Connor Bedard is no longer leading the race for the Calder Trophy
Connor Bedard has been having an excellent start to his NHL career. Bedard’s rookie season has shown that he was well worth the hype. His offensive skills are second only to the NHL’s best veterans.
However, according to Greg Wyshynski of ESPN, a couple of Calder voters have had a change of heart recently. Brock Faber now leads the Calder Trophy marathon by one vote.
This is because Connor Bedard missed a full month of the season due to his jaw injury. A fractured jaw cost Bedard the chance to record flashy numbers.
Bedard’s Jaw injury has allowed Minnesota Wild defenseman Brock Faber to catch up in points and gain attention from voters.
Why some voters are picking Faber over Bedard
Three different Calder trophy voters spoke about why Brock Faber is getting more talk as the favorite for Rookie of the Year. The voters all mention Faber being the more consistent given his team’s situation.
“He’s been the Wild’s most important player because he has been asked to be a No. 1 defense as a rookie every day of the season,” a voter said. “Faber has been there when Jonas Brodin and Jared Spurgeon got hurt. He’s been really consistent during a Wild season that has been anything but.”
The quote above makes a solid point. Faber has been incredibly consistent this season. Faber has been left out to dry by a series of unfortunate circumstances. Injuries and overall poor play have left the rookie defenseman with a ton of work on his plate.
Another Calder Trophy voter backs up this sentiment:
“Connor Bedard is the more talented player, and people would look back in hindsight and do the ‘Why didn’t Bedard get his Calder?’ thing. But Faber is having a better season by several measurable ways,” another voter noted.
A third voter said if Connor Bedard wins it would be well deserved. The voter then goes on to say it would be “ignorant,” to ignore what Faber has been doing this season. That is why the Calder Trophy is now a debate instead of a certain Bedard win.
“Bedard checks every box: He’s a top-line center, playing top-line minutes who also leads his team in several offensive categories,” another said. “He could win and could win overwhelmingly, which would be deserved. But ignoring what Faber has done and the contributions he’s made wouldn’t just be neglect. It would be flat out ignorance.”
Connor Bedard likely still wins the Calder Trophy
More probably than not, Connor Bedard will be named rookie of the year. This is because Bedard has been playing well since he returned from injury. If Bedard stays on pace he could easily put up enough goals and assists to win the Calder.
One thing the voters didn’t mention is Bedard’s stickwork on the defensive end. Bedard won’t be seen landing any crushing blows to opponents. He can be seen getting a good amount of takeaways. Bedard will frequently pester attacking players while they have the puck. His quick hands are good and poking the puck out and creating a takeaway.
As long as Bedard has a strong end to the season he will win the Calder Trophy. Just don’t count out Brock Faber as he has made more than a fair case for the trophy as well.
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