When you think of rookies in the NHL this season, one name comes to mind immediately: Connor Bedard. It shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone. Bedard has been talked about since he was 15 years old. He was nicknamed the future of hockey. Every talent evaluator had him as a generational talent, and he was locked to go number one overall. There was so much hype around him, there were separate game broadcasts with a Bedard cam following his every move on the ice. In his short career, he has proven everyone right, scoring 15 goals and 18 assists for 33 points. He seems to be a lock for the Calder Trophy.
However, with everyone’s focus on what Bedard is doing, it has caused a lot of other NHL rookies to go unnoticed. Many rookies in the NHL are having good starts in their NHL careers. Here are five rookies that are being lost in Bedard shadowed.
Brock Faber: Minnesota Wild Defenseman
Embed from Getty ImagesUnlike Bedard, there wasn’t much hype surrounding Minnesota Wild defenseman Brock Faber. He was the 45th overall pick in the 2020 NHL draft by the Los Angeles Kings and didn’t get talked about again until he was a part of the Kevin Fiala trade. So far this season, he has scored two goals and 14 assists for 16 points.
Now those numbers aren’t eye-popping, however, you can’t judge Faber’s game based on point production. Faber is known as a defensive defenseman, which focuses more on stopping the puck from getting into the offensive zone, or the back of the net. That style of play doesn’t result in many points. However, plus/minus gives you a better idea of what he is doing. He currently leads all NHL rookies with a +12 plus/minus, meaning when he’s on the ice, the Wild are more likely to score than to give up a goal.
He also leads all NHL rookies in total ice time per game, playing roughly 25 minutes a night. Not only that but he’s currently tied for the NHL record for most 30+ minute games by a rookie. Now with the amount of games left, he’s almost a lock to break it. He’s currently played on the first pairing alongside Jacob Middleton, which is almost unheard of for a rookie. With his natural ability and the amount of time he’s playing, he’s a lock to be a top defenseman in the league one day.
Logan Cooley: Ariozna Coyotes Center
Embed from Getty ImagesThe Coyotes have completely turned things around. Go back to last season, they were one of the worst teams in the league. Their stadium vote also didn’t pass and their future in Arizona looked bleak. Fast forward to this season and their luck has changed. They currently have 40 points on the season good enough for the second wild card spot in the Western Conference. Not only that, but the Coyotes have rookie Logan Cooley playing on the fourth line.
Cooley has three goals and 15 assists for 18 points. He also has found a lot of success on the special teams scoring ten points (2g, 8a). Sure these numbers seem low but when you consider that he’s only 19 years old, it’s typical for young players not to put up big scoring numbers. Plus if you look at his shooting percentage, he probably deserves a few more goals. He also has displayed amazing speed and great puckhandling ability.
Looking at all of this it’s no doubt that Cooley has the making of a future star. If he’s able to iron out a few issues in his game, like his defensive ability, don’t be surprised if he’s one day the face of the Coyotes.
Luke Hughes: New Jersey Devils Defenseman
Embed from Getty ImagesThe hockey version of the Mannings has added another member to their impressive group. Jack and Quinn Hughes‘ younger brother Luke Hughes is making his impact felt on the New Jersey Devils. The 20-year-old has seven goals and 15 assists for 22 points. That point amount leads all rookie defenders, with the only person close to him being Pavel Mintyukov who only has 18 points. He’s putting up strong numbers even with being paired mostly with Brendan Smith. Smith has been a major burden on this Devils defensive core. He doesn’t look like a player capable of playing in the NHL, meaning Hughes has to pick up a lot of his slack.
However, the most impressive part of Hughes’s season so far is what he has done on the powerplay. He has scored two goals and six assists for eight points on the man advantage. More impressively, however, he has become the quarterback of the power play. This means he is the main piece in trying to develop a play on the powerplay or being the one to take the shot. That’s a huge honor for a rookie. They have so much faith in his ability that they’re allowing him to control the powerplay. That should make any Devils fan happy about what his future looks like.
Adam Fantilli: Columbus Blue Jackets Center
Embed from Getty ImagesIf Bedard was not in the league right now, Blue Jackets center Adam Fantilli would be the front-runner for the Calder trophy. He currently has eleven goals and 12 assists for 23 points, tied for second among rookies. But what’s most impressive about him is he’s doing this in a small amount of ice time. While most rookies are averaging about 17-18 minutes of ice time a game, Fantilli is only averaging a little over 15 minutes. He’s putting up the same numbers as players, playing three more minutes than he is.
He’s also been one of the best rookies when it comes to playing on even strength. At one point this season, he even led the league in shots on five on five by rookies. He’s essentially become the Blue Jackets’ main offensive weapon. His biggest strength continues to be his shot as he ranks high in every category retaining to the type of shot players take. He just takes really smart shots, and the more he takes, the more will start going in. Plus we should see a tick-up in the minutes he plays as the Blue Jackets continue to slide into irrelevance.
Marco Rossi: Minnesota Wild Center
Embed from Getty ImagesFaber is not the only rookie who is having a major impact on his season. The 9th overall pick from the 2020 draft Marco Rossi is having a pretty impressive season. He has eleven goals and 12 assists for 23 points, which is tied for second among rookies. Similar to Fantilli, Rossi has had a lot of success on even strength, scoring ten goals and ten assists for 20 points. His performance has been enough to give him a line promotion, and there have been lots of calls for him to get more times on the power play as well.
Rossi is very similar to Chris Kreider. Kreider has become known for his ability to tip the puck in, in front of the net for goals. So far in his young career, Rossi is finding similar success. Both of them have a very strong net-front presence, something you love to see from a young forward. He has also flashed a very strong hand-eye coordination, which is only expected to get better as he gets older. If he develops the way people think, he’ll be a fixture in the top six.
Thanks for reading! Credit for my feature image goes to Bruce Bennett. You can find more NHL content at Belly Up Sports and follow me on Twitter/X.
