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Posted: Wednesday October 31, 2001 5:02 PM
Updated: Wednesday November 28, 2001 6:31 PM
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With the 2001-02 NHL season two months old, CNNSI.com takes a look at the rookies with a shot to win the Calder Memorial Trophy.
(All stats through Nov. 27.)
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 He's leading all rookies in points and continues to impress with his leadership and toughness. The Thrashers top line continues to look for the right center for Heatley and Kovalchuk, and may have found it in Pascal Rheaume. Heatley has six points in six games with Rheaume.
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Handicap: Coaches dream of a kid like this. Last month we said he may lack the flash to win the Calder ... well, scratch that. He's our front-runner.
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He has only four points in his last 12 games, but continues to be rugged and he boasts a positive plus-minus. While Detroit runs away with the Central Division, the Blackhawks are quietly creeping back toward the playoffs for the first time since 1997.
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Handicap: He's a lot like Heatley. So will voters like Heatley's superior numbers or Bell's overall team success? |
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 He still appears to be the among the most skilled rookies, although his numbers have tailed off considerably, especially his plus-minus. He has only one goal since Oct. 31.
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Handicap: With Florida playing as poorly as it is, Huselius will need outstanding numbers to win the Calder ... and he's falling well off the pace.
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 He continues to score goals -- and is even racking up some assists now, too -- despite the horrid overall play of the Thrashers. Like countrymen Pavel Bure and Alexei Yashin, Kovalchuk is showing he can get fans out of their seats, but his defensive lapses are glaring.
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Handicap: Like we said last month: If he scores 50 (he's on pace for 37), it'll be hard to argue against him. |
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We left him off our first edition and he showed us. But, c'mon, who was paying attention to anything in Phoenix besides the Diamondbacks? He just might have the most well-rounded numbers of any rookie. Good goals, good assists, good PIMs and an outstanding plus-10. Of course, this is a guy who scored 110 points in 58 games for the Calgary Royals in 1998-99, followed by 82 points in 83 games over two seasons at Boston College.
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Handicap: We still couldn't pick him out of a police lineup, so we'll urge the Gretzky media machine to go to work for him.
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Does it bother anybody that all of his points continue to come on the power play? Not us. San Jose is doing the right things with its young defensemen and Jillson could be a part of big things someday. He's a plus-4 since our last update.
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Handicap: This year, it'll be real tough for a defenseman to win the Calder, so let's just keep appreciating the little things he does.
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Could be the sentimental pick for all those forgotten draft picks out there. Erat was a 12th-round choice, 191st overall, back in 1999. He has averaged over a point per game everywhere he's played, including a spectacular 15-goal, 21-assist performance in 22 games en route to a Memorial Cup championship with Red Deer last season.
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Handicap: The anonymous nature of hockey in Nashville will virtually kill his chances of winning the Calder, but we'll keep you in the loop about him.
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