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Chances are NHL fans will never again see the kind of rookie class that arrived in 2005-06. And that's a good thing actually because the freshmen that made their debuts that season were the fruits of two years worth of drafts, forced to come together as a result of the lockout.
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| Chicago phenom Patrick Kane lost his lock on the Calder Trophy. (Getty Images) |
Of course, circumstances and the subjectivity of the writers who vote means there will always those who might feel somewhat shafted, and this season will be no exception. For much of this season, 18-year-old Chicago Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane, the first overall draft pick last June, was generally considered to have the inside track for the rookie award, with only teammate Jonathan Toews given a chance to wrest the honor away from him.
But Toews injured his knee on New Year's Day and missed a full month to end his shot at winning. In the meantime, Washington Capitals rookie Nicklas Backstrom turned on the jets after a slow start and insinuated himself into what has essentially now become a two-man race.
Both Kane and Backstrom have put up the kind of numbers that jump out at voters, which makes it likely that one of them will be the league's top rookie, but there have several others at least worthy of consideration. Here's a look:
Carey Price, Montreal: The Canadiens saw him as their goalie of the future when the season began, but heading into the playoffs, Price's time has already arrived. Montreal traded away its No. 1 goalie at the deadline to give the job to Price, and it did so because his brilliant play has created enough confidence for the organization to believe he can him lead it to a long playoff run. That's no small accomplishment for a 20-year-old who plays the game's most pressure-packed position in its most pressure-packed environment.
Peter Mueller, Phoenix: The Coyotes will again fall short of making the playoffs, but they've made big strides under Wayne Gretzky in large part because of the play of young players like Mueller. The 19-year-old center from Bloomington, Minn., wasn't necessarily seen as being ready for the NHL when training camp began, but with 22 goals and more than 50 points, he has proved he belongs.
Matt Niskanen, Dallas: Defensemen are easy to overlook when it comes to top player awards because they don't usually put up eye-popping numbers, but Niskanen has been making a name for himself among those in the know thanks to his solid play in his own end. That has been crucial for the Stars, who suffered key injuries along their back line. Niskanen has stepped into the breach, playing more than 20 minutes a night, often against opponents' top forwards, and he has a plus-18 rating.
Sam Gagner, Edmonton: Actually, you can take your pick of a number of Oilers rookies like Andrew Cogliano, Kyle Brodziak and Tom Gilbert, all of whom have made impacts, especially lately as the team has miraculously climbed back into the playoff race. But Gagner, the youngest of the bunch at 18, is the leading scorer among them.
Tobias Enstrom, Atlanta: Not much has gone right for the Thrashers since they began play in 1999, but finding a gem like Enstrom in the eighth round of a draft would definitely qualify as a positive. He's not a very big defenseman, but he has a good offensive skill set and munches up big minutes on a team that needs someone to do that. Enstrom leads all first-year defensemen in scoring.
Milan Lucic, Boston: The big winger became a fan favorite in Boston on opening night by getting into a fight, and his willingness to drop the gloves has since earned him a reputation as one of the league's top heavyweights. That's only scratching the surface of what he can potentially bring. He hasn't scored much yet, but he did as a junior, and he's only 19.
Alexander Edler, Vancouver: Edler was an early-season call-up and quickly became one of the Canucks' top four defensemen. Injuries to others gave him his shot, but Edler has earned his keep and more than 20 minutes of ice time per game with strong play in his own end. He was a plus-18 earlier this season, although he's slipped a bit, but he has 20 points for a team that can't score.
Brandon Dubinsky, N.Y. Rangers: Youngsters and the Rangers haven't always been a very good mix, but Dubinsky has found a comfort zone with the team, and on its top line to boot. The Alaska native was a late second-round pick back in 2004, so it has taken him a while to get this far. But he has shown steady improvement since the second half of the season began playing between wingers Jaromir Jagr and Steve Avery, not to mention a gritty side to go along with some scoring touch
Josh Harding, Minnesota: Harding showed enough in brief trials over the past two seasons to allow the Wild to move Manny Fernandez. Harding has struggled in his past few outings, but so has Minnesota. But he has proved to be a reliable backup for Niklas Backstrom, and his save percentage and goals-against average are nothing to sneeze at.