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Buffalo Sabres: Will J.J. Peterka win the Calder Trophy?

By Sion Fawkes

LAVAL, QC - APRIL 08: John Peterka #77 of the Rochester Americans and Alex Belzile #22 of the Laval Rocket skate against each other during the second period at Place Bell on April 8, 2022 in Laval, Canada. The Laval Rocket defeated the Rochester Americans 4-3 in overtime. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)
LAVAL, QC - APRIL 08: John Peterka #77 of the Rochester Americans and Alex Belzile #22 of the Laval Rocket skate against each other during the second period at Place Bell on April 8, 2022 in Laval, Canada. The Laval Rocket defeated the Rochester Americans 4-3 in overtime. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images) /
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Buffalo Sabres
ELMONT, NEW YORK – DECEMBER 30: JJ Peterka #77 of the Buffalo Sabres skates against the New York Islanders at the UBS Arena on December 30, 2021 in Elmont, New York. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /

Why Peterka wins the Calder

Owen Power may be listed as a defenseman, but you can argue Peterka is more physical. This immediately inflates his value for a potential spot on the checking line. It would be easy to see Peterka supplant Asplund for the winger position on the third line, presumably with Kyle Okposo and Zemgus Girgensons.

However, Peterka has shown, at least in the AHL, that he can be a better scorer if that success translates to the NHL. While it probably won’t translate so much early, Peterka’s play will steadily improve throughout the regular season on both offense and defense.

While you can argue that Jack Quinn is the more talented of the two, it was Peterka who took over in the 2022 Calder Cup Playoffs while Quinn stagnated. This tells me that Peterka is the more consistent player, even if he lags slightly behind in talent.

Yes, it is a longshot that Peterka wins the Calder. But given how well he stepped into his role and played in the AHL, he is a player you just cannot count out to win the Calder.

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