Once again, my October poll focuses on who will be the three Calder Trophy finalists. Unlike past seasons, I feel that although there are not as many players who stand as realistic of a chance to be among the finalists, there are also fewer "slam dunk" choices for the three. Yes, I realize it's still very early; but part of the fun is making these types of predictions now. Also, perhaps for some in shallower pools it might open your eyes to players who had been off your radar.

Your task is simple – vote for the three players you believe will be the finalists for the Calder Trophy, awarded to the league's top rookie. Keep in mind that although quite often the finalists are among those best in fantasy, such is not always the case.

I've also factored in the possibility of one or more "come from nowhere" finalists. Specifically, I have one choice of "None who are listed", which you should choose if you think none of the 17 players will be a finalist. Another choice is "Two who are not listed" which you should vote for if you think only one of the players will be a finalist, voting also for that one player. Lastly, there's a "One who is not listed" choice, which should get your vote if you think that exactly two of the listed players will end up being finalists, voting for those two of the players as well.

With that all sorted out, listed below – in alphabetical order – are the 17 players I see as being most likely finalists. The link to cast your votes will be at the end of the column. 

Michael Brandsegg-Nygard

Coming off a productive AHL campaign last season, Brandsegg-Nygard made the Wings and thus far has done quite well despite limited minutes, averaging, as I write this, three SOG and just over four Hits per game, to go along with three points. If he keeps up this play, he likely will be rewarded with more minutes and could find the level of success that has so far eluded fellow Scandinavian and hyphenate Axel Sandin-Pellikka. There isn't a lot of depth on the "Wings" that would hold him back. 

Luca Cagnoni

Many figured San Jose would go with Sam Dickinson or one of their veteran d-men to run PP1, or perhaps even ice a 5F top unit. But instead it was Cagnoni who started with the role. The question is though whether he can keep it and, if so, if it will translate to high scoring. Still only 21, and with two quite solid AHL seasons under his belt, Cagnoni could be primed for a solid season if he's able to show consistency that thus far kept him from being an everyday NHLer.

Trevor Connelly

I feel like there's far less buzz about Connelly than other former first-rounders who landed in the NHL as rookies this season. But in the early going he's taken the ice with Tomas Hertl and Victor Olofsson, plus had increasing PP time. Although his overall TOI is low, it has been on the rise as I write this; and even if it doesn't spike, Vegas is balanced enough that it's viable for Connelly to be able to produce well enough to catch the eyes of Calder voters.

Victor Eklund

Having just turned 20, Eklund is seizing upon the fact that the Islanders are looking for offense, giving him a real shot to not only stick with the team but be impactful. So far his ice times have been low; but if he keeps performing as well as he has, he figures to get chances in the top six and perhaps even PP1, since let's remember this is someone who played at the highest level in Sweden last season at age 19 and did not look out of place.

Jacob Fowler

With Sam Montembeault set to miss about two weeks, Fowler has been called up and so far has shined. The timing is key, since Jakub Dobes has looked quite shaky in the early going, such that I'd expect Fowler to get plenty of looks in net. If Fowler does well in these couple of weeks, not only could he push Montembeault out of the picture entirely, but stake a claim to being the starter for the Habs.

Anton Frondell

Debuting last season after just turning 19, Frondell showed why he was selected third overall in the 2025 draft, with nine points in 12 games, two coming on the PP, and averaging 3.0 SOG per game. With what he brings to the table, he is likely earmarked to play alongside Connor Bedard once he's back from injury, in which case the offensive floodgates could open for Frondell.

Dylan Garand

From looking at an upside of 20-25 starts backing up (or settling for the third-string role) behind one of the NHL's workhorse starters, he jumps now to suddenly being the starter. Most likely the Rangers will grab a veteran as a safeguard in case Garand fails, or to be the presumed starter; however, Garand should still get enough playing time to put himself in the Calder picture.

James Hagens

Boston's top nine centers seemed cemented as Elias Lindholm, Pavel Zacha and Fraser Minten. But Hagens has looked NHL-ready despite being deployed as a wing. That could continue, or one of those three could slump or get hurt, giving Hagens the chance to really strut his stuff.

Konsta Helenius

Playing in Buffalo is great in that nearly no wing gets heaps of minutes. On the flip side though, there is a logjam of guys fighting for top nine and PP deployment, leading to Helenius being scratched once. He has the talent, but others have larger contracts. Still, Buffalo seems content to play the best, so if Helenius shines he could be put position to do as well as Josh Doan, Zach Benson, or Jack Quinn last season, which might be enough to make him a Calder finalist.

Cole Hutson

With the success of big brother Lane, there was even more of a spotlight on Cole. If Cole's cameo at the end of last season was any indication, he was able to shine despite it. The issue will be wresting PP1 away from the much higher paid Jakob Chychrun; but if it somehow does happen, he should be poised to be in the mix for the Calder. 

Adam Jiricek

The former first rounder not only stuck with the Blues but is getting meaningful minutes. On top of that, neither Cam Fowler nor Philip Broberg is a prototypical PP QB, leaving the door open for Jiricek to grab that role, in which case he could shine.

Roman Kantserov

Arriving in North America with huge expectations after his 36-goal season in the KHL, the 22 year old has stumbled out of the gate to say the least. But he should get a long leash and, chances are, an opportunity to stick with Connor Bedard as well. And when it comes to the Calder, it's more about how you finish versus how you start.

Gavin McKenna

Speaking of slow starts, McKenna's failure to have an instant impact had been a major story in fantasy. Of course, it didn't help that the last time a first overall pick arrived for Toronto he had four goals in his first NHL game. But McKenna has looked better in his last couple of contests, so he may have just needed to get past early jitters.

Porter Martone

Perhaps the consensus preseason favorite to win the trophy, Martone has had a tough go of it thus far, plus was not as effective in the playoffs. Yet based on what we saw at the end of last season, he can explode at any time. And with him being a Rick Tocchet type of player, his odds for finding success are higher, although we all know Tocchet definitely does not play favorites.

Sergei Murashov

With only the not so venerable Arturs Silvos standing in his way, Murashov seems to have a clear path toward being impactful enough to gain Calder consideration. And Murashov has already appeared to show he's more than adequately prepared for the NHL, having won 12 of his 16 AHL games last season, this after very strong showings overseas.

Ivar Stenberg

San Jose looks to be taking things slow with Stenberg, which is not surprising given the depth they already have at forward. But that might be to Stenberg's benefit, as unlike McKenna he won't be under constant scrutiny. Will it let him make enough of a mark to lead to him getting Calder consideration though?

Carter Yakemchuk

Although he was already set to make the team, Yakemchuk has been thrust into the PP1 QB role due to the injury to Jake Sanderson. Although he will assuredly cede that spot upon Sanderson's return, him not looking out of place might earn him more minutes overall and a guaranteed spot on PP2, which, in turn, might lead to him scoring enough to generate Calder buzz.

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Those are your 17 choices. Vote for the three you believe will be the actual Calder Trophy finalists for this season. Or if you think that one, two, or all three actual finalists won't be among these 17, then vote one of the other three options, plus either no, one, or two of the choices. The link to cast your votes is here.

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Questions for Mailbag Column

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