ESPN Search

E.J. Hradek ranks the top five rookies who could make an impact for their teams in the postseason.

Blog | Conversation | March 23, 2011

E.J. Hradek ranks the five most intriguing teams to watch ahead of the NHL trade deadline. Coming in at the top spot are the Los Angeles Kings.

Blog | Conversation | February 25, 2011

E.J. Hradek offers up his top five rookies at the midway point. Logan Couture is No. 1, but closely followed by John Carlson, Cam Fowler and a pair of netminders.

Blog | Conversation | January 05, 2011

Goaltending could keep the Tampa Bay Lightning from pursuing the Stanley Cup. But that's a problem the Bruins and four other teams don't have. E.J. Hradek lists his top five netminders, headlined by the B's Tim Thomas.

Blog | Conversation | December 03, 2010

E.J. Hradek ranks his top five rookies as of December 1. A goalie -- Sergei Bobrovsky -- sits at the top of the list, while the Sharks' Logan Couture isn't far off.

Blog | Conversation | December 01, 2010

Inspired by Jeff Skinner's play of late, E.J. Hradek -- with help from Barry Melrose -- makes a list of the five best rookie seasons in NHL history. Teemu Selanne is on here, as is Alex Ovechkin -- and Terry Sawchuk, who was a rook in the '50s.

Blog | Conversation | November 10, 2010

E.J. Hradek breaks down 10 premier NHL rookies in his latest installment of the Calder Watch. Among the names, Derek Stepan and John Carlson are making a great first impression.

Blog | Conversation | October 13, 2010

E.J. Hradek ranks his top five rookies, with Tyler Myers still ahead of the pack.

Blog | Conversation | March 09, 2010

E.J. Hradek ranks the top five rookies in the NHL as the season reaches the two-thirds mark. And the No. 1 overall pick from 2009, John Tavares, is nowhere to be found. Plus, a look at an L.A. native who could be a first-round pick this June.

Blog | Conversation | February 03, 2010

E.J. Hradek examines the top five rookie netminders, headlined by the Red Wings' Jimmy Howard. Plus a note on the big change at No. 1 among NHL prospects.

Blog | Conversation | January 13, 2010

Well, I've made my December Calder list (top five) and I've checked it twice. From my vantage point, the freshmen in this year's class have been very nice, though perhaps a little naughty as well. While I might not have a gift for your favorite rook,...

Blog | Conversation | December 16, 2009

On Tuesday, Jeff from Washington D.C. called me out about not including Caps' kid goalie Semyon Varlamov in my most recent Calder ratings. While I remain comfortable with last Wednesday's top five rankings, I thought I should offer my thoughts on Var...

Blog | Conversation | December 02, 2009

More than 100 players will hit the free-agent market July 1. Here are five guys who will get, and deserve, a lot of attention.

E.J. Hradek's Calder Watch returns for the 2010-11 season with five candidates to be the NHL's top rookie. From the get-go, Hradek gives the nod to a player with a little playoff experience: Canadiens D P.K. Subban.

Blog | Conversation | October 06, 2010

Maybe I'm figuring this picks thing out? After a dreadful start with my weekly Thursday night predictions, I've put together back-to-back strong showings. Last night, I correctly called eight of the nine games. My only loss came via shootout in Colum...

Blog | Conversation | December 18, 2009

On Monday evening, NHL's top cop Colin Campbell slapped a five-game ban on Montreal Canadiens winger Georges Laraque for the knee-to-knee hit that has sidelined Detroit Red Wings D Niklas Kronwall for anywhere from four to eight weeks. The natural ...

Blog | Conversation | November 24, 2009