Cole Caufield, Spencer Knight, Highlight Early List of Calder Trophy Favourites: NHL Prop, Odds
The Calder Trophy is given to the best rookie during the regular season, as determined by the Professional Hockey Writer’s Association.
Cole Caufield is a +280 favourite to take home the award after being a big piece of Montreal’s run to the Stanley Cup Finals last spring. Spencer Knight is also a name to keep an eye on, as he bypassed Florida’s No. 1 and No. 2 goalies in their first-round playoff series and was the starter in the Panther’s final two playoff games last season.
Make sure to check out Sports Interaction’s NHL props, NHL futures and NHL games pages for a full list of odds.
Cole Caufield +221
Expectations are sky-high for Caufield after his playoff performance with the Canadiens last year, and most people think the Calder is his to lose. Caufield had a massive year in 2021. He won a gold medal with Team USA at the World Junior Championship, he took home the Hobey Baker Award to end his college career, and he scored 12 points (4G, 8A) in 20 playoff games with Montreal. This season should see Caufield slot somewhere in Montreal’s top-six and he’ll likely be on the top power-play unit, so he’ll have plenty of opportunities to score. If Caufield can get 20 goals and 40-50 points, it’s tough to see anyone else winning the Calder.
Trevor Zegras +465
Trevor Zegras just slides into Calder eligibility. Had he played two more games last season, he would be ineligible for the award. Zegras was a force for the gold medal-winning Americans at the 2021 World Juniors and he managed to put up 13 points (3G, 10A) in 24 games with the Anaheim Ducks. Anaheim has a weak roster, so Zegras should challenge for a first or second line centre role. Zegras is a playmaker who can generate his own offence and he’ll benefit from veteran Ryan Getzlaf picking up some of the more difficult matchups. It will say a lot for Zegras’ Calder case if he can finish near the top of the rookie scoring race, despite being on a weak Anaheim team.
Spencer Knight +800
Last season, Knight proved he’s the top goalie prospect in the NHL by earning the start in Florida’s last two playoff games. The Panthers clearly think Knight is not just ready for the NHL, but that he’s the goalie of the future. In the two most important games of the year, Florida elected to start Knight over their healthy $10 million goalie, Sergei Bobrovsky, and backup Chris Driedger. The Panthers look like they’re going to be a contender this season and if Knight can officially wrestle the starting job away from Bobrovsky and Florida is one of the top teams in the regular season, Knight will get the Calder.
Dark Horse Candidate
Bowen Byram (+2000) – Could a Colorado Avalanche defenceman take home the Calder for the second time in three years? Expectations were high for Bowen Byram heading into last season, but the former Vancouver Giants defenceman was limited to just 19 NHL games due to injuries. Byram is pencilled in on the second pairing in Colorado this year and the depth on the Avalanche roster should be a big benefit to his game. If Byram leans on 2020 Calder winner, Cale Makar, and plays to the level he did at the 2021 World Juniors with Team Canada, the Avalanche might have two Calder winners patrolling the blue line.
