Poll: Who Will Win The Calder Trophy In 2018-19?

The Athletic’s NHL Draft and prospects guru Scott Wheeler has released the first definitive list of candidates for the Calder Trophy in 2018-19, and the order may surprise some people. Admittedly, the list is in the context of fantasy hockey, but Wheeler’s rankings are true to how he thinks Calder voting will unfold if each rookie hits their stat projections. As such, it’s not this year’s first overall pick, Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin, at the top of the list, but presumptive top-six center for the Vancouver Canucks, Elias Pettersson. Pettersson will be put in a much better position to rack up points than will Dahlin, the next-best candidate, as potentially one of the three best scoring forwards for the Canucks and traditionally productive forwards have a better shot at the Calder than (relatively) equally productive defensemen.

Coming in at number three is Boston Bruins forward Ryan Donato, who led both the NCAA and Olympics in goals last season and will look to win a top-six role for Boston and continue to find the back of the net at an alarming rate. Playing alongside either Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron or David Krejci and Jake DeBrusk is an easy way for Donato to quickly become an elite scorer at the NHL level. The fourth-ranked candidate is second overall pick Andrei Svechnikov of the Carolina Hurricanes, who – like Pettersson – will be given an immense amount of responsibility right away as a top-six winger who is arguably already one of the three most skilled forwards on the team. However, Svechnikov is one of three Hurricanes rookies on Wheeler’s list, which could take away from his case. Rounding out the top five is Dahlin’s fellow rookie in Buffalo, center Casey Mittelstadt, who scored at nearly a point-per-game pace in the college ranks and in a brief stint with the Sabres to end the year. Mittelstadt should face favorable match-ups this season with the lines anchored by Jack Eichel and Patrik Berglund drawing considerable attention from the opposition.

Wheeler’s top twenty Calder Trophy candidates are as follows:

1. C Elias Pettersson, Vancouver Canucks
2. D Rasmus Dahlin, Buffalo Sabres
3. RW Ryan Donato, Boston Bruins
4. RW Andrei Svechnikov, Carolina Hurricanes
5. C Casey Mittelstadt, Buffalo Sabres
6. RW Filip Zadina, Detroit Red Wings
7. C Dylan Strome, Arizona Coyotes
8. C Henrik Borgstrom, Florida Panthers
9. C Martin Necas, Carolina Hurricanes
10. D Miro Heiskanen, Dallas Stars
11. RW Dylan Sikura, Chicago Blackhawks
12. RW Eeli Tolvanen, Nashville Predators
13. C Filip Chytil, New York Rangers
14. LW Brady Tkachuk, Ottawa Senators
15. LW Valentin Zykov, Carolina Hurricanes
16. RW Kailer Yamamoto, Edmonton Oilers
17. C Anthony Cirelli, Tampa Bay Lightning
18. LW Kristian Vesalainen, Winnipeg Jets
19. C Sam Steel, Anaheim Ducks
20. RW Vitaly Abramov, Columbus Blue Jackets

Honorable Mentions: C Vladislav Kamenev, Colorado Avalanche; LW Jordan Greenway, Minnesota Wild; C Robert Thomas, St. Louis Blues; LW Andreas Johnsson, Toronto Maple Leafs; C Michael Rasmussen, Detroit Red Wings; C Lias Andersson, New York Rangers; D Sami Niku, Winnipeg Jets; D Evan Bouchard, Edmonton Oilers; RW Daniel Sprong, Pittsburgh Penguins

What do you think? Who will be the NHL’s Rookie of the Year and take home the Calder Trophy at the end of the season? The favorite? The first overall pick? Another top candidate? Or a name not even mentioned here?