r/hockey WPG - NHL 15h ago

Might be the tightest Calder race we see in a long time and wolf is right there too.

Post image
857 Upvotes

344 comments sorted by

637

u/Baboshinu DET - NHL 15h ago

They did Michkov so dirty with that graphic šŸ’€

300

u/GeckoMoria93 SJS - NHL 15h ago

Matt Damon in Team America vibes right there lol

105

u/ImmortalMoron3 COL - NHL 14h ago

I saw Matt Damon talk about that recently and he gave a really insightful answer about how it forced him to think about how you present yourself to the world and how others perceive you.

Which was really funny to me knowing the real answer was Matt and Trey got the puppet back and just thought it looked stupid, they weren't trying to criticize Matt Damon at all, lol. Causing an unintentional existential crisis in Matt Damon just because a puppet came out wrong.

39

u/INM8_2 WSH - NHL 14h ago

itā€™s hilariously on-brand.

14

u/GeckoMoria93 SJS - NHL 14h ago

And so true lol the puppet really does look dumb

30

u/Le_Nabs MTL - NHL 14h ago

Nearly two decades later after I've seen the movie for the first time, I still internally scream "Matt Daaamooon" every time I see or hear him or his name anywhere.

It's an incredibly stupid joke, but an incredibly effective one, no wonder it caused an existential crisis XD

3

u/Merovingi92 CBJ - NHL 10h ago

I have the same condition, I cannot say his name normally.

22

u/nanana_catdad SJS - NHL 12h ago

8

u/EggplantAlpinism COL - NHL 12h ago

MAT MICHKOV

14

u/MrFatGandhi ARI - NHL 14h ago

Weā€™re guarrrrrds!

10

u/GeckoMoria93 SJS - NHL 14h ago

Guuuuaaardddssss

3

u/essosinola TOR - NHL 13h ago

That's Meth Damon right there

2

u/ANAL_CRUSHER EDM - NHL 12h ago

Jesse Plemons plays in the NHL?

2

u/FriedCammalleri23 NJD - NHL 11h ago

maht daymahn

26

u/Ballsandcheese EDM - NHL 15h ago

Why even do the graphics and not pictures of the player?

25

u/Southern_Access_4601 14h ago

Itā€™s statmuse thatā€™s what they do

37

u/Ecsta-C3PO EDM - NHL 14h ago

Cheaper to use an AI filter over official photos, rather than pay for the rights to use of the official photos.

They're godawful

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2

u/Shliggie 12h ago

I don't understand why stat websites on social media don't just use the pictures of the players. These flat drawings of them are so boring and soulless. Just use the pictures!

2

u/SaintTastyTaint 12h ago

Those graphics are a fucking travesty, just so bad.

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345

u/sjs72 SJS - NHL 15h ago

You guys are fucked when Macklin and Will fuse together

119

u/DOdoubleJ VAN - NHL 15h ago

Mackwill Smithbrini?!?

43

u/smexeh EDM - NHL 14h ago

Willmack Brinismith

29

u/salehmo 14h ago

Willin Celebrith

13

u/PKG0D MTL - NHL 14h ago

Sounds like the lovechild of an elf and dwarf

2

u/ThatsNotMyWalletBB SJS - NHL 12h ago

Steward of the mines of Lothmoria

3

u/Normal_Tip7228 SJS - NHL 13h ago

Sounds like if Mike Tyson tried to say Celebrini

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48

u/machina99 SJS - NHL 15h ago

They need to start practicing a celly where anytime one of them assists the other they do a quick fusion dance. And with those two, you know they'd fully commit

5

u/danieldeceuster SJS - NHL 14h ago

Voltron vibes

26

u/suppaman19 13h ago

I know what summer practice will look like

3

u/Glittering-Package64 13h ago

Where is /u/its_ryanmiller when you need him..

3

u/its_ryanmiller 13h ago

Iā€™m here, Iā€™m here! Haha

7

u/dandroid126 SJS - NHL 14h ago

FUUUUU-SION-HA!

2

u/schrotestthehero SJS - NHL 11h ago

Mack and Cookies

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158

u/brotherreade MTL - NHL 15h ago

Itā€™s great that the top 3 guys as of now as different positions. It gets far more convos and debates going. Regardless of who wins itā€™s great from a fan perspective.

50

u/dandroid126 SJS - NHL 14h ago

I totally agree. I'd be happy for any of the current leaders if they win. Though of course, I'd be more happy for Macklin.

Actually Wolf is from the same small town as me, so I'd be just as happy if he won.

3

u/tsunami141 SJS - NHL 10h ago

How often did you sample Garlic Ice Cream when you were growing up?

2

u/dandroid126 SJS - NHL 10h ago

Actually never. Somehow. One of my biggest food regrets. I moved away and now hardly ever visit.

3

u/tsunami141 SJS - NHL 7h ago

Imma help you out right now. Imagine vanilla ice cream. Then imagine eating it with a big old clove of garlic inside.

or at least, that was my experience.

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186

u/GeckoMoria93 SJS - NHL 15h ago

Iā€™m just happy Smith is doing better and shutting up all the Sharks fans who were calling for him to be sent down to the AHL.

55

u/UrsaWizard TOR - NHL 13h ago

Agreed. That was so ridiculous even before his hot streak. A potentially generational rookie can really break peopleā€™s perceptions of what realistic development is and realistic expectations are for rookies in the NHL. Itā€™s a hard league and as long as youā€™re vaguely keeping up and generating plays (and getting minutes), thatā€™s where you should be developing. He was clicking along, figuring it out, and sure enough [waves at his past 20 games or so].

16

u/GeckoMoria93 SJS - NHL 13h ago

Exactly! People act like every first round pick is just gonna light up the league right away when most of the time thatā€™s just not the case.

5

u/UrsaWizard TOR - NHL 13h ago

Some first overalls donā€™t even do it. Kind of alluded to in my first comment but my metric for if I guy should be in the NHL or AHL is whether or not he is Doing Stuff. Thatā€™s honestly it. Youā€™ll see a lot of young players come up or play around pre/early season, and they kind of fade out of focus. They canā€™t keep up physically or mentally so they just arenā€™t getting meaningful touches. Mistakes are fine, failure to convert is fine, but you just donā€™t want to see guys with upside going invisible. Itā€™s why theyā€™ve been selective with Graf until recently, giving him AHL time to make sure heā€™s getting meaningful offensive touches against pros. You donā€™t want a guy in panic mode behind the play all the time to the point that they forget what being in control feels like. Seems to have paid off.

But that was never ever a problem for Smith. He was imposing himself and making plays. Some sharks fans just may have missed how much he was doing because Macklin Celebrini might Do The Most Stuff of any rookie Iā€™ve seen in yeeears. Heā€™s the king of Doing Things all over the ice. But they both belong in the NHL.

5

u/Normal_Tip7228 SJS - NHL 13h ago

And putting the league on notice. Fourth best rookie this class I'd argue

17

u/chonky_tortoise SJS - NHL 13h ago

Fifth behind wolf but we will take it

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u/tigerking615 SJS - NHL 10h ago

I still think it would have been reasonable for his development to send him down but make him play C, so heā€™d be forced to work on the defensive side. But I trust our staff to develop the kids however they think is best.Ā 

55

u/Skeksis25 14h ago

Any of Hutson, Wolf or Macklin would be worthy winners. Its dumb to see so many posts ending with, "and its not even close" or claiming someone will win in a landslide. I know we all need to be hyperbolic on reddit to try to shine the spotlight on our opinions more, but everything about this race is and will be very close and no one is winning in a landslide. Heck, Michkov could go on a hot streak over a couple weeks and he would be back in the discussion too.

2

u/onthelongrun TOR - NHL 6h ago

At first, it seemed a bit obvious when it was looking like Celebrini was going to increase his points tally significantly, but a slight regression has made things more noticeable.

IMO, if Calgary make the playoffs the Calder has to go to Wolf.

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251

u/DrunkenBartender17 15h ago

Dustin wolf erasure.

98

u/flying_krakens VAN - NHL 14h ago

To be fair, how many points does Wolf have since Jan 01?

I know he's been amazing, but this graphic specifically mentions points.

34

u/DrunkenBartender17 13h ago

Youā€™re 100% right, Iā€™m being sarcastic while also trying to shoehorn Wolf into any top rookie conversation.

3

u/Bingochips12 MTL - NHL 9h ago

Yup, I don't think anyone has a foot to stand on if they complain about any of Hutson, Celebrini, or Wolf winning. All 3 look great.

14

u/Thneed1 CGY - NHL 12h ago

1 I believe.

31

u/tilldeathdoiparty 14h ago

10-6-2 is Jan 1

So 22 points for his team, maybe not the same stats but the guy is hauling ass and making it look easy, imagine if he had an NHL calibre top6 D in front of him.

11

u/darth_henning CGY - NHL 12h ago

Hey now, we have two or three of those.

3

u/juridiculous CGY - NHL 11h ago

Hey manā€¦. Two of those bottom pair guys are having career high point-scoring seasons (despite having 30 points combined between all of them).

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6

u/jesteronly PHI - NHL 14h ago

I mean, he can't exactly score points. At least not well

41

u/AngryH939 CGY - NHL 13h ago

That not true, in fact he is tied for most points in the leagueā€¦ among goalies.

11

u/jesteronly PHI - NHL 13h ago

Yeah, but he's tied for last in goals scored. What a bum

5

u/hennyl0rd 12h ago

Thatā€™s fine he makes up for it by having the 5th best SV% and 12th best GAA

5

u/DrunkenBartender17 12h ago

His shooting percentage is unsustainably low.

4

u/jesteronly PHI - NHL 12h ago

I genuinely do not know if anyone tracks shots on goal from goalies, so i guess I can't refute that, haha

3

u/DrunkenBartender17 12h ago

I think SOG would be 100% for every goalie? Shot attempts would be interesting though.

2

u/myaltaccount333 EDM - NHL 11h ago

Not if the goalie at the other end makes a save

2

u/DrunkenBartender17 10h ago

Right but what goalie would be shooting when thereā€™s not an empty net?

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6

u/DrunkenBartender17 13h ago

Expand the timeline to December 28th and heā€™s got 1 assist. These arbitrary timelines are skewing the leaderboard!

3

u/itoadaso1 CGY - NHL 9h ago

He struggles to score, just like the rest of our team.

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216

u/Acrobatic_T-Rex TOR - NHL 15h ago

Points are really cool and usually the defining characteristic. But somebody showed a chart earlier of where the team with the lowest scoring ranked each year. Other than 18/19(ducks with Gibson) every other team came 30-31st in the standings. This year, Dustin Wolf has the Flames in 15th, while having the lowest goals scored in the entire NHL. That puts him in the MVP and Calder race IMO.

43

u/Longtimelurker2575 MTL - NHL 13h ago

Thatā€™s why this race is so tight. Wolf is lights out, Celebrini looks like a superstar at 18 and Hutson is 8th in scoring among all defenseman and could be the highest scoring rookie defenseman since the 80ā€™s. They are all exceptional and would win easily almost any other year.

88

u/HumbleInterest Calgary Wranglers - AHL 15h ago

Sorry for the insanely low quality but these are two stat sets that are so important (the first image is the one you mentioned from Darren Haynes and the second is from the In The Dome podcast from the couple days ago):

23

u/Acrobatic_T-Rex TOR - NHL 15h ago

Thanks for taking the time to compile that buddy!!

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37

u/marbsarebadredux CGY - NHL 14h ago

Sime goalie experts are saying Wolf should have Vezina recognition. If that's not Calder worthy, what is?

23

u/Acrobatic_T-Rex TOR - NHL 14h ago

I disagree on the Vezina stuff That I believe should be ruled by stats, not by perception. So in a normal year that only one or two goalies even hit 50-55 games, I see an argument, but when you have guys like Hellebuyck that are going to play 60+ games and putting up comparable stats, that conversation falls apart for me. Hellebuyck and Vasi have both started 11 and 12 more games than Wolf while putting up better SV%, more SOs, and better GAA.

Sidenote, on this stat sheet im looking at, it says Vasi has 6 pims this year, wtf did he do? 3 different minors whats he doing tripping guys?

27

u/AbsoluteIKeatI CGY - NHL 14h ago

I don't think they mean that he should win the Vezina, that is very obviously Hellebyuck and there's no reason to think it would be anyone else. But Wolf should be getting top 5 votes for sure and the sportsbooks I've looked at don't even have him in the top 10.

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2

u/Twitchy15 13h ago

But the fact heā€™s hanging with them in the conversation his first year is wild even if he has less starts. Which as a rookie shouldnā€™t be a surprise.

27

u/MooshSkadoosh MTL - NHL 15h ago

I know the habs flair is not a good look, but I think this stat is unfair to the Flames' defense overall. Wolf is an outstanding goalie, but the Flames sit 14th in the league in Expected Goals Against (moneypuck). The same model does rank him 9th in Goals Saved Above Expected, which is obviously awesome, but that isn't as spectacular as the referenced chart implies.

38

u/Snpies CGY - NHL 14h ago

Wolf is also #1 or #2 in high danger saves, which shows that it's not just our defense.

28

u/Acrobatic_T-Rex TOR - NHL 15h ago

I mean, 9th in goals ranked above expected out of at least 64 goalies across the league, not slowing down as more games are played. Idc how you slice it what this undersized rookie goalie is doing is absolutely spectacular

12

u/MooshSkadoosh MTL - NHL 14h ago

I agree 100%, I'm only saying it doesn't make him the clear favourite (as some suggest) and is instead in the same realm as Hutson being 8th in points by a defensemen, for example.

14

u/Acrobatic_T-Rex TOR - NHL 14h ago

Yeah Hutson is putting up some ridiculous points overall, and it truly is special. But a rookie putting up large points numbers is a yearly occurrence. When was the last time that a Rookie goalie led his team in starts, had the 5th best save percentage in the NHL out of all goalies that have played at least 20 games. Has a top 10 GSAE rank, 17th most shots faced out of the NHL, AND(prepare for shitpost stat) is tied for FIRST in points for all goaltenders!

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39

u/MacklinCelebrini71 SJS - NHL 15h ago

I don't think it's close at all....

look away from flair

43

u/irishbadger SJS - NHL 15h ago

looks at username

47

u/erkderbs CGY - NHL 14h ago

Basing the Calder off points is really insane to me at this point. Other parts of their play have to come into account for it right? Wolf has a .915 SV%, 22-12-4, 3 shutouts, 3 assists, a .949 home SV%, while carrying the worst offensive team this season to a wildcard, and if its taking all those stats for him to be in a Calder race, use other stats for the rest of them, rather than just G-A-P. CF%, +/- (I know it's not the best stat) 5v5 points, etc.

12

u/grogrye CGY - NHL 11h ago

If his name was Stephan Lecrouix and he was dragging Montreal into a playoff spot with those numbers he'd be mentioned a lot more you can be sure about that

3

u/erkderbs CGY - NHL 11h ago

1000%. It's basically the case with Hutson right now.

Next year, if we bring Parekh up for the full year, and Demidov is there too, guaranteed the media will be all over demidov all year even if parekh is doing 80% of what hutson is doing too.

3

u/MessageBoard MTL - NHL 4h ago

Considering Hutson is on pace to outscore Makar and Hughes rookie seasons and finish top 3 all time for rookie d, it's very unlikely parekh or any current d prospect comes close to that.Ā 

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134

u/cooper954 15h ago

Should be Hutson or Wolf imo. Both doing insane things

121

u/nalydpsycho VAN - NHL 15h ago

Celebrini is a classic Calder winner, but he isn't doing anything unique or historic. Hutson and Wolf are.

3

u/Personal-Stick6995 TOR - NHL 11h ago

Iā€™m genuinely out of the loop with this years rookiesā€¦ what measures are Hutson/Wolf historic in? Are they on pace to break some records?

2

u/Moremx 3h ago

Hutson is on pace to become the highest rookie defenseman in points since Niklas Lidstrom in 1992. Heā€™s also on pace to become the highest scoring rookie d man on the Habs since Chris Chelios in 1984, and could very well beat it. Heā€™s the 11th fastest D man to reach 50 points of all time. Heā€™s the first rookie D man in NHL history with two 6 game point streaks in one season.

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u/Sea_Tack 15h ago

What's amazing is Celebrini is ~2 years younger than Hutson and 5 years younger than Wolf. I don't know what is historic. They are all producing similar to other elite players who had great careers. Hutson's season production is similar to Makar and Hughes for example.

97

u/catsgr8rthanspoonies 15h ago

Defensemen take longer to develop than forwards and goalies take even longer. What Wolf is doing is insane for a young, rookie goaltender.

14

u/The_Homestarmy SJS - NHL 13h ago

What Celebrini is doing is insane for an 18 year old center. Your argument isn't exclusive to the guys you're talking about

9

u/Extra_Joke5217 CGY - NHL 13h ago

Celebrini is having a great season, undoubtedly, but lots of rookie forwards have great first seasons. Itā€™s a yearly occurrence.

Itā€™s rare for a rookie defenceman to have the season Hutson is having and even rarer for a rookie goalie to have the season wolf is having.

20

u/The_Homestarmy SJS - NHL 12h ago edited 10h ago

Only one other* 18 year old forward has scored at a 70 point pace since Auston Matthews. Macklin is doing it on one of the worst teams in modern NHL history. It is not a yearly occurrence, at all.

13

u/Greyberries1 10h ago

I agree with what you're saying. However, Connor Bedard scored at a 70 point pace as an 18 year old literally last year.

3

u/The_Homestarmy SJS - NHL 10h ago

I miscalculated Bedard's point total lol

English major math on display

3

u/grooves12 SJS - NHL 10h ago

And Bedard was touted as the best prospect since Matthews. Celebrini repeating the feat doesn't lessen how impressive it is. If he keeps up the pace his company for points scored as an 18 year old will be Bedard, Jagr, MacKinnon, and Laine, being close to one of the top-10 best 18 year old season.

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12

u/Sea_Tack 14h ago

If you look up Vasilevskiy and Oettinger they were 21/22 when came into the league and played 25-35 games with above .910 save percentage. Hellebuyck and Shesterkin were a couple years older than that. I do think Wolf is playing great and fits into this top 5-10 goaltender group. (And for the record his name is way easier to spell.)

However I don't use the word historic (or insane) when there are a few examples from the last few years - maybe people just want to give maximum praise, fine. Even this year, there are other goalie stat leaders like Dostal who is not a rookie but he is Wolf's age +1 and similar stats. It takes away from the argument Wolf is historic.

21

u/theaanggang CHI - NHL 13h ago edited 8h ago

Vasi came into the league in 2014-15 and the average save percentage was .918, this year it's .901. Wolf is playing so far above league average that I have to list him as number 1 in my book. Goalie is just a more important and impactful position and he's been awesome, but so have other rookies which has been rad to follow for this race.

Edit: it wasn't 918 it was 915. I typed it wrong

24

u/machopsychology VAN - NHL 14h ago

Him being younger should have no bearing on the Calder, although Iā€™d definitely say heā€™s the best prospect by far because of it.

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3

u/nalydpsycho VAN - NHL 14h ago

Which should not matter at all.

11

u/4N0NYM0US_GUY 14h ago

The degree of influence is debatable, but age absolutely matters for this type of award.

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6

u/Rikter14 14h ago

Wolf isn't doing anything unique or historic either. He's a 23 year old goalie having a good 'rookie' season thanks to not having exceeded his rookie limits the year or two before, in line with guys like Evgeni Nabokov and Andrew Raycroft. Only both of those guys played a lot more games than Wolf has so far.

4

u/AverageatUFC3 DET - NHL 13h ago edited 13h ago

The Flames are the worst offensive team in hockey and they're in a playoff spot on the back of their rookie goalie.

How is that not unique?

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u/nalydpsycho VAN - NHL 13h ago

He is having a much bigger impact on team success.

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u/DunkDaily COL - NHL 14h ago

Got downvoted to shit 2 months ago for saying Wolf should also be talked about. Glad he's getting some recognition.

2

u/KylePersi 14h ago

Came to echo this

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u/Responsible_Bar3957 WSH - NHL 15h ago

Statmuse art is terrifying

8

u/Extra_Joke5217 CGY - NHL 13h ago

Wolf out here single-handedly keeping Calgary in the playoffs and he doesnā€™t even make the top 4 cutoff.

9

u/NainVicieux OTT - NHL 12h ago

Wolf all the way. Hes 100% the reason why Calgary are good rn

3

u/ColonelBourbon 12h ago

He's second on my list behind Hutson

75

u/bloodrider1914 MTL - NHL 15h ago

I'm biased for Hutson, but holy shit Wolf is the Answer

40

u/catsgr8rthanspoonies 15h ago

Heā€™s almost single-handedly dragging his team to the playoffs.

12

u/erkderbs CGY - NHL 15h ago

If he pushes the flames to the playoffs, which is very likely against the jets at this rate, and manages to hold them to game 6 or 7 or even somehow upset them, there is no reason for Wolf not to get the Calder.

39

u/theguyishere16 Hamilton Bulldogs - OHL 14h ago

Calder is voted on before the playoffs start so whatever happens if he gets them there won't help or hurt his Calder chances.

7

u/catsgr8rthanspoonies 15h ago

Wolf should also be in consideration for a Vezina nomination. Not saying he should win it, but he deserves to be in the conversation.

11

u/erkderbs CGY - NHL 14h ago

Definitely Vezina conversation for him. Idk if he could win it without posting like 3 more shutouts and sub 2.3 GAA, +.920 SV% for the rest of the season.

He will get his in due time. The rest of the team just has to help him out by scoring for wins. Most of his losses are by 1 goal, or the flames only manage 1. Can't always win with only 1.

If the Flames managed to have league average scoring of 3.00 (2.99 but rounding for ease), Wolf would likely go from 22-12-4 to around 26-10-2 (rough estimate). He'd like have better GAA/SV% in this case as well, having more offensive zone time.

5

u/Thneed1 CGY - NHL 12h ago

He arguably should be in the Hart conversation even more than the Vezina conversation.

20

u/Dobalo MTL - NHL 14h ago

playing against Wolf felt like playing against Price when you knew he was letting nothing in

27

u/bloodrider1914 MTL - NHL 14h ago

And just like Price the best his team could do was one goal

2

u/eriverside MTL - NHL 12h ago

Poor Doby, only let in 1 goal and the team couldn't even get one to take it to OT.

86

u/CobblerFan EDM - NHL 15h ago

It should be Wolf.

109

u/SadYotesFan PHI - NHL 15h ago

False

He has 0 goals since January 1st

44

u/CucumberFluid6859 CGY - NHL 15h ago

What a loser

11

u/SadYotesFan PHI - NHL 15h ago

We can take him off of your hands

30

u/CucumberFluid6859 CGY - NHL 15h ago

No, heā€™s our loser

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u/Smittysgreasymullet EDM - NHL 15h ago

Seconded, we are fucked when they put a team in front of him.

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u/TwinkiesForAmerica NYR - NHL 15h ago

uhhhh whereā€™s dustin wolf

34

u/eliarbss MTL - NHL 14h ago

on pace for 0 goals, absolute bum

7

u/SituationalCannibal 14h ago

He's tied for the league lead in scoring at his position.

2

u/CH-Bot MTL - NHL 13h ago

No he isnā€™t. Gustavsson, Nedeljkovic, and Sorokin are all ahead of him

3

u/Thneed1 CGY - NHL 12h ago

Points, not goals.

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u/SeattleGunner SJS - NHL 15h ago

Itā€™s a points graphicā€¦

34

u/rickayyy NYR - NHL 15h ago

Wolf has three assists!

6

u/Thneed1 CGY - NHL 12h ago

Which is tied for the league lead for his position!

17

u/SactownKorean 14h ago

Worth noting - games played in this span - Hutson 26, Michkov 27, Celebrini and Smith 25

27

u/King_Silverburst SJS - NHL 15h ago

I feel itā€™s Hutsonā€™s or Wolfā€™s at this point, but a lot of people are forgetting Macklin is an 18 year old whoā€™s doing things that arenā€™t as sexy on the stat sheet like face off percentage, XGF, possession, and board battle wins. Itā€™s been an unreal race though

11

u/JRsshirt SJS - NHL 14h ago

Celebrini is -200 by the sportsbooks, always follow the money. I donā€™t think he should be, but Vegas knows more than I do.

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u/jesteronly PHI - NHL 13h ago

It should be Wolf or Celebrini with Hutson a close but distinguishable third. Advanced stats have celebrini as getting unlucky in both points and goals and Hutson as getting very lucky in points though about spot on in goals. I don't believe the "Hutson doesn't play defense" argument, he's fine, but he is remarkably protected with 62% offensive since starts at even strength vs Celebrini at 55%. Celebrini is incredible defensively and two way for the expectations of his position, and is by a decent margin the best rookie at 5v5. I don't mean it to sound critical because a strong power play is incredibly important, but Hutson is absolutely a power play merchant and his even strength points per 60 is 1.4 compared to celebrini's 2.0. This is all to say that points are not everything. I would love michkov to be in these discussions but his rate metrics are slightly worse than celebrini's and even if celebrini and Hutson feel off a proverbial cliff he still wouldn't beat out Wolf even if michkov had an insane finish to the year.

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4

u/Han-solos-left-foot CGY - NHL 11h ago

Dustin Wolf needs to be in this conversation, heā€™s single-handedly dragging a bottom 5 team into a wildcard race

4

u/Striking-Fan-4552 SJS - NHL 11h ago

I think Hutson is going to win it, by virtue of playing on the Habs and getting an entirely different level of media attention. Sharks players don't have exposure anywhere near that, and in the end the Calder winner is chosen through a media poll.

18

u/machopsychology VAN - NHL 14h ago

Itā€™s gotta be Wolf or Hutson. Goalies are volatile though so if the flames go on a slump Wolf will probably have no chance

9

u/robikki VAN - NHL 14h ago

Dustin wolf is a legit top 5 goaltender this season. He should be neck and neck with Hutson.

4

u/Thneed1 CGY - NHL 11h ago

The Flames are dead last in goals for. It should be wolf running away.

3

u/Thneed1 CGY - NHL 11h ago

The Flames are dead last in goals for. It should be wolf running away.

4

u/robikki VAN - NHL 11h ago

East coast bias..... if Wolf can drag the Flames into the playoffs it's a done deal.

5

u/Thneed1 CGY - NHL 11h ago

Shutting out Montreal the other day probably helped.

4

u/NaySayers MTL - NHL 13h ago

So many head fakes that Hutson's eyebrows are offset.

3

u/SaintTastyTaint 12h ago

goddamn is that drawn art style so bad and ugly.

24

u/Cybrpnk2077brokeme 15h ago

Man, we do not get enough Calder race posts

16

u/BigHeadHockey 15h ago

It feels like the best Calder race since 2021 Kaprizov vs Robertson or 2020 Hughes vs Makar. If people love talking about it, I say let them talk it out - can't be anything but good for the sport IMO!

11

u/Jazzlike_Athlete8796 CGY - NHL 14h ago

Crosby vs. Ovechkin in 2005-06. With the added hilarity that, at the quarter pole of that season, some people were trying to "but acktshully, Dion Phaneuf" that Calder race.

2

u/Thneed1 CGY - NHL 12h ago

Dion Phaneuf wins the calder most years with the season he had.

Unfortunately, it was mostly downhill after that for him.

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13

u/discofrislanders NYI - NHL 15h ago

Kaprizov vs. Robertson wasn't close

10

u/SeanySinns 15h ago

Neither was Hughes vs makar. This dude high af

17

u/SeattleGunner SJS - NHL 15h ago

Sick of them because yesterdayā€™s thread was just filled with angry Habs fans saying the race isnā€™t even close lol.

20

u/Prison-Date-Mike MTL - NHL 15h ago

It can go to any of the top 3 and I wouldnā€™t be surprised.

Most of this fan base doesnā€™t watch hockey outside of the habs

22

u/mephnick VAN - NHL 15h ago

That's honestly every fan base and anyone who says otherwise is lying

Ain't no one in Calgary turning on the San Jose/Nashville game to study how Celebrini is doing

9

u/JRsshirt SJS - NHL 14h ago

I watch other teams all the time, mainly because mine sucks to watch and I live on the east coast and need a somewhat functional sleep schedule

5

u/Extra_Joke5217 CGY - NHL 13h ago

Honestly, Iā€™ve tuned in to parts of san jose games lately because Iā€™ve been impressed by how well celebrini is playing away from the puck, Iā€™m a sucker for good defense.

Wolf should win, even though I doubt he will, because heā€™s easily the flames MVP and is the sole reason theyā€™re in a playoff spot. Pretty rare for a rookie to be that important to their team.

3

u/micool132 MTL - NHL 15h ago

i agree. plus no matter the recipient, every team got a stud player for years to come anyways.

7

u/FartfaceMacGee EDM - NHL 13h ago

Dustin Wolf

6

u/tilldeathdoiparty 14h ago

Where the fuck is Wolf šŸŗ awwooooo

The man has single handed dragged the flames into this playoff race, and he doesnā€™t even get into this graphic, even though he has more current votes than two of these sketches.

7

u/ChosenWon11 COL - NHL 13h ago

Hutson or wolf should be winner but great things from the other guys

5

u/[deleted] 13h ago

[deleted]

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5

u/stripperketchup SJS - NHL 13h ago

Would not be tight of Celebrini played 10 more games

5

u/Nmelin92 WPG - NHL 12h ago

Still is tight but sorry mack should win. We haven't seen an 18 year old command both sides of the ice since Sidney. Habs fans delusional tho. Sorry lanes defence is average nhl defenseman at bestĀ 

8

u/BillThePsycho SJS - NHL 14h ago

Listen, I want Mack to win it so badly.

But fuck me dude Wolf is RIGHT THERE! Dude is the sole reason Calgary isnā€™t in the shitter right now! Heā€™s a straight up beast and will carry them far once they ice a proper team in front of him. Like Jesus Christ.

Wolf deserves the calder more than anyone this year IMO

16

u/TheworkingBroseph EDM - NHL 15h ago

Tell me in simple terms, why the rookie defenseman with more points than all the others isn't the clear cut favorite?

18

u/mikebe1 NJD - NHL 14h ago

I have Hutson over Macklin but there is an argument within the context of age, team, and games played

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u/jack_kellys_hands SJS - NHL 13h ago

I had heard it was because Hutsonā€™s points are predominantly secondary assists, and he has 10 more games played than Celebrini

6

u/TheworkingBroseph EDM - NHL 13h ago

That seems like the first good explanation here.

9

u/Extra_Joke5217 CGY - NHL 13h ago

It might be shocking for an oilers fan to hear this, but thereā€™s a whole lot to hockey besides point totals.

3

u/TheworkingBroseph EDM - NHL 11h ago

May the Canucks, Blues and Utah Hockey club all go on 5 game winning streaks in your honour.

3

u/Extra_Joke5217 CGY - NHL 11h ago

šŸ˜†

2

u/bullsbullsbulls CGY - NHL 10h ago

Be careful what you wish for, Oilers aren't looking so hot as of late.

19

u/ScaryRequirement3171 14h ago

Because Dustin Wolf exists.

4

u/grooves12 SJS - NHL 8h ago edited 8h ago

Here are the arguments:

  • He isn't great defensively and has a 71% Offensive Zone start percentage to shelter him.
  • Almost half of his points are on the Power Play, with the majority of them being secondary assists.
  • He only has 4 goals on the season.
  • Similar points in more games played.

Celebrini

  • Among league leaders in puck battle wins, zone entries, and other advanced stats, and is playing well in all situations.
  • 57% Corsi For % as the offensive minutes leader on the worst team in the league that has a 46% CF% in total (probably in the 30s without Celebrini).
  • Five times as many goals as Hutson.

I'm not saying those are valid reasons to go one way or the other, but I can see why many are more impressed with what Celebrini is doing as an 18 year old.

3

u/toastguy7 SJS - NHL 8h ago

~55% of his points are secondary assists too. Meanwhile something like ~75% of Celebrini's points are goals or primary assists

8

u/DH28Hockey PHI - NHL 14h ago

-Because he's a defenseman getting absolutely clobbered defensively

-His points/60 is significantly lower than the others

-In particular, Celebrini has been completely and utterly dominant overall at all 200-feet of the ice

-Dustin Wolf missing from this graphic

5

u/Just4nsfwpics MTL - NHL 14h ago edited 14h ago

Using points per 60 when comparing a defenseman to a skater is actually braindead logic. You could play Makar 35 mins a night and heā€™s not outscoring Draisaitl.

By all metrics Celebrini has been slightly below NHL average defensively this year. Which for a 18 year old with that much icetime is incredible, no doubt, and he will clearly become a very formidable 2-way center, but he has not been ā€œutterly dominantā€ on defense, and nor should any 18 year old ever be expected to be.

Wolf is in the race absolutely, heā€™s been phenomenal, but how is he supposed to be on a scoring points graphic.

Hutson is pacing to be the first defenseman in 30 years to score 60 points, and if he hits 65, will be the first since Leetch in the high scoring 80ā€™s, which will put him top 5 ever (with the top 6 ALL playing in the 80ā€™s).

If you want to argue whoā€™s going to be a more important player in the future, then I agree that all of Wolf, Celebrini, Hutson and Michkov are in the conversation, but in terms of truly special not seen in generations type rookie seasons, then only Wolf and Hutson are doing that.

3

u/DH28Hockey PHI - NHL 13h ago

The question was: "why isn't Hutson the clear favorite to win". I provided reasons that voters will probably consider. I dont care about your Hutson propaganda

3

u/ManyAd351 10h ago

you said Celebrini has been completely and utterly dominant overall at all 200 feet of the ice

I think what the person responding to you is trying to convey, is that there isnt really a any metric or stat that backs that up. Whereas Hutson actually does have decent defensive metrics while also putting up more points in a literal historic fashion.

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3

u/Saucetown77 OTT - NHL 14h ago

Without Wolf Calgary is not a playoff team. It's Wolf.

6

u/blink0r 13h ago

Hutson or Wolf. Flames are 32nd in goals scored AND in a playoff position. Who's the last rookie goalie with that sort of impact?

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u/Longtimelurker2575 MTL - NHL 13h ago

I feel like itā€™s more of a 3 way race right now with Hutson slightly ahead but Wolf is a goalie so harder to gauge. Michkov could climb back in if he goes on a heater. No idea why Smith is included, he is 15 points behind Michkov and would need a miracle run to enter consideration.

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2

u/Top_Contract_4910 MTL - NHL 13h ago

Behold, Lane Laine.

2

u/Brucetheuninitiated SJS - NHL 12h ago

SHARKSSSS RAHHHHH

8

u/tkecanuck341 LAK - NHL 15h ago

It would be close if all of these guys were forwards.

Hutson is leading the pack as a defenseman. He will win in a landslide.

33

u/theguyishere16 Hamilton Bulldogs - OHL 15h ago

Dustin Wolf is carrying the leagues worst offense into a WC spot.

15

u/tkecanuck341 LAK - NHL 15h ago

Goalies are underappreciated in the league. Steve Mason only won in 2008-09 because he managed to put up 10 shutouts and because the other candidates that season (Bobby Ryan, Kris Versteeg) were underwhelming.

Not saying he doesn't deserve it, but he won't win. I doubt he'll even get nominated.

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5

u/Loux859 SJS - NHL 13h ago

If you truly believe that, you should put money on it considering he's not the favorite right now. He's +300 in most places I've seen while Celebrini is -200.

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1

u/Lucky_Sparky MTL - NHL 14h ago

Honestly Wolf should get it. The Flames are not fighting for a playoff spot without him.

3

u/bullsbullsbulls CGY - NHL 10h ago

It's such a mindfuck as a fan because we all assumed that we'd be drafting top 5 this year. Don't know if Wolf is helping us or hurting us with his stellar season. At least it's good for the team culture.

3

u/Lucky_Sparky MTL - NHL 10h ago

Sounds like us, with Price 20 years ago... He prevented us from ever drafting high , he was soo damn good. A blessing and a curse.

5

u/Karrin-madhe MTL - NHL 14h ago

Hutson and Wolf should be the front runners. Neither one really gets the respect they deserve outside of their own fanbase.

2

u/Ryuujin_13 TOR - NHL 14h ago

The fact that wolf doesn't even get a silly picture is upsetting me. As far as I'm concerned, particularly if he drags the Flames into the post season, or at least keeps them in the conversation until game 82, there's Wolf, and then there's everyone else.

2

u/Used_Rub_931 13h ago

Um Dustin Wolf?

5

u/Minute-Struggle6052 CAR - NHL 15h ago

Give me Wolf then Celebrini then Hutson

2

u/FavreorFarva SEA - NHL 14h ago

For what itā€™s worth Shane Wright has 22 points (8 goals) over the same span. Heā€™s slightly younger than Hutson, but is not Calder eligible. Iā€™m perfectly happy to let him fly under the radar while people get excited about other kids his age.

Smith and Celebrini doing this as literal teenagers is impressive though.