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From: jeff@dciem.UUCP (Jeff Richardson)
Newsgroups: net.sport.hockey
Subject: NHL Rookie of the year
Message-ID: <1796@dciem.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 26-Feb-86 08:47:25 EST
Article-I.D.: dciem.1796
Posted: Wed Feb 26 08:47:25 1986
Date-Received: Wed, 26-Feb-86 16:07:08 EST
Distribution: net
Organization: D.C.I.E.M., Toronto, Canada
Lines: 39

Last year, there was a lot of talk in this news group about the Calder
Trophy for the NHL's rookie of the year, even though it seemed obvious that
Mario Lemieux would get it.  This year is not so obvious, so I figured I'd
get the ball rolling.

I thought that Montreal's Kjell Dahlin had it wrapped up because he is by
far the leading rookie scorer with 28 goals and 63 points.  However, if the
journalists that we read and hear here are any indication, he'll do no
better than third in the voting.  His great stats are dismissed because
about half of them (13 goals and I don't know how many assists) have come
while playing on the top power-play in the league, with people like Mats
Naslund, Larry Robinson and Bobby Smith helping him out.  On the other hand,
would that power play be as successful without Dahlin?

The name I hear the most as the league's top rookie is Toronto's Wendel
Clark, and that talk is coming from across Canada, not just the Toronto
area.  Clark is well down the list of rookie scorers and Toronto scorers
with only 35 points, but what really catches people's eyes is his
agressive play and his ability to get things going by whatever means are
appropriate, and he is seen as a much more complete player than Dahlin.
Also, he has scored almost as many goals as Dahlin (26) playing on a bad team
with nowhere near as much help.  What they fail to mention, however, is how
such a great complete player can have the second worst plus/minus on the
team (-27), but he is being judged the way players should be judged, by
ignoring the numbers and just watching him play, as indicated
by opposing coaches often raving about him after playing the Leafs.

Mike Ridley of the Rangers may also be ranked ahead of Dahlin.  He's second
in rookie scoring, 13 points behind Dahlin, but he is leading his team in
scoring and getting much less help than Dahlin.  He obviously means much more
to the Rangers than Dahlin does to Montreal.

So far, I'm undecided.  Clark's been playing his best hockey lately, so
I'd like to wait and see what happens in the last 20 games.  Any comments?
What's the view of the situation from where you are?
-- 
Jeff Richardson, DCIEM, Toronto  (416) 635-2073
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