NHL Rookies Most Likely to Make an Impact in the 2017 Playoffs

The 2016-17 NHL season has been outstanding for the latest crop of rookies to join the ranks of hockey's top league.

Whether they have come straight out of the draft or been honing their skills at lesser levels, we've seen some terrific new talents emerge this year—and many of those players are headed for their first Stanley Cup Playoff experiences.

First-year stars like Patrik Laine of the Winnipeg Jets, Miko Rantanen of the Colorado Avalanche and, most likely, Sebastian Aho of the Carolina Hurricanes will be forced to watch from the sidelines because their teams are eliminated from playoff contention. But fans will be treated to plenty of fresh faces this year, eager to make their marks on history as they learn firsthand what the NHL playoffs are all about.

Here are six high-profile rookies to watch this year, plus some nods to a few of their less heralded first-year teammates.

Brady Skjei, New York Rangers

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Age: 23

Drafted: 28th overall by the New York Rangers in 2012

2016-17 NHL Stats: 76 GP, 5-33-38, plus-13

Expected Playoff Impact: It has been a long time coming, but the New York Rangers' 2012 first-round draft pick, Brady Skjei, is finally a full-time NHL player. The offseason departures of Keith Yandle and Dan Boyle last summer opened up some room on the Rangers' depth chart. Skjei has slotted in nicely as a third-pairing defenseman in his first full NHL season.

Though he has never been known as an offensive force, the 23-year-old has helped make up for the loss of Yandle with 38 points this year—more than he has previously scored at any level. He's seeing a regular 1:20 per game on the power play, but most of his production is coming at five-on-five—just seven of his points have been scored with the man advantage.

A great skater for a big man at 6'3", left-shot Skjei's game has grown over the course of the season, prompting coach Alain Vigneault to test him out in different roles, such as on the right side of the second pair alongside Marc Staal.

"We know that [lefty Brendan Smith] can play there, [and] we know [Nick] Holden can play there," Vigneault told Steve Zipay of Newsday after Skjei logged three assists playing with Staal in a 5-4 overtime loss to the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday. "You never know what might happen moving forward, so we thought tonight was a good time to get him a little more experience there and see how he does."

The long grind of the a successful playoff run tests any team's depth. The Rangers will benefit enormously if Skjei is ready to take on more responsibility as the playoffs progress.

Winger Jimmy Vesey is the other rookie worth watching in the Rangers' lineup. The 23-year-old Harvard graduate has tallied 15 goals and 26 points in his first pro season.

Ryan Hartman, Chicago Blackhawks

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Age: 22

Drafted: 30th overall by the Chicago Blackhawks in 2013

2016-17 NHL Stats: 71 GP, 18-12-30, plus-13

Expected Playoff Impact: One side effect of the Chicago Blackhawks' long-term success and never-ending salary-cap challenges is opportunity. Every year, new players to step in and make their marks in the United Center.

Last season, Artemi Panarin decamped from Russia to finish ninth in the NHL scoring race and win the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year. In 2016-17, the Blackhawks have introduced their next wave of rookie talent, led by the chippy and skilled Ryan Hartman.

Hartman's 18 goals, four of them game-winners, have given him the highest profile among the new crop. Coach Joel Quenneville has also done a nice job of integrating rookies Nick Schmaltz, Vinnie Hinostroza and Tanner Kero into his forward mix.

The winger was drafted out of the OHL after a stint with the U.S. National Development Team, Hartman has shown his playing style is perfectly suited for the NHL.

Expect to see him get under the skin of opponents, on the scoresheet and around the goal crease, especially if the Blackhawks advance deep into this year's postseason.

Matthew Tkachuk, Calgary Flames

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Age: 19

Drafted: sixth overall by the Calgary Flames in 2016

2016-17 NHL Stats: 71 GP, 13-33-46, plus-12

Expected Playoff Impact: Matthew Tkachuk's 46 points rank him seventh among rookie scorers this season. He has also quickly established himself as someone who plays on the edge and can draw the ire of opponents.

Tkachuk has accumulated 105 penalty minutes in his rookie season, ranking him seventh in the NHL and tucking him in amid the names of villains like Tom Wilson, Antoine Roussel, Matt Martin and Dustin Byfuglien. On March 19, Tkachuk earned the first suspension of his young career after getting caught laying a sneaky elbow on the Norris Trophy holder, Drew Doughty of the Los Angeles Kings.

A feisty style like Tkachuk's can boost a team, especially in a playoff series, but it can also be a distraction—or trigger a momentum-killing parade of penalties.

As well as his grit factor, the second-generation NHLer has some decent hands and a good nose for the net. For better or worse, expect Tkachuk to be in the center of the action as the Calgary Flames return to the postseason after a one-year absence.

Zach Werenski, Columbus Blue Jackets

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Age: 19

Drafted: eighth overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2015

2016-17 NHL Stats: 76 GP, 11-36-47, plus-20

Expected Playoff Impact: The Columbus Blue Jackets made only two playoff appearances in their 15-season history before this year. They have never won a playoff round.

Rookie defenseman Zach Werenski is one of several Blue Jackets players who earned an AHL championship last season. After finishing out his college campaign with Michigan, Werenski made his pro debut late in the season as part of the 2015-16 Lake Erie Monsters. The Monsters won the Calder Cup, and Werenski parlayed that positive momentum into an outstanding rookie campaign in the NHL.

With 11 goals and 47 points, Werenski is the top-scoring defenseman among this year's rookie class. He's also tied for 10th among all NHL defenders. Werenski has the best plus-minus of all rookies at any position this year and averages more than 20 minutes per game on the Columbus blue line.

In his first NHL season, the 19-year-old has already established himself as a crucial member of a strong Blue Jackets defense corps—one that ranks second overall in the NHL, with just 2.26 goals allowed per game. 

Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs

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Age: 19

Drafted: first overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2016

2016-17 NHL Stats: 76 GP, 36-27-63, plus-five

Expected Playoff Impact: All season, Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Patrik Laine of the Winnipeg Jets have battled to assert themselves as the best rookies from a stacked 2016 draft class.

Once the playoffs begin, Matthews won't have Laine breathing down his neck any longer. With six games remaining on the schedule, his Toronto Maple Leafs are all but assured of a playoff spot while Laine's Jets are mathematically eliminated, according to Sports Club Stats.

Matthews showed a flair for the dramatic by scoring four goals in his first regular-season NHL game, so it'll be fascinating to see what he brings during his first NHL playoffs. 

Like many young players, Matthews and rookie teammates like Mitch Marner, William Nylander, Connor Brown and Nikita Zaitsev have shown tendencies to occasionally lose the plot, particularly late in games. But with the Leafs' rebuild officially ahead of schedule, coach Mike Babcock and his troops have nothing to lose once the playoffs begin.

If Matthews and the rest of the Toronto rookies are given a mandate to have fun and make the most of their first postseason as a learning opportunity, the Leafs could be a wildly entertaining playoff team. If they can stay loose and are able to finish out games, they'll have a great chance to play spoiler against a higher-seeded club.

Matt Murray, Pittsburgh Penguins

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Age: 22

Drafted: 83rd overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2012

2016-17 NHL Stats: 45 GP, 28-10-4, 2.40 goals-against average, .923 save percentage, four shutouts

Expected Playoff Impact: Matt Murray is in a rare position. He's playing his official rookie season after having already led the Pittsburgh Penguins to the Stanley Cup.

Murray had played just 13 regular-season games in 2015-16 before taking over the crease in the postseason for Pittsburgh.

When last year's playoffs began, both Murray and longtime Pittsburgh starter Marc-Andre Fleury were sidelined with head injuries. Murray got back into the lineup first, then kept control of the top job.

Murray started 21 of Pittsburgh's 24 playoff games and was the goalie of record when the Stanley Cup was awarded. Fleury saw just 79:19 of action in two games during the Eastern Conference Final against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The division of labor between the two netminders has been somewhat more equitable this season, but Murray has started more games and continues to boast the better numbers—a 2.40 goals-against average and .923 save percentage compared to 2.99 and .911 respectively for Fleury.

General manager Jim Rutherford is going to have to do some nifty maneuvering to ensure he doesn't lose the 22-year-old to the Vegas Golden Knights at June's expansion draft. First things first: Murray will most likely carry the lion's share of the workload for Pittsburgh in the playoffs again this year.

All stats courtesy of NHL.com, current through games completed Thursday, March 30.