Buffalo Sabres’ top scorer Tage Thompson exited Monday’s game against the Montreal Canadiens in the second period due to a lower-body injury and did not return.

Tage Thompson, who notched his 11th goal of the season in the first period of the Sabres’ 7-5 loss, played only one shift in the second period before leaving the game. Sabres coach Lindy Ruff did not provide an update on Thompson’s condition after the game.

“He’s a huge part of our team, and we need him out there,” said Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin.

This season, Thompson has recorded 11 goals and seven assists, totaling 18 points.

Sabres defenseman Mattias Samuelsson also exited the game in the second period due to a lower-body injury. No update on his status was provided after the game.

Can a goaltender win NHL rookie of the year this season?

Dustin Wolf has encountered a variety of questions over the past seven years:

Is he truly as talented as advertised? Can a smaller goalie be relied upon when most teams prioritize larger options between the pipes? Can he transfer his impressive WHL performance to the AHL? And, ultimately, can his success in the AHL translate into the Calgary Flames finding a franchise goalie capable of winning games and securing playoff berths?

Wolf now faces a new question: Could he, or another player from this season’s rookie class, become the first goalie in over a decade to win the Calder Trophy?

“I had no idea,” Wolf said about the 15-year gap since the last goalie won the Calder Trophy. “But you know what? My job is to try to stop as many pucks as I can and help the team win games. If the extra stuff comes along with that, then it’s just an extra bonus.”

Steve Mason was the last goalie to win the NHL’s Calder Trophy as rookie of the year, accomplishing the feat in the 2008-09 season. Mason posted a 33-20-7 record with a 2.27 goals-against average and a .916 save percentage, playing a key role in the Columbus Blue Jackets securing a playoff spot. Since then, the Calder has largely been dominated by forwards, with 11 of the past 15 winners being centers or wingers.

Since Mason won the Calder Trophy, two goaltenders have finished second in voting: Jordan Binnington of the St. Louis Blues in 2018-19 and Stuart Skinner of the Edmonton Oilers in 2022-23. However, both faced a significant gap in first-place votes—Binnington received 18 votes compared to Elias Pettersson’s 151, while Skinner earned 24 votes compared to Matty Beniers’ 160.

The Calder Trophy has historically been dominated by forwards, with 62 winning the award since its introduction in the 1932-33 season. In contrast, only 16 goalies have claimed the honor. The current 15-year drought since Mason’s win is the longest in the award’s history. The previous longest gap was 11 years, from 1972-73 to 1982-83.

Since Mason won the Calder, the conversation surrounding goaltending has continued to evolve. The role of goalies has become more analytical, with a focus on advanced metrics such as save percentage, high-danger save percentage, and goals saved above expected. Teams are also placing more emphasis on the development of goaltenders, recognizing the importance of both physical and mental preparation. Additionally, the increasing trend toward prioritizing speed and puck movement in all positions has reshaped the expectations for goaltenders, pushing them to be more mobile and adaptable in an ever-changing game.

Now, a new talking point has emerged in the sport regarding goaltenders: Why hasn’t one won the Calder Trophy in the past 15 years? As goaltending continues to evolve with advanced analytics, changing team strategies, and the increasing use of goalie tandems, the question highlights the difficulty of breaking through as a rookie netminder in today’s game. The rarity of a goalie winning the Calder reflects not only the competition but also the changing dynamics of how goalies are developed, evaluated, and used at the NHL level.

“It’s really hard. You don’t see too many rookie goalies come in and just light it up right away,” said Cale Makar, the 2020 Calder Trophy winner and Colorado Avalanche defenseman. “You have to be set up in the right position. A lot of times rookie goalies don’t play on teams with the best defense, and that doesn’t support their stats. I think there’s a lot of aspects that go into it.”