With one year of NHL play under their belts, the 2016 crop of rookies will be under pressure to improve in 2017 and begin to cement their place in the league. Some of these players will fall victim to the dreaded sophomore slump, some will remain on the same trajectory, and some will shine. We're here to discuss the latter players.
The three following players are the individuals who are likely to turn their rookie success into stardom in Year 2 of their NHL careers.
McDavid, the No. 1 pick in the 2015 draft, will be a player to watch for years to come. He entered the NHL last season with almost as much hype as Sidney Crosby did in his rookie season, and although he was limited to just 45 games due to injury, he scored at a pace of more than one point per game, racking up 48 points (16G, 32A). Projected over an 82-game season, McDavid would have scored in the 88-point range, a full 11 points over rookie leader Artemi Panarin of the Chicago Blackhawks.
If McDavid stays healthy in 2016-17, and doesn't improve at all, which would be dreadful for the NHL and the Oilers, he should still contend for the point-scoring title this season.
The Blackhawks hit the jackpot when they signed Panarin as a free agent in 2015. Last season, in the first year of his two-year deal he led all rookies in goals (30), assists (47) and points (77), while capturing the Calder Trophy as the rookie of the year.
Yes, Panarin did play on the same line as NHL MVP Patrick Kane last season, but there's no way he would have stayed on that line and produced at nearly a point-per-game pace if he didn't have natural skill and talent.
Panarin knows this is the season that counts for him. If he delivers numbers equal to or better than last season, he is going to become a very rich young man when his entry-level contract wraps up at the end of 2017.
Gostisbehere started the 2016 season in the AHL, but when he joined the Flyers he lit a fire under the team. He scored 46 points in 64 games, led all rookie defensemen in points and finished fifth overall in rookie scoring. No other first-year defenseman was in the top 10 in scoring.
Gostisbehere was most impressive on the power play. He scored 22 points with the man advantage, just two fewer than Panarin's NHL-leading 24 power play points, a feat Gostisbehere accomplished in 16 fewer games than Panarin.
You could argue that without Gostisbehere there is no way the Flyers would have made the playoffs last year. This season could be a tough year for Gostisbehere, as teams will begin to focus on shutting him down, especially on the power play.
By Trent Reinsmith
The three following players are the individuals who are likely to turn their rookie success into stardom in Year 2 of their NHL careers.
1. Connor McDavid - Edmonton Oilers
McDavid, the No. 1 pick in the 2015 draft, will be a player to watch for years to come. He entered the NHL last season with almost as much hype as Sidney Crosby did in his rookie season, and although he was limited to just 45 games due to injury, he scored at a pace of more than one point per game, racking up 48 points (16G, 32A). Projected over an 82-game season, McDavid would have scored in the 88-point range, a full 11 points over rookie leader Artemi Panarin of the Chicago Blackhawks.
If McDavid stays healthy in 2016-17, and doesn't improve at all, which would be dreadful for the NHL and the Oilers, he should still contend for the point-scoring title this season.
2. Artemi Panarin - Chicago Blackhawks
The Blackhawks hit the jackpot when they signed Panarin as a free agent in 2015. Last season, in the first year of his two-year deal he led all rookies in goals (30), assists (47) and points (77), while capturing the Calder Trophy as the rookie of the year.
Yes, Panarin did play on the same line as NHL MVP Patrick Kane last season, but there's no way he would have stayed on that line and produced at nearly a point-per-game pace if he didn't have natural skill and talent.
Panarin knows this is the season that counts for him. If he delivers numbers equal to or better than last season, he is going to become a very rich young man when his entry-level contract wraps up at the end of 2017.
3. Shayne Gostisbehere - Philadelphia Flyers
Gostisbehere started the 2016 season in the AHL, but when he joined the Flyers he lit a fire under the team. He scored 46 points in 64 games, led all rookie defensemen in points and finished fifth overall in rookie scoring. No other first-year defenseman was in the top 10 in scoring.
Gostisbehere was most impressive on the power play. He scored 22 points with the man advantage, just two fewer than Panarin's NHL-leading 24 power play points, a feat Gostisbehere accomplished in 16 fewer games than Panarin.
You could argue that without Gostisbehere there is no way the Flyers would have made the playoffs last year. This season could be a tough year for Gostisbehere, as teams will begin to focus on shutting him down, especially on the power play.
By Trent Reinsmith