Calder Trophy watch: Greig, Bedard lead NHL’s top 10 rookies for October

It was hard to escape Connor Bedard Mania in October.

And, you know what? That’s fine. The NHL needs to be doing whatever it can to promote its future superstars. Yes, it’s early, but Bedard is on his way to becoming one of the best players in the world, whether you like it or not. You should want him to thrive, because the game will, too.

And his early season schedule was no accident. There’s a reason he played against some of the game’s biggest stars in some of the game’s most prolific markets. Getting him on national television as often as possible is exactly what the game needs.

But, statistically, Bedard wasn’t the most impressive rookie in October. That unofficial honor belongs to Ottawa’s Ridly Greig, who took advantage of an opportunity in Ottawa and hasn’t looked back. Here’s a look at Greig, Bedard and eight other rookies worth mentioning from the first month of the 2023-24 NHL season:

Ridly Greig, C (Ottawa Senators)

Never a dull day in Ottawa, huh? Between the ownership change, the rumors surrounding Pierre Dorion’s future, injury issues and, of course, everything involving Shane Pinto, it’s hard to ignore what’s going on in Ottawa this year. But with Pinto leaving a big hole on the third line, Ridly Greig has stepped up to become a valuable piece of the team’s core. The hard-working two-way threat leads all rookies with seven points while averaging just 15:49 in ice time per game. And just one point has come on the power play, so it’s not like he’s doing everything with the man advantage, either. Maybe Ridly plays well enough to make Pinto redundant in the long run? Sure feels like it.

Connor Bedard, C (Chicago Blackhawks)

Someone beat out Bedard’s production in October? Say it ain’t so! The first overall pick in 2023 has looked good so far with four goals and six points, putting up solid numbers on a bad Blackhawks team that has somehow managed to sneak a few surprise victories along the way. He’s averaging 19:45 in ice time a night, leading all Chicago forwards by more than a full minute. And most of his offense has come at 5-on-5, too, with just one power-play goal accounted for. Bedard is still figuring out how to manage his own game against competition that’s zeroing in on him every time he’s on the ice, but he’s looking good, as expected.

Lukas Dostal, G (Anaheim Ducks)

The Anaheim Ducks have exceeded all expectations so far, and Dostal deserves much of the credit. Anaheim’s two goalies have split the season thus far, but Dostal boasts a 4-1-0 record with a .921 save percentage – much better than John Gibson’s 1-3-0 run with a .902 SV%. There’s a very realistic chance Dostal is the true No. 1 by Christmas, with his body of work looking solid up to this date. Even if previous statistics aren’t great, Dostal is no stranger to a heavy workload. The Ducks might be riding a high right now and outplaying all projections, but Dostal’s play is promising.

Adam Fantilli, C (Columbus Blue Jackets)

With five points in nine games on Columbus’ second line, Fantilli’s off to a solid start. He’s on pace for around 20 goals and just under 50 points, but that’ll likely rise as he continues to get more confident against NHL talent. He’s centering the team’s No. 1 power-play unit, too. He’d benefit from having a skilled winger like Kent Johnson on his wing full-time, but again, it’s early days.

Luke Hughes, D (New Jersey Devils)

One of the big things about bringing Hughes in for New Jersey was bolstering their power play. Four of his six points in eight games have come on the man advantage, and it helps that one of the guys he’s passing to, his brother Jack, is on an absolute heater this season. Hughes is already averaging 19:39 this season, which is good for fifth among rookies. Hughes’ own-zone play still has its flaws, but it’s fun watching a free-wheeling defender figure things out on the fly. He’s a good one, Devils fans.

Pavel Mintyukov, D (Anaheim Ducks)

It didn’t take long for Mintyukov to make his mark. The 19-year-old was the OHL’s top defenseman last year, earning him status among the best prospects in the league. Mintyukov has put up six points in his first nine NHL games while anchoring the second pairing alongside Ilya Lyubushkin and taking over the PP1 blueline assignment. That’s a huge opportunity for the young defender, but he doesn’t look out of place in the slightest. Mintyukov, along with Jamie Drysdale, Oleg Zellweger and Tristan Luneau, all look to be a big part of the team’s long-term future.

Matthew Poitras, C (Boston Bruins)

Sorry, Guelph Storm (and Team Canada) fans: Poitras is staying with the big club for now. And Poitras has looked excellent as the third-line center while holding down the fort on the team’s second power-play unit. He’s up to three goals and five points in nine games while also serving as a reliable, two-way forward. Mix in a 55.23 expected goals-for percentage and 52.76 Corsi-for percentage at even strength and you can see why he’s sticking around. Drafted 54th overall in 2022, Poitras has defied all expectations so far in his career, highlighted by a 79-assist, 95-point run with the Storm in 2022-23. His inclusion on the Bruins’ opening night roster seemed unlikely heading into training camp, but an excellent preseason made the decision to keep him around an easy one. Poitras can still go back to junior, but don’t expect that to happen anytime soon.

Kevin Korchinski, D (Chicago Blackhawks)

Like Poitras, Korchinski isn’t going anywhere. The seventh overall pick in 2022 has done an excellent job playing top-four minutes with the Blackhawks. He holds a 49.4 percent Corsi share at 5-on-5, far above the team’s 44.8 percent average early on. Korchinski hasn’t found the back of the net yet, but he has three assists to his credit, including one in an 8-1 loss to Arizona on Monday. He’s not as flashy as some of the others on this list, but he makes the Hawks better more often than not.

Logan Cooley, C (Arizona Coyotes)

After scoring one of the best goals of the season in the very first preseason contest, Cooley hasn’t managed to find the back of the net. Instead, the skilled center has thrived on the power play with five of his six assists coming with the man advantage. That’s good for first among rookies, with his three primary assists setting the bar. It’s hard to get a true read on the Coyotes’ group this year, but Cooley is just getting started.

Joseph Woll, G (Toronto Maple Leafs)

Many believed Woll would be the No. 1 in Leafland by Christmas. But less than a month into the season? Dang, that was quick. While Ilya Samsonov has struggled in early-season action, Woll has stolen some wins away early in the going to seemingly become the 1A (other than Tuesday’s ugly outing, of course). There’s always one goaltender that makes a case for the Calder, but it’s much more difficult given the workload is always significantly smaller. But with the Leafs being one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference, Woll will have plenty of chances to show what he’s capable of.

Other notables: Kaedan Korczak, D (Vegas Golden Knights), Luke Evangelista, RW (Nashville Predators), Brock Faber, D (Minnesota Wild), Bobby Brink, RW (Philadelphia Flyers), Leo Carlsson, C (Anaheim Ducks)