I do this every year to try and pinpoint what rookies will emerge to become regulars in the NHL and who might prosper.

I'm only going to look at the West, so I won't be including Matvei Michkov or any Eastern Calder candidates.

I'm going to divide the rookies into dark horses and front runners. There might be some players listed who could start the year in the AHL, or others that might get nine games in the NHL and be sent back to junior hockey.

Dark Horses

Calle Clang – G – Anaheim Ducks (22.4 years of age)

John Gibson is out for four to six weeks with an injury and Lukas Dostal should get 70-75% of the starts while Gibson is out. That leaves 25-30% of the starts to Clang and that is all a young goalie can ask for in order to get trust in the crease. Clang played his first season in North America in 2023-24 and played 32 AHL games, where he went 10-16-4 with a save percentage of 89.7.

He's unlikely to get more than 10 games in the NHL in 2024-25, but Dostal and Gibson were both below average in 2023-24.

Arturs Silovs – G – Vancouver Canucks (23.5)

It appears that Silovs might start the first regular season game for the Canucks in 2024-25. He should get a 50/50 split with Kevin Lankinen until Thatcher Demko returns from his injury, which we don't have a timeline on.

A lot of things will need to go right for Silovs (and wrong for the Canucks) in 2024-25 for Silovs to play the whole year in the NHL. He will need to play well when called upon and outplay Lankinen. The Canucks should be a very good team and the goalies should win 40 games, no matter who is in net.

Yaroslav Askarov – G – San Jose Sharks (22.3)

Askarov will start 2024-25 in the AHL, much like he did in 2023-24. There was hope with the trade for Askarov that he would come into San Jose and be the starter right away. Unfortunately, the Sharks had Mackenzie Blackwood signed at $2.35 million, who played 44 games for them in 2023-24, and Vitek Vanecek signed at $3.4 million, who played 32 games in New Jersey last year and struggled with a GSAA of negative 11.39.

There is a scenario where Askarov is up to the NHL in November and plays 45-50 games the rest of the way on less than a stellar team. If that was the case, he could get 20 wins.

Tristan Luneau – D – Anaheim Ducks (20.7)

Luneau managed just seven games in the NHL with the Ducks and six in the AHL during 2023-24. While he might be better served with some more games in the AHL to start 2024-25, he is a right shot defender on a Ducks roster where Radko Gudas is the only other one who fills that role. The Ducks could elect to play someone on their off-side or could have Luneau play on the second or third pairing to start the year. That is a lot to ask of Pavel Mintyukov and/or Olen Zellweger if they make the team.

Luneau had 83 points in the QMJHL in 2022-23 through 65 games. Luneau could be capable of 15-25 points and 100 hits if he played 70 games in 2024-25.

Samuel Honzek – F – Calgary Flames (19.8)

Any time a young player leads their team in pre-season scoring, it is a cause to be optimistic. While Honzek put up two goals and five assists in six games, he probably needs some time in the AHL to grow and get acclimated to the pro game. He played just 76 WHL games over the past two seasons and had 33 goals and 54 assists, so needs a season where he gets to play 65 or more games and develop.

He could get a few NHL games to see where he is at, and he would really need to produce to force the Flames into keeping him after that. It would be a top-six role for either Honzek or Anthony Mantha but the Flames just signed Mantha as a free agent with more than likely a top-six promise.

He is eligible to be sent to the AHL even though he has yet to turn 20.

Lian Bichsel – D – Dallas Stars (20.4)

Bichsel was the 18th overall pick in 2022 and came to North America in 2023-24, but played just 16 games in the AHL and struggled a little. He went back to the SHL and played 29 games and had two goals and two assists. Bichsel (6-6 and 233 lbs) won't ever be a huge point producer but should put up 100 hits and 100 blocks more than a few times in his career.

He will be in tough to crack a very good Stars lineup and could start the year in the AHL. He's had a good pre-season where he has had a goal and two assists in five games and has averaged about 20 minutes per game. He could use another shot at the AHL and get in 20-30 games before coming up to the NHL, but he might be ready if an opportunity presents itself through injury to another Stars defender.

Akil Thomas – F – Los Angeles Kings (24.8)

Thomas might get his first opportunity to stick with the Kings for an extended period. He saw seven games in 2023-24 and had three goals and an assist and proved he could play in the league after 22 goals and 24 assists in 64 AHL games.

His role will more than likely be on the fourth line if he does make the Kings, which is not necessarily what his game is geared towards. He has an offensive component to his game and would ideally play up the lineup if needed. If he plays 70 games in 2024-25, I'd expect 10-15 goals and assists.

Daemon Hunt – D – Minnesota Wild (22.4)

I really liked Hunt's chances to make the Wild for 2024-25, but they sent him to the AHL on Saturday. That left Declan Chisholm and Jon Merrill on the Wild roster as both require waivers to be sent down. We could see Hunt back up sooner than later. He played 12 games in 2023-24 with Minnesota and had a fairly good pre-season in the five games he got into, averaging around 20 minutes per game.

Hunt had 29 points in 51 AHL games in 2023-24 and could be a useful addition to the Wild roster if they run into injuries early on. I think he's a player who could put up 15-25 points and 100 blocks if he was to ever get into 70 games.

Marat Khusnutdinov – F – Minnesota Wild (22.2)

It looks like Khusnutdinov could play fourth-line center on the Wild's opening night roster. He played 16 games in 2023-24 and had a goal and three assists, 16 hits and 13 blocks. He didn't play any games in the AHL after coming over to North America after his KHL season ended.

He's not your ideal fourth-line player, so look for him to slide up the lineup if needed as he has a bit of offensive talent to his game.

If he manages to play 70 games, he could get 8-12 goals and 12-15 assists as a rookie.

Danil Gushchin – F – San Jose Sharks (22.7)

I don't see how Gushchin doesn't start the year with the Sharks after putting up nine points in four games. He has had small opportunities in San Jose over the past two seasons playing four and two games and has managed to put up two goals and two assists. He just seems to produce wherever he is.

His past two AHL seasons have seen 67-22-23-45 and 56-20-34-54, so the natural progression is a longer look in the NHL. The Sharks shouldn't be shy about giving their younger players opportunities to succeed at this level. Gushchin might have some deficiencies at the NHL level, but he could produce. He shoots the puck a lot (12 SOG in six NHL games and 412 SOG in 123 AHL games).

If he can play 70 games for the Sharks, he might be capable of 12-15 goals and 18-22 assists.

Luca Cagnoni – D – San Jose Sharks (19.8)

Cagnoni will need to be sent back to the WHL if he doesn't make the Sharks, so I think he will get into nine games and be sent back. He had an impressive pre-season with four points in four games, with two of those points coming on the power play.

I could envision a role, much like Calen Addison had a few years back with Minnesota, where Cagnoni runs the power play and plays 12-14 minutes per night, heavily sheltered with San Jose. Reality is probably that he isn't ready for a full season in the NHL.

Aatu Raty – F – Vancouver Canucks (21.9)

Raty played 15 games in 2022-23, split between the Canucks and the Islanders as he was part of the return when Bo Horvat was traded. Raty played all of 2023-24 in the AHL and had 18 goals and 34 assists in 72 games. He might have made himself more attractive as a fourth line center who can slide up the lineup over Nils Aman, because he has a little more offense to give and is better in the faceoff circle. Aman might struggle to reach 10 goals, but Raty might reach 10-15 this year if he played 70 games.

Arshdeep Bains – F – Vancouver Canucks (23.7)

I'm not 100% sure how to read Bains and his future in the NHL. He played eight games with the Canucks in 2023-24 and saw some pretty good ice time in the top six. He started out well and held his own in the first three or four games, but then looked overmatched in the rest of his stint on his way to being pointless in all eight games. He just struggled to find the space on the ice in the NHL that he does in the AHL where he had 55 points in 59 games.

He has had a good pre-season with three points in four games and appears to have earned another shot to start 2024-25. I'd temper my expectations to 8-12 goals and 8-12 assists if he managed to stick for the whole campaign.

Brendan Brisson – F – Vegas Golden Knights (23.0)

Brisson played 15 games for Vegas in 2023-24 and had an impressive two goals and six assists. He had 19 goals and 19 assists in 52 AHL games as well. The 29th overall pick from 2020 (and the son of uber agent Pat Brisson) could be ready for a full-time role with the Golden Knights in 2024-25.

Where he plays in the lineup could be crucial to what kind of numbers we could see from him. He will be competing with Alexander Holtz and Pavel Dorofeyev for a possible spot on the second line.

Dorofeyev could be the front runner after putting up four goals and two assists in four pre-season games, with Brisson having three points in five games and Holtz two points in three games.

I think if Brisson can play 70 games he could put up 12-16 goals and 12-16 assists.

Brad Lambert – F – Winnipeg Jets (20.8)

Has Lambert done enough in the pre-season to warrant an extended look in 2024-25? He had a goal and an assist in four games, so based solely on production, probably not. The key to Lambert playing in Winnipeg is that they are sorely lacking a second-line center behind Mark Scheifele. Gabe Vilardi could play down the middle, but is better suited on the wing, while Adam Lowry and Vladislav Namestnikov are both third-line centers at best.

When Lambert is ready for the NHL, he might have a wide-open role in the next year or two. I'm just not sure he's ready for it right now, even after 55 points in 64 AHL games last year. He might need to tear the AHL up to start 2024-25 and push himself into the equation.

Nikita Chibrikov – F – Winnipeg Jets (21.6)

Chibrikov is in a very similar situation as Lambert above, but he has a little more competition for a top-six wing spot with the Jets as they currently stand. He had a good pre-season with two points in three games, but didn't force the Jets' hand to replace an existing roster player over him.

He will need to have an excellent start in the AHL and be ready if Winnipeg runs into some injuries.

Front-Runners

Dustin Wolf – G – Calgary Flames (23.5)

This moment seems to have been a long-time coming for Wolf and the Flames. Even though Wolf was a 7th round pick in 2019, he has done nothing but win at every level since until he got an extended taste of the NHL in 2023-24.

He wasn't bad in his 17 games (7-7-1 with an 89.3 save percentage and a GSAA of minus 4.99), but he was vulnerable in goal for the first time in his junior and pro career.

The Flames obviously had enough confidence in Wolf to trade Jacob Markstrom to New Jersey and give Wolf the number one role in 2024-25. He could play 45-55 games and could win 20-25 times as I don't have the faith in the Flames being a playoff contender.

Justus Annunen – G – Colorado Avalanche (24.6)

Annunen played 14 games with the Avalanche in 2023-24 and went 8-4-1 with a 92.8 save percentage and a GSAA of 10.16, which was much better than starter Alexandar Georgiev who ended up playing 63 games (38-18-5) with a save percentage of 89.7 and a GSAA of negative 10.31.

There are some games available for Annunen to take away from Georgiev in 2024-25 and he could parlay a solid campaign into 35-40 games and 20-28 wins.

Cutter Gauthier – F – Anaheim Ducks (20.7)

Gauthier had two goals in three games, but even more impressively he had 18 SOG. He is one of a few rookies in 2024-25 who appear to have roles on the first or second lines with their respective teams, as well as power play time.

Gauthier had 38 goals and 27 assists in 41 games during 2023-24 in his last year of college with Boston College. He's ready for the NHL and I could see him producing 20-25 goals and 15-20 assists as a rookie.

Nikolai Kovalenko – F – Colorado Avalanche (25.0)

Kovalenko has a small window of opportunity in Colorado till Artturi Lehkonen, Valeri Nichushkin and/or Gabriel Landeskog return to the lineup. He might get five or 20 games in the top six, but he will need to prove he can produce if given the opportunity or his stay in North America might be short.

He had 89 points in his last 98 KHL games before coming to North America, so the offensive production should be there if he can adapt to the North American ice and game.

I think he could be capable of 15-20 goals and 15-20 assists if he played 70 games and played a good chunk of those in the top six.

Logan Stankoven – F – Dallas Stars (21.6)

Stankoven led the Stars in pre-season scoring with four goals and three assists in five games on 26 shots on goal.

Stankoven could get into the top-six on a regular basis over Jamie Benn and Mason Marchment but he would need to be very consistent on a nightly basis or risk moving down the lineup.

He has a perfect opportunity to succeed as a rookie after playing 24 games and putting up six goals and eight assists in 2023-24. He was on pace for 72-18-24-42 in 2023-24 and could improve upon that in 2024-25 to 20-25 goals and 25-30 assists. He's a real contender for the Calder.

Macklin Celebrini – F – San Jose Sharks (18.3)

There are not many 18-year-olds who can produce as rookies in the NHL. Connor Bedard had 61 points in 68 games in 2023-24 and Celebrini might be looked upon to produce something similar.

Celebrini is a special talent, much like Bedard and should be able to produce 55-65 points in 70 games. Tyler Toffoli could give Celebrini an option that Taylor Hall was supposed to provide Bedard in Chicago in 2023-24. I think San Jose might have a little more young talent in the forwards that are ready for the NHL in 2024-25. This team still won't be good, but it might be entertaining losing 5-4 most nights.

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