The conversation around the NHL’s Calder trophy for the league’s best rookie has entiencfied over the last few weeks with many media outlets and sources providing different input on who the front runner actually is. FanDuel, Bet365 and other sportsbooks have San Jose Sharks forward Macklin Celebrini as the clear cut favourite as he leads all rookies with a 0.88 point-per-game average after recording 16 goals and 21 assists for 37 points in 42 games.
He trails only behind Montreal’s Lane Hutson for lead in rookie points as the Habs blueliner has 39 but has played ten more games than Celebrini. The two have been near the top in discussions for the award all season but out of nowhere appeared a new challenger in Calgary’s Dustin Wolf.
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The Calder has been won by a goaltender 16 times with the most recent occurrence being in the 2008-09 season when Steve Mason of the Columbus Blue Jackets took home the award. Mason secured a 33-20-7 record with a 2.29 goals against average and displayed two different statistics Wolf will need to dominate if he wants to take home the award.
The Flames netminder is +900 to win the Calder on FanDuel Sportsbook and will need to meet certain expectations before we can look at taking him. The last five goalies to win the Calder had goals against averages better than Wolf’s mark at 2.50 with the highest being 2.47 by Ed Belfour in 1990-91 with the Blackhawks. If he can also continue to win games and help lift the Flames into the playoffs that will greater his chances as Tom Barrasso finished with a 2.85 average when he won the award in 1983-84 but his resume was lifted by his stellar 26-12-3 record with the Sabres.
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Wolf has presented a very similar case as Barrasso as he is carrying the Flames this season with a 19-9-2 record and has done his best to lift his team when they need him as Calgary ranks 28th in goals per game with a 2.65 average yet remains in a wild card spot. The 23-year-old California product has allowed two goals or fewer in 16 of his 30 starts and has a better five-on-five save percentage at .940 than arguably the best goalie in the NHL in Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyck.
It would be an amazing story if Wolf could do win the Calder but his numbers are as of right now and there is a lot of games left to be played, which means he will need to continue this stellar play for the remainder of this season with very few errors. Calgary ranks just outside the top 12 in hardest remaining strength of schedule, so there will be tougher challenges ahead like battling on the Leafs, Avalanche, Capitals, Lightning, Panthers and Hurricanes in the next few weeks. If Wolf looks to be in the same form after that tough stretch of games than he should have a very good chance to win it.
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