As we move onto the third month of the 2024-25 season, talks of individual NHL awards are beginning to creep up. One name that has taken people by storm is Martin Necas of the Carolina Hurricanes for the Supernova start to the season he is having. Tallying 37 points in 24 games will certainly do that, as he is only behind Kirill Kaprizov of the Minnesota Wild (38 points). Necas is also being mentioned for the Hart Trophy.
However, there is one other Hurricanes player who needs to get some recognition as well for his play so far this season. When it comes to the Calder Trophy for the NHL’s Rookie of the Year, Carolina’s rookie sensation Jackson Blake needs to be in more discussions for the award.
Don’t You (Forget About Me); Blake’s Case
In 24 games for the Hurricanes in the 2024-25 season, Blake has seven goals and 10 points which gives him an average of 0.42 points per game. Not bad for someone who only averages 12:04 of time on ice (TOI) per game. What is more impressive is that he has scored seven goals with limited ice time, which only puts him two behind the Philadelphia Flyers’ Matvei Michkov (nine) and the San Jose Sharks’ Macklin Celebrini (eight). Both of those players on their respective teams average 17:17 (Michkov) and 19:48 (Celebrini).
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Furthermore, Blake’s 10 points put him seventh in rookie scoring while averaging the third-fewest TOI among the top 10 scorers. He is managing to do more with less ice time, even if he is on the second power-play unit for the Hurricanes. So far this season, he has a goals-for percentage of 55%, which is very impressive for a rookie. His Corsi-For percentage is 60.40%, which is also impressive, as anything above 50% is considered good. Being above 60% for Blake shows how much the opposition does not have the puck when he is on the ice.
What has helped him become a scoring threat is his ability to be calm in the moment and not let it throw him off his game. In the team’s 4-3 win over the New York Rangers on Nov. 27, his goal was a game-winner and on the power play. Any other rookie might freak out in the moment like that, but Blake was able to take his time and score the goal.
After the game he mentioned, “We talked about (the pass) in the first period. We saw that [as an option]. It was a great job by [Jesperi Kotkaniemi] and [Jack Roslovic] driving through, that opens that play up. It was a great play by [Jack Drury] and I just had to finish it… I was a little surprised. I took a little peek to see if anyone was next to me, so I settled it down – it was spinning a little bit. I just kind of picked my spot and it kind of went in.”
To be able to have an awareness like that for a 21-year-old is really impressive. It also helps when your dad is former NHLer Jason Blake of the New York Islanders, someone who has been there and done that. Finding a way to stay calm in moments like these goes a long way.
Related: Martin’s Musings: Hurricanes’ Blake & Gostisbehere Stay Red Hot, Kotkaniemi Milestone & More
Moreover, just the way head coach Rod Brind’Amour is trying to find ice time for Blake means something for someone who wasn’t on a lot of radars to make it out of training camp. Many thought it could have been Bradly Nadeau or Felix Unger-Sorum, which had some warrant to it at the time. However, it was Blake who shined the most. Now 24 games later, he has proven why he was picked to make the opening night roster on Oct. 11 for the Hurricanes. While he is in the second year of his entry-level contract (ELC), he is playing well above ELC status as he has played all over the lineup and on both power-play units.
Add Blake to the Shortlist of Finalists
While many focus on Michkov and Celebrini for the Calder Trophy, and rightfully so, let us not forget the 2024 Hobey Baker finalist from North Dakota who had 60 points in his last season of college hockey. The kid has more than shown that he can be a playmaker and that is evident so far this season. If there is another player to be considered for the Calder Trophy for Rookie of the Year, people need to start taking notice of Jackson Blake.
