Chances are, you may have noticed a certain detail about this year’s rookie class.
Quite a few of them are having an impact on teams that are currently in a playoff spot.
You know the names. Calen Addison. Matty Beniers. Wyatt Johnston. Pyotr Kochetkov. Cole Perfetti. Logan Thompson. They’ve also done more than help their teams. Each of them has a case for why they remain in the running for the Calder Trophy.
But they are not the only ones to consider. Owen Power continues to help his team push closer toward a wild-card spot while Mason McTavish, despite being on a team destined for the draft lottery, remains near the top of the points race.
Of those options, who’s currently No. 1?
Stats: 42 GP | 17 G | 19 A | 36 P
Previous ranking: No. 1
Why he’s here: Beniers was thought to be a Calder challenger, and he is living up to that expectation. As of Jan. 15, he led all rookies in goals (17), points (36), even-strength points (29) and game-winning goals (3). He also bounced back from a 12-game stretch in which he scored just five points in December, posting 11 points through eight games to open January.
Going forward: The Kraken keep winning and appear to be a legitimate playoff challenger. Beniers has emerged as one of their most important players as a top-six, two-way center. He’s one point shy of the team lead, ranks second in goals and will represent the Kraken at the NHL All-Star Game.
Stats: 30 GP | 18-11-1 | 2.71 GAA | .913 SV%
Previous ranking: No. 2
Why he’s here: Losing Robin Lehner to a season-long injury created questions about Vegas’ goaltending. Thompson continues to show how he became the Golden Knights’ No. 1 option over Adin Hill. He has more wins (18) than Hill has games played (15). That win total is the most among rookie goaltenders and ranks seventh in the NHL.
Going forward: Thompson is a dependable presence, making him extremely important for the Golden Knights. It is another reason why he will represent them at the NHL All-Star Game. Although, he is going through something of a challenging stretch. He has lost four of his last six starts in addition to allowing more than three goals in 12 of his last 14 starts.
Stats: 43 GP | 9 G | 17 A | 26 P
Previous ranking: NR
Why he’s here: Oddsmakers had McTavish as an early Calder favorite. He had a slow start in October but has gradually climbed his way up the rookie scoring standings. McTavish registered nine points in December and opened January with six points in five games, moving him into second place in points among rookies.
Going forward: Could McTavish potentially overtake Beniers for the rookie points lead at some point this season? On Jan. 10, he closed the gap to six points, but four days later, Beniers opened it up to 10. That said, McTavish appears to be the rookie in the strongest position to challenge Beniers.
Stats: 19 GP | 10-4-5 | 2.33 GAA | .913 SV%
Previous ranking: NR
Why he’s here: Finding stability in net became a priority when Frederik Andersen was moved to injured reserve. Calling up Kochetkov has been a step in that direction for the Hurricanes. He teamed up with Antti Raanta to give the Canes a reliable tandem as they remain a favorite in the East.
Going forward: ESPN analyst Kevin Weekes reported Sunday that the Hurricanes were going to send Kochetkov back to the AHL now that Andersen has rejoined the team. The decision to send Kochetkov back to the AHL comes after he lost his fourth consecutive start, with the latest being a shootout defeat Sunday against the Canucks.
Stats: 42 GP | 2 G | 14 A | 16 P
Previous ranking: No. 3
Why he’s here: Sanderson is making case for the title of the league’s top rookie defenseman. From the start, the Senators have used Sanderson to play in every situation, which is why he has logged more than 100 short-handed minutes while also playing more than 70 power-play minutes.
Going forward: His overall usage is what allows him to be one of the standouts of the rookie class at this stage of the season. His production, however, is another discussion. Sanderson mustered only two points in December. He was on pace to finish with 38 points, but now is on pace for 31.
Stats: 39 GP | 6 G | 20 A | 26 P
Previous ranking: No. 4
Why he’s here: Perfetti has remained one of the more consistent performers among this year’s rookie class. The promise he showed last season was cut short due to injury, which left him with seven points in 18 games, but this year he has 26 points through 39 contests. Those efforts have earned him a top-six spot on a team currently in playoff position.
Going forward: On Jan. 14, Perfetti had three assists in a 4-1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins for his second, three-point performance this season. Perfetti has six points in his last seven games and the Jets now lead the Western Conference. He provides another dimension to a top six that also welcomed Nikolaj Ehlers back recently.
Stats: 38 GP | 0 G | 15 A | 15 P
Previous ranking: No. 5
Why he’s here: The No. 1 pick in the 2021 draft gives the Sabres another defenseman beyond Rasmus Dahlin who can play for extended stretches, manage extra shifts and be used in different situations. He’s second to Dahlin, a Norris Trophy contender, on the team in defensive zone faceoffs, while also logging minutes on both special teams units.
Going forward: The reliability Power provides as a top-four defenseman who can log heavy minutes should play a role in the Sabres’ quest for a wild-card spot. He’s averaging 23:51 in average ice time this season which ranks 24th in the NHL and leads all rookies by almost three full minutes. Power has not scored a goal yet this season, but his 15 assists rank second among rookie defensemen and sixth among all rookies.
Stats: 40 GP | 3 G | 18 A | 21 P
Previous ranking: NR
Why he’s here: As of Jan. 15, only the New York Islanders have scored fewer goals than the Wild among the teams that were occupying a playoff spot. That is what makes a facilitator such as Addison important to his team’s success. He leads all rookie defensemen in points and assists while also being in a four-way tie for first in assists among the entire rookie class. He also leads all Wild defensemen in points and is tied for fifth in points among his teammates.
Going forward: What makes Addison’s case complicated is how he compares to other rookie defensemen in terms of usage. Peers such as Kaiden Guhle, Power and Sanderson, among others, have each logged more overall ice time while showing they can be used in a number of scenarios. Addison is 10th in 5-on-5 minutes among rookie defensemen and is sixth among Wild defensemen.
Stats: 44 GP | 11 G | 7 A | 18 P
Previous ranking: NR
Why he’s here: Johnston enjoyed one of the strongest Decembers of any rookie forward in this year’s class, scoring five goals to lead all rookies and registering eight points. That type of production is why he ranks second among rookies with 11 goals this season. He continues to grow into his role of being a top-six center and he’s doing it on a team that entered Jan. 15 level on points with the Jets for the Central Division lead.
Going forward: Can Johnston continue to build from what he did in December? Johnston entered Thursday’s action ranked fifth on his team in goals. He has more goals than Mason Marchment and Tyler Seguin, and is one goal behind Joe Pavelski. This is why he remains in a top-six role and is on pace to finish with more than 20 this season.
Johnston has not had the easiest start to January, with just one point in his first six games. The Stars have also struggled, losing four of those six. Still, they are sixth in goals scored and seventh in goals per game. They have six players with more than 10 goals, including Johnston.
Stats: Guhle: 36 GP | 2 G | 12 A | 14 P; Maccelli: 30 GP | 3 G | 19 A | 22 P
Previous ranking: No. 6 (Guhle) and No. 8 (Maccelli)
Why Guhle is here: While his value mainly lies in his heavy minutes and his use on the penalty kill, Guhle also showed progress in his offensive production. His six points in December nearly matched his total (eight) in the first two months combined.
Why Maccelli is here: Maccelli followed up a nine-point month in November to score nine more in December, which was tied for the most by a rookie. He is currently tied for second in assists and fourth in points.
Going forward: Both Guhle and Macelli suffered lower-body injuries that are expected to keep them out of their respective lineups for an extended period. Guhle is set to miss at least eight weeks with a lower-body injury, while Macelli will be out for at least another three weeks with a lower-body injury.
Honorable mention (in alphabetical order):
Jonatan Berggren, RW, Detroit Red Wings
Marcus Bjork, D, Columbus Blue Jackets
Noah Cates, LW, Philadelphia Flyers
Kent Johnson, C, Blue Jackets
Kirill Marchenko, RW, Blue Jackets
Jack Quinn, RW, Buffalo Sabres
Juuso Parssinen, C, Nashville Predators
JJ Peterka, RW, Sabres
Shane Pinto, F, Ottawa Senators
Stuart Skinner, G, Edmonton Oilers