3 Maple Leafs Among Top 5 Calder Trophy Favourites

One of the longest-standing streaks in the NHL may go by the wayside this year.

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews is the odds-on favourite to win the Calder Trophy this season as the NHL’s rookie of the year.

That’s significant, since no Leafs rookie has won the Calder since 1966, a span of 50 years.

And if Matthews doesn’t win it, there’s a decent chance that another Leaf might. Toronto’s William Nylander is ranked third on the Calder Trophy betting odds at Sports Interaction, and teammate Mitch Marner is ranked fifth!

Patrik Laine of the Jets (ranked second) and Matt Murray of the Penguins (fourth) round out the top 5 Calder Trophy favourites.

Here’s a closer look at each of the favourites on the Calder Trophy betting odds.

(Note: If there’s a – sign in front of the odds, it means you’d have to bet that amount to win $100. If there’s a + sign, it means that’s what you could win on a $100 bet. For more on how to read odds, read our Betting Odds Explained article.)

1. Auston Matthews, Toronto (-145)


Matthews was the first overall pick in last summer’s draft after collecting 24 goals and 46 points in 36 games last year in National League A, the top pro league in Switzerland. He was second in MVP voting and won the league’s Rising Star Award, and the 19-year-old impressed many with his play at the World Cup of Hockey.

The knocks against Matthews winning rookie of the year this season are that the Leafs don’t have much experienced offensive talent to surround him with, and that coach Mike Babcock has been known for nursing young players along in the past, rather than riding them.

2. Patrik Laine, Winnipeg (+400)


The 18-year-old Finn may have been the first overall pick instead of Matthews if he was a centre, not a winger. He collected 12 points at the 2016 world juniors, on his way to being named Finland’s MVP in the tournament, and was the playoff MVP in Finland’s top pro league last season.

ESPN.com considers Laine to be the most likely rookie to make a big offensive impact in his first season.

3. William Nylander, Toronto (+800)


Nylander arguably has more experience than any other Calder Trophy favourite except Pittsburgh’s Matt Murray, having played in 22 NHL games last year. He also played nearly two full years in the American Hockey League and certainly has an understanding of what it takes to play pro hockey in North America.

It won’t be easy to steal the spotlight away from Matthews, but Nylander looks like he’d be Toronto’s main man if Matthews went down with an injury.

4. Matt Murray, Pittsburgh (+1000)


Murray burst onto the NHL scene last year, joining the Penguins late in the season and backstopping them all the way to a Stanley Cup championship. In 21 regular-season games, he went 15-6-2 with a 2.08 goals against average and .923 save percentage.

What hurts Murray is that he has to battle with Marc-Andre Fleury for the No. 1 goaltending job in Pittsburgh, and that he’s already injured to start the season (broken hand).

5. Mitch Marner, Toronto (+1000)


Marner won the Ontario Hockey League’s MVP award last season as co-captain of the London Knights, and may have won the OHL scoring title had he not missed 11 games. Marner was the fourth overall pick of the Leafs in the 2015 draft.

Ordinarily, ESPN.com wrote, Marner might be a top-six scoring threat on his team and be a Calder Trophy contender. However, he’ll be behind both Matthews and Nylander on the depth chart and probably won’t get as many opportunities to excel offensively.

Other Notables On Calder Trophy Betting Odds

  • Dylan Strome, Arizona (+1200)
  • Jesse Puljujari, Edmonton (+1500)
  • Travis Koneckny, Philadelphia (+1700)
  • Jimmy Vesey, NY Rangers (+1800)
  • Pierre-Luc Dubois, Columbus (+1800)