meaningful way. Plenty of high-end players never won the Calder – Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid didn’t, and they’re two of the best to ever play the game. McDavid’s freshman season was impacted by injuries, of course. But in the grand scheme of things, it’s just one award in one of the most crucial development years in a player’s career. </p><div class="injected-ad injected-video" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="0" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="172"></div>



<p>This year’s race has been quite exciting, though. There are four excellent candidates with strong cases for the coveted trophy. Matvei Michkov is at the top of the scoring race after his monster month, helping to close the gap. It’s close at the top – and anyone telling you otherwise is lying.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">1. Lane Hutson, D (Montreal Canadiens)</h2>



<p>Hutson registered five points in eight games for the Habs last month while playing a rookie-leading 21:15 a night. His ability to produce on the power play has made Montreal more dangerous. Hutson is on pace to become the 10th rookie defenseman to register 60 points in a season, which would have him join Hockey Hall of Famers Nicklas Lidstrom, Chris Chelios, Ray Bourque and Brian Leetch, <a href="https://www.statmuse.com/nhl/ask/nhl-most-points-rookie-defenceman-season">among others</a>. Some of the defensive metrics aren’t in Hutson’s favor, but the Canadiens wouldn’t be in the playoff picture if it wasn’t for Hutson’s tremendous playmaking acumen. I want Hutson to be more defensively conscious in his own zone, but I’m really glad his puck play from college carried over to the big leagues.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="1" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="174"></div>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">2. Macklin Celebrini, C (<a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/san-jose-sharks/line-combinations">San Jose Sharks</a>)</h2>



<p>Celebrini has been exactly as advertised heading into the season. The two-way forward is difficult to steal the puck off of, and he’s leading almost all offensive statistical categories among rookie forwards. Playing more than 20 minutes a night on a bottom-feeder can result in some difficult matchups, and the 18-year-old hasn’t shied away from anyone. An early-season injury knocked Celebrini out of 12 games, but he’s still on track for more than 25 goals and nearly 65 points –&nbsp;some seriously impressive numbers on a team like the Sharks right now. I have Hutson as the No. 1 because of what he’s doing as a defender, but there’s just as easy of a case to make Celebrini the Calder Trophy winner here.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">3. Matvei Michkov, RW (<a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/philadelphia-flyers/line-combinations">Philadelphia Flyers</a>)</h2>



<p>Michkov was named Rookie of the Month for February after scoring five goals and 10 points in seven games – good for first among all rookies. Just one of those points came on the man advantage, which is nice to see. The crafty, skilled winger has also received criticism for his 5-on-5 play at points this year, which has seen him get benched a few times and even fall victim to becoming a healthy scratch. But whenever someone seems to doubt him and his ability to take over games, Michkov proves people wrong. He’s a future star in the NHL, and he already has that rockstar energy that Flyers fans have been craving.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="2" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="235"></div>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">4. Dustin Wolf, G (<a href="http://flamesnation.ca">Calgary Flames</a>)</h2>



<p>It was a difficult month for Wolf, who went 1-4-1 with a .891 save percentage through six outings. It was the toughest month of Wolf’s NHL career, and has hurt his Calder Trophy case a bit. Still, it’s a lot to ask a young goaltender to play as much as he has. And with Daniel Vladar seemingly on the trade block, Wolf will be asked to be even better down the stretch. Overall, it’s been a great season for Wolf, and the highs have heavily outweighed the lows in 2024-25. That’s all you can ask for from a first-year NHL goaltender – especially given the fact Wolf is a big reason why the Flames are still in the playoff race.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">5. Marco Kasper, LW (<a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/detroit-red-wings/line-combinations">Detroit Red Wings</a>)</h2>



<p>It’s been a fantastic season for Kasper, who turned a slow start into a few hot months. For context: Kasper registered an assist in his first game with Detroit on Oct. 19. He then went without a point for more than a month and entered December with just five points in 19 games. But since Jan. 1, he’s third in scoring among all rookies, and he’s the most productive freshman at 5-on-5. He’s shooting well, getting quality chances and looking sharp alongside Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond. Kasper is on the wing for now, but it’ll be interesting to see if they give him more of a look down the middle as his career progresses.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="3" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="235"></div>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">6. Cutter Gauthier, LW (<a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/anaheim-ducks/line-combinations">Anaheim Ducks</a>)</h2>



<p>Gauthier had four goals in seven games for the Ducks last month, which was solid. All of them came at even strength while averaging 13:08 a night. Gauthier is still looking for consistency but this was one of his best months yet, even if was on the shorter side. Gauthier continues to get more engaged consistently with and without the puck, and his shot is lethal. The Ducks aren’t good, but they might still get close to 20 goals from Gauthier this year. That’s a pretty solid first season, and it’s only going to get better as the Ducks improve.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">7. Logan Stankoven, RW (<a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/dallas-stars/line-combinations">Dallas Stars</a>)</h2>



<p>Stankoven entered the season as one of the favorites to win the Calder Trophy, especially after playing so well with the Stars during his 24 regular-season games last year. But he’s having a rough time producing in Dallas, and his ice time has fallen as a result. Stankoven finished February with three points in his final two games, including a pair of goals against Los Angeles. That’s the type of confidence booster he needed after a quiet two months to kick off 2025. He even recently found himself on the sidelines as a healthy scratch. It’s not easy being a rookie on a Stanley Cup contender, but he’s taking the challenge head-on and you can’t hate that.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="4" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="217"></div>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">8. Will Smith, RW (San Jose Sharks)</h2>



<p><a href="https://x.com/LockedOnSharks/status/1896606504179933597">Locked on Sharks podcast host JD Young said it best</a> in a recent episode: “Will Smith is a better hockey player now because he’s been getting his butt kicked night in and night out. I think it was 100 percent the right decision for him to play in the NHL.” And it’s hard to disagree. Smith could have gone back to college, won the World Juniors and then chase a national title with Boston College. Instead, he decided to focus on his long-term career, and while it started off rocky, he has looked better over the past two months. Smith had four points in six games in February while playing a solid 16:31 a night. He gets to lean on the veteran presence of Fabian Zetterlund and Alex Wennberg while having plenty of opportunities to experiment and earn some confidence. </p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="5" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="141"></div>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">9. Maxim Tsyplakov, RW (<a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/new-york-islanders/line-combinations">New York Islanders</a>)</h2>



<p>Tsyplakov is coming off a solid month, with five assists in eight games. He’s on pace for just fewer than 40 points, but that’s still solid for an undrafted free agent signing out of Russia. Goals have ben surprisingly hard to come by for Tsyplakov, who had 31 in 65 games with Spartak Moskva last year. He’s getting power-play time, but mostly on the second unit. You have to wonder if that’ll change if J-G Pageau is traded later this week. Away from the puck, Tsyplakov is physical and defensively sound, so he’ll stick around in the NHL for the foreseeable future.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">10. Jackson Blake, LW (<a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/carolina-hurricanes/line-combinations">Carolina Hurricanes</a>)</h2>



<p>There’s nothing flashy about Blake’s game – and likely never will be. He’s not going to be a game-changer or a dynamic scoring threat. Instead, he’ll be a pesky winger who gets in the way and clears lanes for his teammates. Blake is one of the most energetic players on this list and his speed gives Carolina a nice boost in its top six when called upon. He even saw some top-line action with Sebastian Aho and Mikko Rantanen briefly. Blake’s numbers might not be eye-popping, but we could see him finish with about 15 goals this year. Coming from a fourth-round pick, that’s nothing to sneeze at.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="6" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="210"></div>



<p><em><strong>Other notables:</strong> Jiri Kulich, C (<a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/buffalo-sabres/line-combinations">Buffalo Sabres</a>), Frank Nazar, C (<a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/chicago-blackhawks/line-combinations">Chicago Blackhawks</a>), Mavrik Bourque, C (<a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/dallas-stars/line-combinations">Dallas Stars)</a>, Zack Bolduc, C (<a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/st-louis-blues/line-combinations">St. Louis Blues</a>), Josh Doan, RW (<a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/utah-hockey-club/line-combinations">Utah Hockey Club</a>)</em></p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Recent Articles from Steven Ellis</h2>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/spencer-knight-future-chicago-blackhawks-goaltending-florida-panthers-seth-jones">Is Spencer Knight the future of the Blackhawks’ crease?</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/specialists-nhl-trade-deadline-2025-team-needs-frederic-evans-vladar-suter">The Specialists: Seven players to target for specific needs at the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/top-5-struggling-nhl-players-playoff-push-boeser-stankoven-meier">Five struggling NHLers who need to pick it up for the playoff push</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/top-5-underrated-nhl-rookies-you-need-to-know-heineman-kulich-merilainen">Five underrated NHL rookies deserving more attention in 2024-25</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/khl-draft-mcdavid-mackinnon-hall-eichel-revisted">McDavid? MacKinnon? 10 NHL stars who were drafted to the KHL</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/4-nations-face-off-canada-usa-standouts">4 Nations Face-Off: Top standouts as Canada wins gold over United States</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/detroit-red-wings-dylan-larkin-team-usa-secret-weapon-4-nations-face-off">Red Wings’ Dylan Larkin has been USA’s secret weapon at 4 Nations Face-Off</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/2025-nhl-draft-ohl-prospects-you-need-to-know-top-10-misa-schaefer-martone">2025 NHL Draft: Top 10 prospects from the OHL you need to know</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/top-5-under-the-radar-2025-nhl-trade-deadline-armia-frederic-jones">2025 NHL Trade Deadline: Top 5 under-the-radar additions to watch</a></li>
</ul>
