February Calder Trophy Update: New Jersey Devils’ Luke Hughes holding strong

With his brothers in Toronto for the 2024 NHL All-Star Game, Luke Hughes is ready for a well-deserved break.

The New Jersey Devils wasted no time throwing Hughes to the wolves, instantly giving him a top-four role on a team many expected to challenge for a playoff spot this year. It’s been tough sledding in Newark, but Hughes has quickly established himself as one of the NHL’s best young defensemen in the same vein as his older brother, Quinn.

It was a quiet month for Hughes on the scoresheet, registering just one goal and four assists in 12 games. But he continued to see his ice time increase, registering a career-best 28:10 against Boston on Jan. 15 and playing at least 22 minutes on seven occasions.

Hughes is trending towards a 45-point campaign, which would be excellent for a rookie who has taken on extra responsibilities due to Dougie Hamilton’s injury. The Devils need some defensive help – especially with Hughes and fellow rookie Simon Nemec doing a lot of the heavy lifting – but Hughes is looking good in his first NHL campaign.

It feels like a two-horse race for the Calder Trophy between Connor Bedard and Brock Faber. But ask just about anyone and they’ll tell you Hughes is firmly in contention to become a finalist come voting time this spring, especially with Bedard’s return from a broken jaw still weeks away.

Here’s a look at how the rest of the top game’s top rookies stack up heading into February:

Connor Bedard, C (Chicago Blackhawks)

Bedard is still a Calder contender just based on the numbers he was putting up pre-injury – especially with limited help. Bedard has 33 points in 39 games, which is still good for first among first-years. Before the injury, he was on pace for more than 70 points – a rare feat these days. We’ll see if he can win the rookie scoring title once he returns, but it’s hard to believe he still isn’t the Calder frontrunner.

Brock Faber, D (Minnesota Wild)

Faber has been remarkable for the Wild, scoring 29 points in 49 games while averaging a freshman-leading 24:51 a night. Nobody is even in the ballpark, with only New Jersey defenders Nemec (20:46) and Hughes (20:40) averaging over 20:00. The advanced analytics are great, too, with Faber leading a Wild team that’s looking for any positives they can find, especially without Jared Spurgeon on the back end. If anyone steals the Calder from Bedard, it’s Faber. He’s quickly emerging as one of the best young defensemen in the game – and he deserves your attention.

Marco Rossi, C (Minnesota Wild)

Rossi isn’t getting enough love for his performance this season. He’s been a top-six center for the Wild for the past few months, with his hockey IQ and heads-up passing play making him so valuable. He’s on pace for just over 20 goals and under 50 points, and it’s not inconceivable that he could lead all rookie forwards in scoring when everything’s said and done. The one thing keeping him down right now is high-end top speed, but he’s still difficult to contain in short bursts.

Connor Zary, RW (Calgary Flames)

Does being named Connor equal hockey success? Zary has continued to impress with the Flames, scoring 10 goals and 23 points in 39 games. He’s on pace for just under 20 goals, establishing himself as a valuable scoring option for a club needing all the help they can get. At 22, Zary has a bit more pro experience than others on this list, but it took him a few years to establish himself in the organization. Now, he’s skating alongside Nazem Kadri and Jonathan Huberdeau on the top line. Not too shabby.

Adam Fantilli, C (Columbus Blue Jackets)

What a blow for Fantilli, who suffered a calf injury over the weekend and will miss eight weeks. The 19-year-old has been one of the best prospects all season long, although he can only do so much on the worst teams in the league. Fantilli averaged 16:20 throughout January, which is a nice boost from his overall ATOI of 15:43. He’s up to 12 goals and 27 points, but he’s also bringing speed and a hard work ethic to help make him more valuable away from the puck.

Pavel Mintyukov, D (Anaheim Ducks)

Mintyukov suffered a separated shoulder earlier in January, knocking him out with a six-week recovery timeline. He’ll be out for about another few weeks, which is a big blow because he was a big part of Anaheim’s blueline. Unlike Columbus, the Ducks knew they were never a playoff contender, so they’ve been willing to let their young guns play and make mistakes. I’ve been pleased with his improved confidence after watching Mintyukov’s play evolve from October to January.

Samuel Ersson, G (Philadelphia Flyers)

Ideal situation or not, Ersson is the team’s best bet at avoiding a total collapse this season. It’s been a rocky road for the Flyers recently, especially after Carter Hart took an indefinite leave of absence earlier this month before being charged with sexual assault alongside four other 2018 Canadian world junior teammates. That put the pressure on Ersson to assume the starter’s role for the time being, which, given his 3-4-1 record with a .889 save percentage in eight starts in January, is a little concerning. But from an overall standpoint, Ersson has been solid, and the best among rookie goalies – it helps he has stayed healthy, too.

Leo Carlsson, C (Anaheim Ducks)

Between the delayed start, the occasional healthy scratch and the 10 other games missed due to an MCL sprain, it’s been an eventful rookie campaign for the second overall pick in 2023. Still, Carlsson is trending toward a 40-point campaign on one of the worst teams in the league, with his ice time being between the 18-20-minute mark most nights as of late. It took a bit for the Ducks to ease him in, but he makes the team better when he’s manning the top line. Just wait until he gets a real crack at a full season.

Dmitri Voronkov, LW (Columbus Blue Jackets)

Voronkov had a decent month, scoring four goals and five points in 11 games for a lowly Blue Jackets team. With a shooting percentage of 15.5, only Connor Zary has a better shooting percentage (20.4) among rookies with at least eight goals scored this season. Voronkov is doing that while playing third-line minutes, averaging a team-leading 1.59 assists-per-60 at 5-on-5. Voronkov has been productive, as you can ask for, with the opportunity presented to him.

Other notables: Ridly Greig, LW (Ottawa Senators), Joel Hofer, G (St. Louis Blues), Simon Nemec, D (New Jersey Devils), Luke Evangelista, RW (Nashville Predators), Logan Cooley, C (Arizona Coyotes), Joseph Woll (Toronto Maple Leafs