It isn’t every season that there’s an odds-on favorite to win the Calder Trophy. Then again, it isn’t every season that a rookie like Connor Bedard steps into the NHL.
Drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks in July, Bedard is easily the most-hyped NHL prospect since Connor McDavid was selected by the Edmonton Oilers in 2015.
Like McDavid — and Sidney Crosby before him — Bedard is expected to not only be a star in the league, but to become the face of the his respective franchise in the Blackhawks.
Oddsmakers are certainly buying the hype around Bedard as the 18-year-old is a -140 favorite to win the Calder Trophy.
It’s a price that is both absurd and completely understandable at the same time.
On one hand, Bedard has yet to have a misstep in his development and is viewed as the closest thing to a can’t-miss prospect since Crosby was taken No. 1 overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2005.
But on the other hand, Bedard is a teenager moving to a new city and will have all the pressure in the world on him as he plays against men for the first time in his career.
He’s ticked every box imaginable for an NHL prospect, but until we see him compete against the best we can’t be certain that Bedard will make the leap without any issues.
That’s why it’s very rare — in any sport — to have a preseason odds-on favorite to win rookie of the year.
And even when you get the sure things like Crosby or McDavid, that doesn’t mean they’re guaranteed to win the Calder Trophy.
In fact, neither Sid the Kid nor McDavid was named Rookie of the Year in their debutante seasons.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at a couple of players who could upset Bedard in the Calder Trophy race this season (Odds via bet365):
Logan Cooley, Coyotes (16/1)
Arizona has a chance to be better than expected in 2023-24 and Cooley will play a big role if the Desert Dogs are to make the oddsmakers look silly.
The No. 3 overall pick in last year’s draft, Cooley was sensational in his freshman season at Minnesota, posting 60 points in 38 games, and was the second-leading scorer behind Bedard at the 2023 World Junior Championships.
You always want to make sure the players you back in this market will have ample opportunity to produce and Cooley’s got a great spot as the projected No. 2 center on an up-and-coming team.
Betting on the NHL?
Tye Kartye, Kraken (50/1)
Unlike Cooley or Bedard, Kartye was unheralded as a prospect and was never drafted by an NHL team. But like Cooley and Bedard, the future seems quite bright for the 21-year-old out of Kingston, Ontario.
Kartye spent all of last regular season in the AHL, where he led all rookies in scoring and was so impressive that the Kraken decided to call him up to the big club for their first-ever playoff series.
Kartye didn’t look out of place at all, scoring three goals and notching two assists in 10 games against the Avalanche and Stars.
Seattle is a deep team, but Kartye should get a solid crack at breaking camp with the big club and he’s already shown he won’t be overwhelmed.