The National Hockey League continued to announce 2021 NHL Award finalists on Thursday with the three candidates for the Calder Memorial Trophy. The Calder Trophy is awarded every year "to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition in the National Hockey League," and is voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers' Association.
The finalists for the 2021 Calder Trophy are Minnesota Wild forward Kirill Kaprizov, Carolina Hurricanes goalie Alex Nedeljkovic and Dallas Stars forward Jason Robertson.
After playing professionally in Russia for five seasons after being selected in the fifth round (135th overall) of the 2015 NHL Draft, Kaprizov made his long-awaited NHL debut this past season and generated rave reviews among many in the NHL.
In 55 games played with the Wild this season, the 24-year-old managed to score 27 goals and add 24 assists for 51 points. Kaprizov finished the year leading the NHL in rookie scoring, while his 27 goals were 10 more than the next closest rookies in the league.
On top of leading the league in rookie scoring, Kaprizov became an offensive leader for the Wild in his first season in Minnesota. The Russian winger led the team in scoring, as he helped push the Wild back to the playoffs with a 35-16-5 record and 75 points in the Pacific Division.
In the playoffs, the third-seeded Wild in the Pacific put up a great fight against the second-seeded Vegas Golden Knights, nearly coming back from a 3-1 deficit in the series. However, Kaprizov's three-point effort (2+1) was not enough as the Wild fell just short, losing in seven games.
The Wild will have to re-sign Kaprizov in the offseason, as his entry-level contract expires and he will become an unrestricted free agent.
Nedeljkovic did not start the 2020-21 season for the Hurricanes as their No. 1 goaltender, but quickly played his way to the starting job in Carolina and has yet to relinquish the role.
The 25-year-old netminder managed to start 23 games for the Hurricanes this season, going 15-5-3 and leading the NHL in goals-against average (1.90) and save percentage (.932) among goalies to make 20 or more starts.
Nedeljkovic's emergence has been a long-awaited process for the Hurricanes after being selected in the second round (37th overall) in the 2014 NHL Draft. After spending a couple more years in the Ontario Hockey League after being drafted, Nedeljkovic found himself going down the long road of development at the professional level from the ECHL to the American Hockey League, and eventually the NHL.
Thanks to Nedeljkovic's strong performances in goal this year, the Hurricanes were able to finish the 2020-21 campaign as the top team in the Central Division with a 36-12-8 record and 80 points in the standings.
The success for Nedeljkovic and the Hurricanes has continued into the playoffs so far, where he has posted a 4-4 record with a 2.20 goals-against average, a .920 save percentage and one shutout. After a six-game series win over the Nashville Predators in Round 1, Carolina currently trails the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-0 in their second round series.
Game 3 in Tampa Bay is set to take place on Thursday night at 8 p.m. ET.
As for Robertson, the 21-year-old broke out this season with the Stars after earning a spot on the opening night roster.
In 51 games this season, Robertson scored 17 goals and led all NHL rookies with 28 assists for 45 points. The former second round pick (39th overall) of the Stars in the 2017 NHL Draft really took advantage of his opportunities this season when injuries started to dismantle the forward group.
Robertson has continued his success from this season at the international level, as he currently is playing for the United States at the IIHF World Championship in Latvia. In eight games played for the U.S., Robertson has scored three goals and added four assists for seven points as one of their top forwards.
In his first professional season of hockey during the 2019-20 campaign, Robertson fared well with the Texas Stars in the AHL, scoring 25 goals and amassing 22 assists for 47 points in 60 games. He also made three appearances at the NHL level in Dallas, registering an assist.
The winner of the Calder Trophy will be announced as part of the 2021 NHL Awards during the Stanley Cup Final.
The next round of finalists for the 2021 NHL Awards will be announced on Friday, June 4, with the three finalists for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy, recognizing "the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution to the community."
Other 2021 NHL Awards finalists:
- Vezina Trophy
- Ted Lindsay Award