Welcome back to The Journey, where we follow hockey prospects and their paths to the NHL, providing fantasy predictions and analysis along the way.

This week, I wanted to highlight the wave of rookies playing their first-ever NHL games and how well they've been able to adjust to the league's high tempo and pressure. Some of the names below have already added their name to the scoresheet after only one game played, and are convincing their teams that they are pro-ready NHL prospects.

Starting off, a prospect I was admittedly wrong about:

Mason McTavish, C/LW — Anaheim Ducks

If you would have told me at the 2021 NHL Draft that McTavish was going to be an opening night roster player for the Ducks this season, I honestly would have laughed. McTavish seemed at least two years away from being ready in my mind, and I questioned how quickly he rose up every single draft board, but he proved me so very wrong in his very first period in the NHL. The 6-1, 207-pound prospect snuck into the slot for a rebound, and scored his first-ever goal for the Ducks.

McTavish's greatest improvement came in his skating ability, where he truly struggled in early viewings but now manages to keep up with the NHL pace and use his brain to enter pockets of space at the right moments. His shot is a tremendous weapon from any distance, and he can release the puck very quickly to surprise goaltenders — his involvement in transitions was also on display in his first game, as he connected with teammates well when carrying the puck through the neutral zone. McTavish will likely play his nine-trial games and return to the OHL, but is closer than I had initially anticipated to being an NHL goal-scoring center.

Hendrix Lapierre, C/LW — Washington Capitals

Another prospect who scored his first NHL goal in his first game, Lapierre first managed to force the team's hand and take part in the team's opening game against the Rangers by outperforming his expectations at rookie camp and in preseason action. He earned his first-ever professional goal by breaking in on a 2-on-1 and benefitting from a highlight-reel pass by T.J. Oshie to rip the puck under Alex Georgiev's glove hand. The prospect's shifty and elusive skating regularly puts him in great positions to make plays, and he can find seams almost effortlessly.

If Lapierre continues to play the way he has so far, he should be an NHL player for this entire year, rather than returning to the QMJHL after his nine trial games with the Caps. With Nicklas Bäckström just recently having been put on Long Term Injury Reserve, there is little doubt that the Caps could use an extra center in the lineup. They also have enough wingers to spare him some good teammates to play with, which could help him develop his game even further.

Moritz Seider, RD — Detroit Red Wings

Seider was on my five-player Calder candidates shortlist from early in the offseason, and hasn't disappointed so far. His defensive game had been just as solid as it was with Rogle BK last year in the SHL, where he earned 28 points in 41 games as a rookie. He managed to land a spot on the Wings' second pair with Nick Leddy for their opening night game against the Tampa Bay Lightning, and added two assists in his first NHL game. Not only that, but he showed the confidence to essentially troll the reigning Stanley Cup Champions with this piece of work:

Seider's first point was a true secondary assist, where he made a simple play back to Leddy who found Tyler Bertuzzi with a stretch pass, and the forward dangled through two defensemen to score. His second assist, however, came on the penalty kill, when Seider boxed out Corey Perry and cleared a loose puck down the boards, and Bertuzzi again exited the penalty box, raced to the puck and came in for his fourth of the game.

Rarely does a 20-year-old enter the NHL and not look a hair out of place, but Seider has proven why he has been a sure-value prospect ever since his draft +1 season in Grand Rapids. He will remain in my top-three for the Calder as long as he plays this way.

Lucas Raymond, RW — Detroit Red Wings

Speaking of Red Wings rookies, Raymond managed to force the team's hand in preseason to the extent of placing him right on the first line for game 1 of the season. He earned a power-play assist on Bertuzzi's hat-trick goal, and brought a whole new dimension to the Red Wings' setup on the man-advantage by dominating the right half-wall with his dual-threat offensive skill. Raymond showed stretches of defensive confusion, but is already an NHL-level skater and offensive player, and should get more comfortable within the Wings' system.

The way with which he controls opponents' sticks and takes the middle of the ice to cause defensemen to anticipate a shot is an element of Raymond's game that should earn him a fair share of points this year, whether on the power-play or at 5-on-5. If Raymond remains on the top line, he could possibly push for the 2022 Calder Trophy.

Anton Lundell, C — Florida Panthers

The only prospect on this list who hasn't earned a point in his first game, Lundell earns a mention due to his outstanding game on the defensive side of the puck, as he played five full minutes at 4-on-5 for the Panthers and was on the same wavelength as Aleksander Barkov. The two were interchanging and keeping the puck away from the opponent's power-play unit with poise and intelligence during their deployment. Lundell was also tasked with six defensive zone faceoffs and won two of them, ending the game with a 30% total success rate on draws. The end result might be lackluster, but this is all too common for rookie centers, as the faceoff game takes a while to nail properly.

Lundell earned 25 points in 26 games last year in Finland's top level — one of the world's lowest-scoring leagues —  which leaves me in little doubt regarding his offensive abilities. He should be able to earn a decent amount of icetime and points for his team if he continues to show the level of defensive awareness and puck skills that he has displayed so far. Lundell was another prospect on my five-man Calder shortlist, and he has shown the tools required to make a decent impact for the Panthers this year.

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