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3 reasons why Brock Faber could end up beating Connor Bedard to 2023-24 Calder Memorial Trophy
The NHL announced the Calder Trophy finalists on Tuesday, with them being Connor Bedard, Brock Faber and Luke Hughes.
It's a two-horse fight between Bedard and Faber, but Bedard, the first overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, is the odds-on favorite to win the Rookie of the Year award.
However, here are three reasons why Faber could beat out Bedard for the Calder trophy.
3 reasons why Brock Faber should win the Calder
#1: Bedard's injury
Connor Bedard's chances of winning the Calder Trophy took a hit when he suffered a broken jaw and missed a few weeks. Bedard ended up only playing 68 games so the injury and time off could hinder his chances of winning the award.
Faber, meanwhile, played all 82 games and was one of the top defensemen in the NHL.
#2: Defensive ability
Both Faber and Bedard had phenomenal rookie seasons, but Faber's defense was better than Bedard's.
Faber was tasked with shutting down the opposing team's top players as a rookie and led all rookies in ice time with 24:58. He was sixth in the NHL in ice time per game, as he was given a major responsibility on both offense and defense, which Bedard didn't have to do.
He also played on both the power play and penalty kill, showing he's relied upon on both ends of the ice.
#3: Not all about points
Although Connor Bedard had 61 points compared to Faber's 47 points, it is not all about who has the most points and who wins the award.
Moritz Seider, a defenseman for the Detroit Red Wings, won the Calder Trophy two years ago and he was fourth among rookies in points.
Faber was forced to be the Wild's No. 1 defenseman after Jared Spurgeon went down, and not only did he play well defensively, but his offensive game continued to grow.
Although statistically, Bedard had a better season, Faber had to do more as a rookie, which could sway voters.
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