Cooley almost certainly isn’t winning the Calder this year, even with Bedard’s injury.
And that’s okay. Cooley is on pace for 40 points in his rookie season.
Here’s an article on a few great players (some HOFers) who had crappy rookie seasons.
https://www.thesportster.com/hockey/15-nhl-superstars-who-were-terrible-in-their-debut-season/
A few of the ones you may be familiar with:
Tyler Seguin – 2nd overall, 22 points in rookie season
Steven Stamkos – 1st overall, 46 points in rookie season
Vinnie Lecavalier – 1st overall, 28pts in rookie season
Henrik Sedin – 3rd overall, 29pts in rookie season
Mark Messier – 48th overall, 33pts in rookie season
Gordie Howe – not drafted, 22pts in rookie season
Joe Thornton – 1st overall, 7pts in rookie season
Marty St Louis – undrafted, 17pts total over first 2 seasons (69 games played)
Some guys just take a little extra time. And that’s okay.
by Frnklfrwsr
2 Comments
People are negative on Cooley? Where? He plays the game the same way Jack Hughes does, with less offense and more defense, but the same skating and playmaking ability. Hughes sucked his first year, and was good his 2nd, Cooley’s d+2 lines up with Hughes’s D+2, he looks perfectly fine out there, and some nights downright great while others are not so great. If anyone is worrying about Cooley I question if they ever watched him at the USNTDP and Minnesota, he took a minute to figure out that level and then took off.
Kucherov, one of the most electric players of the 2010s, only put up 18 points in 52 games his rookie year.
McDavid didnt win Calder his rookie year.
Hell, even our beloved Shane Doan was sent to the minors after a poor start (only 40 points during his first 3 seasons [170 games total]).
Anyone critical of Cooley at this point certainly has a lot to learn about hockey and prospect development. The guys who come in and make a difference right away are massive outliers, and not being that guy out the gate is not an indictment on what a player will become. Granted, it is always a disappointment to come into a season hoping for a Calder-caliber year, but even looking at how much Cooley’s 200 foot game has improved since the start of the season, I am insanely optimistic about his future. Throw that in with how insane he has looked with Guenther early, anyone over-reacting needs to pump the brakes.
While it is great to be excited and want the success and hope for playoffs already, everyone really needs to remember the standard that Armstrong set for this season back in the summer (Craig re-harped on it this week): “Do I think we’re a playoff team?” he said then. “No, but I do think we’re a competitive team that can push to play meaningful games.”
We are right where we want to be, playing meaningful games.