Race for the Calder

Honestly, from marketing (not hocket tradition) point of view, is Minnesota hot?

 

Compared to what?

 

Other NHL markets

 

I'd think so. The Mpls St Paul metro area has over 4 million television viewers. Larger than most NHL markets, and also has the highest hockey playing population in America with the 4th highest television ratings for any US-based team.

 

I'm not. Not at all. He's the best rookie this year by far and deserves to win the Calder. Panarin deserved it too. Kaprizov is far and away the best first-year player, and I've had the privelege of watching him make my team look like absolute idiots.

Absolutely, and he's doing it basically by himself. The next highest-scoring player for Minnesota is Jordan Greenway! I would guess that Kaprizov will be a consistent top ten scoring threat, especially if he ends up playing with guys like Boldy and Rossi.

 

I'm not saying Minnesota is not a big or traditional hockey market. What I'm trying to say is that Minnesota is not a "sexy" hockey market where players get more attention league wide that they should based on merit. And in this case it means Kaprizov is getting all the praise he deserves, and it's ridiculous to say other rookies are less talked about because the market they play in.

 

I'd take Fox over Hughes, but thankfully Makar is on my team so I don't have to.

 

For the record, I do think the Calder is Kaprizov's to lose at this point and nobody was saying that he's at the top specifically because of being in a "sexy" market, though that seems to be what you inferred.

The initial comparison you responded to was specifically Dallas and the lack of enthusiasm for the market being a factor in many folks not putting Robertson into consideration for the Calder, just as there were many who didn't even have Heiskanen on their ballots when he was a rookie.

That all being said, if you really think that Texas and Minnesota are held in the same regard when it comes to hockey markets, you're being disingenuous at best.

 

Norm green seemed to think it was a better market

 

Nah. Just more lenient sexual harassment laws.

 

On what i wrote early. Wasnt implying anything about Kaprizov not winning.

He wins the Calder comfortably , and deservidly. A great season.

The annoyance i have is people are naming 4 to 5 other names as finalists before they talk about Robertson.

To me Jason Robertson is a clear finalist thus year should he maintain his current play. Lankinen the other finalist.

Kaprizov has been amazing this year, deserves the credit. But Jason Robertson is 2nd in pts among rookies. And has a similair ppg to Kaprizov (0.86ppg for Kap vs 0.8 for JRob...next best fwd is 0.63)

If you factor TOI Kaprizov has played 185 more minutes to Robertson for his 7 extra points.

Kaprizov averages 2.81 pts per 60 min played
Robertson averages 3.03 pts per 60 min played.

My main point here is i agree with all the Kap praise, to me a clear winner. But as good as he has been, Robertson has been playing just as well. Especially the last 20 games where Robertson leads all rookies in scoring...so why osnt Robertson considered by many at least a likely finalist (and not 6th or 7th in voting like some have suggested)

 

Ty Smith made Sami Vatanen post good advanced stats today. Hand him the Calder yesterday

 

If he finishes on pace for more than 50 points over an 82 game schedule I think he’ll get it

 

I mean Lundell is going to have 106 pro games and up to 3 years on his competition...maybe even more (if they decide to move him to the AHL first).

Malkin had 3 years in a pro league

Ovie had 4 years in a pro league

Be honest; it isn't the years he has had in a pro league. Games I can kind of understand, but it's the age thing.

 

I was honest, exactly as I said it. Years in a pro league, playing against men, 5 years older.

 

There's not enough Alex Nedeljkovic in this thread

Record: 8-4
Save %: .924
GAA: 2.12

 

Lundell, Malkin and Ovechkin all have pro-experience.

 

I thought the same thing earlier for Jake Oettinger, putting up stellar numbers but with a limited sample size.

Unless Nedeljkovic can somehow reach 30 games or at least a larger sample size than what he sits at currently, I don't think he'll get as much consideration regardless of how solid his numbers are.

Kahkonen at 18 games, Oettinger's at 19 now, Lankinen at 27, I think Nedeljkovic has to get at least to the mid-20's before he's more of a threat to Kaprizov, because 14 games just isn't enough to make a dent.

 

That wonderful. I'm not talking about any of them. If I were, I'd be offering my opinion on them accordingly.

 

Seems a tad ridiculous to not then offer the same opinion to all of them accordingly.

 

Of course you're not talking about them, because if you did your entire argument would be destroyed. Instead of "Makarov 2.0", why didn't you say "Ovechkin 2.0" or "Malkin 2.0?" Both of them had multiple years of pro hockey playing against men 5 years older also.

 

Jesus Christ... there's nothing "ridiculous" about not talking about guys that were rookies 15 years ago. Should we talk about Makarov too? I don't think anyone who has played more than 50 games in any pro league should be eligible for ROTY. Happy?

 

Because this isn't a thread about either of them? Not too hard to understand. I brought up Makarov because they actually changed the rule because of him. IN MY OPINION, they didn't go far enough. If you don't like that I have this opinion, maybe you should be the one calling your congressman.

 

You did bring him up....but its worth noting that Sakarov was 31 years old. It's a stretch to equate him with Kaprizov who is 23 years old, is it not? Especially when there are many examples that are better suited, such as Panarin who was 24 years old..

 

So Lundell is ineligible?