ESPN.com's columnists weigh in with their selections for the Calder Memorial Trophy, awarded to the player voted as "proficient in his first year of competition," by the Professional Hockey Writers' Association.

	When Ilya Kovalchuk, left, was felled by an injury, Thrashers teammate Dany Heatley became the favorite for the Calder.

The trophy is presented in honor of the late NHL president Frank Calder, who from 1937 until his death in 1943, bought a trophy each year to be given to the league's outstanding rookie.

Players eligible for the award cannot have played more than 25 games in any single preceding season nor in six or more games in each of any two preceding seasons in any major professional league. Also, a player can't turn 26 before Sept. 15 of the season in which he is eligible.

Terry Frei, Denver Post
Dany Heatley, Atlanta Thrashers: Dany Heatley and his Thrashers teammate Ilya Kovalchuk would have caused interesting debates. Kovalchuk's long-range future is much brighter, and he is far more spectacular. Heatley, as might be expected because he is two years older, was having a more solid overall season. But Kovalchuk's injury made the decision easier. Heatley isn't going to match Kovalchuk's 29 goals, but he has more than validated his decision to leave the University of Wisconsin after only two seasons. Some voters still might go for Kovalchuk's flash and undeniable upside, but Heatley should be the choice. Kristian Huselius' emergence at Florida is one of the Panthers' few bright spots this season, and he's a respectable choice to be a finalist as well.

Mike Heika, Dallas Morning News
Dany Heatley, Atlanta Thrashers: Atlanta's Ilya Kovalchuk had this award wrapped up before he was injured. But that's part of the NHL. Durability is to be as valued as skill or strength. So it is that Atlanta's Dany Heatley should walk away with this award. Heatley leads all rookie point-scorers and has almost twice as many assists as any other rookie.

Kovalchuk was the benefactor of those assists before he banged up his shoulder, so you can bet his vote is going to Heatley. What's more, the burly Heatley has done a lot of great things off the ice to show his future potential as a leader. Those things make a difference in a place like Atlanta.

Still, awards should be given to the player who plays best, and for the length of this season the best rookie has been Heatley.

Nancy Marrapese-Burrell, Boston Globe

	Cole

Dany Heatley, Atlanta Thrashers: Watching Dany Heatley and teammate Ilya Kovalchuk dance around the ice has been a joy to behold. Atlanta had yet another disappointing season, finishing in the Eastern Conference basement, but this is a pair any franchise would be excited to build around. It seemed that Kovalchuk, the flashier of the two, was odds-on favorite to take home the Calder, but when he went down with an injury, Heatley picked up the edge. Two other rookies have had excellent seasons but haven't had the fanfare of the Atlanta pair -- Carolina's Erik Cole, who is a rough and tumble forward, but who plays in a city better known for NASCAR and college basketball, and Florida forward Kristian Huselius. The Panthers, who purged star Pavel Bure and several veterans prior to the trade deadline, are rebuilding, and the 23-year-old Huselius, the Panthers' second pick (No. 47 overall) in 1997, stands to be an important part of that process. The 23-year-old Cole, who was Carolina's third choice (No. 71 overall) in 1998, stands to be a big part of the Hurricanes' landscape for years to come.

George Johnson, Calgary Herald

	Huselius

Dany Heatley, Atlanta Thrashers: Up until Ilya Kovalchuk was injured, the Calder shaped up to be a dramatic two-horse race. Now Dany Heatley is reaching the wire, unchallenged. In time, Kovalchuk will probably be the more renowned of the two Atlanta Thrashers linemates and friends, certainly the more spectacular, but Heatley, at 22, is the more well-rounded off the get-go. The second overall choice in the 2000 entry draft leads all rookies in assists, points, average ice time and is tied with Kovalchuk with four game-winning goals. Heatley and Kovalchuk are the undisputed future of the franchise and if Kovalchuk is expected to be its fireworks, Heatley is being counted upon to be the anchor.

The third finalist in this category should be Florida's Kristian Huselius. If 20 goals and 40 points are recommendation enough, he's also the second highest scorer on the Panthers and only a minus-four, not bad for a raw rook toiling on a team 20 games under. 500.

A healthy Kovalchuk, and this is a coin toss. As it is, Heatley.

Rob Parent, Delaware County Times
Dany Heatley, Atlanta Thrashers: There's no clear-cut winner for this year's top rookie award, if only because two deserving candidates played on the same line in Atlanta. It's either Ilya Kovalchuk or Dany Heatley on all the smart ballots, and only because there isn't much stumping in evidence for other candidates.

At least in Boston, there could, or should be a lot of talk about rookie defenseman Nick Boynton, who has logged full-time status in almost every game with the upstart Bruins. He also has chipped in four goals and 15 points, while racking up 100 penalty minutes and a plus-20 rating, second-best among league rookies. So Boynton is a very solid candidate, but doesn't possess the overt pizzazz that Heatley has brought to the table.

Heatley has also endured while Kovalchuk's season ended with injury after 65 games. Heatley doesn't have Kovalchuk's natural scoring gifts, but his 22 goals are second in rookie goal scoring, second only to the linemate he's set up so often. And Heatley easily leads the pack in overall scoring, assists and power play points by a first-year player.