At the beginning of the season I chose my top-10 rookies in the Western Conference in an article here.

I always like to review my pre-season lists and see how I did. There were a few misses and a few hits, which we will look at below but the Western Conference represented well this season and should take home the Calder Trophy.

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The order is where I had the players at the beginning of this season.

Honorable Mentions I had included

Scott Perunovich – St. Louis Blues (D)

Perunovich injured his shoulder before the start of the season and was out for just over five months and never played an NHL game this season. He returned in February and ended up playing in 21 games in the AHL where he picked up as he had in 2021-22 and ended up with 19 points. He's 24 now but will still be eligible to be a rookie next season. He is a restricted free agent.

Martin Kaut – San Jose (RW)

Kaut was traded from Colorado to San Jose near the trade deadline and managed 36 games split between the two teams this season. He managed only four goals and four assists while averaging just over 10 minutes per game. I had him pegged for 14-18 goals and 14-18 assists if he played a full season, but he was closer to 10 and 10 if prorated. He played 29 games in the AHL and had 22 points.

Pavol Regenda – Anaheim Ducks (LW)

I had hopes for Regenda being a dark-horse this season, especially after he made the Ducks roster out of training camp. Unfortunately he only lasted 14 games in the NHL where he had a goal and two assists before he was sent to the AHL for the rest of the season. He ended up with just 25 points in 50 AHL games in what was probably a disappointing season for him and the team. He is signed for next season, so there is a small chance we could see him in a few NHL games next season as well.

#10 – Stuart Skinner – Edmonton Oilers (G)

I had Skinner pegged as the backup to Jack Campbell and playing 25-35 games and winning perhaps 15-25 of those games. Skinner went a little above that and pretty much took over the starter role before the season was halfway done. He ended up playing 50 games and going 29-14-6 with a save percentage of 91.4 and a GSAA of 15.46. He will more than likely be one of the Calder finalists this season.

#9 – Lukas Reichel – Chicago Blackhawks (LW)

From the few games I saw Reichel play later this season, I still think he could have justified this pick if he was in the NHL the whole year. He can skate like the wind and has some offensive skills. He will get some points in the NHL next season. This year he managed just 23 games in Chicago and had an impressive seven goals and eight assists on 42 SOG. In the AHL he had 48 points in 53 games. The 20-year-old should be here to stay and will be eligible next season for the Calder.

#8 – Shane Wright – Seattle Kraken (C)

I should have listened to my own advice and shied away from 18-year-old rookies.

Wright was all over the map and it will be interesting to see if it turns out to be a developing season or not for him. He started the campaign with the Kraken and had eight games with two points and was also given a taste of the AHL for seven games where he held his own with four goals and an assist. From there he went to the World Juniors and captained Canada to a Gold medal in what would be considered a supporting role to Connor Bedard.

The Kraken ended up sending him back to junior and the OHL where he ended up in Windsor for the last 20 games and had an impressive 37 points. Windsor was swept in the playoffs where Wright was held in check with only three points.

He will be with Seattle for their inaugural playoff series, but will more than likely be a black ace for the duration.

He is eligible for the Calder. 

#7 – Thomas Bordeleau – San Jose Sharks (LW)

Bordeleau looked so comfortable at the end of last season when he turned pro and played eight games and had five assists. I got a little ahead of things by thinking he would be on the roster of a fairly weak Sharks team from the start of this year.

He was cut at the end of training camp and had a poor start in the AHL from which he only recovered slightly in the 64 games he played where he ended up with 22 goals and 19 assists. He was called up for the last eight games of this season and had just two assists. Not only did he not make the Sharks, but it could be argued that he didn't progress as much as would have been wanted. Next year is not a certainty for him.

#6 – Marco Rossi – Minnesota Wild (C/LW)

Rossi got his opportunity this season with the Wild and played 16 games at the start where he only managed one assist on 11 SOG. He just couldn't produce any offense to justify him staying with Minnesota. He was sent back to the AHL and to his credit had a very good campaign with 50 points in 51 games on 132 SOG and was rewarded with three games at the end of the season where he went pointless.

Iowa are in the AHL playoffs so Rossi will get some experience there.

He is eligible for the Calder next season.

#5 – William Eklund – San Jose Sharks (LW)

Eklund had a strange start to this campaign, as he made the extended roster that went to Europe but never got in a game and once the club returned to North America he was sent down to the AHL. He had a very slow start in the AHL and ended up with 17 goals and 24 assists in 54 games.

He was called up in March and played eight games where he had two goals and an assist and averaged 19:50 per game. He looked ready for the league this time around after nine games at the beginning of last season. He hurt his shoulder and had surgery which ended his season in late March.

He is eligible for the Calder next year.

#4 – Cole Perfetti – Winnipeg Jets (RW)

Things were looking very good for Perfetti before a shoulder injury ended his regular season after 51 games where he had 30 points. I thought he might be capable of 14-18 goals and 25-30 assists. He ended up with eight and 22.

If the Jets get past the first round of the playoffs, there is a chance that Perfetti could get back in the lineup this year.

Even with his injury he's probably a top-five rookie in the West still.

#3 – Mason McTavish – Anaheim Ducks (C/LW)

I had McTavish pegged for 18-23 goals and 20-25 assists. He ended up with 17 goals and 26 assists in 80 games which is pretty close.

Like a lot of young players, he faded a little in the second half after 28 points in 48 games; he managed just 15 in his last 32 games and just two in his last 11 games.

He is going to get better and better and I think he'll be the captain of this team in three or four years.

#2 – Logan Thompson – Vegas Golden Knights (G)

My ceiling for Thompson was hopefully playing 45-50 games and winning 30-35 of those. If not for injuries it might have been.

He managed 37 games and had a record of 21-13-5 with a save percentage of 91.5 and a GSAA of 12.58. He had a fine rookie season overall and should be in the top seven rookies in the West as it is.

#1 – Matty Beniers – Seattle Kraken (C )

I chose Beniers for my rookie of the year and thought he was a step above the other rookies. I thought he was capable of 20-25 goals and 35-40 assists. He ended up with 24 goals and 33 assists in 80 games and in my mind is a lock for the Calder this year.

There are moments when you think he is more than capable of putting up 80-90 points and I have no doubt he will one day.

He's a big reason the Kraken are in the playoffs for the first time.

The rookies I missed:

Matias Maccelli – Arizona (LW)

Maccelli ended up with 11 goals and 38 assists in 64 games on 61 SOG while averaging 15:41 per game.

I didn't include Maccelli as he had played 23 games in Arizona in the prior year and wasn't that impressive with just six points while being a minus-10. I should have put more stock in his 57 points in 47 AHL games and had more confidence in his playmaking abilities. He doesn't shoot the puck enough to probably ever reach 20 goals, but he can obviously post 40-50 assists over a full year. He would come in at number two or three on this list, but I don't think he'll be a finalist for the Calder.

Wyatt Johnston – Dallas (C )

There aren't many 19-year-old centers who make the NHL without playing one game in the AHL. I just didn't believe the Stars would go with him right from the start.

Not only did he make the Stars, but he played very well and ended up with 24 goals and 17 assists on 160 SOG while averaging 15:29 per game. He's going to be a crucial player if the Stars hope to move on in the playoffs this year.

He's a player who could move up the lineup in a year or two and score 35-40 goals while putting up 45-50 assists.

His overall game might make him a finalist for the Calder, but more than likely he is the fourth or fifth choice on the outside in the NHL. He should be No. 3 or No. 4 in the West.

Calen Addison – Minnesota (D)

Addison had quite the split this year. In the first 46 games he had 24 points and was the quarterback on the first unit of the power play. In the second half, he was a regular healthy scratch and played just 16 games with five points. His overall game is not quite there for the Wild, but they kept Addison on the power play for almost every game he played this season. They obviously like what he can do with the man advantage, but will need him to improve in the other areas of his game for next season, so he can become more than a 15-16 minute per game player. He still would come in the top 10 in the West for this season.

The West could get all three finalists for the Calder, but the more probable result will be Matty Beniers, Stuart Skinner and perhaps Owen Power from the East (over Maccelli or Johnston).

Thanks for reading and if you have any questions or players you’d like me to look at please message or follow me on Twitter @gampbler15.

Thanks very much for reading and if you have any comments or suggestions, please leave them below or follow me on Twitter @gampbler15