It's hard to predict a winner for the rookie of the year before the season starts.
But, it's hard to ignore the rookies after today. Fleury and Staal, 1st and 2nd overall picks respectively, signed today.
Out of all the rookies this year, which ones have the best chance of winning the award this year?
Staal has been playing on the top lines with Carolina during preseason and seems to have responded real well. He seems to be physically ready to play in the NHL and is my early bet for the Calder.
Eric Stall has been on fire every since he started playing in the NHL...
I think he will get the calder cup this year if he keeps up what he's doing
GO HABS GO!!!!!!!!
Now, wait a minute... No disprespect to Staal, but he has played a grand total of, what, 6 PRE-season games?? Its' not like he has played a SINGLE regular season game vs. a real NHL roster yet....
If that's in reply to his naming Svatos...its certainly not likely but I wouldn't dismiss him so quickly.
Svatos has a nose for the net, a great shot, and a surprsing amount of grit for a small guy. While it remains to be seen how much ice time he (or Cody McCormack, one of the other four (wow, who saw that coming?) rookies to make the Avalanche opening night roster) - the Avs' have had a lot of previous success grooming their young forwards by allowing the to play with the established stars, and the Avs certainly have the firepower to do some creative line combos.
As for my odds on favorite - I'd pick either Sejna or Ruutu. Yeah, everbody is picking them among their choices, but there is a reason for that.
Not too much, I actually question Colorado's decsion to to let him play on a team where he would be lucky to get 8 to 10 min a game. You have Tanguay, kariya, Forsberg, Sakic, Hejduk, Selanne, all wanting close to 20 min per game.
It's a possibility. Of the two rookie forwards, I'd say Svatos is more likely to get sent down to Hershey in order to get big minutes in a scoring role. (Although this would be debatable because McCormick is the younger less experienced one).
But I certainly don't think its laughable to consider him a darkhorse. Injuries and trades happen and if Svatos starts out well, he could always make somebody (read: Tanguay) expendable or become a valuable chip himself. And there is nothing set in stone that says the Avs can only play their top guns with their other top guns. Svatos held his own in the pre-season on a line with Tanguay and Hejduk.
There are 20 guys more likely to win at this point, but he's worth a mention. Would you really be THAT surprised if the guy who won it wasn't even listed in this entire thread, even given all these 'homer' votes?
you can call it a homer pick now, but I don't think anyone will be calling it a homer in a few months, Alexander Semin. He showed great chemistry with Lang during the preseason and in camp and after reading everything that Caps fans have been posting about him, he has serious game breaking potential. He has a deadly wrister that he still hasn't started to use yet (all his points in the preseason came on assists) and great speed. Too weak and too European you say? Well after reading the reports of him picking himself right back up after getting smeared along the boards or pushing people back after they push him in the post whistle rough housing that occurs, I don't think you can argue that. Why don't you ask Todd Fedoruk how must of a tough litte pest Semin is. Semin came right up to him during a scrum and dropped him in retaliation for an earlier hit. This guy is the whole package. If he gets put with Lang and/or Jagr he has Calder potential written all over him.
Bruins defense is preety bad, he may post alot of wins but his GAA is going to be horrible.
if only things were so clear cut at the beginning of the season.
i think he'll do alright for himself and get some consideration, you just remember that jason
I'm going to pick Senja as the favorite and my darkhorse pick is Pavel Vorobiev. He's gritty like Ruutu but a bit more developed because of his age. Ruutu will be better in the long run but Vorobiev will be the best rookie in Chicago this year.
If Eric Staal plays on the first line for Carolina the entire season, he's probably going to put up some very nice numbers. I'd say he's my favorite.
Homer darkhorse pick: Ryan Miller. Though I don't think Miller will see a lot of time in Buffalo, he's been arguably the best goalie in camp and Regier has said they're willing to carry 3 goalies to keep Ryan up if he's earning the spot. Right now it looks like Miller has won a roster spot but with two cuts remaining that could change. Now I say him because I figure if he's in Buffalo most of the year that means he's probably been playing incredible (otherwise, he obviously wouldn't be in Buffalo), to the point to warrant Calder consideration. Follow? (I'm not sure I do)
