Calder Chasing: Seven NHL rookies thriving early in 2022-23
The Calder Trophy race was wide open from the get-go, and nothing has changed.
Matty Beniers as the most popular pick for the prestigious trophy. He had a strong end to the 2021-22 season with Seattle and was set to play a big role for the club in its second year. He’s lived up to expectations early on and should remain a true contender for the top rookie award until the very end.
But in came Ottawa’s Shane Pinto, who stole the NHL’s rookie of the month title for October. After missing nearly all of 2021-22, he has become a leader for one of the league’s youngest teams.
A week ago, we looked at five rookies off to slow starts this season. This time, we’re looking at seven near the top of the Calder Trophy race:
Matty Beniers, C (Seattle Kraken)
Beniers entered the Calder Trophy race as one of the favorites, and he’s living up to the hype so far. While Shane Wright has played just one game over the past two weeks, Beniers currently leads all rookies with five goals and nine points in 12 games. Beniers has mainly played with Jordan Eberle and Jaden Schwartz on Seattle’s second line, possessing three of the top five scoring slots on the Kraken. Beniers’ strong two-way play makes him valuable, and his ability to score and pass accurately has allowed him to step into the NHL and be effective immediately.
Shane Pinto, C (Ottawa Senators)
Pinto has cooled off a bit in the last few games, but he still won the NHL’s rookie of the month award for his play in October with six goals and seven points. Pinto started the season on the third line but has been promoted to the top trip with Brady Tkachuk and Drake Batherson since Josh Norris went down with a potentially season-ending shoulder injury. Pinto missed almost all of 2021-22 with a shoulder injury of his own, so his emergence in his first full season is a huge boost for a Senators team with big aspirations this year.
Calen Addison, D (Minnesota Wild)
Once one of the better prospects in the Pittsburgh Penguins organization, the team moved him to the Wild in 2020 with Alex Galchenyuk in exchange for a pick and Jason Zucker. Zucker is finally starting to find his groove in Pittsburgh, but the Wild might have won the trade based on the play of Addison. The 22-year-old has stepped into a top-four role with Minnesota putting up seven points in 11 games. He showed some flashes of offensive ability in a 15-game stint last year, but they’re now trusting him to lead the top power-play unit. As the Wild look to push the envelope in the playoffs this year, Addison could be a big piece moving forward.
Logan Thompson, G (Vegas Golden Knights)
After a tremendous end to the 2021-22 season, Thompson was thrust into the starters role in Vegas and has given the team some new hope. He has a 6-2-0 record through eight games with two shutouts and a .934 save percentage, putting him among the top goaltenders early on. In a perfect world, Robin Lehner would have been healthy and ready to go, but the fact that Thompson answered the call as effectively as he has could end up paying big dividends down the road.
Cole Perfetti, LW (Winnipeg Jets)
After missing the final months of the 2021-22 season, Perfetti returned the ice at full force and has seven points in 11 games to show for. Consistency has been a bit of an issue early on, but he’s been a solid addition to the team’s second line with Pierre-Luc Dubois and Blake Wheeler. Perfetti started out as more of a goal-focused forward but has really evolved his two-way game in recent years. Had Perfetti remained healthy, he would make a charge at the Calder last year. Now, all fresh and ready to go, he’s hoping to win the fight once and for all.
JJ Peterka, RW (Buffalo Sabres)
Owen Power has found his groove in recent games, but there’s been significant attention on Peterka all season long, and for good reason. While Jack Quinn has struggled to put points on the board, Peterka has rounded out Buffalo’s second line quite nicely and has three goals and seven points thus far. The Sabres are a young group with high expectations, especially with Power, Quinn, Dylan Cozens and Tage Thompson leading the next wave. So having Peterka looking so good so early in his pro career is a huge positive.
Matias Maccelli, C (Arizona Coyotes)
Being on a bottom feeder can be a beacon for opportunities, and Maccelli has figured that out. After a 23-game stint with the club last year, he’s up to seven assists in 10 games in a key offensive role. Maccelli had a fantastic AHL rookie season with Tuscon and that momentum has continued in his pursuit for the scoring lead in Arizona. The team doesn’t have many robust scoring options, and while Maccelli is still chasing his first goal of the season, he’s still finding a way to create chances and become an effective part of the lineup.