Talented group of NHL rookies in Calder battle

- By Bruce Penton

April 14, 2025

key points from this story:

• Connor Bedard won Calder in 2023-24
• Macklin Celebrini not automatic winner this year
• Lane Hutson leads all rookies in points
• Matvei Michkov strong on Flyers’ powerplay
• Dustin Wolf excelled as Flames’ goaltender
• Voting likely split among top four rookies

Winning the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year in the National Hockey League isn’t an absolute guarantee of future success, but there have been only a handful of winners over the years who have not gone on to enjoy extraordinary careers. This year, it's likely that a couple of players who don't win the award will find their way to the Hockey Hall of Fame, because the list of top rookie contenders is stacked. Last year’s No. 1 draft pick, Connor Bedard of the Blackhawks, won the award in 2023-24, but the most recent No. 1 pick, Macklin Celebrini of the Sharks, won't be an automatic Calder winner this year. That's because three other first-year players, Lane Hutson of the Canadiens, Matvei Michkov of the Flyers and Dustin Wolf of the Flames have all had standout seasons and will garner votes when media voters cast their ballots.