- Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard is the favorite to win the 2023-2024 Calder Memorial Trophy which is awarded to the best rookie of the season.
- New Jersey Devils’ defenseman Luke Hughes is the second choice in the betting market and the only other player priced at single digits.
- Rounding out the top three is Columbus Blue Jackets center Adam Fantilli.
BetOnline.ag has posted their odds to win the 2023-2024 Calder Trophy awarded to the NHL rookie of the year and the name at the top is not a surprise. Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard is almost ridiculously humble–often answering questions about his forthcoming rookie season by saying ‘I still have to make the team’–but the reality is he’s a generational talent that should make an immediate impact. That’s why he’s a -150 chalk to win the Calder Trophy with only one other betting interest priced at single digits. New Jersey Devils defenseman Luke Hughes is priced at +600 with every other player in the field at +1200 or higher.
How good is Bedard? Try ‘extremely good’. Here’s what Chicago Blackhawks’ blog SecondCityHockey said about him after pointing out that ‘it’s difficult to overstate the offensive capabilities of Bedard’s game’ (emphasis added):
When he arrives in Chicago for training camp this September, Bedard boasts the best pre-draft performance and most developed skill set of any other player in franchise history – yes, that includes Patrick Kane. Bedard has the vision and the hands and the hockey IQ on a level similar to the rookie version of Kane, with the addition of a shot and release that is as menacing to opposing goalies as that of any other hockey player in the world right now. The hope is that Bedard’s continued evolution coincides with the formation of a team around him similar to the one that Kane had, resulting in another round of on-ice success for the entire franchise.
Here’s the top of the field. Adam Fantilli at +1200 looks like a nice value:
2023-2024 Calder Memorial Trophy for NHL Rookie of the Year
Connor Bedard -150 Luke Hughes +600 Adam Fantilli +1200 Devon Levi +1400 Logan Cooley +1600 Matthew Knies +2000 Leo Carlsson +2500 Brandt Clarke +2500 David Jiricek +2500 Dalibor Dvorsky +3300 Simon Nemec +3300 Jakob Pelleti +3300 Luke Evangelista +3300 Shane Wright +3300
BetOnline.ag has prices for a long list of rookies. Give them a visit to check it out: