Ranking the 10 Most Impressive Rookies So Far in the 2015-16 NHL Season

The 2015-16 season is shaping up to be outstanding for the National Hockey League's first-year players.

After Aaron Ekblad captured the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year with a seamless transition to the world's top league at the age of 18, this year's emerging stars include plenty more teenagers and some terrific finds that are showing they're now ready for their NHL closeups. 

The rookies have been strutting their stuff all over the league and all over the ice.

Here are the 10 most impressive performances from the first four weeks of the season.

10. Jared McCann: Vancouver Canucks

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Age: 19

2015-16 Stats: 10 GP, 5-0-5, plus-2 

Why He's Impressive: The Vancouver Canucks are now in the throes of a full-fledged youth movement after welcoming rookies Jared McCann, Jake Virtanen and Ben Hutton to their lineup in 2015-16.

Of the three, McCann is the most impressive because he has delivered the most highlight-reel moments so far. Virtanen gets camera time for his big hits and his first NHL goal was a beauty against the Philadelphia Flyers, while Hutton has proven to be a steady defenseman at both ends of the ice.

With five goals in nine games, playing mostly on the fourth line, McCann leads the Canucks in that category. That level of production made it imperative for Vancouver to keep him on the roster past his nine-game trial period. 

McCann is undersized at 6'0" and 179 pounds, so there are questions about how his body will hold up over the long season ahead. So far, he has shown savvy puck skills and a lethal release on his wrist shot that make him hard to take out of the lineup.

9. Jack Eichel: Buffalo Sabres

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Age: 19

2015-16 Stats: 12 GP, 4-0-4, minus-7

Why He's Impressive: Jack Eichel scores sweet goals.

That's the early impression from Buffalo, where the 19-year-old is drawing fans out of their seats with his exciting individual efforts. Eichel's blessed with a ton of raw talent, and he's a great skater who can get away from defenders and find open ice.

If there's a knock on Eichel's game so far, it could be that he doesn't use his linemates enough. That's a skill that should develop as he matures and settles into the league.

At this early stage, the teenager's game is not quite as complete as that of Connor McDavid, who was taken one pick ahead of him at the draft last June. But Eichel has more than enough flash in his game to be a favorite among the loyal fans in Buffalo for many years to come.

8. Oscar Lindberg: New York Rangers

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Age: 24

2015-16 Stats: 11 GP, 5-2-7, plus-6 

Why He's Impressive: Oscar Lindberg made an instant impact in the Big Apple when he became the first rookie in New York Rangers' history to score a goal in each of the team's first three games of the season, per Ben Shapiro of amNewYork.

Lindberg has continued to produce since that strong start and currently sits third in team scoring and second in goals behind Mats Zuccarello. His plus-6 ranking is also tops among forwards and second on the team behind Kevin Klein.

Originally drafted in the second round by the Phoenix Coyotes back in 2010, Lindberg was traded to the Rangers one year later in exchange for another second rounder, Ethan Werek. Lindberg came over from Sweden to join the Hartford Wolf Pack in 2013-14 and has worked his way up the depth chart from there.

On November 2, Lindberg was added to the Rangers' second power-play unit, according to SNYRangers, further underscoring his solid early contributions and the trust he's receiving from coach Alain Vigneault.

7. Nikolaj Ehlers: Winnipeg Jets

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Age: 19

2015-16 Stats: 12 GP, 4-5-9, plus-4

Why He's Impressive: Through his first 12 NHL games, Nikolaj Ehlers has shown the same nose for the net that earned him back-to-back 100-plus point seasons during his two seasons in junior with the Halifax Mooseheads.

The Dane's nine points place him fourth in rookie scoring and third overall on his Winnipeg Jets, where he's also tied for second in plus-minus with a solid plus-4.

So far, Ehlers' slight 6'0", 172-pound frame hasn't hindered him from making an impact at the NHL level. His big-bodied teammates on the Jets help to make sure that the teenager has the time and space he needs to display his skill and offensive creativity.

6. Colton Parayko: St. Louis Blues

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Age: 22

2015-16 Stats: 11 GP, 4-3-7, plus-7

Why He's Impressive: Kevin Shattenkirk's pain has been Colton Parayko's gain.

Right-shooting defenseman Shattenkirk suffered a lower-body injury in the St. Louis Blues' third game of the season, leaving a gap on the blue line that has been ably filled by Parayko.

The hulking 6'5" native of St. Albert, Alberta, has already chipped in four goals and three assists, including two game-winners to lead all rookies. Parayko's also averaging 20:06 of ice time per game—highest among all rookies and fourth on the Blues. His plus-7 ranking is tops on his team.

Parayko has already become a staple on St. Louis' power play, averaging 2:30 a game with the man advantage. With his big body, booming shot and hockey smarts, it looks like the Blues uncovered a gem with the 86th pick in 2012 draft.

5. Dylan Larkin: Detroit Red Wings

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Age: 19 

2015-16 Stats: 11 GP, 3-5-8, plus-9

Why He's Impressive: The Detroit Red Wings earn respect for their top-level veterans like Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk, but over the last few years, the team has done an excellent job of restocking its cupboards with talented young forwards.

On the heels of Gustav Nyquist and Tomas Tatar arrives homegrown Dylan Larkin—a Michigan native who became the first teenager since 1990 to suit up for the Red Wings on opening night, per Bill Roose at the Red Wings website.

Not only did he make the team, Larkin started his NHL career on Detroit's first line with Henrik Zetterberg and Justin Abdelkader—a prime spot for offensive success.

Larkin's eight points in 11 games rank him third in Red Wings scoring and fifth among rookies. Showing great defensive acumen in the early going, his plus-9 rating not only leads the Wings but put him in a tie for fourth in the entire NHL.

Coach Jeff Blashill was succinct when he explained what he likes about Larkin to Ansar Khan of MLive, "He makes us better."

4. Mike Condon: Montreal Canadiens

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Age: 25 

2015-16 Stats: 4 GP, 4-0-0, 1.51 goals-against average, .944 save percentage

Why He's Impressive: Mike Condon is turning out to be the early underdog story among this year's crop of NHL rookies. Never drafted, the Massachusetts native developed his game in four years at Princeton before embarking on a minor-league career.

Condon was first signed by the Montreal Canadiens organization during the summer of 2013 and spent a year in the ECHL before graduating to the Hamilton Bulldogs last season.

At training camp this year, he stole the backup job on the big club away from Dustin Tokarski—and has been tremendous since joining the Canadiens.

On a team where starting goaltender Carey Price is the unequivocal MVP, Condon has been a big part of Montreal's strong start and looks like he's ready to be the go-to guy for the foreseeable future. After Sunday's announcement of Price's injury, per the Canadian Press (via Sportsnet), Condon calmly earned his fourth win of the year—a 5-1 decision over the Winnipeg Jets.

It's been a quick trip from the minors to the No. 1 spot for Condon. He has the chance to become this year's "Hamburglar" if he can keep on rolling. All he needs is a snappy nickname.

3. Artemi Panarin: Chicago Blackhawks

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Age: 24

2015-16 Stats: 12 GP, 2-9-11, plus-5

Why He's Impressive: Artemi Panarin has made an instant adjustment from Russia's KHL, where he played for four seasons, to the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks.

His work on the second line with Artem Anisimov and Patrick Kane has been the primary offensive engine for the Hawks in the early going, responsible for 12 of the team's 24 goals going into their November 2 game against the Los Angeles Kings.

Coach Joel Quenneville had seen enough good work from Panarin to move him up with Jonathan Toews and Ryan Garbutt against the red-hot Kings, per Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times. Sure enough, a Panarin pass started the rush that led to Toews' goal to open the scoring on the way to a 4-1 Chicago win.

Panarin's 11 points tie him for second place in rookie scoring and second on the Blackhawks. At a cap hit of just $812,500 for the next two seasons, according to General Fanager, Panarin brings great value as well as his great play.

2. Max Domi: Arizona Coyotes

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Age: 20

2015-16 Stats: 11 GP, 5-6-11, plus-3

Why He's Impressive: Fans who grew up watching Max Domi's father, Tie, lay down the law with 3,515 penalty minutes over a 1,020-game career are rubbing their eyes as they watch the skill that Max displays in his first NHL season.

The 12th overall pick from 2013 sits just one point behind Connor McDavid in the rookie scoring race and was named one of the runners-up for the October's rookie of the month honors, per NHL.com.

In his first month as a pro, Max has shown plenty of speed to go along with his high-level puckhandling. Domi and his 2015 World Junior Championship teammate, Anthony Duclair, have injected a bright ray of hope into a downtrodden Arizona Coyotes franchise—which could be in position to compete for a playoff spot in the moribund Pacific Division if early trends hold for the rest of the season.

Rookies are often told to act like they've been there before. Max grew up around the game, so his childhood experiences are allowing him to start his NHL career with a level of maturity rarely seen in first-year players, either on or off the ice.

1. Connor McDavid: Edmonton Oilers

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Age: 18 

2015-16 Stats: 12 GP, 5-7-12, minus-3

Why He's Impressive: Connor McDavid has dealt with the pressure of being labeled the NHL's next great star by living up to his billing during his first month of pro hockey.

The Edmonton Oilers center managed just one goal in his first four games before finding his stride, then strung together a seven-game point streak that was snapped by the Calgary Flames on Halloween.

McDavid's coach, Todd McLellan, is impressed by how quickly his charge is improving. "For an 18-year-old, you don't think it's going to advance that quick," he told the Oilers website, after learning that his boy had been named October's rookie of the month.

Sportsnet Stats report that McDavid joins teammate Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Patrick Kane, Sidney Crosby, Marc-Andre Fleury and Alexandre Daigle as the only first-overall picks to win rookie of the month in their first month in the NHL.

As high as expectations are for McDavid, he has exceeded them so far.

Crank up the hype machine—let's see what this kid does next.