This week we will look at the top rookies in the West, including a diamond in the rough named Connor Bedard.

Surprisingly, there is only one goalie included. I thought Lukas Dostal would be a bit better, but John Gibson has played well enough to hold onto his crease, while Dostal has struggled in his past three starts.

Rookies who could make this list in the next quarter are Alex Laferriere in LA, Wyatt Kaiser in Chicago and Ivan Prosvetov in Colorado.

#12 – Martin Pospisil – F – Calgary

Pospisil is a 24-year-old, 4th-round draft pick from 2018. He went from the USHL directly to the AHL before the 2019-2020 season. He has played 113 AHL games over five partial seasons and he played 22 games in the Slovakian league in 2020-2021. In the AHL, he had 22 goals and 40 assists but did have 216 penalty minutes. He plays a physical style and can chip in with some offense.

In 11 games for the Flames in 2023-2024, he has three goals, two assists, 31 SOG and 29 hits, while averaging 13:53. He has gone pointless in his past four games but has seen some time on the first unit of the power play.

#11 – Tye Kartye – F – Seattle

Kartye was an undrafted free agent signing by the Kraken after he had 79 points in 63 games with the OHL's Soo Greyhounds as an overager in 2021-2022. He proceeded to have an excellent rookie year in the AHL in 2022-23, where he had 28 goals and 29 assists in 72 games. That got Kartye a look for 10 playoff games where he had three goals, two assists and 44 hits.

He has carried on as he left off with three goals, three assists, 40 SOG and 38 hits in 21 games so far in 2023-2024. He could put up 12-15 goals and assists and 150 hits.

#10 – Joel Hofer – G – St. Louis

Hofer has come down to earth with two really bad starts in his past three. He has seen his save percentage dip to 90.5 and his GSAA go down to 0.70 after being at a high of 3.23. If not for his recent struggles, he could have been in the top five on this list. As it stands, he's the top rookie goalie in the Western Conference after the first quarter, with Lukas Dostal and Ivan Prosvetov lurking in the shadows.

#9 – Kevin Korchinski – D – Chicago

Korchinski was the 7th overall pick in the 2022 draft. He played with Seattle in the WHL in 2022-2023, posting 73 points in 54 games.

In his first 10 NHL games, he had three assists and was a minus-eight. In his past nine games, Korchinski has two goals, one assist and is a plus-one.

In 19 games, he's had 23 blocks but not one hit, so he might not be a candidate for the 100/100 club down the line.

Korchinski has seen some opportunity on the first unit of the power play, but the Blackhawks have struggled no matter who is out there and are currently 31st in the NHL at 9.7% on the PP.

#8 – Connor Zary – F- Calgary

Zary was the 24th overall pick in 2020 and had been in the AHL since the 2021-2022 season. In 131 AHL games, he has 35 goals and 58 assists. This year's great start of 10 points in six games got him called up to the NHL for the first time and he's making the most of it.

In 11 games, Zary has three goals and six assists, seeing some time on the first unit of the power play. Zary doesn't shoot the puck as much as one would like (1.4/gp) so his early production might fade a little as he plays more games. He's not a physical or defensive forward, so he will need to produce to stay.

#7 – Leo Carlsson – F – Anaheim

Carlsson was the 2nd overall pick in the 2023 draft, behind Connor Bedard and ahead of Adam Fantilli. The Ducks have been managing his games, and as a result, they have held him out of the lineup five times in the first 19 games of his rookie year.

Carlsson has had an impressive start to his NHL career, posting six goals and three assists in 14 games while averaging 2.1 SOG/G and shooting 20.0%. Faceoffs will require some work as he has won just 25.4% of his 125 draws. He's already had his first NHL hat-trick and if he plays 70 games or more, he could see 20-25 goals as a rookie.

#6 – Logan Cooley – F – Arizona

Cooley was the third overall pick in 2022, behind Juraj Slafkovsky and Simon Nemec, and just in front of Shane Wright. Cooley turned pro after just one year at the University of Minnesota, where he had 60 points in 39 games in 2022-2023.

Cooley has excelled on the power play, where he has put up nine points already. In 20 games, he has two goals and 11 assists, with just four of his points coming at even strength. He will need to increase his shots on goal (1.6/g), get better without the puck and improve in the faceoff circle (43.1%), but otherwise, he's had a pretty good start to his rookie campaign and is on pace for 53 points.

#5 – Luke Evangelista – F – Nashville

Evangelista just came in under the rookie wire in 2022-2023 by playing 24 games, making him eligible for the Calder this year. He's scoring at the same point pace as last year (0.63/g), when he had seven goals and eight assists.

In 19 games this year he has three goals and nine assists, on pace for 52 points. In 43 career games, he's had 10 goals and 17 assists while averaging 2.1 SOG/g.

#4 – Brock Faber – D – Minnesota

Faber was a second-round pick in 2020 and decided to turn pro at the end of the 2022-2023 season, after three years at the University of Minnesota. He was part of the return when the Wild dealt Kevin Fiala to the Los Angeles Kings.

He played two regular season games last year and six in the playoffs, showing he could be a solid defender without the puck.

In 19 games in 2023-2024, he has put up one goal, seven assists, 11 hits and 32 blocks while averaging 23:08 per game. He has become a top-four defenseman and has been partnered with Jonas Brodin just over 74 percent of the time at even strength.

Faber could put up 30-35 points and 100 blocks.

#3 – Marco Rossi – F – Minnesota

Rossi was the ninth overall pick in 2020, just behind Jack Quinn and just before Cole Perfetti. After two stints of two games in 2021-2022 and 19 in 2022-2023, Rossi appears to have figured out the game at the NHL level in 2023-2024.

In 19 games, he has six goals and five assists on 37 SOG (1.9/g), while averaging 16:13 per game. Rossi is on pace for 24 goals and 23 assists and has yet to get a power play point in 40 career games.

He will need to improve in the faceoff circle (42.4%), like most young players.

#2 – Pavel Mintyukov – D – Anaheim

Mintyukov was the 10th overall pick in 2022, just behind Matthew Savoie and just before Conor Geekie. What a pick he is turning out to be. Not only did he made the Ducks as a 19-year-old (he just turned 20 on Nov. 25th), but he has flourished as a rookie.

In 21 games, he has one goal, 11 assists, 32 hits and 24 blocks, averaging 18:54 per game. He's had his moments of defensive inconsistencies, but overall, he has been better than expected at his age.

He is on pace for 45 points and possibly reach 100 hits and 100 blocks.

#1 – Connor Bedard – F – Chicago

No surprise here, as Bedard is our number-one rookie after 19 games, where he has 10 goals, seven assists, 57 SOG (3.0/g) and 12 hits while averaging 19:33 per game.

Of his 17 points, only two have been on the power play. Even though he is being matched up against the other team’s best defensive players, he is producing at even strength. He is a minus-11 on a weak Chicago team, so they are giving up goals as well, but that was to be expected.

He will need to improve in the faceoff circle (39.9%), but he's already made positive adjustments after his first 10 games.

He's on pace for 43 goals and 30 assists and there is very little reason he can't do it, if not more.

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.