Quick Notes on the Calder Race

Does Yimmy Howard deserve the Calder despite having waited in the Wings' wings with a few impromptu appearances in the past few years? Does his age really make that much of a difference? Does playing for the Wings make him a long shot to win [the Calder, or Vezina, or Hart] this year? Just how good are the other front runners for the Calder?

I'm sure you've all kept an ear to the ground and have heard the mumblings about why Tyler Myers, John Tavares, or Matt Duchene deserve the award more than our beloved Yimmy. I don't need to re-hash it all for you. Here's all I'm going to bring to the table:

John Tavares: 1st overall pick (2009)
Matt Duchene: 3rd overall pick (2009)
Tyler Myers: 12th overall pick (2008)
Yimmy Howard: 64th overall pick (2003)

If you're going to disqualify MY guy for belonging to a team that didn't need him right away, who had the time afforded to him to refine his skills and wait until he was ready, then I'll disqualify all of your guys for being picked in the first half of the first round. Those guys are supposed to be good. That's why they get picked that high. Yimmy barely made it out of the second round of the draft. He was always a hit or miss kind of player. He was never expected to be the savior from day one. Instead, he ended up becoming one of the best goaltenders in the league, all the while doing it under conditions that still define him as a rookie.


To be eligible for the award, 

• a player cannot have played more than 25 games in any single preceding season (4 in 05-06,4 in 07-08,1 in 08-09.)
• nor in six or more games in each of any two preceding seasons in any major professional league. (Only 5 total.)
• The player must not be older than 26 years before September 15 of the season in which he is eligible.  (25 years, 173 days)

Is he eligible? Yes.
Is he worthy? Yes.
Is he going to win?

I'll still be shocked if he does.