Calder Finalists: Kaprizov, Robertson, Nedeljkovic

[josra33]

Define "dynamic."

Faster, better stickhandler.

 

[57special]

If Robertson wins it over Kaprizov then the system is broken, IMO, but personally, I don't care. Like both players.

 

[Elysian]

Faster, better stickhandler.

That's a pretty narrow definition.

 

[Black Kevin]

I don't like Ned's eyebrows, therefore I don't like him. Being a Canes fan is a complex issue.

 

[thestonedkoala]

Still a pro league with quality players. It's not some beer league

No, but the translation from the KHL to the NHL is still a tough hill to climb, regardless of age or experience. I mean, for every Kaprizov there is Gusev, Barabanov, Lehtonen, Shipachyov...

Not to mention in the top 10 of points this year are guys like:

Teemu Hartikainen
Dmitrij Jaskin
Stephane Da Costa
Brian O'Neill
Markus Granlund

Those guys were all elite players in the NHL - right?

 

[josra33]

No, but the translation from the KHL to the NHL is still a tough hill to climb, regardless of age or experience. I mean, for every Kaprizov there is Gusev, Barabanov, Lehtonen, Shipachyov...

Not to mention in the top 10 of points this year are guys like:

Teemu Hartikainen
Dmitrij Jaskin
Stephane Da Costa
Brian O'Neill
Markus Granlund

Those guys were all elite players in the NHL - right?

Da Costa really takes me back.

 

[16thOverallSaveUs]

Except on the PP where 1/4 of his total points came from. Robertson had far better 5 on 5 stats that Kaprizov.

Kaprizov played with ppg+ level players on the powerplay?

 

[The Devilish Buffoon]

I think there’s a pretty clear top 2, then Ned by a hair over a few other guys, but these 3 are definitely the most deserving. Would have loved to see Norris sneak in as he really had a great season but hopefully he will be represented on the all-rookie team, which is probably a more realistic reflection of where he was amongst the group of rooks.

 

[elmaco]

Kaprizov

 

[Stickpucker]

No surprise Ned is here. He's on the third axis of transcendence right now. Alex Nedeljkovic moves in anti-planar reality (or prime-planar reality, shouts to my qmech nerds who really buy Frisch-Hayes.) While goalies like Thomas Greiss or Andrei Vasilevskiy see the game from an x and o perspective, Alex has vision of the omega and delta factors surrounding any given hockey event. There's a reason Alex was able to lead Martin Necas to the 2019 Calder Cup. Put simply, Nedeljkovic is visuospatial jazz. Think of Ornette Coleman or Buddy Rich, not Henrik Lundqvist or Tuukka Rask. The dorian stylings of a Eric Dolphy better describe Ned's game than a monotone listing-off of conventional goalie skills. Puck handles? When you're in constant tune with the precise Hz pitch of the ice like Nedeljkovic, English words like "good save" cannot encapsulate even a fractoid of the scientific and metaphysical majesty of Alex.

visuospatial jazz ....what a great nickname. dwarfs lame ones like "big rig"

 

[zizbuka]

I think Kaprizov wins pretty easily, he just had too much buzz. I also think they should lower the max age to 22. It's common for rookies to play between 18 & 20.

 

[Kshahdoo]

I think Kaprizov wins pretty easily, he just had too much buzz. I also think they should lower the max age to 22. It's common for rookies to play between 18 & 20.

So to make NCAA rookies uneligible?

 

[thestonedkoala]

I think Kaprizov wins pretty easily, he just had too much buzz. I also think they should lower the max age to 22. It's common for rookies to play between 18 & 20.

So block any NCAA guys and goalies. Okay. Why not just award it to the most recognizable Canadian player?

 

[Luck 6]

And so ends the Canucks streak of Calder candidates. Stupid Hoglander....

Haha all jokes aside, great rookie class this year.

 

[Unspecified]

Kaprizov played with ppg+ level players on the powerplay?

He scored 1/4 of all his points while having an extra attacker. 5 on 5 stats are a better measuring stick. Sorry to break it to you.

 

[16thOverallSaveUs]

He scored 1/4 of all his points while having an extra attacker. 5 on 5 stats are a better measuring stick. Sorry to break it to you.

Yeah, penalizing a player for being good on the powerplay seems weird to me. Sure, he got a lot of points on the powerplay, but he was still helping our team and scoring for us.

 

[GordieHoweHatTrick]

The KHL detractor is overblown. Kaprizov didn’t start the season all that hot, he got much better as the season went on because he acclimated to the North American game quick.

 

[57special]

The KHL detractor is overblown. Kaprizov didn’t start the season all that hot, he got much better as the season went on because he acclimated to the North American game quick.

He started out great in his 1st game, and kept it up for quite a while. there was a brief lull later on in the season, but Kap has looked like a 1st line difference maker from the moment he stepped into the NHL. The only thing limiting him was the quality of his linemates(i.e. Victor Rask, Nick Bjugstad), and other teams starting to play him exceptionally physically, though those that did so found out that he is really stout and won't back down.

 

[Regal]

He scored 1/4 of all his points while having an extra attacker. 5 on 5 stats are a better measuring stick. Sorry to break it to you.

A quarter of your points isn't a large number. Pretty much all the top scorers score at least that and McDavid and Draisaitl were over 35%. Kaprizov was tied with MacKinnon for 11th in 5v5 points with 34, 1 more than Robertson. Robertson played 4 fewer games and 66 fewer minutes at 5v5, but the difference is pretty much negligible. Robertson was 9th in the league in 5v5 P/60 at 2.83 while Kaprizov was 14th at 2.66. 5v5 points are in some ways more valuable because PP scoring can be more influenced by role and system, but it's also still valuable. Kaprizov ran the Wild PP, he wasn't a passenger, so ignoring it is foolish. A large PP disparity is more valuable than a small 5v5 one.

 

[ThatGuy22]

He scored 1/4 of all his points while having an extra attacker. 5 on 5 stats are a better measuring stick. Sorry to break it to you.

all high end players get 1/4th or more points on the PP. Mcdavid got 34% on the PP.

Maybe you should ask why wasn't Robertson better on the PP?

People talk about the .1 5v5 P/60 as a massive gap(despite much better linemates), then write off Kaprizovs 1.2 gap in powerplay P/60.

Maybe Robertson should have been better at the PP....

 

[Kcb12345]

all high end players get 1/4th or more points on the PP. Mcdavid got 34% on the PP.

Maybe you should ask why wasn't Robertson better on the PP?

People talk about the .1 5v5 P/60 as a massive gap(despite much better linemates), then write off Kaprizovs 1.2 gap in powerplay P/60.

Maybe Robertson should have been better at the PP....

Robertson didn't even get much PP time until later in the season cause the coaching staff tried to cram everyone (including 2 dmen??) on the first unit cause of injuries so he got left out. Later in the season he gets put on that unit and what do ya know, his PP production suddenly goes up. Literally made no sense why he wasn't on that unit until May. Just an odd coaching decision

 

[Kcb12345]

A quarter of your points isn't a large number. Pretty much all the top scorers score at least that and McDavid and Draisaitl were over 35%. Kaprizov was tied with MacKinnon for 11th in 5v5 points with 34, 1 more than Robertson. Robertson played 4 fewer games and 66 fewer minutes at 5v5, but the difference is pretty much negligible. Robertson was 9th in the league in 5v5 P/60 at 2.83 while Kaprizov was 14th at 2.66. 5v5 points are in some ways more valuable because PP scoring can be more influenced by role and system, but it's also still valuable. Kaprizov ran the Wild PP, he wasn't a passenger, so ignoring it is foolish. A large PP disparity is more valuable than a small 5v5 one.

Kaprizov ran the Wild's PP from the slot?

 

[ThatGuy22]

Kaprizov ran the Wild's PP from the slot?

Was the focus of the PP would be more accurate.

 

[Regal]

Kaprizov ran the Wild's PP from the slot?

Poor choice of words. The most important/dangerous player, not the PP QB. Or at least 1A with Fiala. If he was milking points on the PP, especially secondaries, off more talented players then his PP points would be less important.

 

[93gilmour93]

Good list but let’s be real. This trophy has been Kaprizov’s since mid season