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Chel is experiencing many resurgences and ultra-exciting noise across the ice as the campaign is beginning to set a pace. The agenda this go around is based off resurgences and young studs rippin' up the ice- a resurgence of youth stardom; superstars returning to form; and well skilled skaters on pace for career years to bolster them to the highest echelon of the NHL's elite. I also will touch on how the rocky Hurricanes are givin' a twist off the Scorpions. Intermission is over, lets get to action and start with the fountain of youth.
What a rookie class we have ourselves in '23-24. This class is electric, packed full of super young talent with big time skill; flare; and stardom. The top three picks of the '23 draft are out on the ice in full force and makin' impact right away as teenagers in the league. This year's rooks are lookin' to outshine the '15-16 draft class (which is turning to be quite an epic one) with a deeper lineup of productive stars. Lets keep in mind that it's only the end of December, we can still see more cats be called up to join the fray. The most impressive thing is that a few of the top guys are takin' on top line roles off the first horn. Bedard is the McDavid, Fantilli or Rossi can be the Eichel, and hopefully Knies; Carlsson; Cooley, and/or Benson can be your Panrin and Larkin. Haven't even mentioned the two defenseman... I'm tellin' ya this class is like that! Allow me to drop my first Rookie Ranks: top ten with honorable mention of guys right on the outside.
Age: 18
Country: Canada
Draft Selection: '23: RD1 - PK1
Games Played: 35 (100%)
Stats: 15 Goals - 17 Assists - 32 Points - plus/minus: -13 - 2 GWG
Was there any doubt who my number one is? The Kid (hockey version). Bedard has been playing as advertised... and boy has he been advertised. I'm ok with that, his stardom at a young age has brought a wonderful spark to hockey. A super wonderful one at that; and a spark that will only get brighter and more impactful as time goes. Don't get fooled, Bedard hasn't been perfect in full retrospective as he has that poor plus/minus and has shown some early flaws (he's 18...), but also is the top scoring option for a basement team playin' on the top line against the best players in the world. Again, just 18 years old yah.
It's fascinating how well he is on offense and at creating scoring options for his age this quick into his career against the best. The agility, sense of spacing, and breathtaking puck skills has made him one of the most exciting finishers in Chel in just his first 35 career games. I'm not fazed by his plus/minus (he plays for Chicago) nor by his shooting percentage. Not having a top winger alongside of him will do that. Losing newly acquired veteran winger Taylor Hall in November to IR (out for season) hurt and is forcing Bedard to use more energy on the offensive to create scoring chances which has raised the amount of giveaways and created poor inefficiency. That is out of Bedard's control; he is doing superbly well at what he can control & that's finding the back of the net. That he does well and with some FLARE as he just electrified us with a Michigan Goal the other night:
video via @BradyTrett//X
I expect Bedard to stay atop the rankings and get better as the campaign rolls on, especially when I see effortless jaw-droppin' goals like that Michigan. The Kid also had a beautiful overtime winner that is poetry in motion with this sweet angle:
video via Blackhawks//X
Age: 19
Country: Canada
Draft Selection: '23: RD1 - PK3
Games Played: 37 (100%)
Stats: 10 Goals - 12 Assists - 22 Points - plus/minus: -11 - 1 GWG - 2 PPP
Bedard enters the league with a fellow Canadian star-teen center in Adam Fantilli, who is on a similar path as Bedard in the sense of performin' as the number one option for a basement team. The former Wolverine and third pick in the draft has been quick to adjust to the NHL speed playin' on the Jackets top line. Fantilli has a spark and may be a blessing in disguise for the Jackets who felt demoralized when they missed out on the Bedard sweepstakes after finishing 31st in the league last year.
Fantilli is provin' to be no consolation prize. The cat has the same potential to be elite as Bedard. Fantilli is an elite skater, and uses his skating skill to create space, passing lanes, and defensive vulnerabilities to torture defenseman and tendys. The rook has a straight-ahead playin' style that is beginning to be custom for the elite centers in hockey. He mixes that aggressive style with his raw speed and power to allow him to take pucks hard to the net at lower levels to create havoc. That style has paid dividends for winger Justin Danforth and the Jackets as Fantilli has already netted double digit goals. Sure the style helps him have that poor plus/minus with him being on a below average team, but it's a style that can be explosive when the right line is formed around him.
Age: 22
Country: Austria
Draft Selection: '20: RD1 - PK9
Games Played: 33 (100%)
Stats: 11 Goals - 11 Assists - 22 Points - plus/minus: 10 - 1 GWG - 3 PPP
Marco Rossi is finally in the big leagues, and what a joy it is. After having a late call up turn into some early shade struggles, Rossi is starting to put things together in this new campaign to show why his ceiling is where it is. Before being replaced, Dean Evason gave Rossi a crack on the top line to spark Mats Zuccarello and star Kirill Kaprizov- he did just that and then some. Despite Eriksson Ek's great play, I thought that top line was perfect with Rossi while JEE manned the second line with Matt Boldy and Marcus Johansson on his wing. A wrench was thrown into that plan with the Zucc injury, hopefully John Hynes will return to those lines once Zuccarello returns from IR.
Rossi has a high ceiling and we see that with his skillset. He shows elite awareness with high level vision; edgework; and ice space understanding. He does the "little things" at the center position. One reason why I loved Pavel Datsyuk was his ease in doing the little things. I am not comparing Rossi to Datsyuk, but they certainly have a similar puck IQ. Quite honestly they do compare well now that I ponder it. Rossi has a knack for winnin' puck battles; gettin' to loose pucks; and evading defensive pokes with strong puck control on his stick.
I still feel the Wild are misusing him in the rotation, but his play on any line has been solid this season. Rossi works traffic and pressure well and can dish the puck in the same realm. Gotta be impressed with his early play, and now that he is playin' on the top two lines he is showin' similar importance that Bedard and Fantilli have been. Wild have quite the center duo in Ericksson Ek and Marco Rossi.
Age: 21
Country: United States
Draft Selection: '20: RD2 - PK45
Games Played: 33 (100%)
Stats: 2 Goals - 14 Assists - 16 Points - plus/minus: 11 - 1 GWG - 2 PPP
People tend to talk more on Rossi's impact for the Wild than they do Brock Faber's impact. The gritty defenseman has been head and shoulders better than scouted. The cat is super efficient for a young defender playin' for a team's top defensive pairing. The hometown kid is takin' full advantage of his ice time as the Wild have relied on Faber to man the top defensive pair ahead of captain Jared Spurgeon. Faber is productive and has a stellar plus/minus thus far. He's a damn workhorse who plays at a HIGH speed and rate. A pure ice shredder in the fullest form.
Faber is top ten in time-on-ice this season with a 24:46 TOI average. The production is only rising. Faber is ending December with a 27:30 average in twelve games played with four games having 30+ minutes spent on the ice (more than half the game). Faber had an excellent December all around as he posted 7 assists in the month- half his total on the campaign (14). I'd argue that Hughes and Faber are a toss up here, but I give the nod to Faber at the moment for his great month of puck. Faber is gettin' better and better as each week moves on. Look for his growth to only rise.
Age: 20
Draft Selection: '21: RD1 - PK4
Country: United States
Games Played: 34 (100%)
Stats: 6 Goals - 14 Assists - 20 Points - plus/minus: -2 - 1 GWG - 10 PPP
Baby Hughes is here. America's first-family of hockey is officially in top roles in the NHL. Luke has joined his brother Jack in the Devils' rotation & has been playing great in the early shade to kickstart his career. Luke makes up half of the second defensive pairing alongside John Marino for Jersey, but he still gives off a level of production like the man above him in my ranks Brock Faber. Hughes scoring and aggression on the O is what catches my eye. He is tied-13th among defenseman in goals with 6 netters, and his 14 assists are tied with Faber for most among rookie d-men. The offensive production is worth notice no doubt, but the most notable thing from Hughes is his stellar play on the man advantage.
Luke gets ice time with his middle bro Jack as the Devils have the brother tandem on the top power-play unit. Not only is that great for hockey fans & Team USA followers, but it's damn great for the Devils who have the 3rd best power-play percentage in the league. Baby Hughes is SHINING on the PP with 10 of his 14 assists comin' on the man advantage. You gotta love what he is doing as a 20 year old; his knack for makin' impact is going to give the Devils a special brother power duo unlike many others seen before.
Age: 22
Draft Selection: '20: RD1 - PK24
Country: Canada
Games Played: 25 (71%)
Stats: 7 Goals - 10 Assists - 17 Points - plus/minus: 7 - 1 GWG - 2 PPP
I feel like Connor Zary isn't gettin' the notice he has earned. The left winger has been rock solid for the Flames with the second best plus/minus on the team. His scoring went down a bit in December, but overall he continues to thrive alongside fellow rookie winger Martin Pospisil as they carry Nazem Kadri's strugglin' tail.
Zary has been superb crashin' the net and cleanin' up rebounds. His puck awareness and hand-eye is highly skilled. Zary's shooting percentage (23.3) is 9th best among all skaters with 25+ games played. Pretty sure all seven of his goals are near the net; off a rebound; and/or off a tip. His style as a winger is highly productive and quite a joy to watch, especially for Flames' fans who are forced to watch Jonathan Huberdeau try and play wing.
Age: 21
Draft Selection: '21: RD2 - PK57
Country: United States
Games Played: 31 (94%)
Stats: 8 Goals - 6 Assists - 14 Points - plus/minus: 4 - 1 GWG - 1 PPP
Maple Leafs' young top line left winger Matthew Knies is climbin' the ranks like Zary is in Calgary. Knies has been quite the fit for Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner as he has been efficient on both ends of the ice and shows a good sense of spacing. Knies ability to break the puck from the perimeter to the mid near the blue line has been an effective style for Toronto as it has allowed Auston Matthews to find better positioning to reek havoc on defenses and tendys. Like Zary, Knies can also beat you up in the trenches with good front of the net work and vision. He also pulls the scope and gets to snipin'. This cat has many tools and is showin' them off.
Knies is a perfect fit for the Leafs' top line and his effective play helps that case be more factual. Knies also lays the wood as he has recorded a solid 56 hits- 4th among rookies. He just shows so much presence and potential on the ice and the fact that he is playin' on the top line is impressive as always. I like what he's puttin' out, he just needs to reduce the dry spells and continue to grow his chemistry with Matthews and Marner.
Age: 19
Draft Selection: '23: RD1 - PK2
Country: Sweden
Games Played: 23 (66%)
Stats: 8 Goals - 7 Assists - 15 Points - plus/minus: -5 - 7 PPP
Most people were shocked when the Ducks took Swedish teen center Leo Carlsson with the two pick over Adam Fantilli, but Carlsson has done well to show he belongs in the same tier and that picking him wasn't a mistake. He takes a few steps back in the rankings after being placed on IR to miss 4-6 weeks with a right MCL strain... the injury doesn't take away what he has done in his 23 games played.
Ducks have managed Carlsson's arrival in the league with some care, managing his time on the ice as they develop. It wasn't going bad, just his injury was tough pill. Carlsson has a sharp style and can finish the puck with elite authority. At 6'3" Leo plays center like a baby Tage Thompson blendin' reach with high level puck control. Already postin' a hat trick; Carlsson has shown that he can score in bunches when his electricity is active. He obviously hasn't had the same amount of games played and ice time in comparison to Bedard and Fantilli, but he certainly belongs in that tier. Carlsson stepped up with some massive production on the Ducks' top line when Trevor Zegras was on the shelf. Hopefully his injury isn't a setback and that he returns in motion to move up my rookie rankings. The skill is there; this cat can be special.
Age: 23
Draft Selection: '19: RD4 - PK114
Country: Russia
Games Played: 32 (84%)
Stats: 7 Goals - 12 Assists - 19 Points - plus/minus: 4 - 2 PPP
Blue Jackets have had a difficult campaign as they sit in the basement of the East, but they do have some great things going with all their young talent. Jackets have two stud rookie centers in Fantilli and Dmitri Voronkov that give the team positive hope. Voronkov gives a different style than Fantilli, a style that is perfect for the second line and second year goal scorer Kirill Marchenko. Voronkov has been a maestro at dishin' and settin' up Marchenko for scoring opportunities as Marchenko is scoring at a much faster rate than his rookie campaign. Not only has Voronkov been great for Marchenko, but he has been good on both ends of the ice and is a problem in front of the net settin' screens and lookin' for rebounds to hammer home. I love his play; he should only get better along with that second line.
The second line is young and will need more time to gel in order to reach their full potential as a unit- that potential runs through Voronkov. He has been a valuable addition to the young wingers. We see Marchenko rise with Voronkov's presence; so is the other winger Yegor Chinakhov who has already surpassed his career high in goals and points in just 27 games played. Chinkhov has double the shooting percentage of his two previous season totals thus far. It's quite obvious the positive impact Voronkov is making. The Russian trio will only progress as a unit and under Voronkov. Sometimes you feel some pain before climbing over a hump; that is how I see this Jackets team. There is light at the end of their tunnel, just going to take some time to reach it.
Age: 19
Draft Selection: '22: RD1 - PK3
Country: United States
Games Played: 35 (100%)
Stats: 3 Goals - 15 Assists - 18 Points - plus/minus: -11 - 10 PPP
Yotes' third overall selection of the '22 draft Logan Cooley entered the league with major buzz and expectations. He has faced some struggles, but still cracks my top ten in the rankings. At 19, Cooley is showin' that he can have a high ceiling through his first 35 games. There is still a lot of room for growth and progression. Cooley has been makin' impact for the Yotes despite some struggles in all aspects of the game. Most of his positive impact is comin' on the power-play as he has 10 of his 15 assists on the man advantage- he just has been underwhelming at even strength.
Cooley has a good itch for creatin' scoring opportunities; workin' on the boards; and finishing with a sharpshooter mentality. He still is in search for the confidence as a goal scorer to bring him to the next level of his progression. That starts with shooting the puck more and by having more aggression on the offensive. I like him to find that next level soon. Cooley will get there, no doubt.
Honorable Mention on the out skirts:
RW Bobby Brink (PHI) - LW/RW Tyson Foerster (PHI) - RW/LW Zach Benson (BUF)
Hurricanes are using rocky waters to work through December, but sit good in 4th atop the Eastern Conference. Carolina went 7-5-3 in December in quite rocky fashion as they started the month 1-4 losing four in a row as well as going 0-3 in extra time as they currently ride a 4-game losing skid in overtime/shootouts after winnin' their first four of such matchups. Despite the negatives, the Canes ended the month winnin' four of their last six to currently ride a three game winning streak going into the new year.
Carolina was faced with a 6-game road trip to start the month and failed to deliver any damaging waters to their opponents going 2-4 on the trip. One good note, well good and bad note, is that all of the Canes losses were decided by one point- except for the 1-6 lost to the Oilers on the 6th. It's good in the sense they aren't being blown out, but it's bad to be losing all close game situations. Three of those Ls came by the hands of their fellow Metropolitan foes; not what they needed as it's a bloodbath in that division with six of the eight teams packed in between 40 and 44 points. Canes are fine in second place, but they sure want to find some consistent winnin' waves in January to gain separation from the pack as well as ground on the Rangers for the top spot in the Metro'.
The first line for the Canes have been real solid; Sebastian Aho continues to be a game breaker in the league and has been on a pure tear of late to push the first line. It's the second line that has been treacherous and a negative anchor for the Hurricanes to reach their full potential. Not sure what is going on with Martin Necas, but the cat has been stinkin' up the place this season with a dreadful -14 plus/minus. Michael Bunting and Jesperi Kotkaniemi aren't doing much better. Hurricanes need those guys as well as veteran Jordan Staal to step up if they wish to remain atop the pack in the Metropolitan.
What a resurgence we are seeing from both the Canucks' right winger Brock Boeser and Panthers' forward Sam Reinhart. For Boeser, he is havin' a career year as his fast pace is set to break all his previous career highs to place him as a favorite for breakout player of the year. Reinhart is in a similar style boat for Florida as the cat is scoring at the fastest rate of his career and is playin' exceptionally well on both ends of the ice to return to his '21-22 form and THEN some.
Reinhart has been playin' electric hockey for the Panthers as he is currently tied-4th in the league in goals with Artemi Panarin (23) and has the 6th best plus/minus (15) among forwards in the NHL joining fellow teammates Evan Rodrigues and Sasha Barkov in the top six. The first line of those three is playin' like one of the best lines in Chel. Reinhart is a huge part of it with his knack for findin' the back of the net and in bunches. He has 6 multi-goal games including two in his last three games played. Florida is 5-1 in those games. Reinhart also leads the league with 10 power-play goals and is tied-2nd with 5 game-winning goals. Just a pure scorcher on the offensive and his game in whole has been red-hot.
Reinhart has that beautiful plus/minus, which you know I hold major weight in. Last season he finished the year with a -12 after having a career high +25 in '21-22; he looks to be back to the player he was in his first year with the Panthers- back to his greatest form. Reinhart has a +7 takeaway to giveaway differential that has helped his efficiency. Reinhart also has been efficient while scoring at his high clip; he has the 2nd best shot percentage (25.3%) of all skaters with 15+ goals (31 players). Panthers don't sit third in the East without Reinhart's production. We said the same thing regarding them making the Cup Final last season as Reinhart was third on the team in goals and had a good all around playoff run. If Reinhart keeps this pace, the Panthers are going to be a problem atop the Eastern Conference and he will be a problem in the Comeback Player of the Year race.
Brock Boeser holds the same impression this season; and has the same level of value for the Canucks that Reinhart has for the Panthers. Boeser is havin' a career year as he is my favorite for Most Improved. Boeser ranks third in Chel with 24 goals, five shy of his career high ('17-18). So far, he is finding the net at the best clip of his career hittin' 24 netters on 100 shots, ranking him just behind Reinhart for the second best shooting percentage (24.0%) among players with 20+ goals. Boeser's career high is 16.3% in '20-21 (141 shots in 56 GP). He is shattering that percentage and is shattering damn near every statistical career high. Far more efficient; far more valuable. Canucks' 2nd line doesn't get the love it's earned, nor does Boeser. Canucks are atop the Western Conference in huge part to their second line.
Boeser has elevated J.T. Miller and Nils Höglander's games in a big way. All three cats have a +10 plus/minus or better and make up half of the Canucks' list of scorers with double-digit goals scored. Boeser and Miller bring their offensive production over to special teams as they have a combined 16 power-play goals placing the two atop the team's power-play scorers and placing the team 5th in the league in that department (30 PPG). It's safe to say that Vancouver is THRILLED for Boeser to have a career year. His value speaks numbers, and numbers don't lie. Boeser and Reinhart are both breakin' out and their teams are using their production to elevate up the league standings. Lets see if the two can keep this pace.
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