NHL awards 2021-22: Odds, best bets, predictions for the Calder Trophy

The 2021-22 NHL season is just around the corner and, while the awards won't be handed out for a handful of months, the debate is already raging regarding who will take home the hardware.

Last year saw a few expected names in Connor McDavid (Hart Trophy), Auston Matthews (Rocket Richard Trophy) and Aleksander Barkov (Selke Trophy). There were a bunch of surprises such as Marc-Andre Fleury winning his first career Vezina (and then, um, being traded) and sophomore defenseman Adam Fox winning the Norris. A couple of guys went wire-to-wire as well, such as Kirill Kaprizov's Calder Trophy twirl.

What the upcoming season brings is anyone's guess, but expect those names mentioned above — and a couple more — in the conversations. Sporting News breaks down the conversation heading into the new season with predictions, odds and the best bets.

ODDS, SN PREDICTIONS: Stanley Cup | Vezina | Norris | Hart 

Calder Trophy best bets

The rookie class for 2021-22 is nothing short of stupendous. Talent oozes out of this group, from the guys manning the net to the ones trying to beat them. A number of American rookies will aim for the coveted trophy, including Cole Caufield and his gold-medal winning teammates Trevor Zegras and Spencer Knight. One interesting contender is Red Wings backstop Alex Nedeljkovic, who was actually a finalist for the trophy in 2021. As a member of the Hurricanes, he didn't play enough games last year (played in 23 with the cutoff being 25). He is still underage (he'll be 26 in January; a player cannot be 26 by Sept.15 of the upcoming season), and he didn't play enough games the two prior seasons. Translation: contender.

Top five best bets:

NHL 2021-22: Top 10 defensemen | Top 10 goalies | Top 10 forwards | Top 25 under 25

SN's Calder Trophy dark horse prediction: Bowen Byram

Expectations are high for the Avalanche defenseman, whom many pegged as "the guy" entering last season. But 2021 didn't go exactly as planned as he dealt with injuries that kept him to just 19 NHL games. He has the skill, which he showcased at the 2021 World Juniors for the silver-medal winning Canadians, playing solid in the defensive end while chipping in five points in seven games. Byram is slotted into the second pairing, so some pressure will be off him to be "the guy." Plus, it doesn't hurt that he's got a teammate in 2020 Calder Trophy-winning defenseman Cale Makar to learn from.

SN's Calder Trophy prediction: Cole Caufield

The Calder is Caufield's to lose. It's that simple. After a gold medal at World Juniors in January and a Hobey Baker-winning performance at Wisconsin, Caufield linked up with the Canadiens and, while it's a small sample size, he potted four goals and one assist while averaging 13:58 of ice time in 10 regular-season games.

"He's confident. He's a goal-scorer, man. Give me the puck, I'm going to shoot it in the net. He's always been that way," Wisconsin coach Tony Granato said in April when he talked to SN in advance of Caufield's first NHL game.

Then, the Canadiens went on a Stanley Cup tear. Caufield, at just 20 years old, finished tied for 19th in the league (third on the Canadiens) in points with 12 (four goals, eight assists). He set up big-time overtime goals, was a key cog in the team's offensive gameplan and showcased a full 200-foot game.

MORE: Why Caufield can be America's next star

"It's tough to do what he did. I don't know if people realize that or not; he did it so easily," said ex-USA Hockey teammate Jack Hughes, who also threw his hat in the Caufield 4 Calder chat. "He did a great playoff run and I think he's established himself as a top-line player and I think he and (Nick) Suzuki have a really good thing going."

In 2021-22, Caufield is expected to slot in among the top-six and on the Canadiens' top power-play unit. He'll have ample opportunities to build a Calder Trophy-worthy resume and is projected to accumulate 40-50 points on the season.

2021-22 Calder Trophy winner odds

Odds courtesy of DraftKings.