2023-24 Calder Trophy: The NHL’s top 20 rookie candidates

Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

Feast your eyes, hockey fans: this has the potential to be one of the best rookie classes in NHL history.

Led by Connor Bedard, the 2023-24 NHL freshman crop deserves the hype. There’s typically a few runaway favorites, and assuming he stays healthy, it’s Bedard’s year to lose. But just going through some of the other names, like Logan Cooley, Adam Fantilli, Luke Hughes, David Jiricek, you name it, you can tell it’s a special year.

Look back to 2005-06. Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin, Henrik Lundqvist, Brent Seabrook, Ryan Suter and Jeff Carter were just a few of the names that have gone on to have incredible careers with many Stanley Cups between them. In 2015-16, we had Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel, Artemin Panarin, Dylan Larkin, Andrei Vasilevskiy, Connor Hellebuyck, Linus Ullmark, John Gibson, Sam Reinhart, Nikolaj Ehlers and so many more.

So, it seems like every time we get one of these “generational” players (Crosby, Ovechkin, McDavid), the rest of the class stands tall on its own. And that’s not going to be any different in 2023-24.

With prospect tournaments about to kick off, here’s a look at 20 of the top rookies to watch in the fight for the Calder Trophy:

1. Connor Bedard, C (Chicago Blackhawks)

You know, being a generational talent doesn’t ensure the Calder. McDavid ultimately lost out to Panarin in 2016 after a broken collarbone stunted McDavid’s season. But if he stays healthy, it’s hard to not see Bedard skating away with this one. He’s the cornerstone of the Blackhawks lineup, a team that needs all the scoring help it can get. That’ll give No. 98 ample opportunities to earn ice time, even as an 18-year-old. The sky’s the limit here.

2. Logan Cooley, C (Arizona Coyotes)

Could Cooley become the Arizona Coyotes’ best player ever? Yeah, it’s probably too early to be thinking about it, but there’s so much hype surrounding Cooley’s play. The runner-up for the NCAA’s Hobey Baker Award as best male collegiate player, Cooley had an exceptional rookie campaign with 60 points – good for second behind Fantilli. The emergence of Barrett Hayton last year could keep Cooley off of the top line in Arizona, but it’s only a matter of time until the Pittsburgh native is running the show.

*Luke and Jack Hughes (Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports)*

3. Luke Hughes, D (New Jersey Devils)

The Devils already have a great lineup, and Hughes only makes them better. His short NHL stint at the end of 2022-23 gave fans many reasons to smile, especially after putting up 48 points in 39 games as a college freshman. The 2023 USA world junior captain is a high-risk, high-reward player with the way he rushes the puck and creates chances. But more often than not, it works out. Luke will get extra attention given his family connection, but he is a very strong candidate to finish as a finalist this year.

4. Adam Fantilli, C (Columbus Blue Jackets)

After one of the best college freshman seasons in NCAA history, Fantilli is ready to unload his dominant scoring prowess on NHL goaltenders. Drafted third overall in 2023, Fantilli won the Hobey Baker as the best men’s NCAA player last year and also won gold at the world juniors and World Championship. The Toronto native is dominant on the puck, so much so that many scouts think he’d go No. 1 in most other drafts. Could we see a line of Fantilli, Kent Johnson and Kirill Marchenko? That’ll be downright dangerous.

5. Devon Levi, G (Buffalo Sabres)

Levi isn’t guaranteed to get the bulk of the starts for Buffalo, but it’s hard to envision a scenario where he isn’t the starter come April. One of the best goaltending prospects in the game today, Levi went 5-2-0 in Buffalo’s late-season pursuit of a playoff spot. It didn’t pay off, but Levi showed in that short span why he’s so highly regarded. The Northeastern University standout is undersized at six-foot, but it hasn’t been an issue just yet. As it stands, the team still has Eric Comrie, and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is coming off a solid year. But Levi is the man to watch.

*Matthew Knies (Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports)*

6. Matthew Knies, LW (Toronto Maple Leafs)

There was a ton of hype surrounding Knies’ arrival last year, and it was well-deserved. The University of Minnesota alum had 21 goals and 42 points in 40 NCAA games last year, making him a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award. He got into some NHL action to close the year out, showing his trademark skill/physicality combo. A strong defensive player, Knies should be a long-term top-six threat for this group.

7. David Jiricek, D (Columbus Blue Jackets)

Columbus’ blueline will be a bit crowded this year, especially with the return of Zach Werenski and the additions of Damon Severson and Ivan Provorov. So ice time will be hard to come by for Jiricek, even if he deserves a shot. Jiricek looked like a creature among mortals last year, showing very few signs of weakness in his first season in North America. Jiricek put up an impressive 38 points in 55 games with Cleveland to lead all U-20 defensemen. The Blue Jackets are building something notable here, and Jiricek will be a huge part of the surge.

8. Leo Carlsson, C (Anaheim Ducks)

Taken second overall by the Ducks earlier this summer, Carlsson is one with so much intrigue. The 6-foot-3 center is a difficult player to contain, and after an impressive season playing against men between Orebro and Sweden at the IIHF’s World Championship, it’ll be interesting to see what happens with Carlsson this coming year. He can clearly hang with quality talent, and he’ll be a popular figure in Anaheim. With Trevor Zegras and Mason McTavish manning the middle, ice time might be tough to come by right away for Carlsson.

9. Simon Nemec, D (New Jersey Devils)

It’s easy to overlook Nemec given Hughes’ fantastic play. It’s crazy to think Nemec is the second-best defensive prospect on the Devils when he’d be the top prospect for more than half the league. The young Slovakian has spent the past few years playing against men, and while the AHL is a big jump from his native game in Slovakia, it didn’t seem to bother Nemec. The Devils have a good defensive crop, especially with Hughes moving up, but Nemec is ready to become a star.

*Luke Evangelista (Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports)*

10. Luke Evangelista, RW (Nashville Predators)

It’s only a matter of time until Evangelista – a dominant scorer at the U-16 and junior levels – makes his mark in the NHL. After posting some of the best numbers of any U-22 player in the AHL, Evangelista was called up in late February and now has 15 points in 24 games. He was an excellent addition to the team’s top six, one that needed some extra scoring in the wake of injuries to Filip Forsberg, Ryan Johansen and Matt Duchene. And while scoring at lower levels is one thing, it’s notable when it happens at various levels and then carries over to the next step. Look for Evangelista to slot into Nashville’s top six.

11. Simon Edvinsson, D (Detroit Red Wings)

After an excellent season in the SHL, the team could have rushed Edvinsson to the NHL for 2022-23. But they didn’t. They let him simmer with the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins, where he was one of the best players on a weak team. He had some solid moments down the stretch with the Red Wings, showing he was ready for a much bigger workload in 2023-24. Along with Seider, Edvinsson looks to be a huge piece of Detroit’s future. And that’s also literal, given he’s 6-foot-6.

12. Olen Zellweger, D (Anaheim Ducks)

The top defenseman in the WHL last year, Zellweger capped off his junior career with 32 goals and 80 points – incredible numbers for a defenseman. The offensively minded defender can run a power play, moves at a high speed and can generate plays under pressure. The Ducks have a veteran-heavy lineup, but it’s still a bottom-tier group. That’ll give Zellweger a chance to fend off the wolves immediately, which might not be a bad thing for his development.

13. Joel Hofer, G (St. Louis Blues)

The Calder Trophy race is rarely kind to goaltenders, but Hofer will have a good chance to earn some significant playing time this year. Thomas Greiss is gone, so Hofer should be promoted to full-time NHL duty for the first time. He looked great in a small stint last year, leaving some to wonder if he could take the No. 1 duties away from Jordan Binnington. Given Hofer’s quality of work the past two years in the AHL, it’s entirely possible. At the minimum, 30 games seems likely.

14. Brandt Clarke, D (Los Angeles Kings)

No defenseman on the planet was as dominant as Clarke once he went back to junior. Clarke started the season with the Kings before landing in Ontario on a conditioning stint. He then won gold with Canada at the world juniors before heading back to Barrie, where he scored 23 goals and 61 points in just 31 games. Add in another 23 playoff points and it was just ridiculous how good Clarke was. That being said, finding a spot on Los Angeles’ roster early on could prove difficult. There’s no shortage of competition, including from fellow youngster Jordan Spence.

*Logan Stankoven (Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports)*

15. Logan Stankoven, C (Dallas Stars)

One of the most dominant junior players over the past two years, Stankoven is ready for the spotlight now. He led the WHL in playoff scoring with 30 points in 14 games and was on the Memorial Cup all-star team with another nine points with Kamloops. Mix in a pair of gold medals with Canada at the world juniors, as well as the CHL’s player of the year award in 2022, and Stankoven has been an unstoppable force since the Stars selected him in the second round in 2021. Stankoven seems one of the few that could have little issue overcoming a 5-foot-8 frame.

16. Marco Rossi, C (Minnesota Wild)

Missing most of 2020-21 due to health problems attributed to COVID-19 didn’t help Rossi’s development. The high-scoring OHL star had to spend 2021-22 playing catch-up, but he put up great numbers in the AHL. He made the Wild out of camp in 2022 and looked ready to challenge for the Calder Trophy. Instead, he had just one assist in 19 games and was sent back to Iowa. The two-way center just missed the point-per-game mark with 51 in 53 games, but it was still significant progress. Hopefully, enough to justify him finally becoming an everyday player.

17. Tyson Foerster, RW (Philadelphia Flyers)

Foerster impressed the Flyers’ coaching staff in his eight-game run last year, scoring three goals and seven points. Foerster also had 20 goals and 48 points in his first full AHL season, helping him stay near the top of the Flyers’ prospect pool. The 21-year-old winger has an excellent shot and loves to put it on display; hopefully for the fanbase, that’ll be often this year. Given the Flyers’ weak roster this year, Foerster could be a darkhorse option.

*Matt Coronato (Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports)*

18. Matt Coronato, RW (Calgary Flames)

Last year was a season to remember for Coronato, who recorded his second consecutive 36-point campaign with Harvard. He then turned pro and made his NHL debut before finishing as one of USA’s top players at the IIHF World Hockey Championship. Coronato has done everything right leading up to this point and he’s set for his first season of NHL duty. With the potential for the Flames to move a few key pieces during the season, Coronato could earn his fair share of ice time.

19. Dustin Wolf, G (Calgary Flames)

Projecting workloads for goaltenders can be tough, and as it stands, Jacob Markstrom and Daniel Vladar are still hanging around. But Wolf deserves to be an NHL goaltender, no question about it. Wolf has won the top goaltender honors in both of his AHL seasons, giving him a nice four-year streak after winning the same award in the WHL before that. All Wolf does is win, proving that teams made a big mistake not selecting him before the seventh round in 2019. The talent is there, with the 22-year-old recording a mind-blowing 77-20-7 record with seven shutouts and a .927 save percentage over 105 AHL games.

20. Joseph Woll, G (Toronto Maple Leafs)

Even with Martin Jones signed, Woll still has the inside track for the backup role out of camp given he would have to clear waivers to go to the AHL. Backup may be too small of a goal anyway: many think Woll could even become the team’s starter by April. Woll won 16 AHL games in a row before eventually going on a five-game losing streak to close out the regular season. He also went 6-1-0 with a .932 save percentage while helping out Toronto in a pinch – which also included a vital Game 4 win for the Leafs to avoid a second-round sweep by Florida. He’s been excellent whenever he’s been with the Leafs, and after a few years of staying healthy, Woll is ready for the next step.

Other notables: Jake Pelletier, LW (Calgary Flames), Tye Kartier, LW (Seattle Kraken), Shane Wright, C (Seattle Kraken), Kevin Korchinski, D (Chicago Blackhawks), Lukas Dostal, G (Anaheim Ducks), Brock Faber, D (Minnesota Wild), Artus Silovs, G (Vancouver Canucks), Brennan Othmann, LW (New York Rangers), Pavel Mintyukov, D (Anaheim Ducks), Jiri Kulich, LW (Buffalo Sabres)

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