NHL Calder Trophy Betting Odds: Jacob Fowler, Gavin McKenna lead tight race

For the most part, the Calder Trophy is generally a one or two-horse race all season.

That’s not the case this year, as the Rookie of the Year award is a wide open field with plenty of contenders making their case after the first month of the season.

Just how wide open is this year’s competition? Well, the current Calder favourite, Jacob Fowler, didn’t even start the year in the NHL.

Let’s dig into the Calder race with the top-five favourites after the first month of the season.

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Jacob Fowler, MTL (+200)

Fowler started the year in AHL Laval, with Jakub Dobes and Samuel Montembeault splitting duties with the big team. However, Dobes has struggled this season and Montembeault went down early with an injury, leading to Fowler’s recall.

The 21-year-old has made the most of his opportunity, going 7-1-0 with a 1.84 goals-against average, .932 save percentage and two shutouts.

No position is tougher and more scrutinized than goaltending and Fowler is doing it at an elite level in the hockey-crazed market of Montreal. At this point, he’s a legitimate contender for not just the Calder, but also the Vezina Trophy.

Gavin McKenna, TOR (+250)

It was a lock Toronto’s Gavin McKenna would be the pre-season Calder favourite after he was selected first overall in June’s entry level draft. Through 16 games, McKenna remains a top Calder contender as he is second in rookie scoring with 11 points (5G, 6A).

However, McKenna is a bit streaky, going pointless in half his games. That comes down to head coach Jim Hiller not trusting McKenna in defensive situations or close games, so his ice time can be severely limited some nights.

It can also be looked at as a pro or con that McKenna plays on the third line and top power play unit. He’s collected five of his 11 points on the power play, so Calder voters may look negatively at his lack of five-on-five production.

Ivar Stenberg, SJS (+500)

San Jose’s Ivar Stenberg entered the year as a popular pick to upset McKenna for the Calder because of his experience playing pro in Sweden. The second overall pick in June’s draft has been fun to watch offensively and he sits fifth in rookie scoring with nine points (3G, 6A).

Stenberg’s biggest flaw is on the defensive side of the puck, which isn’t surprising for a 19-year-old playing his first season in North America.

I still see Stenberg as the best value pick for the Calder. He’s averaging over 16 minutes of ice time per game and his offensive production should only continue to climb as he’s stapled on the Sharks’ top line with Macklin Celebrini.

Cole Hutson, WSH (+700)

So far, Cole Hutson is the top scoring rookie defenceman in the NHL this season with eight points (4G, 4A). Perhaps Hutson’s start shouldn’t be surprising considering his brother Lane is already an established star with the Montreal Canadiens, who happened to win the Calder Trophy in his rookie season two years ago.

Playing on the third defence pairing and second power play unit in Washington, Hutson’s production isn’t at the level Matthew Schaefer was at in his Calder-winning season last year, but there’s still plenty of runway left.

Hutson is also averaging a rookie-high 19:04 of ice time per game, so clearly the Capitals trust him in multiple situations. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Hutson bumped up to the top power play unit at some point, which will only increase his offensive production.

James Hagens, BOS (+1000)

It’s honestly a little surprising to see Boston’s James Hagens this far down the Calder list as he leads all rookies in points (12) and goals (six). Centring the third line, Hagens is on pace for about 60 points, which would be the most by a Bruins rookie since Brad Boyes had 69 in 2005-06.

The offensive output is a nice surprise from Hagens because he’s primarily viewed as a responsible two-way forward. He’s been incredibly consistent through his first professional month, never going more than one game without a point.

While my best value pick remains Stenberg in San Jose, Hagens is a dark horse contender who you might want to grab now before the price shortens in another few weeks.