There’s a generational talent tearing up the NHL as a rookie and his name isn’t Connor Bedard.

Though the 18-year-old phenom has been a godsend for the Chicago Blackhawks — everything he was supposed to be as the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft and then some — he hasn’t played since suffering a broken jaw a few weeks ago. Now the word out of the Windy City is that he will miss at least another month and a half as the bones in his face continue to heal.

As a result, the race for the Calder Trophy, awarded to the league’s rookie of the year, is officially back on, and Minnesota native Brock Faber is slowly separating himself from the pack. As he should be. As impressive as Bedard has been for Blackhawks to this point, Faber has been equally as impressive for the Wild.

That’s not a knock on Bedard. He’s a dynamo with the puck on his stick and still leads the Blackhawks with 33 points (15 goals, 18 assists) despite missing the past 10 games. He’s probably going to end up leading all rookies in scoring regardless of how long he’s out of the lineup. He’s a future superstar and would have run away with the Calder Trophy if he didn’t get hurt.

Here’s the thing though: He did get hurt.

Are voters already resigned to giving Bedard the annual award simply because that was the plan all along? Let’s hope not. Especially considering how well Faber has performed in his own right.

After entering this season as the presumed replacement for Matt Dumba on the blue line, Faber saw his role rapidly increase without warning when captain Jared Spurgeon and Jonas Brodin both missed significant time in the early stages of this season.

Not only did Faber prove more than capable of filling the void, the former Gophers star from Maple Grove emerged as the most reliable player on the blue line. He routinely played at least half of some games with Spurgeon and Brodin on injured reserve, logging a career-high 33 minutes, 25 seconds last month for the Wild in an overtime win over the Montreal Canadiens.

It’s not hyperbole to say Faber already might be the best defenseman on the Wild roster. Not bad for a kid who turned pro in the spring and wasn’t even old enough to buy a beer at Blarney’s in Dinkytown over the summer.

His usage has remained steady as Faber leads all rookies with 24 minutes, 48 seconds per game, by far the most on the Wild, and good for No. 10 in the NHL among all skaters. He essentially hops over the board every other shift for head coach John Hynes, effortlessly erasing scoring chances with his defense while showcasing his upside offensively, as well.

The past couple of weeks have been a good reminder that Faber is just scratching the surface in terms of his potential. He was in the midst of a six-game point streak, a franchise record for a rookie defenseman, with the Wild set to host the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday night at Xcel Energy Center.

That recent surge in production has helped Faber’s counting stats as he now is up to 29 points (5 goals, 24 assists), trailing only Bedard, and putting himself within striking distance of taking over the top spot. It feels like only a matter of time before Faber passes Bedard in points.

The question is whether Faber can give himself a big enough cushion to hold off Bedard once the young Blackhawks star returns to action. That remains to be seen. Even if Faber finishes behind Bedard in counting stats, however, it doesn’t mean he should finish behind him in voting for the Calder Trophy.

Would it be impressive for Bedard to lead all rookies in scoring despite missing roughly 20 games? Absolutely. Should that alone put him ahead of another standout rookie who will end up playing roughly 20 games more? Not a chance.

If he continues on his current pace, Faber should win the Calder Trophy, and frankly, it shouldn’t be close.