Before the NHL Draft Lottery was underway, the NHL announced the three finalists for the Calder Trophy, given to the top rookie in the league.
The three finalists were Macklin Celebrini, Lane Hutson, and Dustin Wolf. Which means a familiar name to Philadelphia Flyers fans is not on the list. And that is Matvei Michkov.
Despite leading all rookies in goal scoring, even strength points, and tying for second in total points, Michkov will not have a chance to be recognized as the best rookie. It was going to be hard for him to take home the award with the seasons that Hutson and Wolf had. But it still feels like it should've been his name on there instead of Celebrini's.
Not to take anything away from the Sharks' rookie, but it's hard to believe that the player who led all rookies in goal scoring is not considered for the award. Michkov likely finished fourth in voting, something we should find out soon. It will be interesting to see if there are explanations for why Michkov was left off most people's ballots.
Michkov was named the Rookie of the Month in October and February. He and Hutson were the only two to win the honor twice this season. Celebrini won it once in November, and Wolf took it home in January. The other two months belonged to Hutson. That may not have played a factor in the final voting, but it is something interesting to look at.
We can only hypothesize as to why Michkov ended up not appearing on the vast majority of ballots. Was it being benched and scratched on numerous occasions? Was it because Celebrini plays a position with more responsibility, and he still nearly topped the goal-scoring list? Or that he was injured early and still played at a near point-per-game?
There are bound to be numerous reasons why Michkov did not make the final three. That does not take away from the incredible season he had. Posting one of the best rookie seasons in the franchise's last 30 years is something to be proud of. He did all of that while navigating an entirely new language and culture. Doing that is a feat in itself.
Michkov does not seem like the kind of player who will be down on himself for not being a finalist for this award. He is more likely to be the type of player to let this fuel him moving forward. So maybe it's going to work out that he wasn't given a chance to win.
The NHL might see an even more determined Matvei Michkov next season. And the Flyers will reap the benefits of it.