Three months of the 2021-22 NHL season have passed by and we are nearing the halfway point of the season. The NHL has handed out Rookie of the Month honours three times this year. The first two months, the award went to players from the Detroit Red Wings, while the most recent nod went to a player from the Anaheim Ducks. It’s no surprise that those three players are the favourites to win the 2022 Calder Memorial Trophy for the best rookie of the year.
In October, Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider was Rookie of the Month. Seider led all rookies with eight assists and was playing 22:26 per game. In November, the runner-up from October, Seider’s teammate, Lucas Raymond, took home the Rookie of the Month. The forward had 12 points in 14 games in November. In December, Trevor Zegras, a center for the Anaheim Ducks was the best rookie. Zegras led had nine assists and 11 points in nine games in December.
Be sure to check out the odds for the Hart Trophy as well as the race for the 2021-22 Stanley Cup.
2021-22 Calder Trophy Odds
Lucas Raymond shines
When the “Hockey News” listed its rookies to watch during the 2021-22 NHL season, Lucas Raymond was not among the players listed. Raymond, a 19-year-old from Sweden, looks like he could be the next star for the Red Wings. Drafted in the first round in 2020 with the fourth overall pick, Raymond has played 40 games this year for Detroit and is playing well.
Raymond is tied for second in scoring on the Wings with 32 points (11 goals, 21 assists). He is playing nearly 18 minutes per game for Detroit. Raymond, who is playing on Detroit’s top line with Dylan Larkin and Tyler Bertuzzi, leads all NHL rookies in scoring and has more average ice time per game than any other first-year forward.
Trevor Zegras picks up where he left off
The Anaheim Ducks selected Trevor Zegras with the ninth overall pick in the 2019 NHL draft. The team called Zegras up in the 2021 season and he provided a spark for the offence. In the 24 games he played last season, Zegras scored 13 points (3G, 10A). With 24 games played last year, Zegras was under the 25-game limit for qualification for the Calder, as such, the 20-year-old is in the hunt for the best rookie award in 2022.
Zegras is second in rookie scoring this season and second on the Ducks in scoring with 29 points (10G, 19A) in 35 games played.
Zegras is a great playmaker and if Raymond falters, he will be hot on his trail to take the Calder honours away from him.
Moritz Seider Detroit defenceman of the future
Defencemen usually take a little longer to develop than forwards when it comes to the NHL. Moritz Seider is not your average blueliner. The Detroit Red Wings picked the German player with the sixth overall pick of the 2019 draft. In 2021 he captured the best defenceman award in Swedish Hockey League and won those same accolades during the World Championship, where he was also a member of the All-Star team.
Seider leads all rookie defencemen with 22:23 average ice time per game. He is third overall in rookie scoring with 25 points (3G, 22A) and first among blueliners. Seider is the highest-scoring defenceman for the Wings and is second in ice time to Filip Hronek who averages 11 seconds more time on the ice per game.
Seider has been a big part of the Detroit power play this season.
Our Canada Sports Betting Calder Trophy Pick
The race for Rookie of the Year is between Raymond and Zegras and the two are so close right now it’s hard to pick which player will win. With that being said, Raymond has the edge thanks to his scoring exploits.
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