Top 4 rookies who can still challenge Connor Bedard for the Calder Trophy

Brock Faber has put up sensational numbers on both sides of the ice

After getting a two-game taste of the NHL last season, Brock Faber has taken his game up quite a few notches this season, playing in 70 games so far while recording 38 points, six goals, and 32 assists. Plus-minus isn’t a huge deal these days, but he’s also operating at a plus-3 while logging top-pairing minutes.

And wow, does he always know where the puck is going in the defensive zone? Faber has 133 blocks this season, tied for 32nd in the league as of March 21st with Rasmus Dahlin of the Buffalo Sabres. Dahlin, who took third for the Calder in 2019, has also garnered top-10 consideration for the Norris in the past, and his career serves as a good indicator of where Faber’s headed should the rookie keep up his current pace.

But Faber dramatically outplayed Dahlin in his first full season, as the Sabres star defenseman logged just 97 hits, 66 blocks, 44 points, and nine goals in 82 games. Faber has already passed or at least will likely pass Dahlin in all but one of these categories. 

Faber has also spent over 175 minutes on the power play and over 210 while Minnesota has been shorthanded. In those 70 contests, he’s helped the Wild snag 23 goals, and his shorthanded on-ice save percentage is a sensational 87.6 percent.