The 21-year old led all rookies in scoring with 9 points, 5 of which were goals, in 7 games.  He’s been a big reason for the strong start the Blues have had this season and has fit right into their lineup, proving he can be relied upon for his offensive contributions.

Tarasenko edged out Cory Conacher of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Justin Schultz and Nail Yakupov of the Edmonton Oilers and Alex Galchenyuk of the Montreal Canadiens to win the prestigious honors.  As of today, Tarasenko now has 10 points, followed by Conacher’s 9.  Schultz, Yakupov and Galchenyuk each have 5 points.

The race for the Calder trophy which is presented to the rookie of the year is shaping up to be one of the most exciting in recent memory and will likely be the most watched in terms of potential NHL award winners this season.

Recently here at Too Many Men we looked at the top three candidates through the first two weeks of the season.  At that time we had Schultz in the lead over Tarasenko based on the number of minutes he was playing on average for a rookie defenseman.

Tarasenko’s honors will surely help sway a few critics back his way but with over 40 games left for most clubs, there will be plenty of time to discuss who might be the top candidate for the Calder.

These three appear to be the leading candidates through the first week of the season so let’s compare how they stack up to this point.

It was Schultz who turned heads in the AHL during the lockout, scoring over 40 points and sitting second in league scoring only to teammate Jordan Eberle.

So far this season Schultz is averaging a point a game with 2 goals and 3 assists while helping the Oilers to a 3-2 record.  He’s also averaging over twenty-three minutes of ice-time and according to Grant Sonier of ESPN.com (Insider access required), Schultz has many scouts raving about his play.  Some are stating he’s playing like a veteran defenceman early on.

The St. Louis Blues phenom, Vladimir Tarasenko leads all rookies with 8 points through 6 games (4 goals and 4 assists).  Granted he started out hotter than a pistol with 5 points in the first two games, he’s picked up a goal and two assists over the last three while averaging over fourteen minutes of ice per game.

Cory Conacher of the Lightning is the third candidate.  He’s second in rookie scoring to Tarasenko with 7 points (2 goals and 5 assists) through 5 games and has averaged over fourteen minutes of ice-time.

Sonier highlights Conacher’s size, standing at only 5’8″ but has proven why he was an all-star in the AHL last season.  For the record, Sonier believes that Conacher could lead all rookies in scoring before the season is over.

When it comes to ranking the big three at this stage, I put Schultz ahead of Tarasenko, followed by Conacher.  There will be many who disagree with the order, arguing that the Blues rookie is leading the way among all first year players.

But keep in mind Schultz is a defenceman and is averaging a point per game as a rookie in a league full of experience.  He’s also logging the ice-time that a seasoned veteran would get, further proving that he’s the leading candidate for the Calder Trophy early on.

Much can and will change between now and the end of the season.  A nasty cold spell could fall over any or all three of these rookies, paving the way for an outsider to come in and steal the spotlight.  I won’t say it, but an unforeseen circumstance could force any one of them to miss a considerable amount of playing time that would all but destroy their chance of being named the rookie of the year.

The other interesting fact is that all three players just discussed are over the age of 21.  Schultz and Conacher are both 23 while Tarasenko will be 22 in December.  Maturity certainly helps adjust to the NHL but in the end these players still have to produce and so far there’s been no shortage of that.

St. Louis Blues Rookie F Vladimir Tarasenko began his NHL career with 4 goals in 4 games; Mandatory Credit: Chris Lee/Associated Press

This isn’t to say that the young forward came into the St. Louis Blues training camp as an unknown.  In the Lou, Tarasenko was perhaps their most-hyped prospect since Erik Johnson.  Outside of The Show Me State, his name may also ring familiar to anyone who watched the Gold Medal Game in the 2011 World Junior Championship in Buffalo, NY.

Russia’s captain, drafted 16^th overall a few months earlier by St. Louis, left the game in the second period with a shoulder injury brought about by the skate of Canada’s Marcus Foligno.  When he returned in the third period, his squad trailed Canada 3-0 in a hostile environment that must have felt like a home game for the Canadians.  Those outside of the dressing room can argue how much his return to the ice rallied his troops, but they cannot argue the fact that Tarasenko would score the tying goal after setting up another, en route to a 5-3 Russian victory.

Tarasenko finished the tournament with four goals and seven assists in seven games.  It would be easy to say that with that performance, his legend was born.  Really, the legend had already begun.

“The Russian Tank” played his first Kontinental Hockey League game at the tender age of 16.  Then standing 5’11” and 220 pounds, Tank was lauded for his hockey sense, needle-work passing, and an exceptional wrist shot.  After playing 3+ seasons for his hometown Novosibirsk Siber in the KHL, the right winger joined SKA-St. Petersburg.  Playing during the lockout amongst a talented group that included Maxim Afinogenov, Petr Prucha, and linemate Ilya Kovalchuk, Tarasenko put up 14 goals and 31 points in 31 games to go along with a +16 rating.

Arriving in St. Louis after the lockout was lifted, really the only question was whether or not The Russian Tank would need time to adjust to the North American game.  Now an even 6’ tall and down to 200 pounds, the 21-year-old broke camp with the big club.  In addition to his obvious skill set, General Manager Doug Armstrong applauds Tank for his work ethic, while Head Coach Ken Hitchcock speaks highly of Tarasenko for being a responsible player in all three zones.  “You can just tell he’s a coach’s son,” says Hitch.  “He’s a very respectful young man who is humble and has no sense of entitlement.”

Following the shortest NHL training camp on record, Tarasenko wasted no time making his mark in the greatest league in the world.  In just his first game, Tarasenko made sure to introduce himself to the Central Division rival Detroit Red Wings with two goals in St. Louis’ dominant 6-0 win on home ice.  As fellow Blues forward T.J. Oshie put it, “he’s a great player.  I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, he wants to score and you can tell every time he gets the puck he’s looking for a way to put the puck in the net… I haven’t seen anyone who wants to put the puck in the net like he does.”

Tarasenko wasn’t done putting the puck into the net after that first game.  In fact, the rookie popped four goals in his first four games.  If he was at all unknown before, the Scottrade Center chanting his last name made sure that would change.

With 4-4—8 totals through 6 games, Tarasenko currently leads all rookies in goals, points, and shots on goal.  He sits tied at 9^th in the overall points standings, trailing veterans who routinely play 4 to 5 more minutes a night than he does.  To Coach Hitch’s point, #91 stands alone at the top of all rookies with a +5 rating.

Knowing Tarasenko was no stranger to playing with older, more experienced players, Hitchcock has been skating him on a line with veteran forwards Andy McDonald and Alex Steen.  Hitch remarked, “he’s a throwback to the way the players were in the ‘70s and ‘80s [with his] respect of [the veteran players], respect for the game, respect for playing the game the right way.  I think that is going to help him career-wise.”

It certainly can’t hurt The Russian Tank’s adjustment.  Having already transitioned from NHL prospect to NHL rookie to early Calder Trophy favorite, Tarasenko’s next transition will be to household name.  That transition may already be under way, as St. Louis Cardinals third baseman and World Series MVP David Freese tweeted on Thursday night, “The dude is something else! #91”