After an elite 2023 NHL Entry Draft class there is no getting away from the fact that the Calder Trophy race this season could be one to remember. The level of talent that is entering the NHL across the board is ridiculously high and more than a few players have the potential to create an immediate impact on their respective teams. While rookies like Connor Bedard, Luke Hughes, Logan Cooley, and Adam Fantilli are expected to be the frontrunners for good reason, the Wild have a duo of players that are rarely included in the conversation with Marco Rossi and Brock Faber, and one that is included too often in Jesper Wallstedt.
Rossi is Still a Top 10 Pick
The quickness with which Rossi’s perceived potential as an NHL player dropped off because of a sub-par 19 games is mind-boggling. This is a soon-to-be 22-year-old, ninth-overall draft pick that had 185 points in 109 games in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) and boasts 104 points in 116 games in the American Hockey League (AHL). People develop at vastly different rates and a small-bodied center that missed an entire season due to illness is going to require a little more patience.
All that being said, there is no doubt in my mind that as soon as the NHL-level game clicks for Rossi he is going to be a completely different player than he was at the start of last season. An entire offseason of training in St. Paul combined with an extra year of development could give Wild fans the Rossi they’ve been waiting for, in which case look out Bedard because yes, he is still Calder eligible according to the criteria from the NHL themselves:
“To be eligible for the Calder Memorial Trophy, a player cannot have played more than 25 games in any single preceding season nor in six or more games in each of any two preceding seasons in any major professional league. Beginning in 1990-91, a player must not have attained his 26th birthday by Sept. 15 of the season in which he is eligible.”
“Calder Memorial Trophy” – Records.NHL.com – Accessed August 22, 2023
Rossi only played two games in the NHL in 2021-22 and 19 games in 2022-23, making him a candidate to bring a second Calder Trophy to the Wild in just three seasons. The biggest boost for a productive Rossi over his competition is that he could easily end up taking Ryan Hartman’s job between Kirill Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello, giving him much stronger linemates than any other rookie. He is also very likely going to be a key piece of their second powerplay unit right from the start as it needs a boost after struggling heavily last season.
Brock Faber the Top-Four Player
The freshly turned 21-year-old was a second-round pick in 2020 and he took a massive leap last season when he launched directly from college straight into an NHL lineup. Not only was he in the lineup for the end of the regular season, but he was an impactful, albeit slightly sheltered, defenseman in the Wild’s short playoff berth. He may only have eight games of NHL experience, but the hype around him is well-warranted. Even fellow teammate Jake Middleton had the following to say about his rookie teammate:
“Brock’s a way better player than I am and ever will be so I think he’s going to step in just fine, there is obviously going to be learning curves for him, but he’s going to be just fine.”
“I’ve got nowhere to be” – Worst Seats in the House w/Michael Russo & Anthony Lapanta – July 25, 2023
With Matt Dumba gone, Faber is going to slide into the top-four for the Wild this season, and a weak bottom pairing means there is a good chance he sees his time-on-ice numbers jump way up, especially if he lines up beside Jonas Brodin who regularly sees over 23 minutes a night.
Related: 10 Minnesota Wild Prospects You Need to Watch in 2023-24
Faber might not bring the offensive firepower needed to win the Calder, but if he handles himself well and immediately becomes the minute-munching machine he is expected to be, he may find himself attracting some attention.
Jesper Wallstedt an Extreme Longshot
The best goaltending prospect outside of the NHL, Wallstedt would likely be much higher on the many people’s Calder favourites if he was expected to play in the NHL this season, but a recently re-signed Filip Gustavsson and an apparently ageless Marc-Andre Fleury have a secure hold on the two goaltending positions. Wallstedt had a strong second half of last season with the Iowa Wild in the AHL as he took a few months to adjust to the North American game. There is a good chance he will see some NHL action this season, but opportunities will be limited to injuries.
The only way Wallstedt gets into the Calder race is a devastating injury to either Fleury or Gustavsson that no one wants to happen. Even if he was called up, he would be restricted to an extremely sheltered backup position that wouldn’t allow him to fully stand out in a way that would warrant any Calder Trophy hype, especially when being compared to the likes of Bedard. Instead, look out for Wallstedt in the 2024-25 season when he is expected to be in Minnesota full-time.
Wild Lucky to Have Elite Rookie Depth
Until Kaprizov ran away with the title in 2021, the Wild had never had a Calder winner, and now it seems like they are set up to have a contender or two every season. Whether it is Faber and Rossi this season or Wallstedt next season, it is simply a reflection of the elite talent the Wild have been able to draft over the last few years. With the constant influx of high-end rookie talent, it is only a matter of time before the Wild turn into a perennial Cup contender.
