Elliotte Friedman, Kevin Bieksa make big claims about the Calder Trophy race between Celebrini, Wolf and Hutson

Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson, Calgary Flames goalie Dustin Wolf and San Jose Sharks' first overall pick in 2024, Macklin Celebrini, are all in a tight race for the Calder Trophy. The award goes to the rookie with the most successful run in a season and who has a better impact on his team. Last year, Chicago Blackhawks forward Connor Bedard won this trophy.

On "Hockey Night in Canada" on Saturday, analysts Elliotte Friedman, Kevin Bieksa and Paul Bissonnette shared their views on the three players' likelihood of winning the Calder trophy.

Friedman said that if Calgary makes the playoffs, Wolf should win. Wolf has been solid in goal, with a 23-14-5 record. His 2.63 goals-against average and .911 save percentage show his consistency. He has also recorded three shutouts.

"If Calgary gets in, (Dustin) Wolf has to win Rookie of the Year," Friedman said.

Bieksa said if Montreal gets in, Hutson deserves the award. Hutson leads all rookies with 53 points in 69 games. The defenseman has five goals and 48 assists while playing over 22 minutes per game.

"If Montreal gets in, Hutson should win it, and if no one gets in, Celebrini wins it," Bieksa said. "I'm not disagreeing with you (on Wolf). I thought that too, a few weeks ago. I thought the same thing.”

Analyst Paul Bissonnette even pointed out Wolf's impact on the Flames.

"And normally it takes goalies a while to season - the fact that he's taken over the reins at such a fairly young age and been able to get them inside of a playoff spot, that would be remarkable," Bissonnette said.

Kevin Bieksa talks about Macklin Celebrini's impact on Sharks

Kevin Bieksa also explained his reasoning behind Macklin winning the Calder Trophy. Macklin has 52 points (21 goals) in 58 games for San Jose. His team has struggled, but his offense has been quite impressive.

"And then Celebrini, if we are making a point for him, nobody even wanted to look at that San Jose Sharks last year," Bieksa said. "Nobody wanted to watch their games. They were the worst team to watch, boring, and now they're here."

The San Jose Sharks are officially out of the playoffs with an 18-42-9 record. They have 13 games left, and the team is rebuilding with Celebrini and forward Will Smith at the center.

Macklin Celebrini and the Sharks will play the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday.