I've been a dedicated hockey fan for most of my life and one thing I always have been fascinated with year after year is the crop of rookies in the NHL and what kind of impact they will have. Coming into this season I knew the group of players was good, but I can't remember a rookie group as deep and talented as the one this season. In this latest installment of the Forman Files I will look in-depth at the Calder Trophy race and the 10 rookies that have made an impact this season.
First let's start by establishing where I think the Calder Trophy race stands right now:
1. Artemi Panarin - Leads all rookies in goals (22), assists (35), points (57), game-winning goals (6). Panarin has found instant chemistry with NHL-point leader Patrick Kane and has been by far the most productive rookie over the entire season. Looks like Stan Bowman found a serious gem from the KHL, I foresee Kane and Panarin being good together for a long time, and any proof of that is I drafted Panarin in all 3 of my pools this year.
2. Shayne Gostisbehere - How does this guy start the season in the AHL? The "Ghost" as they call him in Philly has come in and become the workhorse guy for Dave Hakstol's group. What's even more impressive for the 22-year old defenseman is that he's almost at a point-per-game pace with 33 points in 39 games, including a 14-game point streak matching the longest streak by a defenseman in 19 years since Brian Leetch did it in 1996
3. Dylan Larkin - The 19-year old is near the top of all rookie categories this season and Larkin has been a force for the Red Wings since game 1. He has 19 goals and 39 points in 57 games, good for 2nd in goals and 3rd in points among all rookies. He's also a +21 to lead all rookies and has 5 game-winning goals, 2nd to Artemi Panarin (6). Larkin has a bright future ahead in Detroit and will continue to push the 2 guys ahead for the Calder.
When I look at the Rookies their is a lot more beyond the Calder Trophy race, especially considering Connor McDavid would be winning it had he not been hurt. The fact of the matter is that this rookie group is so deep there are a lot more than 3 players that potentially could get nominated. Because of this I'm going go in-depth to rank the top 10 rookies making an impact in the NHL this season:
1. Connor McDavid
There are so many different things to say about Connor McDavid's game and the buzz he is creating in the NHL. Not since the likes of Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin has a player come into the NHL and be this good at such a young age. You watch #97 play and he get's the crowd on his feet every time he touches the puck, something that only the special players can really generate. He's electrifying, there really is no other way to put it, if the Oilers are in town you best be getting a ticket to that game and going to see him because he's worth the price of admission and more. Need some proof? Check out these goals:
1st game back vs Columbus:
Despite missing 37 games with a broken Collarbone, McDavid has scored 10 goals and 26 points in 22 games this season. What's even more impressive is since his return from breaking his collarbone he's scored 5 goals and 14 points in 9 games and has really kick-started the Oilers offense. Everyone who plays with #97 seems to have woken up from a slow start or previous bad hockey, guys like Nail Yakupov, Jordan Eberle, Benoit Pouliot to name a few. It's crazy to think that the Oilers have had 4 1st overall picks in the last 6 years, and yet McDavid is finally the one who might be the answer in Edmonton. Time will tell what happens in Edmonton, but it's pretty obvious how important McDavid is for the future Oilers organization going forward. Had he not been hurt he would be 1st in the Calder Trophy race no question about it.
2. Artemi Panarin
For people that don't realize how good Artemi Panarin is they have to remember that despite being a rookie he's also 24 and has been playing at the professional level since he was 17. In fact Panarin played with Ilya Kovalchuk with St. Petersburg SKA and was 5th in the KHL in scoring with 26 goals and 62 points in 54 games last year. A worse memory for Canadian fans and something I never realized until my brother Ryan mentioned it was Panarin was on that World Junior Russian team in 2011 that scored 5 goals in the 3rd to win the Gold Medal against Canada. Crazier part of this story? Panarin was on the top line with Evgeny Kuznetsov and Vladimir Tarasenko, could you imagine how good that line would be in the NHL right now? The answer would be scary good.
Looking at this season Panarin has been the best rookie in the NHL, with 22 goals and 35 assists for 57 points in 59 games. I knew he was going to be good, but his instant chemistry with Patrick Kane and Artem Anisimov has been a revelation for Coach Q and the Blackhawks organization. Kane leads the NHL with 83 points and 16 more than the next closest player, and his chemistry with Panarin has been a big part of this. GM Stan Bowman has gone as far as to say this about re-signing him this offseason, "Patrick Kane would be pretty upset if we didn't." Unless Connor McDavid goes on a massive scoring streak to end the season, Panarin should be walking away with the Calder Trophy this summer.
3. Shayne Gostisbehere
A 14-game point streak is impressive for any player, but a 22-year old rookie defenseman doing this is almost unheard of in the NHL. In fact his streak is the longest for any defenseman since Brian Leetch had a 14-game point streak 19 years ago. Continuing with the 14 trend, that's how many games he spent in the AHL to start the season before Ron Hextall finally called him up. I wonder what good ole' Ronny Hextall thinks now watching #53, must be something along the lines of "we had this guy in the minors???"
The "Ghost" as they call him in Philadelphia has responded with 11 goals and 33 points in 39 games since being called up and is 5th in team scoring. He leads all rookie defenseman in goals, assists and points and is 6th in overall rookie scoring. Even more impressive is 3 of Gostisbehere's 11 goals this season have been OT winners, as well as leading all rookies with 18 powerplay points. For a team that has had so much uncertainty on their blueline the last few years the Flyers look like they finally have some stability with Shayne Gostisbehere and Ivan Provorov in the system.
4. Dylan Larkin
After a very successful season at Michigan last year it was pretty obvious Larkin was ready to push for a roster spot this season, but I don't think anyone thought he would be this good this quickly. The 19-year old Larkin leads the Red Wings with 19 goals and is 2nd in points with 39 in 57 games. He is currently tied for 3rd in rookie scoring and leads all rookies with a +21. It's not so much the production that makes Larkin so good, watch a Red Wings game and #71 always seems to stand out as one of the best players on the ice. A great two-way center that is responsible at both ends of the ice, Larkin has a bright future ahead in Detroit
5. Jack Eichel
Eichel has 17 goals and 41 points in 59 games, 2nd among all rookies in points and assists (24). While I can't see him winning the Calder Trophy (or even being nominated in the top 3) I think that Eichel has a chance to become one of the best players in the NHL from this rookie group. He has a fantastic combination of size, speed and skill, something that will make him one the NHL's elite power forwards in the near future. Time will tell how Jack will mature in Buffalo, but the Sabres gotta like what the see from #15 going forward.
6. John Gibson
Even more impressive about Gibson has been his steady play in the net the last few months, a big reason the Ducks have rebounded from their painfully slow start. We all knew the 22-year old goalie was capable of handling a #1 job in the NHL, but now he is finally getting his shot and he isn't looking back. This lead him to being named as a Pacific Division Allstar, where his team Captained by John Scott would go on to win the tournament. Gibson is the Ducks goalie now and for the future and Bruce Boudreau knows it. I expect Gibson to one of the NHL's best goalies in the next few years.
All-Star Game Save:
7. Max Domi
Domi exploded out of the gate this season with 8 goals and 15 points in his first 16 games and was the early season favourite for the Calder Trophy. He has since slowed down with just 7 goals and 23 points in his last 41 games, but that hasn't stopped the impact that Domi has had on the resurgent Arizona Coyotes. Arizona was a team that many people wrote-off this season, but with the boost from rookies Max Domi and Anthony Duclair they are fighting for a Wild Card spot in the West. Domi isn't the biggest guy on the ice at 5'10, but he's plays feisty and on the edge and isn't afraid to get to the dirty areas. He has fantastic offensive instincts with great speed and an even better release on his shot.
Son of former Leafs fan favourite Tie Domi, Max looks like a much more offensively-gifted player than his pops. In fact, Tie's career high goals was 15 goals in 79 games in 2002/03, a feat that Domi has tied in his 1st 57 NHL games. Another big reason I was so fascinated with Domi is how he copes with having type-1 Diabetes and how it has never slowed down his performance on the ice. Here's a fantastic read about Max Domi and his diabetic-alert service dog Orion for any dog lovers out there: http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/nhl/coyotes/2015/10/30/comfort-confidence-and-companionship-coyotes-rookie-counts-his-best-buddy/74425246/
8. Colton Parayko
The relatively unknown Parayko has been a pleasant surprise for the Blues with 7 goals and 24 points in 57 games this season, including 5 goals and 10 points in his first 14 NHL games. He is 2nd among all rookies at a +20 and plays the 3rd most time on ice per game (19:19) of all rookies. When Kevin Shattenkirk went down early in the season Parayko stepped in and provided some big offense for the Blues, and that has cemented his spot in the top 4 with him back in the lineup. His bring frame allows him to be a strong presence on defenseman, a guy that isn't afraid to throw his body around. He has great patience with the puck for a bigger defenseman and has a cannon of a slapshot from the point. While I didn't know much about Parayko before the season, he has quickly become one of my favourite defenseman to watch in the NHL and has a bright future ahead in St. Louis
Goal vs. Calgary:
9. Anthony Duclair
Flash forward to this season and Duclair has 16 goals and 33 points in 56 games and leads the team at +8. Duclair is 5th among all rookies in goals and points and will only get better as the years progress in Arizona. Duclair has the potential to be a 30-40 goal scorer in the NHL, a guy with great speed and even better hands with a quick release. With Dylan Strome coming next year the Coyotes have some serious young talent to rely on for years to come.
1st NHL hat trick:
Goal vs. Nashville:
Goal vs. Anaheim:
10. Nikolaj Ehlers
1st NHL goal:
1st NHL hat trick:
Goal vs. Los Angeles:
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