Heading into 2015-16, it was all but assumed that the Calder Trophy would go home with one of two players – Connor McDavid or Jack Eichel. Other rookies around the NHL have proven to be contenders as well and that includes Colton Parayko of the St. Louis Blues.
If you’ve watched any Blues games this season, you’re more than aware that Parayko is a dynamic, talented defenseman. However, what he’s been able to accomplish in just a small amount of time is pretty unbelievable and should things continue at this pace, there’s really no reason why he shouldn’t be in the mix for the Calder.
Parayko, a third-round pick from 2012, won a job during training camp and has ascended through the ranks to earn a top-4 spot and time with the man advantage. He has been a force on offense (four goals, three assists) scoring a total of seven points in his first 10 career games. Those numbers alone are really impressive, but he also has 30 shots on goal and a total of 58 shot attempts which ranks 6th in the NHL. One of his best efforts was a 10-shot performance against the Anaheim Ducks where he also notched the game winner.
A lot of attention has been paid to Parayko’s offensive capabilities and his brutally hard shot, but he deserves a lot of credit for his defense. His stride resembles Jay Bouwmeester of old and while plus/minus is an extremely flawed stat, his +8 is a testament to the positive influence has has on the game and it ranks tied for fifth in the NHL. He doesn’t make too many mistakes and when he does, he is usually able to close the gap and disrupt the opportunity before it fully develops.
Long story short, Parayko has been one of the best in the league not only among rookies, but among all skaters. There’s a lot of time left and a lot could change, but Parayko has proven early on that he deserves to be in the same sentence as McDavid and Eichel in the Calder discussion.
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