Nathan MacKinnon is going to be the runaway winner of the 2014 Calder Trophy as the NHL's rookie of the year. There's almost no doubt about this. But there are three finalists for the award this year anyway, and they were announced by the NHL on Tuesday.
Leading the pack is of course MacKinnon, the first overall pick in the 2013 NHL Draft who has come alive for the Colorado Avalanche this season, drawing Sidney Crosby comparisons for more reasons than because they're from the same home town. His 63 points on the year led NHL rookies, and he did so in a major, first-line role for the Avs, who finished atop the Central Division.
Joining MacKinnon on the list are two Tampa Bay Lightning rookies: Ondrej Palat and Tyler Johnson.
Johnson scored 24 goals and was a key piece for the Lightning, who relied heavily on their rookies in a year full of injuries and adversity. None played more hockey than Johnson, who led all NHL rookies in ice time per game and was used in all situations by head coach Jon Cooper.
Palat rode a strong second-half to his top-3 Calder finish, and leading all NHL rookies in scoring in the 2014 calendar year. He scored 44 of his 59 points on the season in the final 42 games and helped the Lightning get through the loss of Steven Stamkos.
The Calder Trophy was voted on by members of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association. The winner and full list of tallied votes will be unveiled on June 24 at the 2014 NHL Awards show at the Encore Theater in Las Vegas.