The rookies are rocking it in a thrilling NHL Calder Trophy race. Two first-years are nearly tied for the top spot at the halfway mark. Macklin Celebrini [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjEyMTQxODgyMDIzNjE4NTM2/usatsi_25114956_168400847_lowres.jpg] Macklin Celebrini The NHL's Calder Trophy race has been one of the tightest award battles of the season. It's as tight as it gets, and there are even more NHL rookies playing outstanding hockey. With that said, Lane Hutson of the Montreal Canadiens and Macklin Celebrini of the San Jose Sharks have been fantastic for their respective clubs, and they’ve begun to separate themselves. They may have pulled away from the pack, but Matvei Michkov and Dustin Wolf have become an exciting secondary tier with Celebrini and Hutson in their sights. Cutter Gauthier has begun to come on as of late. Logan Stankoven has slowed down but remains dangerous for Dallas. And Justus Annunen has been quite strong since his trade to Nashville. Let’s dive into the Calder Trophy Tracker as we surpass the midway point of the NHL season. 1A. MACKLIN CELEBRINI, C, SAN JOSE SHARKS With 13 goals and 18 assists for 31 points through 34 games, Celebrini leads all rookies in points per game among those with at least five games under their belt. He sits tied for second in rookie scoring, just three points back of Hutson for the outright lead, despite missing 12 games due to injury. He leads rookie forwards in average time on ice at 19:39, and he’s shown the ability to take over shifts at times. Celebrini is driving good results on a team near the bottom of the standings, and he’s been doing it with purpose. [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/san-jose-sharks/players/sharks-macklin-celebrini-mightve-played-his-best-game-of-career-against-wild] He does so many of the little things right, from winning board battles to getting in on the forecheck. Celebrini looked like a pro from Day 1, and it’s put him atop the Calder race. 1B. LANE HUTSON, D, MONTREAL CANADIENS From the second he stepped into the NHL, Hutson displayed some of the most dynamic skills among any defender in the league. Now in his first full season, he’s helped transform the Montreal Canadiens' offensive attack whenever he is on the ice. He can already quarterback a power play, which has paid off with impressive point totals. He is tied for seventh in the league in power-play points (14) and sixth in total scoring (35) among defenders. He's among the NHL's top 20 players in assists, with 32. Hutson’s ability to manipulate opposing players and set up plays in the offensive zone has been peak entertainment in the NHL this season [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens/latest-news/slafkovsky-praises-hutson-in-his-blog]. His mobility and edge work in open ice is incredible. His defensive play still has room to grow, but the undersized defender is already asserting himself as one of the Habs’ best players. It’s why they have played him for nearly 23 minutes a night. 3. MATVEI MICHKOV, RW, PHILADELPHIA FLYERS Michkov is tied with Celebrini for the rookie goal lead (13) and sits just four points behind Hutson in total scoring, with 31 points in 43 games. Michkov has been as advertised for the Flyers this season [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers/latest-news/matvei-michkovs-quiet-determination-to-grow-how-a-russian-star-is-thriving-with-the-flyers]. The budding Russian star has been a menace at times, and he’s found a way to become an instant impact player away from the puck and on it, even if the consistency is still a work in progress. He’s second in team scoring behind just Travis Konecny, and he leads the team in power-play scoring with 14 points. Michkov may be the most dangerous rookie in the NHL this season when he plays at his best. 4. DUSTIN WOLF, G, CALGARY FLAMES Surprisingly, the Calgary Flames are in a playoff spot, largely because of Wolf's play. Wolf has given this team a top-10 goalie when he is at his best [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/calgary-flames/latest-news/dustin-wolf-howling-home-calgary-flames-calder]. While they don’t want to overtax the 23-year-old, he will be key for them as they look to stay in a playoff spot. His .916 save percentage is near the top of the NHL, his 2.50 goals-against average is strong for a rookie, and he’s only gotten better as of late, going 7-1-1 in his last nine games. 5. LOGAN STANKOVEN, RW, DALLAS STARS Although he’s slowed down lately, Stankoven has been consistently effective for the Dallas Stars with six goals and 17 assists for 23 points. One of his two goals against the Maple Leafs [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/dallas-stars/latest-news/stankoven-snaps-scoreless-drought-with-two-goal-outburst] Tuesday night was a perfect example of how the tenacious, undersized winger never quits on a play and battles through the physicality. He went right to the net and banged the loose puck in before being buried by a defender, getting the Stars going after a slow start. That’s what Stankoven does – he’s a firestarter. He’s shooting just 3.6 percent, so there should be some regression there, which should see him shoot back up the rookie scoring list. 6. CUTTER GAUTHIER, LW, ANAHEIM DUCKS After a bit of a slow start, we’ve seen Gauthier get going for the Ducks [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/anaheim-ducks/game-day/takeaways-from-the-ducks-6-0-loss-to-the-flyers-3-2-ot-win-over-the-canes], racking up eight points in his last 13 games. The Ducks aren’t a great team, but the emergence of Gauthier and some of their other young players will help get them back to a respectable level. Gauthier plays a physical, brash brand of hockey, and he’s become more assertive in his game at the NHL level. We’re starting to see the player that Anaheim traded for. He has seven goals and 13 assists for 20 points in 44 games. 7. JUSTUS ANNUNEN, G, NASHVILLE PREDATORS Annunen's numbers in Colorado suffered, but a fresh start in Nashville has given him new life with four wins so far [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/nashville-predators/game-day/predators-survive-late-rally-to-defeat-golden-knights-5-3#:%7e:text=Justus%20Annunen%20made%2019%20saves%20in%20goal%20to%20earn%20his%20fourth%20win%20as%20a%20member%20of%20the%20Predators.]. He’s only played seven games, but he’s had a .923 save percentage since the move and has allowed two or fewer goals in four of his six starts. Annunen isn’t going to be asked to be ‘The Guy’ in Nashville the way that fans hoped he would be in Colorado, and that may be the best thing for him. The promising Finn’s resurgence has been impressive. 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