NHL

5 NHL Rookies Who Hit The Ice Skating In The 2016-17 Season

5 NHL Rookies Who Hit The Ice Skating In The 2016-17 Season

It's still early in the 2016-17 season, but there could be another long debate for the next top rookie. The No. 1 and 2 overall picks in this past June's draft, Auston Matthews and Patrik Laine, have already justified their high selections early this seas

Oct 27, 2016 by Jacob Messing
5 NHL Rookies Who Hit The Ice Skating In The 2016-17 Season
The 2015-16 season saw a long-lasting competition for rookie of the year, and it was more than just the proverbial two-horse race.

Connor McDavid, Dylan Larkin, Jack Eichel, Artemi Panarin and Shayne Gostisbehere set up an 82-game debate over who would win the 2016 Calder Trophy, which was eventually awarded to 24-year-old Panarin, who scored 30 goals and 77 points in 80 games.

It's still early in the 2016-17 season--very early--but there could be another long debate for the next top rookie. The No. 1 and 2 overall picks in this past June's draft, Auston Matthews and Patrik Laine, respectively, already justified their high selections early this season.

Meanwhile, players from past drafts are looking to shed their AHL careers and take the next step in the NHL.

Auston Matthews

Age: 19
Position: Center
Draft Position: 2016, No. 1 overall by Toronto Maple Leafs
2016-17 Statistics: 6 GP, 6 G, 4 A, 10 Pts., plus-1

Matthews leads all rookies with six goals and ten points. The freshest No. 1 overall pick started the season with four goals in his first NHL game, which was good enough to outdo the three goals that Sidney Crosby, Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, Alex Ovechkin and Connor McDavid combined for in each of their debuts.

Matthews took a different route to his draft year than other North American players before him. He opted to play his last year of pre-draft hockey in Switzerland, not in a junior league. He played against pros rather than amateurs; against men rather than boys.

He played under Marc Crawford, the coach of the 1996 Stanley Cup Champion Colorado Avalanche a year after becoming the youngest Jack Adams Award winner in NHL history. Crawford convinced Matthews to play for the ZSC Lions of the Swiss National League, where he finished in the top 10 for scoring with 24 goals and 46 points in 36 games.

His unconventional path has helped him become the face of the Maple Leaf franchise and--fun fact--gave him the hottest-selling jersey in the NHL.

Patrik Laine

Age: 18
Position: Right Wing
Draft Position: 2016, No. 2 overall by Winnipeg Jets
2016-17 Statistics: 6 GP, 4 G, 2 A, 6 Pts., plus-0

Laine talks a big game, and so far this season, has played an even bigger one. He was vocal about why he should have been the first overall pick ahead of Matthews just five months ago.

The two are destined to be compared for their entire careers, much like Crosby and Ovechkin have been. It didn't take long for their respective teams to face each other, and while Matthews got the first laugh, Laine got the last.

Toronto went up 4-0 before Winnipeg scored five unanswered goals for an overtime victory. Matthews had just one assist for his team, but the storyline was Laine cutting the lead in half, scoring the game-tying goal and adding the overtime winner after Matthews was stopped just seconds prior.



Laine's physicality, driven by his 6-foot-5, 206-pound frame, has drawn comparisons to Ovechkin. But the comparisons don't end there--they both display the determination to change a game, whether it be a one-timer or an overwhelming persistence that ends in a goal for their team.

Zach Werenski

Age: 19
Position: Defense
Draft Position: 2015, #8 overall by Columbus Blue Jackets
2016-17 Statistics: 5 GP, 2 G, 3 A, 5Pts., plus-0

The only defenseman on the list, Zach Werenski played last season under Red Berenson at the University of Michigan.

He has been lauded for his ability to execute under pressure and his understanding of the game. This summer, Werenski received a phone call from coach John Tortorella, who told the 19-year-old he wasn't sure if he would make the team out of camp, but said he believes Werenski possesses a gear that not many other players can get to.

Werenski took it as a challenge, and left Michigan after just one season. Now, through five games, he leads the Blue Jackets in points and is showing he belongs.

He is averaging 21:26 of ice time, some of which on the powerplay, where he has put up three points as one of just five Blue Jackets to score on the man advantage this season. 

Werenski highlights the strong defensive depth of the organization. He, as well as 22-year-old Seth Jones, 23-year-old Ryan Murray and 26-year-old David Savard combine for one of the youngest, strongest blue line systems in the NHL.

Anthony Beauvillier

Age: 19
Position: Left Wing
Draft Position: 2015, #28 overall by New York Islanders
2016-17 Statistics: 5 GP, 1 G, 4 A, 5 Pts., plus-3

Anthony Beauvillier is an interesting case due to his consistent output given his low ice time for the Islanders. He is averaging just 9:29 per game, the lowest average of all 19 rookies with more than two points and by far the lowest of all 76 players with at least five points this season.

He was a surprising addition to the Islanders out of training camp, with some expecting him to crack the top line on his off-wing to flank John Tavares and other left wing Andrew Ladd.

Even on the third line, Beauvillier has been a difference-maker. He's currently tied for the team lead in points with Tavares, Josh Bailey and Brock Nelson, who have each played one more game than Beauvillier.

Fellow rookie linemate Alex Quine described Beauvillier's play as remarkable, and added that he's any easy guy to play with because he just knows where to be.

Coach Jack Capuano likes Beauvillier's smooth transition to the wing and his determination to win battles on the wall against some of the league's best.

William Nylander

Age: 20
Position: Center
Draft Position: 2014, #8 overall by Toronto Maple Leafs
2016-17 Statistics: 6 GP, 4 G, 5 A, 9 Pts., Plus-2

William Nylander is the oldest rookie on this list at just 20 years old. Nylander's nine points currently place him second in rookie scoring, behind only linemate Matthews.

Drafted in 2014, Nylander spent the last two seasons with the Toronto Marlies, scoring 32 goals and 77 points in 75 games. Nylander played a large part in helping the Marlies claim their first-ever Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy for the best regular season record.

Nylander also showed he could step up his game after scoring another seven goals and 11 points in 14 playoff games before the Marlies were eliminated by the Washington Capitals' AHL affiliate, the Hershey Bears, in the Conference Finals. 

Toward the end of last season, Nylander saw 22 games of NHL action--25 or more NHL games strips a player of his rookie label--scoring six goals and 13 points on the league's worst team.

That small taste and the ability to play next to Matthews has helped him get off to a strong start and deflect critics from his defensive game, which he is often criticized for.

Honorable mentions go to Minnesota center Joel Eriksson-Ek with four points in three game, Dallas center Devin Shore with six points in six games and Philadelphia center Travis Konecny with six points in five games.