Calder not just a two-man race

This year it's almost assumed that Alexander Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby will be the top two - by a wide margin - rookies for the Calder trophy. And while Ovechkin deserves to not only be in the race, and to win, it is not simply a two-man race; there are a few other rookies that deserve credit.

Simply put, Alexander Ovechkin is the reason that the Washington Capitals are not in the bottom of the league; he's like Rick Nash in that regard - as soon as Nash returned from injury, the Blue Jackets improved from the very bottom of the league by a few spots. Alexander Ovechkin has scored over 90 points this season, is on pace to score over 100, and has a good shot at the Art Ross this year. He is a legitimate superstar in the making - and he, moreso then anyone else, deserves to win the Calder.

Henrik Lundqvist is one of the few people that can legitimately contend to beat out Ovechkin. He's backstopped the New York Rangers to not only a playoff birth, but to the top of their division - for the first time in years - and has posted great numbers in the process (30-11-9, 2.18 GAA, .924 save %).

Dion Phaneuf, the scrappy defenceman in Calgary, is another good choice: in the position where stats mean the least, he's put up a good season. He's already making a reputation for himself as a hard-hitting player who has 44 points (going into tonight's game against the Oilers) and knows how to score (he's ranked in the top five for goals scored by a defenceman) and has a plus/minus of +4 - not much lower then Ovechkin's (+6).

Alex Steen is a dark horse of a choice - in a bad, bad year in Toronto, Steen stepped up and had a solid effort this year, getting 37 points (sixth on the team) in 65 games. Both him and Kyle Wellwood - who is also posting some good numbers, with 36 points and a +/- of +4 - show that the Maple Leafs have some brightness on the horizon.

And yes, there's Sidney Crosby. He's had a great year, scoring 83 points and getting 96 penalty minutes. He's the star of the future in Pittsburgh (or Houston or Winnipeg or Las Vegas or whereever the team moves).

Ovechkin deserves to win - and he will. Trust me.