Kaapo Kahkonen could win an unexpected race this season

Yet, one who could possibly slip into the discussion is Minnesota Wild goalie Kaapo Kahkonen. The 25-year-old goalie did well last year alongside Cam Talbot.

What is surprising about Kahkonen is that the Helsinki native will be in his third year of Calder Trophy eligibility. You read that right! This will be the goalie's third campaign as a rookie.

The criterias to be eligible for the trophy given to the best rookie of the year are as follows: Player must be under 26 years old. Player must also have played less than 25 games in the NHL the previous season to still be considered a rookie.

Kahkonen, who is 25 years old, barely meets these criteria. Last year with the Wild, the Finn played 24 games as a second-year goaltender.

In those 24 games, the former fourth-round pick in 2014 maintained a 2.88 goals against average. He also maintained a .902 save percentage.

So it will be interesting to see if Kahkonen can play the spoilsport this season as far as the best rookie in the Bettman circuit. There's no doubt, however, that he's entering his final year as a rookie as he blows out his 26 candles on August 16.

SOURCE: Curve Ball