5 surprise winners for the NHL’s 2020 Calder Trophy

1. Ilya Mikheyev

There’s an undrafted skater that’s found himself on the league’s rookie leaderboards, and to a surprise, he’s more than likely going to be in the conversation as the recipient for the 2019-20 Calder Trophy.

Toronto Maple Leafs’ forward Ilya Mikheyev inked his name in the headlines for his play and personality, and Leafs nation is loving every second of it.

https://twitter.com/Sportsnet/status/1179572723393019904

The Original Six franchise already entailed youthful talents with the likes of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and Morgan Rielly, but a pleasant surprise unfolded once Mikheyev found his way into Toronto’s lineup.

The Russian native is something the Leafs couldn’t be happier to have entering the fifth year of the Mike Babcock era – a low risk, high reward depth skater. The salary cap has been an ongoing dilemma in Toronto with the Leafs given all the star-power their lineup carries, but a cheap and effective rookie has become one of the bigger stories north of the border.

The 24-year-old hasn’t portrayed that his success is short-lived in a stacked Toronto lineup, or that he’s one dimensional and his style is expendable. His intangibles complement Toronto’s lineup and address some of their needs – perhaps it’s the gritty, yet skilled, work that the team’s third and fourth lines have been missing over the years?

Either way, he leads all rookies with 32 shots on goal and is tied for first with ten points (4g-6a). His stats have balance, which arguably compares to his overall play.

“Consistency” is key for him and the Leafs, and that aspect could surprisingly earn him the Calder Trophy by season’s end.