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Calder Watch: John Carlson impresses
October, 13, 2010
OCT 13
4:03
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Mitchell Layton/NHLI/Getty Images
John Carlson is off to a solid start for the Washington Capitals.
Last Wednesday, I gave you my preseason top five Calder Watch rating. Like last season, I'll update the list periodically -- no less than once a month -- throughout the season.

If you don't see your favorite rookie among these 10 (listed in alphabetical order), don't panic (he may have been on my original top five list). It's a long season. If a kid is good, I'll find him!

1. John Carlson, D, Capitals
The 6-foot-3, 208-pound defender remains a rookie despite playing 22 regular-season and seven playoff games during the 2009-10 season. He's jumped out to a strong start, putting up a goal and three assists in three games while averaging more than 18 minutes a contest.

2. Logan Couture, F, Sharks
The ninth overall choice in the '07 draft, Couture keeps his rookie status despite playing in 25 regular-season and 15 playoff games last season. Now, after some offseason roster moves, he figures to get a full-time chance. He has a goal in two games.

3. Jordan Eberle, F, Oilers
The 20-year-old winger made a statement on opening night with a dazzling, highlight-reel goal against the rival Flames. In two games, he has two points and a plus-2 rating, working more than 15 minutes on each night. Eberle hails from Regina, Saskatchewan, a fact that immediately puts him among Barry Melrose's favorite players.

4. Cam Fowler, D, Ducks
Which was worse: waiting to hear his name called at the 2010 draft, when he slipped from the top five to No. 12, or the Ducks' first three games? It is a tough call. Fowler, 18, has been the least of the woes in Anaheim. If things don't get better, though, it might be better to send him back to junior to avoid the beatings. Fowler has a point and a minus-2 rating in the three games, averaging a significant 22:50 minutes of ice time a contest. He's an important piece of the franchise's future plans.

5. Nick Leddy, D, Blackhawks
As Brian Campbell is sidelined with a knee injury, the 19-year-old is getting some early-season opportunity. In three games, he has a goal and a minus-1 rating, averaging 14:12 minutes. A first-round pick of the Wild who came to the Hawks in the Cam Barker trade last season, Leddy is learning on the job under head coach/former D-man Joel Quenneville.

6. Michal Neuvirth, G, Capitals
The Czech native has worked in 22 NHL games in the past two seasons. In that time, Neuvirth also backstopped back-to-back Calder Cup-winning teams with Hershey in the AHL. With fellow kid goalie Semyon Varlamov on the shelf, Neuvirth has started the club's first three games, going 2-1 with a very respectable .916 save percentage.

7. Tyler Seguin, C, Bruins
The second overall pick in the 2010 draft, Seguin showed a flash of his offensive skills, finishing a breakaway chance against the Coyotes on Sunday in Prague. It will be interesting to see how (and how much) the Bruins use him throughout the season. He's projected as a cornerstone pivot in Boston.

8. Jeff Skinner, C/W, Hurricanes
The seventh overall pick in the '10 draft, Skinner wowed Carolina management with his play in both a prospect tournament and training camp. He looked silky-smooth burying a shootout chance against veteran Wild goalie Nicklas Backstrom last week. A natural center who will work on the wing to ease his transition to the NHL (the defensive responsibilities for a winger aren't as demanding), Skinner has an assist in two games and is averaging 16:25 minutes.

9. Derek Stepan, C, Rangers
The Minnesota native made a huge impact in his first game, scoring three times against a fellow by the name of Ryan Miller in Buffalo. Stepan is just the fourth player in league history to record a hat trick in his first game. In two games, he's plus-3 and is winning half his faceoffs. That's a very strong start.

10. Eric Tangradi, LW, Penguins
Acquired from Anaheim with Chris Kunitz in the deal that sent D Ryan Whitney to the Ducks in February 2009, Tangradi, 21, has progressed through the Penguins system. The big 6-4, 220-pound winger is getting a chance to flank Sidney Crosby, a pretty good opportunity. Still, I don't know whether the Philadelphia native is quite ready. He has an assist in three games.