The National Hockey League announced today the three finalists for the Calder Memorial Trophy. Wild's Brock Faber is one of them.
The Nationa Hockey League announced today the three finalists for the Calder Memorial Trophy. Minnesota Wild defenseman Brock Faber was listed as one of them.
The Calder Memorial Trophy is given “to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition." Faber along with Connor Bedard and Luke Hughes, are the three finalists.
Faber, 21, was third among rookies in points this season with 47. He topped rookies in both average time on ice with 24:58 and total time on ice with 2,047:53. He had nearly 300 minutes more than the next-closest player and the highest single-season figure by a rookie since the statistic began being recorded in 1997-98.
Not only did he do that but Faber also ranked among the top rookie performers in blocked shots (1st; 150), assists (t-1st; 39), power-play assists (3rd; 13), power-play points (3rd; 16), power-play goals (t-6th; 3) and shots on goal (8th; 136). He was put on the top power play unit almost halfway into the season after never playing a second of power play time in College.
The most impressive stat is Faber played the last two months with fractured ribs and still stayed in the lineup. The Minnesota native set single-season franchise records for assists by a rookie and points by a rookie defenseman while also establishing a team mark for the longest point streak by a rookie blueliner.
Faber ranked first in EVD, DEF, GAR, WAR, and SPAR above both Hughes and Bedard. Faber had a 3.2 EVD rating according to Evolving-Hockey. Bedard had a -5.7 EVD rating and Hughes had a -2.3 rating. EVD is Even-Strength Defense Goals Above Average/Replacement.
Just want to remind you the trophy is awarded “to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition," and not given to the rookie with the most points.
Bedard's minus-44 rating this year isn't very proficient.
Kirill Kaprizov won the Calder in 2021 and has been the only other Wild finalist up for the award. Faber will join him as the second finalist in Wild history and should join him as the second Calder Trophy Winner.
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