Fansided

2018-19 NHL Awards nominees and predictions

By Bruin Belisle

TAMPA, FL - MARCH 25: Nikita Kucherov #86 of the Tampa Bay Lightning celebrates his goal against Patrice Bergeron #37 of the Boston Bruins during the third period at Amalie Arena on March 25, 2019 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Scott Audette/NHLI via Getty Images)
TAMPA, FL - MARCH 25: Nikita Kucherov #86 of the Tampa Bay Lightning celebrates his goal against Patrice Bergeron #37 of the Boston Bruins during the third period at Amalie Arena on March 25, 2019 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Scott Audette/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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ST. LOUIS, MO – APRIL 6: Jordan Binnington #50 of the St. Louis Blues blocks a shoot out shot from Elias Pettersson #40 of the Vancouver Canucks at Enterprise Center on April 6, 2019 in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Joe Puetz/NHLI via Getty Images) /

Calder Trophy

The Calder Trophy might be one of the more hotly contested trophies of the NHL awards. Jordan Binnington was by far the most outstanding rookie this season as he ran a historic rookie campaign, coming in and saving the St. Louis Blues season.

That said, he came in half way through the season and only ended up playing 32 regular-season games. This is no fault of his own, but it would be an incredibly low number for someone winning the Calder Trophy.

In his 32 games, Binnington led NHL goaltenders in goals against average (1.89) and was in the top-four in save percentage (.927). He led the St. Louis Blues to a Stanley Cup championship with only a few bad games along the way.

Of course, this doesn’t matter in NHL award voting. Binnington was the most NHL-ready rookie this season. He was the best rookie to play in 2018-19. He just didn’t play enough to win the trophy.

The Calder is between Rasmus Dahlin and Elias Pettersson. Really, though, Pettersson should be a lock. Elias had a spectacular rookie season playing for the Vancouver Canucks. He had 28 goals and 38 assists in 71 games.

His speed and scoring ability have him as a future star in the NHL. He’s the type of player that people pay to see.

Betting note: If you’re betting on the awards, Binnington, given his unlikely story and the fact that we haven’t really ever seen a performance like this before, is a great value bet. He’s at +750 on most sites (via Sports Betting Dime) and could make you a few dollars.

Prediction: Elias Pettersson. He’s done enough to win the award.

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