It seemed a foregone conclusion for fans of the New York Islanders, but the NHL made it official on Sunday, announcing Mathew Barzal as one of three finalists for the Calder Trophy, awarded to the NHL’s top rookie.
These finalists for the Calder Memorial Trophy became household names around the League. They are @Barzal_97, @BBoeser16 and @ClaytonKeller37.
— NHL (@NHL) April 22, 2018
Barzal will be battling Vancouver’s Brock Boeser and Arizona’s Clayton Keller for the honor. But a quick look at the numbers put up by the three first-year stars leaves only one conclusion—this should be Barzal’s award.