Courtesy of NHL.com
The NHL is full of diverse talent. Big names like Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin, Connor McDavid and other veterans headline team rosters. However, when called up to the big leagues, the rookies have always made a statement, whether that be scoring game-winning goals or leading their teams in ice time. Every summer, the NHL awards the Calder Trophy to the top rookie in the league. Though it is only December, it's never too early to check up on who the potential candidates are. Here are some of the top rookies in the NHL.
Macklin Celebrini: San Jose Sharks
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There’s no better rookie to look at first than this past year’s first-overall draft pick. Since stepping foot on the ice in a Sharks sweater, Celebrini has not ceased to make waves. In his first NHL game ever, he scored a goal AND picked up an assist. Not only that, but he was also the second-fastest first-round pick to score a goal at 7:01 into the game, behind Mario Lemieux who scored at 2:59 in 1984. Though he missed most of the first few weeks of play with an injury, he picked up right where he left off when he hit the ice again. Celebrini was named NHL Rookie of the Month for November, and he currently leads all rookies in points, goals and shots on goal.
Prior to playing in the NHL, Celebrini played college hockey at Boston University. Though he earned many accolades during his freshman season, the most notable was becoming the youngest player in history to win the Hobey Baker Award for being the top men’s hockey player in the NCAA at 17 years old. Before playing for the Terriers, Celebrini played for the Chicago Steel of the USHL, where he became the first player in the league’s history to win Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year and Forward of the Year all in the same season.
Matvei Michkov: Philadelphia Flyers
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Michkov has been all up in the spotlight for the flash and style that he has brought to the Flyers’ roster. When he was drafted, most expected him to be a point-per-game player. However, the 19-year-old has exceeded those expectations, and has become a player who has Philadelphia on the edge of its seats. Michkov became the first Flyers player to require the fewest amount of games to have his first multi-goal game, after scoring his first two goals just four days after his NHL debut. Prior to signing his contract with the Flyers, Michkov was loaned to Sochi and totaled 41 points, the most among all U-20 players in the KHL. He also had 11 multi-point games, including one four-game point streak. At the 2021 IIHF U-18 World Championship, he was named Most Valuable Player, having scored 12 goals and 16 points.
Since playing in Philadelphia, as mentioned above, Michkov has brought lots of style to the game. He is known for his many “Michigan” goal attempts, having nearly scored his first one during last Thursday’s game against the Detroit Red Wings. It will be awesome to see fans’ reactions when he finally scores his first lacrosse-style goal.
Lane Hutson: Montreal Canadiens
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Last but not least, Hutson has surely cemented himself as a Calder candidate early in his first full NHL season. He is one of the youngest defensemen in the NHL right now, and leads all other rookie defensemen with 14 points, 14 assists and 25 blocked shots. Simply said, he has stellar puck handling skills. Most recently, Hutson was riding a seven-game point streak, where he set a new record for the longest point streak by a Canadiens’ rookie defenseman.. Though he has not scored any goals yet, Hutson is on pace to eclipse 50 points this season, having already scored 19 points in 29 games. His uncanny ability to score points shows that he is not just a sound defenseman, but that he can also play really well on the offensive.
Like Celebrini, prior to making his NHL debut, Hutson also played for the Boston University Terriers. During his sophomore season, Hutson was second in the NCAA among all defensemen in points and goals. In his freshman season, Hutson was the highest scoring defenseman of all time in Hockey East History and led all freshmen defensemen in goals and points. Not only was he a standout in the NCAA, but last year Hutson played an integral role in helping Team USA win the gold at the IIHF World Junior Championships.
Though there are many more outstanding rookies in the NHL right now, these three are currently stride-for-stride at the top of the rankings for the Calder. As the season progresses, and with competition amping up in the new year, it will be exciting to see who comes out to be the winner in the race to be the best rookie.
Edited by Jenna Mandarano
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