2017 NHL Playoffs: Players Having the Biggest Impact in Their Postseason Debuts

When NBA legend Charles Barkley says he's enthralled by the NHL playoffs, you know hockey's having a good year.

The 2017 postseason has been filled with comeback wins, unpredictable outcomes and plenty of new faces. The playoffs aren't just the Sidney Crosby/Alex Ovechkin show anymore.

With the Nashville Predators and Ottawa Senators through to their respective conference finals, we're guaranteed to have some fresh blood in the later rounds this year. Before beating the New York Rangers on Tuesday, Ottawa hadn't been further than the second round since their trip to the Stanley Cup Final in 2007. The Predators are in the final four for the first time in franchise history.

On an individual level, we've also seen some new faces making big impacts. Last year, it was Matt Murray coming out of nowhere to backstop the Pittsburgh Penguins to the Stanley Cup. Here are six of the most impactful playoff first-timers in the mix this season.

Charlie McAvoy, Boston Bruins

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Age: 19

Regular-Season NHL Experience: none

Playoff Stats: 6 GP, 0-3-3

His Playoff Impact 

The NHL playoffs were just one stop on a jam-packed schedule for defenseman Charlie McAvoy this season. Drafted 14th overall in 2016, McAvoy spent most of his year at Boston University, pausing midseason to win a gold medal with Team USA and be named one of the best defensemen at the World Junior Championships.

After his college season ended, the 19-year-old signed an amateur tryout contract with the Providence Bruins. He got into four regular-season AHL games before inking his entry-level NHL deal with the parent club in Boston; he was pressed into service after an injury to another rookie defenseman, Brandon Carlo.

McAvoy was thrust directly into the line of fire. During Boston's six-game first-round loss to the Ottawa Senators, he logged an enormous 26 minutes and 10 seconds of ice time per game and chipped in offensively with three assists.

In true rink-rat style, McAvoy's still playing hockey. After the Bruins' playoff elimination, he joined the United States' senior men's team, which is 2-1 through its first three games at the IIHF World Championship.

Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs

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Age: 19

Regular-Season NHL Experience: 82 GP, 40-29-69

Playoff Stats: 6 GP, 4-1-5

His Playoff Impact 

The Toronto Maple Leafs were eliminated from the playoffs in the first round, but their postseason run was considered to be a resounding success.

As a teenage rookie, Auston Matthews was a huge cause for optimism—leading his team with four goals in six games and showing that he could raise his game in the playoffs after an already-impressive rookie year. Pressure, it seems, serves as fuel for Matthews.

He was the best of Toronto's first-time playoff performers, but Matthews wasn't alone. Kasperi Kapanen's overtime game-winner made him an instant hero, while Mitch Marner, William Nylander, Nikita Zaitsev and Zach Hyman also played important roles for the Leafs in the postseason.

Jimmy Vesey, New York Rangers

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Age: 23 

Regular-Season NHL Experience: 80 GP, 16-11-27

Playoff Stats: 11 GP, 1-4-5

His Playoff Impact 

There is a certain irony in the fact that Jimmy Vesey rejected the team that drafted him, the Nashville Predators, when he closed out his college hockey tenure after four years at Harvard University. 

Vesey signed with the big-name New York Rangers, but told Nicholas J. Cotsonika of NHL.com that "I thought New York was somewhere that I could plug in right away and be on the opening-night roster." He got his wish, playing 80 regular-season games. 

In the playoffs, Vesey's biggest moments were his spirited scrap with Montreal captain Max Pacioretty in the deciding Game 6 of the Rangers' first-round series against the Canadiens and his first playoff goal in Game 5 against Ottawa.

Vesey may now be lamenting the fact that the Predators will play on after his season has come to an end, but the Rangers remain pleased with the asset they acquired.

"He has generally delivered exactly what the Rangers were hoping," wrote Brett Cyrgalis of the New York Post before the Rangers were eliminated by the Senators in Game 6. "Maybe a little bit (of) a surprise was the snarl he can play with, which has only increased once the playoffs started."

Those postseason lessons should help Vesey become an even more complete player when his second NHL season begins next fall.

Brandon Montour, Anaheim Ducks

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Age: 23 

Regular-Season NHL Experience: 27 GP, 2-4-6 

Playoff Stats to Date: 10 GP, 0-4-4

His Playoff Impact

The Anaheim Ducks have had two rookies pulling serious duty on the blue line during these playoffs, but this is Shea Theodore's second look at postseason action. He played six games in the Ducks' two-round playoff run in 2016, but Brandon Montour is brand-new to postseason action.

Injuries have been an issue on the Anaheim blue line. Not only has Montour helped cover for missing teammates like Cam Fowler, Sami Vatanen and Kevin Bieksa, he has averaged a solid 20:26 per game and his plus-eight ranks best among all Anaheim defenders.

The Ducks aren't counting on Montour for points, but Eric Stephens of the Orange Country Register reports that the 23-year-old has earned the trust of coach Randy Carlyle thanks to his "impressive skating and surprising defensive work."

Montour's next test will be pressure-packed.

At the Honda Center on Wednesday, the Ducks will be facing their fifth straight home-ice Game 7 situation—and they've lost the last four. In fact, the Ducks have only won one Game 7 on home ice in their entire franchise history, In their first-ever playoffs in their fourth season of existence, the then-Mighty Ducks of Anaheim beat the then-Phoenix Coyotes 3-0 in Game 7 of their first-round series at the then-Arrowhead Pond in 1997.

Jake Guentzel, Pittsburgh Penguins

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Age: 22 

Regular-Season NHL Experience: 40 GP, 16-17-33

Playoff Stats to Date: 11 GP, 9-4-13

His Playoff Impact 

Rookie Jake Guentzel was one of the biggest stars of the first round of this year's playoffs—leading the NHL with five goals, including two game-winners, in the Pittsburgh Penguins' five-game series win over the Columbus Blue Jackets.

In the second round against the Washington Capitals, Guentzel became the second rookie in NHL history, according to Sportsnet Stats, to score eight goals in nine playoff games—matching the legendary Rocket Richard.

Heading into Pittsburgh's seventh and deciding game against Washington, Guentzel's 13 points in 11 games put him in a tie for fourth place overall in playoff scoring. The Penguins appear to have uncovered a big-game performer when they drafted the Omaha, Nebraska, native 77th overall in 2013.

Pittsburgh's other notable playoff rookie is 14 years older than Guentzel, but just as green. After 907 regular-season games over 14 seasons, defenseman Ron Hainsey made his postseason debut this year and has been a steady performer, logging more than 20 minutes a game on the blue line. The 36-year-old has a goal, three assists and is a plus-one for Pittsburgh.

Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oilers

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Age: 21

Regular-Season NHL Experience: 191 GP, 50-87-137

Playoff Stats to Date: 12 GP, 6-10-16

His Playoff Impact 

Back in the playoffs for the first time since 2006, the Edmonton Oilers have no shortage of postseason first-timers on their roster.

Players like Connor McDavid, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Jordan Eberle have had their moments, but the Oilers' playoff superstar has been the third overall pick from 2014, Leon Draisaitl.

Clearly a man who likes to feast on Ducks, Draisaitl came into Edmonton's second-round series with 21 career points against Anaheim over 11 regular-season games. Though he tallied just one goal and two assists in six first-round games against the San Jose Sharks, Draisaitl has improved upon his already-great numbers against Anaheim in the playoffs, with five goals and 13 points in six games.

His best work to date was his three-goal, five-point performance in Game 6, a 7-1 win as the Oilers faced elimination.

"Sometimes it's just a team that you like playing against," he summed up his scoring surge to NHL.com's Derek van Diest.

Draisaitl now ranks second overall behind Evgeni Malkin in the playoff scoring race. He'll likely need to deliver one more big game if Edmonton's going to finish the job against the Ducks and advance to the Western Conference Final.

All stats courtesy of NHL.com, current through games completed Tuesday, May 9.