Welcome back to The Journey, where we track the development of prospects as they excel in junior, make the NHL, and push towards stardom.

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The NHL season begins on October 4, and it’s already shaping up to be a great offseason. In just the last few weeks, we’ve seen teams pull off some major moves, completely reshaping their rosters. Trades and smart free agency pickups have propelled teams like the Nashville Predators and Montreal Canadiens from the bottom/middle of the pack to teams to watch out for this season. Meanwhile, teams like the Edmonton Oilers and Dallas Stars have only gotten stronger in their own right, solidifying their status as legitimate Stanley Cup threats.

This season is packed with NHL prospects ready to make their mark. We’re talking about players with serious Calder Trophy potential, guys who could soon be among the league’s elite.

Before I dive into the top five prospects, let me just say that I am rounding out the list to the top five based on betting odds so players like Yaroslav Askarov, Dustin Wolf, and Lane Hutson fell just out of that list which is why they are not included in this article. Some may or may not be included in an article that I am working on for potential dark horses for the Calder Trophy, so stay tuned.

So, let’s get into it. As already indicated, betting odds for the 2024-2025 Calder Candidates are as follow as per Draft Kings, FanDuel and Bet365.

Matvei Mitchkov – RW – Philadelphia Flyers

Matvei Michkov's case for the Calder Trophy is strong, especially when you hear about his impressive KHL career. At just 17, Michkov scored nine goals and 20 points in 27 games for HK Sochi while on loan from SKA St. Petersburg. The following season, at 18, he made some noise in his first full KHL season, recording 19 goals and 41 points in 47 games—that's very impressive for a teenager in one of the world's top leagues. His point total nearly matched Kirill Kaprizov's record for a 19-year-old in the KHL.

Now 19, Michkov brings his talents to Philadelphia, where he stands out among his rookie running mates. He's already proven himself as a top-six forward against seasoned pros in the KHL. Joining a Flyers team full of young talent like Joel Farabee, Tyson Foerster, and Owen Tippett, who are all 25 or under, he'll also benefit from veterans like Sean Couturier, Travis Konecny, and Scott Laughton. It's a well-rounded team for a rookie.

Michkov was considered a top-three pick in last year's NHL Draft, but he saw many teams pass on him due to his KHL contract. However, this summer, he announced an early termination agreement with the KHL, allowing the Flyers to sign him immediately—validating the Flyers’ decision to pick him at No. 7 and making everyone else's decision to pass on him questionable.

Michkov's offensive potential could be a game-changer for a Flyers team that struggled to score down the stretch, ultimately missing the playoffs. If he helps push the Flyers into playoff contention and posts strong offensive numbers, his case for the Calder could become even more compelling.

Macklin Celebrini – C – San Jose Sharks

Macklin Celebrini’s shot at winning the Calder Trophy this year depends heavily on his deployment and the San Jose Sharks’ glaring need for top-end talent. With the Sharks finishing last in goals scored and struggling on the power play, Celebrini is expected to be a key part of the solution.

He is expected to go straight into a top-line center role, likely alongside Tyler Toffoli. This eerily seems similar to last season's Calder winner, Connor Bedard, who also excelled with a lot of TOI as the Blackhawks’ top forward. However, Celebrini has much better linemates surrounding him in his first year than Bedard had and that definitely increases his chances. While Celebrini as we all know is a phenomenal talent, it's important to manage expectations—he may not be a generational player, but his potential to be one of the league’s top rookies is undeniable. At only 17 years old, he won the Hobey Baker Award after dominating the competition with 64 points in 38 games at Boston University.

His arrival in San Jose signals the beginning of a new era. He won't have to compete for top-line minutes and power-play time, so he's poised to be front and center from day one. If he can replicate anything close to Bedard’s numbers from last year while lifting the Sharks out of the basement, he could easily emerge as the frontrunner for the Calder Trophy.

Logan Stankoven – C/RW – Dallas Stars

Logan Stankoven enters this season as a rookie eligible for the Calder Trophy—by a very slim margin. Last season, he played 24 games with the Dallas Stars, just one shy of the cutoff for rookie eligibility. During that stint he made a strong impression, recording six goals and 14 points in those games and carried that momentum into the playoffs, contributing eight points in 19 games.

While playing in the AHL, Stankoven dominated with 24 goals and 57 points in 47 games for the Texas Stars. His performance in the AHL clearly demonstrated that he was ready for the NHL, hence the Stars late-season call-up. Now with Joe Pavelski hanging up his skates, Stankoven is in a good position to take on a more significant role. There's a real possibility that he could find himself on the Stars’ top line alongside Jason Robertson and Roope Hintz.

Stankoven can very well make this a three-way horse race for the Calder with Michkov and Celebrini. What sets Stankoven apart is the team around him. The Stars finished last season as the top seed in the Western Conference and came within two wins of reaching the Stanley Cup Final. The Stars are known to run all four lines consistently which can be harder for Stankoven to provide an immediate impact. With being on such a strong offensive powered team, it really could go either way for Stankoven. If he can find his footing out the gate in such an environment, it could give him an edge in the Calder race.

Cutter Gauthier – C/LW – Anaheim Ducks

Cutter Gauthier is stepping into his rookie season with the Anaheim Ducks this upcoming season. The Ducks are now deep in a rebuild after finishing with the third-worst record in the NHL last season, and Gauthier is another key piece to that rebuild.

Gauthier could easily find himself on the Ducks’ top line with Leo Carlsson and Troy Terry, two players who have shown significant promise. He like many of the top five favourites has a high likelihood of playing at least in a top-six role with heavy power-play time, especially with the Ducks finishing near the bottom of the league in goals scored last season. With Trevor Zegras potentially hitting his breakout threshold and if Frank Vatrano can do half of what he did last year, Gauthier will thrive even in a second-line paring role. He showcased his scoring ability during his freshman season at Boston College, racking up 38 goals and 65 points in just 41 games. His impact was further cemented at the World Juniors, where he contributed seven points to help Team USA secure the gold medal.

Gauthier may not yet be considered on the same level as Calder contenders as the above three, but he shouldn't be overlooked. He is in a great situation, surrounded by young elite talent bursting at the seems. Also did I mention that at the current moment he's the most hated man in Philadelphia after requesting a trade from the Flyers after they drafted him. Gauthier possibly going up against Michkov for the Calder Trophy as the top five consensus favourite—you can't script this any better.  

Will Smith – C – San Jose Sharks

Will Smith’s decision to sign his entry-level contract after just one season at Boston College will definitely help the San Jose Sharks, considering their offensive struggles last season. Smith was a standout in college hockey, racking up 25 goals and 71 points in 41 games, making him one of the top talents in the NCAA. His arrival in San Jose is less about whether he'll play and more about where he'll slot into the lineup. Whether he ends up centering a line or playing on the wing, Smith is expected to take on a top-six role and top-six minutes which will give him enough rope to showcase his skill and talent.

Although Smith is being touted as a serious contender for the Calder Trophy, his chances could be heavily influenced by that of Celebrini.  It seems as if the assumption is that both will be on the same line if not on the same powerplay at the least. He is one year older than Celebirni and as mentioned earlier, this team is better constructed for the two rookies than what Connor Bedard had to work with. Smith is considered a top-five favorite for the Calder based on the odds, but he’s more of a lower-tier contender. His connection to Celebrini could allow him to make an immediate impact.

Thanks for reading! See you next week. For more content/fantasy hockey analysis, or if there’s a prospect, you’d like me to cover, follow and message me on X @Punters_hockey.