Count San Jose Sharks coach David Quinn as among those impressed by the rookie season that Minnesota Wild defenseman Brock Faber has enjoyed so far.
Entering Sunday, Faber leads all NHL rookies with an average time on ice of 25:08 per game, 118 blocked shots, and 30 assists. He is also second among rookies with 34 points, and league-wide, is seventh among all NHL skaters in average time on ice per game.
“I’m not surprised how quickly he’s acclimated to the National Hockey League,” Quinn said Sunday when asked about Faber. “He has confidence, he can skate, he’s physical, he’s got an offensive IQ that influences the game.”
The question now is whether Faber should win the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s Rookie of the Year.
He has an argument, Quinn said.
Chicago Blackhawks wunderkind Connor Bedard has 41 points to lead all rookies in scoring and would have more had not had to miss just under six weeks from early January to mid-February with a fractured jaw. Bedard suffered the injury from a hit he took in a game against the New Jersey Devils.
The 18-year-old Bedard, a center, plays about six minutes less per game than Faber, 21, and is one of the few bright spots for the Blackhawks, the NHL’s worst team. The Wild entered Sunday eight points back of a Western Conference playoff spot.
“You’re talking about two elite players in their rookie years,” Quinn said. “Obviously, Brock’s playing a more difficult position and he’s playing for playoff hockey, so it’s a little bit different for him and maybe his challenges are a little bit greater than Bedard, although Bedard sees a lot of attention.”
Minnesota’s Marco Rossi, New Jersey’s Luke Hughes, and Columbus’ Dmitri Voronkov will also get consideration for the Calder Trophy, which is voted on by members of the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association.
“Obviously, Bedard missed an awful lot of hockey this year,” Quinn said, “so it could be an interesting situation when people have to vote.”
Faber, drafted in the second round by the Los Angeles Kings in 2020, was on the 2022 U.S. Winter Olympic team in Beijing that Quinn coached. He, along with a 2022 first-round draft pick, was acquired by the Wild from the Kings two years ago for forward Kevin Fiala.
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Quinn compared Faber to Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy, who Quinn coached at Boston University from 2015 to 2017.
“The first time I met him face to face (he reminded me) of Charlie McAvoy,” Quinn said. “That face, those glasses and the right shot, the way he plays. He’s not McAvoy yet, but he’s certainly trending in that direction. They play a very, very similar style of game.”