from Mike G. Morreale of NHL.com,
Raymond is the favorite to win the Calder Trophy according to a panel of 17 writers for NHL.com, receiving 10 first-place votes and 77 points in the poll. The 19-year-old didn't receive a vote in NHL.com's preseason poll in October.
Raymond's teammate, Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider, is second in the poll with six first-place votes and 71 points, followed by New Jersey Devils center Dawson Mercer with 38 points (one first-place vote), Anaheim Ducks center Trevor Zegras with 35 points and Colorado Avalanche defenseman Bowen Byram with 12 points.
It's the first time in the history of NHL.com's Trophy Tracker series that two Red Wings players are No. 1-2 among the top five in voting for the Calder Trophy. Additionally, Detroit goalie Alex Nedeljkovic is tied for seventh with Ducks defenseman Jamie Drysdale, each with four points.
Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill said he's excited to have a rookie at each position in his lineup playing a key role. He said he has been especially impressed with the way Raymond has adapted in his first professional season in North America....
"[Raymond's] game was pretty complete right away," Blashill said. "His game was probably transferable in the sense he does it right and he doesn't cheat for offense. He didn't have a huge learning curve that way. When young players are coming over from the American [Hockey] League, you kind of know what to expect. It's different to predict in terms of scoring (in the Swedish Hockey League)."
Create an Account
In order to leave a comment, please create an account.