Read: Why Chris Kreider Will Win The Calder Trophy
At Backhand Shelf, Justin Bourne writes that Chris Kreider will win the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year this season and lists five reasons why.
Bourne writes that the chance Kreider will have to play on a line with players such as Derek Stepan, Rick Nash, Ryan Callahan, Brad Richards and, when he returns from injury, Marian Gaborik.
He also praises Kreider’s size as a 6-3, 230lb player who is willing to go into the tough areas to score. He adds that “It doesn’t hurt that Kreider’s release is deadly once he gets there.”
For the most part Bourne thinks that Kreider will win the award because of the amount of defensemen taken high in this years draft compared to the amount of scorers.
Since the lockout, the Calder Trophy winner has scored:
| Year | Player | Age | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11-12 | Gabriel Landeskig | 19 | 22 goals and 30 assists |
| 10-11 | Jeff Skinner | 18 | 31 goals and 32 assists |
| 09-10 | Tyler Myers | 19 | 11 goals and 37 assists |
| 08-09 | Steve Mason | 20 | Goalie |
| 07-08 | Patrick Kane | 19 | 21 goals and 51 assists |
| 06-07 | Evgeni Malkin | 20 | 33 goals and 52 assists |
| 05-06 | Alex Ovechkin | 20 | 52 goals and 54 assists |
The last non-goalie to win the award over the age of 21 was Chris Drury in 1999 with 20 goals and 24 assists.
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