Welcome back to The Journey. In last week's edition, I wrote a Part 2 of top rising forward prospects for April. Here is a quick update:

Yegor Sharangovich (NJD)

After two underwhelming seasons in the AHL, Sharangovich has been one of the New Jersey Devils best contributors this season with 16 goals and 29 points on the season. The 22-year-old didn't look like much of a prospect a year ago, but now appears to be a big part of the Devils young core moving forward.

Brandon Hagel (CHI)

After drafting Hagel in the sixth-round of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, the Buffalo Sabres chose not to offer him a contract, making him a free agent. That couldn't have worked out any better for the Chicago Blackhawks, who gladly scooped him up and are being rewarded for it. The 22-year-old has eight goals and 22 points on the season. Not bad for a player who sees no time on the man advantage.

Trent Frederic (BOS)

Frederic has been one of the more talked-about rookies this season due to the fact he isn't afraid to take on anybody. He has just five points in 40 games with the Boston Bruins this season, so his offensive game certainly needs to improve, but he has impressed in other ways and is quickly becoming a fan favorite.

Ross Colton (TBL)

Another rookie who has surprised in a good way this season is Tampa Bay Lightning forward Colton. The 24-year-old didn't make the team out of camp this year but was called up early in the season and has made the most of his opportunity. In 28 games this season he has provided solid secondary scoring with nine goals and 12 points.

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In today's article, we will be looking at the top five players who deserve the Calder Trophy this season. Now, if we are being honest, this race is down to two players. However, there are other rookies who are having terrific seasons that deserve to be discussed.

Here are the NHL's top five rookies this season.

5. Josh Norris (OTT)

Heading into the 2020-21 season, it was expected that if the Ottawa Senators were to have a player in the Calder Trophy conversation, it would be Tim Stutzle. While the third overall pick from the 2020 draft has had a pretty good season, he has been outdone by his teammate in Norris.

Norris, 21, was taken 19th overall by the San Jose Sharks in 2017 and was acquired by the Senators in the Erik Karlsson trade. Many questioned the trade at the time, but it is now looking better and better by the day for the Sens. While Karlsson's career appears to be on the decline, Norris' is just beginning. In 53 games this season, he has 15 goals and 33 points. He will a very important piece on what projects to be a very good Ottawa team in a few years.

4. Igor Shesterkin (NYR)

After bursting on to the scene late last season, many had New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin as the favorite to win the Calder this year. While that won't happen, the 25-year-old is still having an impressive season. While being tasked with replacing a franchise icon in Henrik Lundqvist may have been too much for some to handle, Shesterkin has been rock solid with a 2.57 goals against average (GAA) and a .917 save percentage (SV%) through 34 games.

Though his numbers, particularly his SV%, aren't as good as a year prior, a dip in production was somewhat expected given that he only appeared in 12 games last season. There is a reason Shesterkin was referred to as the best prospect in the entire NHL less than two years ago, and he is just scratching the surface on his potential. He has all the tools to become one of the league's best goaltenders in the very near future.

3. Alex Nedeljkovic (CAR)

While the season Shesterkin is having hasn't come as a surprise, the same cannot be said for Carolina Hurricanes netminder Alex Nedeljkovic. The 25-year-old began the season as the team's third goalie but was able to get some starts after an injury to Petr Mrazek, and he has certainly made the most of his opportunity. Through 22 games this season he owns a ridiculous 1.89 GAA along with a .932 SV% and a 15-4-3 record.

The Hurricanes have been one of the top teams in the NHL all season long, and Nedeljkovic is a big reason why. Though it seems they still view Mrazek as their number one, James Reimer appears to now be the team's third stringer in order to make room for the rookie as their backup. It has been both an incredible and unexpected season for Nedeljkovic, and one that is worthy of being named a Calder finalist.

2. Jason Robertson (DAL)

At this time last month, it appeared there would be a consensus pick for the Calder, but Dallas Stars forward Jason Robertson has changed that in a hurry. The 21-year-old had an incredible month of April, posting eight goals and 18 points in 17 games. His season totals currently sit at 16 goals and 43 points in just 49 games, trailing only Joe Pavelski's 50 for the team lead.

After a very impressive junior career in the OHL, as well as a solid rookie season with the Texas Stars in the AHL last year, it was clear that Robertson had the talent to become an impactful NHLer. However, not many expected him to be this good this soon. I still believe he will finish as the runner-up for the Calder Trophy, but there are plenty who disagree. Regardless, he has certainly made it an interesting race.

1. Kirill Kaprizov (MIN)

As mentioned above, it felt like the pick for the Calder all season was a consensus one in Kirill Kaprizov. However, Robertson had been starting to sway the public opinion over the last month. Once that happened, it seemed to really wake the 24-year-old Russian up once again, as he has been playing lights out as of late. In his last 10 games played, he's scored 11 goals and 14 points, which gives him 27 goals and 49 points in 53 games on the season.

While team performance isn't what the Calder Trophy is meant for, it's very noticeable just how important Kaprizov has been for this Wild team. After years of mediocrity, he has turned them around completely and has them looking like a team who could do damage come the postseason. That won't be an easy task this year given that they will likely play either the Colorado Avalanche or Vegas Golden Knights in the first round, but they have become a very good team that may be capable of that. Kaprizov, who leads the team by a wide margin in both goals and points, deserves a ton of credit for their turnaround, and should be this year's Calder Trophy winner.

Honorable Mentions: Jake Oettinger (DAL), Kaapo Kahkonen (MIN), Ty Smith (NJD), Kevin Lankinen (CHI)