Last season, the hockey world was shocked as Arizona Coyotes forward Matias Maccelli didn’t end up as a finalist for the Calder Trophy, the award given to the best rookie of the season. Instead, Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner, Buffalo Sabres defenseman Owen Power, and Seattle Kraken forward Matty Beniers were all Calder nominees. Beniers ended up winning the award in an anti-climatic ending. Now a good portion into the 2023-24 season, did he deserve to win the Calder? Let’s look into the careers thus far of the four players and see who has been the best player.
Stuart Skinner
Last season: Skinner had played 14 games in the NHL before the season and recorded a 7-6-0 record. However, it wasn’t until 2022-23 that he surpassed the limit needed to qualify as a potential Calder nominee. He started 48 games, winning 29 of them. He took over the starting role for the Oilers after a disappointing beginning of the season from Jack Campbell. He had a .914 save percentage (SV%) with a 2.75 goals-against average (GAA), which was good enough for him to be invited to the All-Star Game.
But the great season for the young goaltender took a disappointing turn after he struggled in the playoffs. Skinner started 12 games and had a 5-6 record with a .883 SV% and a 3.68 GAA. He had to be switched out a couple of times for Campbell as the Oilers lost in the second round to the Vegas Golden Knights.
This season: Skinner has struggled early in the season, along with his team. He’s started nine games and has a 3-5-1 record as the Oilers have sunk to near last place in the league. While Skinner seems like the best goalie still on the roster with Campbell being sent down to Bakersfield, he will need to play better if the Oilers have any chance of turning their season around.
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Conclusion: It’s hard to say if Skinner should’ve been nominated for the Calder. While it’s hard for young goalies to be good early on in their careers, the 25-year-old put up good stats. However, he had a good team in front of him and hasn’t been great in season two. Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Logan Thompson arguably had a better rookie season last year, as well as putting up a .915 SV%. In my opinion, I don’t believe Skinner should’ve gotten nominated.
Owen Power
Last season: After being drafted first overall and playing some games in 2021-22, Power played a full season with the Buffalo Sabres, recording 35 points which were mainly assists. He was a plus-10 on a pretty decent top-four Sabres blue line and was ninth in rookie scoring, leading all rookie defensemen in scoring. The Canadian defenseman was nominated for the Calder and, thanks to this, earned a seven-year contract. However, his team missed the playoffs for the 12th season in a row.
This season: Power has nine points in 16 games early on, which is on pace to break his point total from last season. He’s a plus-3 playing with Connor Cliffton on the blue line. The Sabres are 7-8-1 to start the season, which is second to last in the Atlantic Division.
Conclusion: While the Sabres haven’t been great during Powers’ short career, he’s been good. He’s made the defense one of the best in the Atlantic Division, and he’s been able to put up points. The Sabres locked him down to a contract that could pay off in spades for the team and is already a good deal for the youngster. I think Power should’ve definitely gotten nominated for the Calder, not just for offensive talent but also for his great defense.
Matty Beniers
Last season: After making a splash in 2021-22 by scoring nine points in 10 games, the second overall pick from 2021 made his name in the league. Beniers scored 57 points in 80 games, which led all rookies, and was nominated to the All-Star Game. However, he couldn’t attend due to an injury. Twenty-four of his points were goals, which tied him with Wyatt Johnston for rookie goal-scoring, and he was a plus-14.
The Kraken made it into the playoffs as a wild card team, and Beniers helped the team upset the defending Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche. His team faced off against the Dallas Stars in the second round, where they were eliminated in seven games. The rookie forward had seven points in 14 games and eventually went on to win the Calder Trophy.
This season: Beniers has hit a sophomore slump, only scoring one goal in 16 games. He has seven points in total and is already a minus-15. He’s looked questionable at times on the ice, and so has his team. The Kraken are 5-8-4 and are fifth in the Pacific Division. It’s certainly been a rough go-around for the American forward, and his team is relying on him to improve for a run back into the playoffs.
Conclusion: There’s no doubt that Beniers should’ve been nominated for the Calder. Despite having a very rough start to the season this year, he was fantastic for the Kraken last season and was part of the reason why they could run four productive lines. He absolutely deserved to be nominated for the Calder.
Matias Maccelli
Last season: After playing 23 games in 2021-22, Maccelli joined the Coyotes for a full 2022-23 season and started tearing up the league. Unfortunately for him, he sustained an injury midway through the season, limiting him to only 64 games. However, he scored 49 points in the small amount of games he played. He had the highest points-per-game totals for rookies and led all rookies in assists with 38. The Coyotes did not make the playoffs despite the Finnish forward’s success. Maccelli was awarded a three-year deal during the offseason for his fantastic season.
This season: Maccelli has been a fantastic player for the Coyotes only 15 games into the season. He has 11 points, already a plus-4, and is fourth on the team in scoring. The Coyotes are currently fifth in the Central Division but hold a 7-6-2 record.
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Conclusion: How Maccelli got held off from getting nominated for the Calder is baffling. While his injury might be a reason why voters shied away from voting for him, it’s impressive the things he did in a shortened season. The fact that he led all rookies in assists and points per game in his shortened season is ridiculous, especially because Beniers had only eight more points than him. If Maccelli played a full season, it’s worth arguing that he would’ve passed his rival easily. Winning the whole thing is one thing but for him not to even be nominated is a crime.
Who Should’ve Won the Calder
There’s no doubt Beniers had a very impressive rookie season. However, if you look at the two forwards, Maccelli arguably had the most success, as he led in assists and would’ve passed Beniers in points if he wasn’t injured. The American forward did have more team success, as his Kraken went all the way to the seventh game of the second round.
The official award title says the Calder Trophy is presented to the most proficient player in his first year in the NHL. Therefore, it should very much have gone to Maccelli, who had the more productive year. Both players are critical parts of each team, and both had fantastic rookie seasons. Despite this, the Coyotes have one of the best young players in the league, and it’s going to be interesting watching him mature into a great scorer.