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Blackhawks: 3 biggest threats to Connor Bedard’s Calder Trophy

By Vincent Parise

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - JUNE 28: (L-R) Leo Carlsson, second overall pick by the Anaheim Ducks, Connor Bedard, first overall pick by the Chicago Blackhawks, and Adam Fantilli, third overall pick by the Columbus Blue Jackets, pose for a photo during the 2023 Upper Deck NHL Draft - Round One at Bridgestone Arena on June 28, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - JUNE 28: (L-R) Leo Carlsson, second overall pick by the Anaheim Ducks, Connor Bedard, first overall pick by the Chicago Blackhawks, and Adam Fantilli, third overall pick by the Columbus Blue Jackets, pose for a photo during the 2023 Upper Deck NHL Draft - Round One at Bridgestone Arena on June 28, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /
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Chicago Blackhawks, Logan Cooley
(Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images) /

121. . FWD. Arizona Coyotes. Logan Cooley. 92. player

The Blackhawks and Connor Bedard have to worry about Logan Cooley.

Logan Cooley was taken with the third overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft. As of right now, he might go first or second if the draft were redone right now.

Of course, the Arizona Coyotes haven’t been a top team in the league for a long time but Cooley is hoping to help change that.

The players around him are going to be there, at least we think so based on projections of their prospects. Of all their prospects, he leads the pack.

Cooley is absolutely someone that can win the Calder Trophy. Again, he might not have the ceiling of Connor Bedard but he absolutely can be one of the best players in the league still.

He also has an extra year of development over Bedard which gives him an advantage. However, NHL fans are lucky that he is coming to the league right now.

The original thought was that he was going to go back to college. The Minnesota Golden Gophers would have loved to have him back for another year as the Hobey Baker would have been his to lose. Instead, he made the late decision to forgo his final NCAA season and come to the NHL.

If he stays healthy, Cooley will be one of the top players on the Arizona Coyotes this year which will certainly mean he is one of the league’s best rookies.

Of course, he is a supremely talented kid that is going to become a big-time NHL player and it could start as soon as his rookie year.

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