By Nick Obergan This season the Standing 10 will be reserved for the Calder Watch, where we will follow the league?s top rookies to see who the leading candidates are for the award for the league?s best rookie. Fans and teams are fortunate to have so many rookies playing at a high level early in the season, many making impacts in the early goings of the playoff races. Each month we will count down from 10 to 1, and include the previous ranking in brackets (in this case, we will have preseason rankings from the Calder candidates article). All stats are up to and including November 20. 10 games were needed to qualify for the early rankings. Falling: Magnus Paajarvi ? EDM (4), Taylor Hall ? EDM (5), Tyler Seguin ? BOS (7) Don?t sleep on: Kyle Wilson ? CBJ, Derek Stepan ? NYR, Jamie McBain ? CAR 10. Bryan Bickell ? Chicago Blackhawks (NR) One of the more unheralded rookies this year, Bickell is taking full advantage of the roster spots created by Chicago?s salary cap crunch. While averaging just 12:32 in ice time per game, he has 10 points in 20 games (tied for 5th), is +3, has dished out 40 hits, and has taken the puck away eight times against only two giveaways. It all adds up to a 5th best forward OCPR among rookies (61.808). 9. Tyler Ennis ? Buffalo Sabres (8) A Sabre won the Calder last season, and the team boasts a legitimate contender again this year in Ennis. At a slight 5?9?, he needs to contribute offensively to stay in the lineup, and with 11 points (4th among rookies) in 22 games, he has done just that. His +6 rating ranks second among forwards, and is tied for third among all rookies with 51 shots on goal. His 11 takeaways against 7 giveaways show a responsible stick as well. Ennis is the fourth-best forward via OCPR (64.623). 8. Cam Fowler ? Anaheim Ducks (NR) It was surprising to see Fowler slip all the way to the Ducks at #12 at June?s draft, and now the 18-year-old defenseman is making all of the team?s who passed him second guess themselves. He has shown poise, toughness (already suffered a broken nose), and good puck moving ability. Despite missing some time with the facial injury, Fowler is third among d-men with seven points and has blocked 17 shots in 16 games. One area of improvement needed is his 12 giveaways (against three takeaways). Fowler leads all rookies in average ice time (21:49 per game) and is fifth among defencemen in OCPR (53.623) despite the missed time. 7. Jordan Eberle ? Edmonton Oilers (1) My early pick as the top rookie sits at 7th, but not to any fault of his own. Eberle leads all rookie forwards in ice time (18:25 per game) and is tied for second among rookies in points with 12 in 18 games. He is also tied for first with four power play assists, and is the sole leader with two short handed goals. He is an important player for the rebuilding Oilers that plays in all situations, and his -7 rating is as much to do with the rest of the team as it is his own play. He sits third among forwards in OCPR (71.573). 6. John Carlson ? Washington Capitals (2) Carlson, without a doubt, has been among the top two freshman blueliners in the NHL this season. His +7 rating is tied for first among all rookies, and he is second in ice time at 21:44 per game. His 9 points lead all rookie defensemen, but he has also played the most games. Impressive is the 49 blocked shots is 19 more than any other rookie defensemen, but while his 13 takeaways are impressive, his 26 giveaways are far and away the most of any rookie in the NHL. The giveaways are a large factor in him ranking second in OCPR for rookie defensemen (75.145). 5. Logan Couture ? San Jose Sharks (NR) Couture is the early leader in OCPR among rookie forwards (79.250) on the back of his rookie-high eight goals, three game winning goals, two power play goals and 70 shots on net. Couture is also winning an impressive 55% of his faceoffs, and has taken 17.8% of all of the Sharks? faceoffs so far. He ranks second in points with 12, and is second to Eberle among forwards with 17:22 of ice time per game. Couture also leads all rookie forwards with 20 blocked shots and has a nice +3 rating. 4. P.K. Subban ? Montreal Canadiens (3) Subban is first among rookie defensemen in OCPR (78.140), hits (29), and power play points (3) for the surprising first-place Canadiens. His eight points are second to Carlson, while both have seven assists. He also has a respectable 25 blocked shots, and is even in the giveaway-takeaway department with nine each ? a surprising stat considering how much Subban handles the puck, how much ice time he gets (20:56 per game), and his tendency to gamble. One thing hindering Subban from having an even higher rating is his 10 minor penalties ? most among all rookies. 3. Sergei Bobrovsky ? Philadelphia Flyers (9) ?Bob the Goalie? has been the early surprise story of the NHL this season, as the undrafted 22-year-old Russian has easily won the starting job for the first place Flyers. Despite no experience in North America prior to this season, Bobrovsky is among the top goalies in the league with a .925 save percentage, 2.29 goals against average and an 11-3-1 record in 16 appearances. So how does he rank second among rookie goalies in OCPR (43.515)? A subpar .849 SV% against the power play, no shutouts, and he faces plays behind a very strong defensive team. 2. Michal Neuvirth ? Washington Capitals (6) While Neuvirth?s per game averages aren?t ahead of Bob?s, they are still stellar: 2.63 GAA, .912 SV%. His 12-3-1 record is outstanding, and faces intense pressure playing for a team expected to finish first in the conference for a second consecutive year. When facing a power play, Neuvirth?s play doesn?t differ, posting a .913 SV% in short handed situations. He is also the only rookie goalie with a shutout this season, despite his team?s up tempo offensive scheme. He has a fair lead over Bob in OCPR (47.505). 1. Jeff Skinner ? Carolina Hurricanes (10) Skinner, the 10th overall pick in the 2010 draft, is the youngest player in the NHL this season; the 18-year-old won?t turn 19 until next May. The 5?10? forward has been the most impressive this year, leading all rookies in assists (10), points (16), power play points (5) and has an outstanding takeaway-giveaway ratio of 12:5. Surprisingly, he does it all in less minutes than Eberle or Couture (16:30 per game). His -4 rating has as much to do with his less-than-stellar team than anything else, he has only taken one minor penalty this season, and is right behind Couture in OCPR among forwards (76.453). With the way he has played, barring hitting a rookie wall, Skinner could conceivably sit atop the rookie scoring race from start to finish. Nick is RealGM?s NHL Feature Writer. You can reach him by email [email protected] or on twitter @NickObergan