Today is a sad day at NHL Hot Stove as we close up shop.

I would like to thank every one who has ever contributed, commented and read our site. It was a fantastic ride which unfortunately we can no longer keep up.

Myself and David Strehle are taking on bigger roles at RLDHockey.net while Dustin Leed and The Hockey Guys has been generous enough to give a home to our other excellent contributors. Please be kind enough to give both sites a read.

By David Strehle
NHL Hot Stove Managing Editor

It’s hard to imagine that throughout the storied 43-year history of the Philadelphia Flyers, there could actually be on-ice occurrences that could still be considered ‘firsts’.  The team has won two Stanley Cups, had numerous All-Star performers, even placing several in the hallowed walls of Hockey’s Hall of Fame.  The franchise has iced winners of the Vezina, Hart, and Conn Smythe Trophies.

Yet there have been three awards that have eluded their players – the Art Ross Trophy for the NHL’s leading scorer, the Calder Memorial Trophy for the Rookie-of-the-Year, and the Lady Byng Trophy, given out to the skater determined to have “exhibited the most sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct”.

The 44th edition of the Flyers could prove to be a very special one, indeed.  With the strong early-season play of Claude Giroux and two rookie forwards, Matt Read and Sean Couturier, the Flyers droughts with regards to all three awards could all come to an end this year.

Philly has had several close calls for the Art Ross – including Eric Lindros finishing the lockout-shortened 1994-95 season in a tie with Jaromir Jagr, but losing out because Jagr had scored three more goals, despite playing in two fewer games than the then-Pittsburgh Penguins superstar.

As the season nears the 20-game mark, Giroux appears to be a contender for the League’s top-scoring honors.  He has 23 points (11 G, 12 A) in the first 18 contests, which includes six multi-point efforts.  He’s tied for third in NHL scoring, just two points behind Toronto Maple Leafs’ forward Phil Kessel.

The 23-year-old native of Hearst, Ontario has accepted added responsibilities with the departures of team scoring leaders Jeff Carter and Mike Richards.  He’s leading all Philadelphia forwards in ice time, playing in every situation possible.  Giroux is the catalyst that drives the Flyers’ power play unit, and also one of their top penalty killing forwards.  His dynamic offensive skill set often presents scoring chances even when the team is shorthanded.

One of the keys to success for Giroux is he is shooting the puck much more than he has in the past.  During his second full NHL campaign last year, he registered career-highs in both shots on goal (169) and goals scored (25), both of which look to fall this season.  Giroux is on pace for in excess of 200 shots and 40+ goals.

If the Flyers played in the Southeast Division, Giroux might be a lock to head the NHL scoring list since he would get to play the Carolina Hurricanes more often.  In just two games against Carolina this year, he has torched the ‘Canes for two goals and seven points.

Another determining factor as to how well Giroux fares in the scoring race could be the health of Jagr, who suffered a “lower body injury” (believed to be a groin pull) early in the club’s game Thursday.  Giroux and the talented 39-year-old Czech have developed an uncanny chemistry, and have formed the Flyers’ most productive offensive line with Scott Hartnell on the left side.

As one of the most valuable members of the Flyers, Giroux may even be a year-end candidate for the Hart Memorial Trophy as League MVP – an award that hasn’t been won by a Flyer since Lindros took it home in the lockout year of ’94-’95.

There have been some serious Flyers’ challenges for the Calder – the names of Bill Barber (and where have you gone, Steve Vickers?), Ron Hextall (runner-up to deserved winner Luc Robitaille), Lindros (just so happened to be a rookie the same year Teemu Selanne electrified the NHL with a record-setting freshman season), and Mikael Renberg immediately come to mind.   From the current roster, goalie Sergei Bobrovsky was in early contention last season before his play fell off during the last half.

As many Philadelphia-area hockey fans already know, TSN hockey guru Bob McKenzie made a bold prediction in the preseason that Read would end up being the 2012 Calder winner via Twitter.  The call was made following a very impressive exhibition season from the 25-year-old, and he has done nothing in the regular season to quell McKenzie’s prognostication.  In fact, it would seem he has only strengthened his position.

Despite missing three games after taking a hard hit a couple of weeks ago, Read has come back with a vengeance.  He has notched four points in the four games since his return heading into today’s tilt with the Winnipeg Jets, including spectacular goals in each of the last three contests.

In Miami last Sunday, he scored a third period shorthanded goal on a penalty shot, which proved to be the eventual game-winner in a 3-2 win over the Panthers.

The next night in Carolina, his highlight-reel tally late in the third period – diving to swat home a pass while at full speed, which ended with him crashing violently into the end boards - provided the club with an insurance marker in a 5-3 victory over the Hurricanes.

Thursday night, his goal off of a Max Talbot rebound with just 18.6 seconds remaining in regulation time was the game-winner in a 2-1 triumph over the Phoenix Coyotes.  The Ilderton, Ontario-native was very modest afterwards in describing the goal.  ”Just being in the right spot at the right time, I guess,” he said with a wide smile and almost embarrassed laugh.

That’s three very important third period goals in the last three contests, with two being the game-winning markers.  Certainly a tremendous contribution from the Bemidji State University star, who shows his value game-in and game-out, playing in every conceivable situation – power play, penalty kill.  You name it.  If he can maintain his pace set with his 11 points 6 G, 5 A) in 15 games played thus far, Read could very well be considered Calder material.

While the goals Couturier has scored haven’t had quite the same dramatic impact on the ultimate outcome of games as Read’s, the same can be said for the versatility of the soft-spoken youngster, who doesn’t turn 19 until the first week of December.

With five goals and eight points in his first 18 contests, Couturier will likely be hard-pressed to garner strong Calder consideration.  But his work in the defensive end is extraordinary, and it was evident that he could play at this level from the earliest stages of training camp.  He was not only rewarded for a exceptional exhibition season play by making the opening night roster, he was given important ice time against the Bruins in the opening game in Boston by head coach Peter Laviolette.  Couturier saw significant time in the last five minutes while protecting a 2-1 lead, including during the last minute in the eventual win.

Already part of the top four penalty killing forwards along with Giroux, Read, and Talbot, Couturier has even been seeing some time on power play unit.

It would seem the Selke Trophy (NHL’s top defensive forward), which was last taken home by a Flyer 25 years ago (Dave Poulin), could also be something on the radar for the rookie when all is said and done.

After strenuously earning the monicker of the Broad Street Bullies in the early-70′s, the Lady Byng has never been a serious consideration for anyone donning the Orange-and-Black.  Our friends at Flyers Faithful have even incorporated the phrase “Waiting with bated breath for a Flyer to win the Lady Byng” in their site’s banner.

That wait could be over.

Both Couturier and Read play the game with a determined ferocity, yet do so in a respectful manner.  Each have picked up just a solitary minor penalty all season; Couturier’s being a tripping infraction in game number 17, and Read’s an interference call on October 15th.

If Philadelphia continues to be a leading team in the overall standings throughout the year and finish near the top of the heap, it stands to reason that all three players will have a great opportunity for postseason honors.  That generally is a major factor in the voting for such awards, especially the Hart and Lady Byng awards.

Could Giroux show the League some Hart?  How about Read for the Calder?  And could the unthinkable actually happen?  A Flyer, perhaps Couturier, capturing the Lady Byng?

It could be a special season, indeed.

If you have any comments or questions, you can email the author at dstrehle@nhlhotstove.com.  You can also follow him on Twitter – @David_Strehle

By Alexander Monaghan
President

Jhonas Enroth backstopped the Buffalo Sabres to yet another win tonight, shutting out the below-average Carolina Hurricanes offense. The rookie has now won seven of his 10 appearances, improving his already stellar 2.19 GAA and .926 SV% to 1.94 GAA and .935 SV%. Without those wins the Sabres most certainly would not be sitting atop the Northeast Division, they might not even be in the playoff picture. As of this writing he has only accounted for one of their seven team losses which makes his case for team MVP.

Furthermore, Enroth’s improved peripherals now place him in the top five in both goals against average and save percentage while only padding his stats with his one shutout. Only twice has the Stockholm, Sweden native allowed more than three goals with one coming in mop up duty as he relieved Ryan Miller following the infamous Milan Lucic collision. His talent is now being seen on a national level leading local media to speculate on his potential accolades. Bill Hoppe of the MSG Network, via Twitter, suggested that Enroth win the Calder Memorial Trophy. Sadly, he will not win such a prize.

It would take a relatively poor showing from this season’s rookie skaters for Enroth to win the Calder, or even become a finalist for that matter. Last season, the rookie crop produced three 30-goal scorers, four 20-goal scorers and a few other deserving defensemen and goalies. This season is no different with current first overall pick Ryan Nugent-Hopkins leading his team in scoring while Craig Smith, Luke Adam, Adam Henrique, Matt Read and Colin Greening all have made an impact on their team’s respective top lines.

By not nominating Corey Crawford, Michal Neuvirth, James Reimer or Sergei Bobrovsky as finalists, the voters set a big precedent for the standards of the trophy. Perhaps the fallen play of Steve Mason — the last rookie to take the Calder — plays a part. Perhaps the voters are taking into consideration the competition among starting goalies and their backups.

It’s no secret that there are more than 30 capable starting goalies in this League. Ray Emery was good enough to backstop the Anaheim Ducks to the playoffs last season but now plays second fiddle to the aforementioned Crawford. Cory Schneider, Jonathan Bernier and Enroth all are taking advantage of every opportunity given to them in order to get more starts. Playing solid between the pipes is no longer seen as a feat. Most teams simply need a capable netminder (See Sanford, Curtis) in order to stay competitive.

Such is the case with Enroth. In a similar situation to Crawford, Neuvirth and Bobrovsky he is currently backstopping a strong team, one capable and previously expected to succeed prior to his hostile takeover. With Miller in nets, they were contenders, Why would that change with a rookie with solid AHL numbers?

Nevertheless, Miller is sidelined indefinitely but probably gets back into a few more games this season. Despite his struggles with concussions over the past two years, coach Lindy Ruff continues to make it very clear that this job remains Miller’s to lose. Therefore, Enroth may not even make the case to compete to win the Calder, not that he would win it anyways. His best bet would be to go for the gold and remain in the top five which would automatically put him into Vezina Trophy consideration. The Vezina is clearly a more attainable goal for an ascending rookie netminder, right?

Regardless, stay tuned for the 23-year-old to get yet another start tomorrow night against the Phoenix Coyotes as he looks to win his third game in four starts and eighth win in nine starts while further decreasing his impressive counting stats.

By Alexander Monaghan
President

Yesterday, we let you in on our contest to play a ‘One Day FREE Fantasy Contest‘ to win $100 in cash prizes from Draft Steet. Well, I signed up, How about you?

Here’s my lineup, I challenge you to beat this roster:

LW: Zach Parise — $11,018
LW: Daniel Sedin — $14,799

RW: Bryan Little — $5,941
RW: Martin St. Louis — $13,081

C: Mark Letestu — $5,990
C: Valtteri Filppula — $6,118

D: Niklas Kronwall — $6,547
D: P.K. Subban — $7,817

G: Jonathan Quick — $20,665
G: Brian Gionta — $7,976

Do you have what it takes to defeat a fantasy hockey expert? CLICK HERE to sign up for free and register for NHL Hot Stove $100 Freeroll on DraftStreet.com. Entry is free of charge while you get a chance of earning $100. No brainer if you ask me…

If you haven’t heard, there is a new trend in the world of fantasy sports. Fantasy enthusiasts all over the country are now participating in daily fantasy leagues for cash on DraftStreet.com. We’ve partnered up with Draftstreet to do a FREE one-day fantasy league with $100 in prizes exclusively for NHL Hot Stove readers.

This is a salary cap league where everyone tries to assemble the best team out of the available players. You will have a $100,000 budget to build a team of 2 LW’s, 2 RW’s, 2 Center’s, 2 Defensive players, 1 Goalie, and a FLEX. Each NHL player has been allocated a price based on their expected fantasy performance. For example, star LW Alex Ovechkin costs $14,331 where as RW Jarome Iginla costs $12,256.

You can adjust your roster up until the contest start’s on Thursday 10/13 at 7:00pm ET at which time your rosters will lock and the Live Scoreboard will be available.

CLICK HERE to sign up for free and register for NHL Hot Stove $100 Freeroll on DraftStreet.com

A lot of the fans of the copper and blue started to pay attention to Ryan Nugent-Hopkins around the time of last summer’s draft, with surely only a few able to catch him on the ice playing for the Red Deer Rebels out of the WHL.  As a top pick fans had plenty to be excited about, but it can make even the most casual of fans nervous as to whether or not he can “hang” in the NHL.

Nugent-Hopkins got a chance to show off his flash during Oilers development camp as well as World Junior camp.  He has the speed and hands, but fans and media alike continue to wonder how his skill would translate into the NHL, especially surrounded by so many youthful players like himself.

Where is Nugent-Hopkins’ place in terms of a line?  No one will know until opening night, but there are plenty of potential different combinations.

Veteran leadership is something it seems everyone likes to stress when a rookie takes to the ice.  But when the most “veteran” player on the team is goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin, veteran leadership is almost out the window.

Lucky for Nugent-Hopkins is that Ryan Smyth is back on the roster in Edmonton, with 15 seasons under his belt - 10 of which came with the Oilers.  Even though he is five years short of age 40, Smyth can still put up good numbers.  In his last season with the Los Angeles Kings, he scored 23 goals and posted 47 points in 82 games.  As a young center, Nugent-Hopkins could get a lot of advice from Smyth if the two were to play on a line together, or even if they just join forces on the power play or penalty kill.

Nugent-Hopkins could help Smyth in racking up more goals this season, but likely where he could get the most done is centering a wonder line between Jordan Eberle and Hall.

Hall had a breakout rookie season, tallying 22 goals and recording 42 points in 65 games - an average .65 points per game.  To put that in perspective, Calder Trophy winner Skinner had .77 points per game, while Calder finalists Couture had .71 points per game, and Michael Grabner (who led rookies in goals with 34) had .68 points per game.  The season Hall had, which included both a hat trick and Gordie Howe hat trick, went seemingly unnoticed just because of the poor Oilers record.

A first-round pick (22nd overall) in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, Eberle had a successful rookie season.  The winger had 18 goals and 25 assists to finish with 43 points in 69 games.  Eberle could be depended on for a clutch goal, if not a fancy one as well.

Both rookies had abbreviated seasons due to injury and illness.  Eberle missed a handful of games with appendicitis, and Hall had his season cut short after sustaining a high ankle sprain in a fight.

The youngest on the line, Nugent-Hopkins could step in and turn either Eberle or Hall into at least a 30-goal scorer.  Prior to being drafted, Nugent-Hopkins finished his WHL season with an astonishing 106 points.  He had 31 goals and 75 assists, while also getting better at playing a two-way game.

A lot of different factors would go into the success of such a line.  The biggest factor would be Nugent-Hopkins’ transition into a league that is entirely new to him.  If he starts off the season poorly, it could bring the rest of the line down.

Another important factor would be the amount of hits the line can take.  Neither Hall nor Eberle are known for throwing big hits and Nugent-Hopkins was not known to scrap in juniors, either.  They would need to make sure that the defense on the ice with them would be there to protect them and at times, stand up for them if need be.

Nugent-Hopkins is unlikely to be the second coming of Wayne Gretzky, as much as some fans or media make him out to be.  But he certainly has the potential to do something great in Edmonton.

When Michael Grabner, or “Flash” as some of teammates have nicknamed him,  was claimed off Waivers by the New York Islanders there was no way for any to foresee what was ahead for the 23-year-old Austrian rookie. But since coming to Long Island Grabner has established himself as a serious contender for Rookie of the Year honors and has been a major part of the Islanders recent success.

Grabner was a gift from the hockey gods, being waived by the Florida Panthers before the season started and allowing the Islanders to pick him up. A fact that is not lost on Islanders forward Matt Moulson.

“I’m glad Florida sent him down and we picked him up, Moulson said after Friday morning’s practice. “He’s a tremendous player and he’s obviously the fastest guy in the league right now.”

Michael Grabner one on one with Jonathan Quick

While not much was know about Grabner, it has become abundantly clear that his speed is one of, if not, his best assets.  Grabner won fastest skater at the NHL All Star game in January and it’s that speed that Frans Nielson believes gives defenses the hardest time.

“Obviously, that’s what stands out, Nielson started off saying when Grabner’s speed was brought up. “He really uses that and you can see every teams defense has trouble with him when they try to skate with him. They can’t handle him.”

It’s that has helped Grabner break out with the Islanders. This season he has  25 goals for 36 points in 55 games. Not to mention he has six goals in his last five games and is recently coming off a six game scoring streak.

“Every single game it seems like he’s going to get three breakaways a game and five, six good chances,” Moulson said about Grabner. “When he’s putting pucks in the net it seems like the other guys feed off it.”

Grabner’s success on Long Island has not been lost on the rest of the NHL. Since the All Star break chatter about him as a Calder Trophy candidate and after his recent play he has permanently positioned himself in the Calder conversation.

However while everyone else is talking Calder, Grabner is just trying to play his game.

“I’m not trying to think about it too much. I’m just trying to go out there and help the team win, Grabner said after the Islanders 3-0 win over the Kings. “I don’t want to get away from my game. I just going to try and go out there and do the same thing every night.”

In the end Grabner has become this year’s break out Islander and is on pace for a 30 goal season.  If anything more should come of it that’s all Gravy, but he doesn’t seemed to worried.

“There are a lot of good young players in the league so whatever happens in the end happens.”

Christian Arnold
NHLHS New York Islanders Correspondent
Twitter:  @isleshockeyblog
Email: ChristianArn312@aol.com

by David Strehle
NHLHS Philadelphia Flyers Correspondent

There have been many fantastic first-year players to wear the Orange-and-Black throughout the storied history of the Philadelphia Flyers franchise, but none has ever taken home the Calder Trophy as the National Hockey League’s rookie-of-the-year.

It’s not like the Flyers haven’t had any freshmen deserving of the honor, they just seemed to lost out for one reason or another.

The History

In 1972-73, left winger Bill Barber scored 30 goals and 64 points, but lost out to New York Ranger Steve Vickers.  Vickers also tallied 30 times and had 53 points, but many believed that playing in the media hub of the Big Apple was what gave him the nod over Barber.

Goaltender Pete Peeters posted an amazing 29-5-5 record during the infamous 1979-80 campaign in which the team went 35 games without a loss, but just so happened to be in the same rookie class as future Hall-of-Fame defenseman Raymond Bourque, who won the Calder.

Center Dave Poulin scored 31 goals and racked up 76 points during the 1983-84 season, but the award instead went to 18-year-old Buffalo Sabres’ netminder Tom Barrasso.  Fresh out of high school, Barrasso had a 26-12-3 mark for the Sabres.

Goaltender Ron Hextall burst onto the NHL scene in the 1986-87 campaign, with his never before seen puck-handling abilities and combative style.  ”Hexy” had a 37-21-6 record, but the award went to Los Angeles Kings sniper Luc Robitaille, who scored 45 goals and 84 points.

In 1992-93 Eric Lindros, a much-ballyhooed phenom, scored 41 goals and 75 points – but the Calder rightfully went to Teemu Selanne of the Winnipeg Jets.  The “Finnish Flash” had a sensational season, setting league records with 76 goals and 132 points.

The very next season, right winger Mikael Renberg played on the “Legion of Doom” Line with Lindros and John LeClair and notched 38 goals and 82 points.  But Philadelphia’s division-rival New Jersey Devils iced a goaltender named Martin Brodeur, who posted a 27-11-8 mark during the 1993-94 season.

Noticing a pattern?  With the exception of Vickers, the player beating out the young Flyers’ Calder candidate is either already enshrined in the Hockey Hall-of-Fame, worthy of inclusion (Barrasso, who was inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall-of-Fame in 2009), or will be upon their retirement.

Enter “Bob”

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

At this season’s All-Star break, the Flyers have another worthy candidate, as goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky is right in the thick of the Calder Trophy hunt.  With a 21-6-3 record, a 2.42 goals-against average, and .920 save percentage, the 22-year-old Russian rookie netminder has to be considered one of the favorites to win the award.

Signed by Philadelphia to a three-year contract that will pay him $1.75 million annually in May of 2010, Bobrovsky had been on the Flyers’ radar for some time.

“Sergei is a kid that we knew about in his draft year“, said GM Paul Holmgren.  ”It came up last year, the opportunity to maybe sign him as a free agent.  One of our scouts looks at the KHL [Kontinental Hockey League] exclusively.  Sergei was stuck for the last couple of years playing for a not very good team, but his goals-against was good, his save percentage was good.  We watched some tape on him and decided to take the plunge.”

“Bob” took full advantage of incumbent Michael Leighton’s pre-season back injury in taking over the reigns as the club’s number one goalie to open the season.  He gained notoriety by beating the Penguins on opening night in Pittsburgh in the inaugural game at CONSOL Energy Center.  He proceeded to post a 5-2-0 record in October, but bigger things were yet to come.

Bobrovsky was named the NHL’s Rookie of the Month for November, as he registered a 7-1-2 mark, with a 2.03 goals-against average and .931 save percentage.  He started a stretch of 12 consecutive games as head coach Peter Laviolette stuck with his hot hand.

As the calendar flipped to December, the landscape of the crease area began to change in the City of Brotherly Love.  The level of Bobrovsky’s play dropped off a bit, and Laviolette went with backup Brian Boucher.  Boucher played very well and the Flyers were winning, so the coach went with the status quo.

Bobrovsky’s December was average, at best, as he was only able to post a 3-3-1 record.

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

After watching Boucher win the first three contests of January, Bobrovsky didn’t get back into game action until 1-11-11 in a road game against the Buffalo Sabres,  and things didn’t get off to a good start that night.

The Flyers came out flat-footed and Buffalo took full advantage.  They outshot Philadelphia 12-3 in the first nine minutes of the game and jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead .  But Bobrovsky got stronger as the night went along, and he wouldn’t allow another goal.  He outdueled Ryan Miller, stopping 38 of 40 Sabres’ shots in gaining the 5-2 victory.

That game seemed to be a turning point for Bobrovsky.  Including the Buffalo game, he has won his last six starts and has not yielded more than two goals in any one of them.  The streak also contains victories over the Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks, Washington Capitals, and Montreal Canadiens.

The rookie has looked very confident in net lately.  “The confidence is the most important thing for me so I can calm down and play to the best of my abilities and keep winning”, Bobrovsky said after Tuesday night’s win over Montreal.

When asked what the difference has been between the time of his slump in December and his hot play of late, Bobrovsky said he really didn’t know.  “I don’t have an explanation for my let down.  I don’t really know what happened for me to start playing better again.  I came out and played every game the same way.”

Whatever brought about the change, chances are it stems from his work with goaltending coach Jeff Reese.

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

Over the course of his 6-0-0 run in January, Bobrovsky’s goals-against average is a miniscule 1.83, and a .940 save percentage.

He may just be on pace to become the first Flyers Calder Trophy winner.

The Competition

His biggest competition over the last 30 games of the year will likely come from forwards Logan Couture of the San Jose Sharks and Carolina’s Jeff Skinner, with such dark horses as Taylor Hall of the Edmonton Oilers, Derek Stepan of the New York Rangers, and Buffalo’s Tyler Ennis.

The challenges from his fellow goaltenders will come from Chicago’s Corey Crawford and Washington’s Michal Neuvirth.

Barring any kind of move by the Flyers to acquire a veteran netminder for the stretch run, Bobrovsky should get the bulk of work in the final 30 games of the regular season.  And that should do nothing but help his chances to win the Calder Trophy.

The Irony

The irony of it all is that Philadelphia has not had the most-endearing relationship with Russians over the years.

Beginning with Bobby Clarke’s slash that broke Valeri Kharlamov’s ankle in the ’72 Canada vs. Russia Summit Series; continuing with the ’76 Soviet Red Army game at the Spectrum in which the Red Army players left the ice surface because of the rough play of the Flyers; and the stubbornness of the Philly brass to ice Russian players, the mix has not been a good one.

Until this season, that is, and it all began with the signing of Bobrovsky.

Add in Clarke’s refusal to acknowledge the crease area when building his Flyer teams over his long tenure as the club’s GM, and Bobrovsky appears to be the answer to quite a few Philly failures.

And with the good probability that the Flyers’ Calder drought could quickly become a thing of the past, so too could Philadelphia’s 36-year stretch of not winning the Stanley Cup.  All in the same season.

If so, it could be in large part due to the man they call “Bob”.

_______________________________________________

If you have any comments or questions, you can email the author at dstrehle@nhlhotstove.com.  You can also follow him on Twitter - @PhilaDAVEia.

Every year the excitement and anticipation start to heat up as final roster cuts are prepared by 30 organizations within the National Hockey League.

With that comes the added thrill of witnessing new talents arrive on the ice. Last season was remarkable, especially when discussing the youth of the game.  John Tavares of the New York Islanders, James van Reimsdyk of the Philadelphia Flyers, Matt Duchene of the Colorado Avalanche, Jimmy Howard of the Detroit Red Wings, Niclas Bergfors of the Atlanta Thrashers and Jamie Benn of the Dallas Stars all earned themselves a chance to become a part of a future as well as hopefully avoiding a sophomore slump.  And with all that great talent on board in the NHL, there was one other player, last years Calder trophy recipient, Tyler Myers of the Buffalo Sabres.

Myers was able to beat out some fantastic performances and was rewarded with the Calder Memorial Trophy in Las Vegas after the seasons came to an end.

Pardon the fact that not every rookie who stood out last year, whether it was in limited action or in as close to a complete season as possible, has been mentioned but each and every player has created a path for themselves as well as their opportunity to help make their respective club better with their on ice play.

For a lot of players who make a name for themselves during training camp and preseason, if they can keep up the pace and last past the nine game “try-out” prior to being sent down for further development, it’s a good sign of things to come.

This year, the hype has already been put into place since prior to the 2010 NHL Entry Draft where everyone across the North American continent were given nothing but Taylor Hall and Tyler Seguin.

Both, through training camp and preseason play, have earned themselves at least nine games with their teams. Hall will start and likely survive an entire season in Edmonton while Seguin has benefited from the loss of Marc Savard, for the time being, and will be part of the Bruins on ice product when the season drops the puck.

However, let’s not fool ourselves here.  Outside of those two names, there remain at least a handful of other rookies to keep a very close eye on.  This year’s calder cup nominees, at least from the opinion of this writer, are:

Who will take this home at the end of this season in the NHL?

1. Taylor Hall – Edmonton Oilers:

Hall, as the scouts say, exemplifies all the tools to be a top six talent within the NHL. The Oilers, fortunately for Hall, are going through a transition stage in which most of the talent on the ice this year will be skaters who have not witnessed a taste of the NHL. Scoring 106 points in only 57 OHL games shows plenty of promise from the young talents game. Now all that remains is bringing that talent up a notch to match the level required to skate in the NHL. With top line minutes written all over Hall, he could find himself as the leading candidate for the trophy at the end of the season.

2. Tyler Seguin – Boston Bruins

Though Hall was the, disputed, first overall selection at the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, Tyler Seguin was not far behind as the number two. Within the Calder trophy candidates, both Hall and Seguin have opportunities to show off their talents by the clubs that drafted them this season and will likely be part of the final voting process if everything pans out accordingly.

3. Jordan Eberle – Edmonton Oilers

Though they played in two different leagues, Eberle matched Hall in offensive production last year in the WHL by registering 106 points in only 57 games.  Gifted offensively, and with the talent he will join on the Edmonton roster, there is no reason why Eberle will be left out of a top six role this upcoming season. As long as he stays focused to his role, being as gifted with the puck as he is, there could be a solid argument made at the end of this season for Eberle being the NHLs best rookie.

4. Jonathan Bernier – Los Angeles Kings

Recently signed to a two-year extension, the Kings know what they are locking up and securing for the near future. After dominating the American Hockey League last year, though an opportunity to make the Kings club was there, it was only a matter of time before Bernier cracked the Kings roster and now has the opportunity to steal the show. The Kings took the proper approach with the young Bernier by letting him truly develop and become the best player he can at the AHL level.  Be prepared to witness greatness out of Los Angeles this year.

5.  Magnus Paajarvi – Edmonton Oilers

Another Oilers player on the list, and another Oilers player with plenty of promise provided by his development.  Gifted with speed, skill and a knack for the net, Paajarvi is as close to a complete player as possible. With top notch acceleration, and a lethal wrist shot, we could witness big offensive numbers from the first year talent out of Edmonton this upcoming season.

6. Nino Niederreiter – New York Islanders

Say what you will about El Nino making the Isles club due to the injuries to Okposo, and recently Schremp but this kid and his talent can not go unnoticed. Niederreiter was a sure bet, in my opinion, to make the Islanders team out of camp and preseason action.  When a talent this promising comes along, it’s hard to pass up the opportunity to have him develop with the big club rather than waste him away with another year in juniors.

7. P.K. Subban – Montreal Canadiens

The emergence of Subban during the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs last season came as a surprise to some but after being put into the spotlight due to an injury to Andrei Markov, Subban was able to shine. Look for the youngster to skate alongside Markov on the top power-play unit in Montreal and likely as the second pairing defending at even strength. Subban is a world class talent and should not be overlooked for any occasion.

8. Michal Neuvirth – Washington Capitals

Though not number one on this list, Neuvirth has already been slated to start the season as the number one netminder in Washington. With that, his opportunity at the Calder trophy multiplies. Though he still needs to show that he is number one material for the long haul, despite two Calder Cup victories at the AHL level. ‘Neuvy’ is the name to keep a very close eye on this NHL season. On a fantasy note, it’s shocking he is only owned in 16% of leagues.

9. Logan Couture – San Jose Sharks

Probably one of the long shots on this list, but Couture has all the tools to become a solid top six player, however with Thornton and Pavelski already the top two on the club, Couture will not see enough minutes to start the year in order to truly prove his overall value.

10. Sergei Bobrovsky – Philadelphia Flyers

The Russian free agent signed by the club during last season has made impressive strides during preseason to create quite a stir out of Philly. What would have been a difficult task, figuring out what to do with Bobrovsky to start the year, the Philadelphia Flyers black cloud took over and struck Michael Leighton with a back injury that will see him miss at least one month’s time of action.  Due to his play, Bobrovsky is likely to see time in Philadelphia, though something that might not be a smart move in development – playing the back up role – there is the one option that once he does see his first NHL start, he could steal the show.

Who are your Calder candidates?

Anthony Curatolo
NHLHS NHL Writer
acuratolo@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @HockeyGuy_AC

Never a prolific scorer by AHL standards (his top scoring season was 2008-2009: 22-29-51), his exact role on a Jacques Lemaire coached Devils team was suspect.

Was he going to be a scorer?  If so, where in the world do you put him when your top three lines contain more talent than some entire squads?  What does he do on the 4th line?

Bergfors is a quick winger with a good passing and playmaking sense.  He’s not immensly huge – only 5’11″ and 195 pounds.   On a lock down trap playing team like the Devils, that will not fly on the 4th line, and Bergfors’ scoring sense saw more and more bench time, seeing his time drop from between 14-20 minutes a night to 8-15 minutes.  New Jersey press was wondering if he had the skill to be an elite player, or if he was just going to be a 3rd liner for the remainder of his career.

One of New Jersey’s top prospects needed a change of scenery his first season.  A trade for one of the league’s top snipers gave him that chance.

Part of the February 4th trade with Atlanta for Ilya Kovalchuk (other parts were Johnny Oduya, Patrice Cormier, and a 1st round pick), Bergfors had the inauspicious job of filling in for someone who had been a part of the Thrashers his entire career.  Reactions were mixed as to the return of the Kovalchuk trade – some thought Waddell had been fleeced yet again, given some spare parts for our superstar.

Bergfors wasted no time proving them wrong, scoring in his first home game as a Thrasher.  Put on the top line with Nik Antropov and Bryan Little, Bergfors saw a chance that he never would have gotten in New Jersey.  The Thrashers play a wide-open style of hockey, where playmaking and speed are rewarded and encouraged.  Bergfors has been rewarding the Thrashers in return, scoring 8 goals and 8 assists, and is 8th in the league with 6 GWG.  He is also tied for third on the team in goals.

When the Thrashers acquired him he was the fifth highest scoring rookie in the league, despite his lack of utilization by the Devils.  The Thrashers got a young player who is evidently a perfect fit for the team and who will be a solid part of the organization for hopefully quite some time.  Bergfors adds to the young core of Kane, Bogosian, Enstrom, and Little and is showing that skilled youth with a multi-faceted game can succeed just as well as a sniper.  Bergfors is currently tied with John Tavares for second in rookie goals scored, and is 4th in points.  The Devils gave up someone shaping up to be a fine young hockey player (as well as an excellent defenseman) for a rental who will probably walk come July 1st.

Kind of makes you wander who really fleeced who.