The Toronto Maple Leafs face the New York Rangers at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto this Thursday, October 22, in what may be the NHL’s most exciting game of the week.
The Leafs are 5-4-2 (12 points), while the Rangers are 7-3-1 (15 points).
Beyond the fact that these are two great Eastern Conference teams, a rivalry is brewing, and people are already talking about it.
We’re talking about the race for the Calder Memorial Trophy, awarded to the NHL’s top rookie, with Gavin McKenna and Dylan Garand emerging as early contenders.
There is plenty to say about McKenna, the No. 1 overall prospect in the 2026 NHL Draft, but Garand’s story is a little more surprising.
In Thursday’s latest edition of Daily Faceoff’s “The Leafs Morning Take,” Nick Alberga and Matt Larkin discussed the subject and had nothing but praise for the Rangers goalie.
Maple Leafs’ Gavin McKenna Faces a Fellow Calder Contender in Dylan Garand
Alberga first said, “Dylan Garand’s story has been magnificent for the New York Rangers, and, Larks, they’ve needed it, right? Because Igor Shesterkin, as I talked about, is done for the year. But Garand, 4-2-1, 2.85, a .929. I would say very early, clearly, probably your front-runner for the Calder. But again, very early.”
Larkin responded, “Absolutely (…) and the fact that he’s not kind of this out-of-nowhere success story like he’s billed to be. Even look at Logan Thompson (Washington Capitals goaltender), for example. He played Canadian university hockey. That is an underdog success story.”
“Garand played for the World Junior team. He was a rated prospect. He was obviously blocked in the system, but he had some juice, and he was a goalie who was good enough to get a shot. He just hadn’t gotten it, and now he’s kind of running with it. So it’s possible.”
“I’m not saying that he’s gonna be the best goalie in the NHL, but this good version of him might be for real. And to me it’s like, yes, I think he’s the front-runner for the Calder Trophy right now.”
“He’s been the MVP of the Rangers, and the Rangers, like the Leafs, are a little suspect under the hood. If you look at those defensive metrics, they allow too many chances. He’s been, I think, the most important reason for their strong start too.”
There’s Another Layer to Why Maple Leafs vs. Rangers Is Must-Watch