Trophy Tracker: Hutson of Canadiens unanimous pick to win Calder as rookie of year

To mark the final week of the 2024-25 regular season, NHL.com is running its fifth and final installment of the Trophy Tracker series. Today, we look at the race for the Calder Trophy, given annually to the best rookie in the NHL as selected in a poll by the Professional Hockey Writers Association.

Lane Hutson could become the first player from the Montreal Canadiens in 53 years to win the Calder Trophy as NHL rookie of the year.

The last Montreal player to win the award was goalie Ken Dryden in 1972, and the last defenseman was Jacques Laperriere in 1964. The Canadiens also had winners in 1941 (Johnny Quilty), 1952 (Bernie Geoffrion), 1959 (Ralph Backstrom) and 1962 (Bobby Rousseau).

Hutson (5-foot-9, 162 pounds), a second-round pick (No. 62) in the 2022 NHL Draft, leads all rookies in assists (58), points (64), power-play points (25), average ice time (22:41; minimum 20 games), blocked shots (121) and takeaways (55) in 80 games while playing on a top pair against the best the NHL has to offer each night.

The 21-year-old is the unanimous favorite among NHL.com writers for the Calder Trophy in the final trophy tracker of the season, receiving all 16 first-place votes for 80 points.

San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini was second with 53 points, followed by Calgary Flames goalie Dustin Wolf (46 points), Philadelphia Flyers right wing Matvei Michkov (40 points), and Anaheim Ducks forward Cutter Gauthier (9 points).

"As a former goalie, I should probably go with the goalie but being on the East Coast and watching a lot of Montreal games, I think Hutson has to be the favorite with what he's done this year," said Jean-Francois Damphousse, NHL Central Scouting's Senior Eastern Scout. "To me, the way he creates offense is unique. When you start putting numbers in the range of the Cale Makars and those type of guys, you're doing something pretty good."

Hutson is the first rookie defenseman with at least 60 points in a season since Hockey Hall of Famer Nicklas Lidstrom for the Detroit Red Wings in 1991-92, and needs three assists to pass Larry Murphy (Los Angeles Kings, 1980-81) for most in a season by a rookie defenseman (60).

Montreal has two regular-season games remaining.

"What's helped Lane become a contributor game-in, game-out since training camp is how he manages the risk that he takes," Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis said. "I think it's not easy for the players who have so much talent offensively because they feel they can make something out of nothing a lot of times since they trust their skill. The problem with that in the NHL is, when you get burned, the talent coming back on the other side winds up in the back of your net.

"When he does take risks, I think it's more calculated so it's not necessarily cheating, so he's going to keep learning that."

Hutson was named NHL Rookie of the Month for March after leading first-year players with 15 points (one goal, 14 assists) in 14 games, marking the second time he's earned the Rookie of the Month honor (December).

He's in the 96th percentile in skating distance by NHL players at 270.67 miles, per NHL EDGE statistics. In 57 games since Dec. 1, Hutson is first among all NHL defensemen with 45 assists and third with 51 points, despite playing the 49th-most minutes (22:31).

Celebrini, who was named the NHL's rookie of the month for November, is second among rookies in points (62) and first in points per game (0.91). He's tied for first in goals (24) and is second in power-play points (21) in 68 games. He set San Jose single-season rookie records for points and assists (38). Celebrini also became the first 18-year-old in franchise history to score a hat trick (in an 8-7 overtime loss at the Minnesota Wild on April 9) and was the NHL's third to do so in the past eight years (Leo Carlsson, Anaheim Ducks, Nov. 10, 2023; Cole Sillinger, Columbus Blue Jackets, March 13, 2022).

Wolf, the NHL's rookie of the month for January, has been a big reason the Flames have remained in the running for a berth into the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The 23-year-old is 28-16-8 with a 2.62 goals-against average and .910 save percentage in 52 games (all starts). His .827 high-danger save percentage ranks in the 82nd percentile, according to NHL EDGE, above the League average of .803. He also set a new Calgary/Atlanta Flames record for shutouts in a season by a rookie goalie (three).

Michkov was named the NHL's Rookie of the Month for October and February. He's tied with Celebrini for the rookie lead in goals (24) and leads first-year players with 44 even-strength points in 78 games. He's third among rookie forwards with 60 points and is tied with Celebrini for first in power-play goals (seven). Michkov is the first Philadelphia rookie with at least 60 points since Mikael Renberg had 82 in 1993-94.

Gauthier is fifth in rookie scoring with 43 points (20 goals, 23 assists) in 79 games. He needs three points to pass Dustin Penner for third place on the Ducks' all-time rookie scoring list for a season. Penner had 45 points (29 goals, 16 assists) in 82 games in 2006-07.

Voting totals (points awarded on a 5-4-3-2-1 basis): Lane Hutson, Montreal Canadiens, 80 points (16 first-place votes); Macklin Celebrini, San Jose Sharks, 53; Dustin Wolf, Calgary Flames, 46; Matvei Michkov, Philadelphia Flyers, 40; Cutter Gauthier, Anaheim Ducks, 9; Zack Bolduc, St. Louis Blues, 4; Will Smith, San Jose Sharks, 4; Logan Stankoven, Carolina Hurricanes, 3; Jackson Blake, Carolina Hurricanes, 1