Stock Watch for Top NHL Rookies Early in 2015-16 Season
The race to the Calder Trophy in 2015-16 is already shaping up to be a great one.
Connor McDavid, the top pick of June's draft, was the offseason favorite thanks to a stellar junior career and the kind of size, speed, vision and intelligence the league hasn't seen in one package since Sidney Crosby. But he's only now starting to get into the talk of the top freshman this year.
Likewise, second overall selection Jack Eichel is getting in the mix but is outside the top few after the first couple of weeks of NHL hockey.
There are way more Calder candidates making early impressions than one might have expected, including a very talented couple of youngsters on a team that was expected to be terrible.
There is plenty of time for this race to add new names and see some of the top players pull away from the pack. But for now, here is a stock watch for the top rookies early in the 2015-16 NHL season.
The list includes a ranking, which also takes into account how highly touted they were coming into the campaign. There's a list of defensemen who could be in the mix later but at the moment, the forwards have stolen the spotlight in this race.
Defenders on the Radar
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Ben Hutton, D, Vancouver Canucks: The former fifth-round pick has been a nice surprise for the Canucks, averaging nearly 19 minutes a game and posting three assists in six games.
Colton Parayko, D, St. Louis Blues: The 6'5" giant has a heavy shot and has made it work on the Blues blue line after forcing his way onto the roster in the preseason. The 22-year-old has a pair of goals and three points in six games.
Trevor van Riemsdyk, D, Chicago Blackhawks: Van Riemsdyk showed his potential in 18 games in the NHL last season and still qualifies for the Calder despite his somewhat advanced age. The 24-year-old has a goal and an assist through six games and is averaging more than 17 minutes per game.
Noah Hanifin, D, Carolina Hurricanes: The 18-year-old out of Boston College has shown he has the kind of skills that made Aaron Ekblad the rookie of the year last season. Despite his age, he's mature in the hockey sense and is among the team leaders in takeaways while averaging more than 17 minutes a game.
11. Sam Bennett, C, Calgary Flames
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Before This Season: Sam Bennett was the rookie at the combine in 2014 who couldn't do a pull-up. That didn't scare the Calgary Flames from drafting him fourth overall, and he rewarded them with a solid performance in the playoffs after sitting out more than half the 2014-15 hockey season with an injured shoulder (which explained the lack of pull-ups). He had three goals and four points in 11 games through two rounds.
Current Role: Bennett was in the mix among the Flames' top six forwards before a shoulder injury took him out of the lineup, per Scott Cruickshank of the Calgary Herald. He has one assist through four games and hasn't picked up where he left off in the postseason. Then again, the entire team has struggled to regain momentum.
Stock: Bennett's stock is down, with the latest injury frustrating to fantasy fans who may have taken a flier on him because of his offensive potential and feisty nature.
10. Mattias Janmark, C, Dallas Stars
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Before This Season: Mattias Janmark is a former Detroit Red Wings draft pick who went to the Dallas Stars at last year's trade deadline in the deal for Erik Cole. He was taken in the third round of the 2013 NHL draft, 79th overall, and came over to North America from Sweden this season.
Current Role: Janmark has provided some nice center depth behind Jason Spezza and Tyler Seguin and has four points (two goals and two assists) in five games, averaging just over 14-and-a-half minutes per game.
Stock: Janmark's stock is up. He isn't a Calder Trophy favorite, but he's on the radar as a player to keep an eye on this season after toiling in relative anonymity prior to the trade.
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9. Sam Reinhart, C, Buffalo Sabres
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Before This Season: Sam Reinhart didn't make the Buffalo Sabres last season after being drafted second overall in 2014. He had a strong season with the Kootenay Ice in the WHL and a stellar world junior tournament with five goals and 11 points for Team Canada.
Current Role: Reinhart has had a hard time finding a fit but got a shot with the top line in his last game and played the most minutes. He also scored his first NHL goal alongside Ryan O'Reilly and Tyler Ennis.
Stock: Reinhart's stock is down slightly. But if he can stick on the top unit, his stock could turn around quickly.
8. Jack Eichel, C, Buffalo Sabres
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Before This Season: Jack Eichel was neck and neck with Connor McDavid for a time in the debate over who should be the top pick in the 2015 NHL draft. Ultimately, he came in second when the Buffalo Sabres picked him up happily after losing the lottery.
Current Role: Eichel quickly established himself as an important player for the Sabres, scoring in his first game and adding a second goal in his third NHL contest. Although he's stuck on that total, he's among the minutes leaders for freshmen with an average of more than 19 per game—tops among forwards.
Stock: Eichel's stock is slightly down. He's establishing himself as a confident player and earning big minutes but will need to contribute more offensively to live up to the draft spot.
7. Nikolaj Ehlers, RW, Winnipeg Jets
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Before This Season: Dane Nikolaj Ehlers was the Winnipeg Jets' first-round pick in the 2014 NHL draft. He posted back-to-back 100-point seasons with the Halifax Mooseheads of the QMJHL before making the Jets in camp this season.
Current Role: Ehlers is playing on the second line along with Mark Scheifele and Mathieu Perreault. He has a goal and four points in six games so far and is averaging just over 15 minutes a night, including significant time on the power play.
Stock: Ehlers' stock is about the same as it was coming into the season. There were high hopes, and he's living up to the early expectations.
6. Oscar Lindberg, C, New York Rangers
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Before This Season: A second-round draft pick by the Arizona Coyotes in 2010, Oscar Lindberg has been learning the North American game in the AHL the last two seasons after heading overseas from Sweden. He had 46 goals and 100 points in 150 AHL contests.
Current Role: Lindberg is the Rangers' third-line center, playing between Viktor Stalberg and J.T. Miller on what has been a speedy and effective secondary scoring trio. He's suiting up for a little more than 12 minutes a game.
Stock: Lindberg's stock is up slightly, but his impact came in the first few games of the season and he's been held without a point in two straight contests. He's produced decent numbers in lower minutes than some of the others on this list, but it doesn't seem like the start was sustainable.
5. Connor McDavid, C, Edmonton Oilers
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Before This Season: Connor McDavid destroyed the Canadian Hockey League as a major junior superstar and was the most highly touted draft pick in a decade before being selected first overall by the Edmonton Oilers last spring. Expectations were in the realm of Sidney Crosby and Eric Lindros, with McDavid being dubbed a generational talent before playing a single game in the NHL.
Current Role: With more than 18 minutes a game as the Oilers' second-line center, McDavid is being given the opportunity to prove he's worth the high praise. He has struggled with consistency early but had a breakout three-point game on the weekend that flashed the kind of dominance he's capable of.
Stock: McDavid's stock has dropped slightly but looks to be rebounding quickly. He has the potential to be a game-breaker in the mold of the guys he was compared to prior to his draft.
4. Anthony Duclair, RW, Arizona Coyotes
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Before This Season: Anthony Duclair was taken in the third round, 80th overall, in the 2013 NHL draft by the New York Rangers. The Rangers gave him 18 games last season in which he had a goal and seven points in his brief time in the Big Apple. They traded him to the Arizona Coyotes as part of the package for defenseman Keith Yandle.
Current Role: Duclair is thriving on the second line in the desert with center Martin Hanzal and fellow youngster Tobias Rieder. He scored at least a point in his first four games this season and has four goals and six points through five contests.
Stock: Duclair's stock is up tremendously. He's among the league's top scoring rookies giving fellow standout Max Domi a serious run for the title of the Coyotes' top freshman.
3. Artemi Panarin, LW, Chicago Blackhawks
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Before This Season: The 23-year-old Artemi Panarin was a highly coveted free agent out of Russia, where he scored 26 goals and 62 points in 54 games for the St. Petersburg SKA last season. The Chicago Blackhawks were the winning bidders back in May.
Current Role: Landing with Patrick Kane on the Hawks' revamped second line, Panarin's sizeable skill on a short and slender frame is reminiscent of his much more famous linemate. He's become a huge part of a team that lost scorers Patrick Sharp and Brandon Saad in the offseason.
Stock: Panarin's stock is rocketing. Although he was coveted as a free agent, few would have expected this immediate impact. He's atop the freshmen scoring leaders and logging big minutes at even strength and on the man advantage.
2. Dylan Larkin, C, Detroit Red Wings
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Before This Season: Dylan Larkin was drafted in the first round, 15th overall, by the Detroit Red Wings in 2014. He tore up the NCAA with Michigan University, leading all college freshmen with 15 goals and 47 points in 35 games.
Current Role: With Pavel Datsyuk out, Larkin has stepped into a top-line role and is not only among the top rookie scorers with six points (two goals and four assists) in five games but is among the 20 best in the NHL as of Sunday night. He's clicking on a line with Henrik Zetterberg and Justin Abdelkader.
Stock: Larkin's stock is soaring. It's possible his numbers will drop when Datsyuk returns, but based on his early play, the team may choose to keep him where he is and spread the wealth.
1. Max Domi, C, Arizona Coyotes
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Before This Season: Max Domi was the 12th overall pick by the Arizona Coyotes franchise in 2014 but was sent back to the junior ranks for more seasoning and maturity despite a serious competitive edge and tremendous skill set.
Current Role: Domi is electrifying the Arizona fanbase with his speed and silky mitts on the top line for the Coyotes alongside Antoine Vermette and Mikkel Boedker. He's averaging more than 16 minutes a night—fifth most among rookie forwards—and has three goals and three assists in five games.
Stock: Domi's stock is up significantly. Questions about his ability to make the transition have been answered early, and he's helped the Coyotes get off to an unexpectedly strong start.
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