The Top 5 Calder Candidates for the 2024-25 NHL Season

The best part of the NHL season is always the new crop of rookies.

Apr 18, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard (98) in action against the Los Angeles Kings during the third period at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 18, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard (98) in action against the Los Angeles Kings during the third period at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports | Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
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Other Potential Winners

Will Smith

I will save you the sitcom, rap, Ali, and Chris Rock punching jokes and just point out that there are also several Will Smith's in the MLB.

This one, the fourth overall selection from 2023, is a hockey player.

This Will Smith played in the East Coast hockey league, just like his teammate Macklin Celebrini, and so I have no real way of comparing his stats to someone like Easton Cowan.

The scouting reports however say that he is going to be awesome.

Dobber calls him a two-way forward with defensive skills who can hit, but who also has elite offensive instincts.

He sounds like an awesome player, and might rack up the points if teams focus a bit harder on Celebrini, but I think he's a longshot to win the Calder, mostly due to having a way better teammate who is also in the running.

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