A year ago the NHL gurus were busy assembling their lists of Calder Trophy candidates. While a few of the experts reasonably placed Mathew Barzal near the top for Calder odds, many writers inexplicably left the talented center off their list of 10 or 15 rookies. Some did so even after he demonstrated blazing speed and slick hands in pre-season games for the Islanders.
This September many of the same skeptics— and also some who favored Barzal last year for the Calder— doubt whether the wunderkind will be able to repeat his historic performance, after he became the fifth youngest NHL forward since 1970 to finish a season top-5 in assists, behind Wayne Gretzky, Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid, and Mario Lemieux.