Every year NHL teams have the young players emerge while on their entry-level deals to become effective contributors for their respective squad. This year is not different, there is no shortage of excellent rookie players across the NHL. Whether the player went first overall or fifteenth overall, players find a way to produce given their position on their respective team, the playstyle of the organization, and plenty of other factors contribute to this as well. I find for an NHL team to be truly competitive year in and year out, they need to find a way to have the cheaper contracted players produce – that also doesn't necessarily mean rookies all the time. In my eyes, nothing beats the players that you've invested draft capital into when it comes to the low-cost production.

* The top row in the stat tables are the players current stats this year, and the bottom row is their career stats. The powerplay and shorthanded sections are for points in these respective areas. I know last season I was showing roster percentages for the players that I discuss, and I do plan on bringing that back, but I am not in any Yahoo leagues this season so for the time being I will not have their percentages listed for that platform. *

#1) Matty Beniers – C – Seattle Kraken

Contract: $897.5K – 2 Years remaining
Roster Percentages: Fantrax – 83%, ESPN – 74.2%

Beniers, the second overall pick in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, has been nothing less than impressive in his NHL career thus far, there is still a bunch of time for this to age like milk though. With 14 points through his first 19 games this season, he ranks third on the roster in points scored this season. Beniers was Seattle's first ever selection in the drafting process, clearly, they felt he was the player most suited to be a potential face of the franchise for years to come. While anchoring down the second line for the NHL's newest franchise, he is currently sitting in second on the team in total goals scored for – not bad for a player who is still not of legal drinking age in the United States. Given his cheap contract for the next couple of seasons, mixed with the fact that Seattle brought in players who help compliment his playstyle, he should have adequate support to be able to an impact player on any fantasy roster as it stands. Something to note as well is that he isn't afraid to throw his weight around, clearly by his hit-per-game pace now, that is a valuable stat to associate with a player who is realistically supposed to be a point producer.

#2) Calen Addison – D – Minnesota Wild

Contract: $795K – 1 Year remaining (RFA this upcoming summer)
Roster Percentages: Fantrax – 66%, ESPN – 8%

As a rookie defender, Addison is currently ranked fifth in team scoring as it stands as of the time of this article with a solid 0.52 points-per-game. He ranks first amongst the defenders on the Wild in total points scored, meanwhile playing alongside some notable players such as Matt Dumba, Jared Spurgeon, and Jonas Brodin to name a few. While Addison may have been a second-round selection in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, people have seemingly forgot about what his potential was pegged to be as an offensive minded defender. I think we're just scratching the surface as to what Addison can do in this league. Currently as it stands, he has some ripe competition around him as I said. This could mean that if he slacks on the powerplay at times, there isn't a lack of other players who could easily slot into that role. He still has a lack of experience in the NHL, but the Wild seem to understand what type of player Addison can become based on his zone start percentages – he starts 77.5% of his starts in the offensive zone. This allows Addison to have the space and freedom to worry about the offensive side of the game for the time being, it won't be like that forever. The Minnesota Wild have a plethora of scoring threats across their lineup and with a deepened lineup, anything could be possible for Addison in terms of his overall offensive metrics to finish the year.

#3) Mason McTavish – C – Anaheim Ducks

Contract: $894K – 3 Years remaining
Roster Percentages: Fantrax – 65%, ESPN – 8.5%

While McTavish is currently scoring at a half a point-per-game pace currently while playing less than 14 minutes per night on average, along with being slotted in on the third line with a subpar Anaheim squad as well. The numbers may not look flashy, but to me they show a player who has a tremendous ceiling for years to come. He may not be an asset that can help you win a championship this year, but he is a player that is silently producing in a depth role on a team that isn't so good. While shooting 1.8 shots per game in that amount of ice-time is impressive, along with being able to produce 0.75 hits per game while being a player that's been labeled as an offensive threat. Those are the types of players to watch for, the ones who provide value in multiple areas, for a low cost. Something to take note of is that McTavish is also listed on the first powerplay unit alongside of some respectable NHL players such as Adam Henrique, Troy Terry, Cam Fowler, and Trevor Zegras. For a rookie to be trusted with an offensive role such as that, it speaks volumes to how Anaheim views him as a long-term option on their roster. He may not be providing the best category coverage this year, that is something that should improve as time goes on, along with Anaheim adding more pieces to play around him. It is a team sport after all and at some point, individual skill can only take you so far.

Overall, there are some fairly top-quality rookies out there, but these are a couple of the ones that provide some value in the now, along with being locked up long enough to where you can have them for a couple of seasons for a cheap price tag.

If you're looking to discuss anything hockey with me, check out my Twitter account (@JamieMolloy_DH), as well as on the articles themselves!