The arrival of Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel last season provided a potential glimpse in to the future with the NHL trending towards becoming a young man’s league. Outstanding debuts from players at the top of this year’s rookie class has reinforced that notion with Auston Matthews and Patrik Laine wasting little time making an impact. However, the rookie impact extends beyond the top picks from this year’s NHL Draft with a handful of other players that have turned heads with strong starts. Here is a look at five NHL Rookies that have surprisingly exceeded expectations early on this season.
D: Zach Werenski, Columbus Blue Jackets
The 19-year-old defenseman signed his first professional contract after playing with Michigan in 2015-16 and wasted little time getting in to the lineup for the Lake Erie Monsters. Werenski registered five goals and 14 points in 17 postseason games and suddenly it was clear he would get his shot in the NHL. While most experts knew he would start the season in Columbus, few realized the immediate impact he would make. Werenski has two goals and 10 points in 10 games this season and is averaging 21:42 of ice time per game while anchoring the Blue Jackets top powerplay unit. It has been an unbelievable start for a player that was barely on the radars for NHL teams just three years ago and there is no doubt that Werenski has been the biggest rookie surprise early on this season.
D: Brandon Carlo, Boston Bruins
Carlo doesn’t have the same offensive upside as a defenseman like Werenski but he has made a substantial impact as an 18-year-old rookie early on this season. Carlo has four points and is a plus-seven through his first 13 NHL games and he has averaged 22:23 minutes per game while skating on Boston’s top defensive pairing with Zdeno Chara. Carlo is another big bodied defender at 6’5’’ and 203 pounds and he is getting an excellent chance to learn from one of the best as a surprising rookie that has shined early on this season.
W: Travis Konecny, Philadelphia Flyers
Konecny was considered a long shot to make Philadelphia’s roster out of camp but the 19-year-old wasted little time establishing himself as a capable top-six forward and he has found a home on the Flyers’ second line next to Sean Couturier and Jakub Voracek. Konecny has scored three goals with six points while averaging 15:44 of ice time through his first 14 games and there is no reason to think he won’t stick with the big club this season. Philadelphia is relying on young players like Konecny to step up and fill a secondary scoring void for them over the next couple of years and Konecny has arrived ahead of schedule for them. The Flyers have been an offensive juggernaut this season as they’ve already scored 52 goals. That’s the second-best mark in the Eastern Conference, only trailing the New York Rangers.
W: Joel Eriksson Ek, Minnesota Wild
Minnesota is another team that was willing to give its young players a chance in an effort to improve its secondary scoring production and they have found an excellent addition in Eriksson Ek. The 2015 first round pick has two goals and five points through his first seven games despite averaging just 10:38 of ice time. The talented 19-year-old could be in line for more minutes if he can continue to produce at a high level and it will be interesting to see how quickly he earns a bigger role with the Wild following his surprisingly impressive start.
W: William Nylander, Toronto Maple Leafs
There was a lot of talk about the rookie first-overall pick in Matthews but Nylander flew under the radar somewhat heading in to his first full NHL season with the Maple Leafs. That didn’t last long though as Nylander has four goals and 12 points through 13 games this season while averaging 15:57 in ice time. Nylander has skated mostly with Matthews at even strength and on the powerplay and while the talent has always been there it’s certainly a surprise that the 20-year-old leads Toronto in points through 13 games this season.
