Eight rookies and a wide-open Calder race drive this week's NHL Rookie preview. Demidov leads Montreal's charge as the early favorite, with Misa and Parekh among bold dark-horse challengers on the national stage. Tampa's Howard and Washington's Leonard could surge with opportunity, while Snuggerud and Rosen offer late-season breakout upside. The piece also flags Buium in Minnesota and notes Montreal's Hutson as a development bet, underscoring an unusually balanced, unpredictable rookie class.