Paul Bissonnette & Ryan Whitney ditches Macklin Celebrini to pick $2,850,000 Canadiens D-man as Calder Trophy champion

The 2024-25 NHL season has a close Calder Trophy race, with Lane Hutson, Macklin Celebrini and Dustin Wolf being the top contenders. Analysts Paul Bissonnette and Ryan Whitney shared their thoughts on the "Spittin' Chiclets" podcast. They believe Hutson has the best chance to win because of his role and consistency.

"It kind of brought up the debate in the post-show at Hockey Night in Canada with Ron (Maclean), Elliotte (Friedman)nand (Kevin) Bieksa about Lane Hutson and Rookie of the Year," Bissonnette said on Saturday. "What he's been able to do, especially down the stretch, like they lost (Kaiden) Guhle, like he played just over 28 minutes against the Habs the other night. It's probably a three-headed race right now with Dustin Wolf and Celebrini."

Hutson has played 72 games for the Montreal Canadiens, recording five goals and 51 assists for 56 points. He has a -11 rating and 34 penalty minutes. Hutson has also notched 23 power-play points and blocked 106 shots while averaging 22:36 of ice time per game.

Whitney pointed out that Hutson, who is signed on a rookie $2,850,000 contract (per Spotrac), plays big minutes and contributes every night. He thinks Hutson’s role on a playoff team makes him the favorite.

"Right now, I believe Hudson is +100, Celebrini is still the favorite, -120, but Lane Hutson as a defenseman, playing that many minutes, playing that well, I just always lean towards the guys who are in the lineup every night," Whitney said. "Given they're in playoffs and how much ice time he's playing, it's his trophy to lose at this point because he is going to play every game."

Celebrini has also had a strong season with the San Jose Sharks. He has played 59 games and recorded 21 goals and 32 assists. Celebrini has scored 20 power-play points and has a 10.3% shooting percentage while averaging 19:50 of ice time per game. Many still consider him the Calder Trophy favorite, but his defensive struggles and Sharks' performance might place him lower than Hutson.

Lane Hutson can also face competition from Dustin Wolf for Calder Trophy

During Saturday's "Hockey Night" in Canada, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman put forth Calgary Flames' goalie Dustin Wolf's claim on the Calder Trophy. Wolf has made a solid case as a rookie goalie for Calgary, and if the team makes it to playoffs, he could be the frontrunner ahead of Lane Hutson.

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

Wolf has played 44 games and won 24 of them. He has a 2.67 goals-against average, a .909 save percentage and three shutouts.