{"id":439871,"date":"2024-04-19T14:57:08","date_gmt":"2024-04-19T18:57:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/?p=439871"},"modified":"2024-04-19T14:57:08","modified_gmt":"2024-04-19T18:57:08","slug":"calder-memorial-trophy-2023-24-award-nominees","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2024\/04\/19\/calder-memorial-trophy-2023-24-award-nominees\/","title":{"rendered":"Calder Memorial Trophy 2023-24 Award Nominees"},"content":{"rendered":"

This<\/span>\u00a0is the time of year for the playoffs, but here at Last Word, we also need to discuss other parts of the\u00a0<\/span>entire<\/span>\u00a0hockey picture. That includes the 2024 NHL Entry Draft\u00a0<\/span>but<\/span>\u00a0also, in this series, we shall discuss the potential award winners. Today\u00a0<\/span>we<\/span> look at the 2023-24 Calder Memorial Trophy award candidates and discuss the odds of winning for each of them. In the coming weeks, we will do similar follow-ups for all <\/span>of the<\/span>\u00a0major NHL awards.<\/span><\/p>\n

We Discuss Who Has the Best Odds of Winning this Year’s Calder Trophy<\/span><\/h2>\n

Connor Bedard<\/a><\/span><\/h3>\n

The race for this year’s Calder trophy does appear to be an uncontested one<\/a>. Connor Bedard came in as the odds-on-favourite to win the Calder Trophy as the 2023 first-overall draft pick and has done nothing to dissuade the voting public. Despite missing six weeks with a jaw injury, he still has a double-digit lead in the rookie scoring race.\u00a0<\/span>Interestingly enough, that is over a defenceman, which will raise\u00a0<\/span>eyebrows<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>as we will see<\/span>\u00a0below.<\/span>\u00a0However, that does nothing to take away from Bedard’s rookie performance. He came in with high expectations and has lived up to them. He plays hard for a\u00a0<\/span>small,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>18-year-old,<\/span>\u00a0and has almost 20 minutes of ice time a night. Plus\u00a0<\/span>he’s<\/span>\u00a0not far off a point-per-game pace.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Luke Hughes<\/a><\/h3>\n

Next up<\/span>\u00a0is the brother of another award candidate. Quinn Hughes<\/a> may\u00a0<\/span>very well<\/span> win the Norris Trophy this year, and Luke may as well one day. But we are here to discuss Luke’s case and his odds for the Calder trophy. It’s too bad the New Jersey Devils<\/a> weren’t in playoff contention<\/span>, that<\/span>\u00a0would really boost Hughes’ case for the Calder. As a note, missing the likes of Dougie Hamilton<\/a> on the\u00a0<\/span>backend,<\/span>\u00a0hurt the d-core as a unit. However, Luke has done an admirable job. Hughes has gotten a decent look on the power play this year, which will only help him develop as an NHLer. He has an incredible CF% Rel (14.0).<\/span><\/p>\n

He’s gotten more and more ice time as the season wore on, including a recent game against the New York Rangers. In the hard-fought April 3rd matchup, which saw 12 fighting majors handed out, Hughes played an incredible 32 minutes that night. That was\u00a0<\/span>definitely an anomaly\u00a0<\/span>but<\/span>\u00a0he is routinely over 23 minutes a night as the season has gone on. Including that game, in<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>five of the last seven Devils\u00a0<\/span>games<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>he<\/span>\u00a0has seen that much ice time. Also, he has produced offensively and is currently second amongst all scorers, d or forward, in rookie scoring. Now\u00a0<\/span>he<\/span>\u00a0might not win this year’s award, but Luke Hughes will be a mainstay on the Devils power play blueline for years to come.<\/span><\/p>\n

Brock Faber<\/a><\/h3>\n

There is an outside chance Bedard doesn’t claim the 2024 Calder Trophy<\/a>, and the cause and effect is Brock Faber. Some thought Faber was on his way to capturing it as Bedard continued to sit out. However, it seems that lives in the land of ‘what if.’ Forget Bedard for a second. Faber is a 21-year-old, rookie defenceman, on a team that wasn’t great. Maybe if he had more pieces around him, things could’ve been different. He recorded 46 points on the season. Moreover, he plays an astonishing 25-minutes a night for the Minnesota Wild<\/a> defence. He’s not afraid to sacrifice his body, with his 150 blocked shots as a supporting argument. Even as a rookie, he is utilized in a defensive role, with a dSZ% of 53.4. He plays an aggressive style on both sides of the puck and takes advantage of his offensive opportunities as seen in his point total. Faber will threat on the backend for the Wild for year’s to come and his NHL Freshman season has been a treat to watch.<\/p>\n