2023-24 Calder Memorial Trophy finalists: Connor Bedard, Brock Faber, Luke Hughes

[CallMeShaft]

I mean, Bedard was really good as well. I just feel like Faber was better.

I feel Bedard was better.

So like, do we fight to the death to settle this or something?

 

[Nemesis Prime]

Rookie of the year nominee with a -44.

Generational +/-.

 

[State of Hockey]

The only real question with the finalist announcement is if Hughes would be the 3rd place finisher. The dropoff between 1, 2, and 3 was sizable this year. It's from 3rd and beyond that was very close.

Bedard will be a deserving winner, but it's an uphill climb for a defenseman to win when people just think about it like the rookie Art Ross.

Defensemen have won 3 of the past 9 awards. Yes, uphill, but there was nothing stopping Faber from playing better than he did and snatching an award that was available with Bedard's injury. He had everything going for him (far superior team, Bedard's missing games) to pull off the upset.

 

[Felidae]

Kotchetkov should have been a nominee and arguably winner. He was one of the better starting goaltenders in the league this season, probably top 20-15 in his position. He carried the goaltending load hard with Anderson out the majority of the season, the other backups were horrendous and bottom of the league statistically. (Raanta had the worst sv% of goalies that played at least 20 games)

stats (min 20 games)
-16th in sv% (0.911)
-8th in SO (4)
-37th in goals saved above expected per 60
-12th in high danger unblocked shot attempt sv%
-5th in xhigh danger unblocked shot attempt sv% (x is expected)

 

[sabremike]

I hope when the full results come out that Zach Benson got a decent amount of place votes. Despite being the second youngest player in the league he was among our best most complete forwards but I think he will be a victim of voters just glancing at points. The way he played made him stand out like a sore thumb on our poorly coached roster of one way forwards.

 

[Lapa]

I feel Bedard was better.

So like, do we fight to the death to settle this or something?

A duel sounds good

 

[MuckOG]

Defensemen have won 3 of the past 9 awards. Yes, uphill, but there was nothing stopping Faber from playing better than he did and snatching an award that was available with Bedard's injury. He had everything going for him (far superior team, Bedard's missing games) to pull off the upset.

Nothing except a couple of broken ribs.

 

[TLEH]

Both Bedard and Faber tailed off at the end of the year.

 

[Artorius Horus T]

2010 : RD Tyler Meyers won Calder, finished 3rd in rookie points (about 10 fewer points)
2009 : G Steven Mason won over Stamkos 23 goals, almost 50 points
2004 : G Andrew Raycroft won
2003 : RD Barrett Jackman won (190 pim, +23)

 

[The Crypto Guy]

the people saying Hughes is only on here because of his last name are the same people discrediting him defensively…. Because of his last name

Or, i don’t know, they watched him play? You can even take your pick and look at any gdt on the devils board the second half of the season, they were all over how bad he was defensively.

 

[My3Sons]

Luke was brutal, but I guess he has the right last name.

Look who showed up in a thread having nothing to do with the Rangers to crap on a NJ player. What a surprise. Usually you are so even handed and it’s not like you at all to show up over and over in threads having nothing to do with the Rangers to just crap on NJ and its players.

 

[Jersey Fresh]

Or, i don’t know, they watched him play? You can even take your pick and look at any gdt on the devils board the second half of the season, they were all over how bad he was defensively.

Speaking of not watching him play lol. You are so predictable it’s boring, pathetic, and hilarious at the same time.

Love that you openly admit your obsession by trawling GDTs though, even if you’ve managed to still completely get it wrong.

 

[Skinnyjimmy08]

It's gonna be Bedards trophy very easily.

I know alot of people hope someone else will win it but it's not gonna happen.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

Defensemen have won 3 of the past 9 awards. Yes, uphill, but there was nothing stopping Faber from playing better than he did and snatching an award that was available with Bedard's injury. He had everything going for him (far superior team, Bedard's missing games) to pull off the upset.

Possibly 2 months of broken ribs, but I've never had them so I can't really comment on whatever limitations they might bring.

 

[CanesUltimate11]

We'll see the voting breakdown after its awarded. It's possible that Kochetkov wasn't that far behind. Sometimes we overreact like there's this cavernous difference between 3rd and 4th. Dahlin/Heiskanen were relatively close 3rd/4th in 2019, ditto Keller/Connor in 2018.

Albeit we usually see some funky votes among the writers (somebody gave Josh Harding a vote when he was still eligible for Calder the following year) and I wonder if some of them pushed Kochetkov down simply because he almost hit the Calder GP cap last year.

Playing for the Canes probably also hurts him a bit given lots of writers may look at that and say "of course his stats looks good he's got one of best D's in the league in front of him" not realizing for the second half of the season PK was a big reason why the D looked that much better.

 

[The Crypto Guy]

Speaking of not watching him play lol. You are so predictable it’s boring, pathetic, and hilarious at the same time.

Love that you openly admit your obsession by trawling GDTs though, even if you’ve managed to still completely get it wrong.

Literally nobody has even come in to say “no luke is good defensively!”

Why is that, think hard.

And i’m not sure him being on the ice 22 times when the goalie is pulled and the other team scores is something to brag about. The point of pulling your goalie is to score in the other net.

 

[LudwigVonKarlsson]

They paid attention and saw Bedard outscore Faber by a fair margin in 14 less games, even while playing with AHL bums all year.

Bedard is a generational forward who plays in an inflated scoring era. He should score more than a rookie defenseman who prioritizes defense while also playing on a mediocre team.

 

[Jersey Fresh]

Literally nobody has even come in to say “no luke is good defensively!”

Why is that, think hard.

And i’m not sure him being on the ice 22 times when the goalie is pulled and the other team scores is something to brag about. The point of pulling your goalie is to score in the other net.

Pure comedy. Notice you’ve provided exactly zero supporting evidence of any kind, just incessant general whining. He more than held his own defensively at even strength as a rookie defenseman, as attested by him being a -4 on a team with a -17 even strength goal differential while playing 21:30 a night.

You crying about him because he’s a Devil and trying to wishcast a reality that doesn’t exist won’t make it true.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

I don't think Hughes is bad defensively. If there anything that separates them, IMO, it would be Faber's role and ES production.

 

[dirtydanglez]

Good ol "Canadian boy" syndrome.


people need to stop acting so shamefully and just admit that Faber and Bedard are close. To say Bedard AINC or anything like that is being dishonest.

did a canadian kick your dog or something.

 

[Hawkaholic]

Bedard is a generational forward who plays in an inflated scoring era. He should score more than a rookie defenseman who prioritizes defense while also playing on a mediocre team.

And he did, by quite a bit, in quite a few less games.

 

[Hawkaholic]

47 -1 16 pp point damn. Vs. 61 -44 21 pp point forward, those stats are extremely comparable.

No one cares about +/-, especially when you play on one of the worst teams of the cap era.

You left out Bedard played 14 less games.

Wasn't one of these guys on defense?

Yeah, one of the guys also got to play with Kaprizov, Eriksson Ek, Boldy, while the other played with a guy with a career high of 25pts, and another guy who was healthy scratched in the playoffs last year.

 

[RANDOMH3RO]

Luke Hughes is the last Hughes brother to enter the NHL, and he’s criticized unfairly just like his brothers were. Why do people insist on being proven wrong a third time? Had a great rookie year, lead a team in ice time after they went without 3 vets they had last year on the blue line. Provided a couple of my favourite moments from this season with the bow and the end to end rush goal against the jackets to tie the game in the final minute. Dude can fly up the ice with the best of them.

 

[SmytheKing]

Speaking of not watching him play lol. You are so predictable it’s boring, pathetic, and hilarious at the same time.

Love that you openly admit your obsession by trawling GDTs though, even if you’ve managed to still completely get it wrong.

I don't know what other players numbers regarding empty net goals are, but isn't that a wild stat? Being on the ice for 22 ENG in a single season? That seems like a lot for a team to give up in a year no?

Oh, there it is. The Devils gave up the most this year by a decent margin. Did they pull their goalie earlier than most teams or just one of those years where it's an outlier?

By the way, not a knock on Hughes at all. I haven't seen him play a game so I have no knowledge of his defensive acumen in the slightest.

 

[robertmac43]

Bedard imo.

Faber was unreal though.