This week, I'm going to look back at some of my pre-season rookie candidates from a Wild West article in early October 2024.

I only included rookies from Western teams, breaking down the rookies into dark horses and front-runners.

Dark Horses:

Calle Clang – Anaheim Ducks (G) – (0-0-0-0-0)

I thought Clang might get a few NHL games and run with it if John Gibson and Lukas Dostal struggled as they did in 2023-24. Gibson was also slated to miss the first month or so of the season, which looked good for Clang before the team signed James Reimer to be the backup. Both Gibson and Dostal were much better, and Clang struggled in the AHL. He played 31 AHL games with a record of 11-13-5 and a save percentage of 89.5.

Arturs Silovs – Vancouver Canucks (G) – (10GP-2W-6L-1OT, 86.2 Save%, negative 10.74 GSAA)

Much like Clang in Anaheim, I thought that Silovs would get some games early in the year with Thatcher Demko injured. Silovs did get some early games in October and November, but he struggled while Kevin Lankinen was very good. Silovs seemed to regress from his impressive playoff performance from 2023-24.

Yaroslav Askarov – San Jose Sharks (G) – (13-4-6-2, 89.6, 2.23)

I knew that Askarov was going to start 2024-25 in the AHL and that the Sharks had Mackenzie Blackwood and Vitek Vanecek signed. I thought that the Sharks might trade one of the two goalies and bring up Askarov to start the rest of the year.

San Jose did trade Blackwood to Colorado but brought back Alexandar Georgiev. Askarov was called up for a brief spell and failed to force the issue to stay in the NHL over the other two goalies.

Tristan Luneau – Anaheim Ducks (D) – (6-0-0-0)

Luneau had played seven games in 2023-24 with the Ducks, and I thought there was an outside chance that being a right-hand shot defender he might fill a role for Anaheim. They traded for Jacob Trouba instead, and Luneau saw just six games in the NHL. He did have an impressive 52 points in 59 AHL games.

Samuel Honzek – Calgary Flames (F) – (5-0-0-0)

Honzek's 2024-25 campaign started so well. He led the Flames in pre-season scoring and made the team out of training camp. He played the first five games, went pointless and was sent to the AHL. He struggled in the AHL with just 21 points in 52 games. He might need some additional time in the AHL in 2025-26.

Lian Bichsel – Dallas Stars (D) – (38-4-5-9)

Bichsel started the year in the AHL as I thought he might, and was called up to the Stars to stay when Miro Heiskanen was hurt. I thought he could be a future 100 hits and 100 blocks defender. He posted 155 hits and 23 blocks, so his physicality is not in question.

Akil Thomas – Los Angeles Kings (F) – (25-1-2-3)

I thought that Thomas might be in line for a regular role, but tempered my expectations to perhaps 10-15 goals and assists in 70 games. He was on the NHL roster for much of 2024-25 but was a healthy scratch more often than not.

Daemon Hunt – Columbus Blue Jackets (D) – (1-0-0-0)

Hunt began 2024-25 as a member of the Minnesota Wild, but started the year in the AHL. He played one game with the Wild before being traded to Columbus and spending the whole year in the AHL. In 57 AHL games, he managed 18 points.

Marat Khusnutdinov – Boston Bruins (F) – (75-5-7-12)

I was correct that Khusnutdinov might play 70 games, but I thought he could produce 8-12 goals and 12-15 assists. He was also traded to Boston at the trade deadline.

Daniil Gushchin – San Jose Sharks (F) – (12-0-1-1)

Gushchin got the chance after making the Sharks at the start of 2024-25. He just didn't produce at all in the 12 games that he dressed. He ended up with 28 goals and 23 assists in 56 AHL games, so he should see another opportunity in 2025-26.

Luca Cagnoni – San Jose Sharks (D) – (6-0-2-2)

The Sharks were lacking a true power-play quarterback heading into 2024-25 and still perhaps are. Cagnoni, while raw, could conceivably have received an early opportunity, but the Sharks elected to get him some time in the AHL. Cagnoni played 64 AHL games and posted 16 goals and 36 assists. He did get six games in the NHL and put up two points towards the end of the year.

Aatu Raty – Vancouver Canucks (F) – (33-7-4-11)

Raty had a few different call ups with the Canucks in 2024-25 but really emerged as a regular over the last 12 games of the season where he had five goals and two assists and was one of the better Canucks in the faceoff circle. He had 40 points in 43 AHL games.

Arshdeep Bains – Vancouver Canucks (F) – (13-1-0-1)

Bains started 2024-25 with the big club and played 11 games with one goal before being sent back to the AHL, where he posted 43 points in 50 games. Bains did get two more NHL games in but was held without a point. He might not get another extended look in Vancouver.

Brendan Brisson – NY Rangers (F) – (9-0-0-0)

After eight points in 15 games for Vegas in 2023-24, I thought Brisson was set to perhaps become a regular in the top six. I figured he was competing with Alexander Holtz and Pavel Dorofeyev. Dorofeyev had 35 goals, and Brisson was traded to the NY Rangers, so we know who won that battle.

Brad Lambert – Winnipeg Jets (F) – (5-0-1-1)

I wasn't convinced that Lambert was ready for the NHL in 2024-25 and thought he needed to tear up the AHL. He didn't in 2024-25 with just seven goals and 28 assists in 61 AHL games. He regressed from 55 points in 64 games in 2023-24.

Nikita Chibrikov – Winnipeg Jets (F) – (4-2-1-3)

Chibrikov is in a similar position to Lambert, except he has produced three goals and an assist in five NHL games with the Jets. The AHL in 2024-25 was a different story as his production dipped to 18 points in 30 AHL games in what was an injury-plagued season for Chibrikov.

Front-Runners

Dustin Wolf – Calgary Flames (G) – (53-29-16-8, 91.0, 12.74)

I thought Wolf would play 45-55 games and win 20-25 games, as I didn't think that the Flames would be a serious threat to make the playoffs. They didn't, but they sure came close, and Wolf was excellent for them and could be a finalist for the Calder.

Justus Annunen – Nashville Predators (G) – (34-15-15-1, 88.3, negative 15.78)

Annunen started 2024-25 as a member of the Colorado Avalanche and was the backup to Alexandar Georgiev. I had envisioned a scenario where Georgiev might struggle and Annunen could get 35-40 starts and 20-28 wins on a very good Colorado team. Georgiev did struggle, but so did Annunen and both were traded.

Cutter Gauthier – Anaheim Ducks (F) – (82-20-23-43)

I had Gauthier pegged for 20-25 goals and 15-20 assists as a rookie, and he pretty much was spot on with 20 goals and 23 assists. He was very good as a rookie and should only get better.

Nikolai Kovalenko – San Jose Sharks (F) – (57-7-13-20)

With early-season injuries to a few of the Colorado Avalanche forwards, I thought there was an extended look for Kovalenko in the top six there. Unfortunately, Kovalenko managed just three goals and four assists in 23 games with Colorado and was traded to San Jose.

Logan Stankoven – Carolina Hurricanes (F) – (78-14-24-38)

Stankoven was a key piece that the Dallas Stars sent to Carolina as part of the Mikko Rantanen trade. I had him as a main contender for the Calder and saw him with maybe 20-25 goals and 25-35 assists. His shooting percentage was just 7.2 on 2.5 shots on goal per game.

Macklin Celebrini – San Jose Sharks (F) – (70-25-38-63)

Celebrini was my (and almost everyone else’s) favorite for the Calder. I had Celebrini producing similar to what Connor Bedard did in 2023-24, which was 55-65 points in 70 games. He produced 63 in exactly 70 games. I think he should be a finalist for the Calder, but I'd be surprised if anyone beat out Lane Hutson for the award.

Here are the rookies who played more than 60 games in the Western Conference that I didn't include in the pre-season.

Will Smith – San Jose Sharks (F) – (74-18-27-45)

Honestly, I just missed including Smith in my pre-season column, and there was a comment at the time asking where he was. He proved that he belonged as one of the front-runners. It's going to be an exciting time with Smith and Celebrini in San Jose.

Zack Bolduc – St. Louis Blues (F) – (72-19-17-36)

I omitted Bolduc from my list as he played 25 games in 2023-24, and even though he is officially a rookie in 2024-25, I drew the line at 24 games.

Mavrik Bourque – Dallas Stars (F) – (73-11-14-25)

I didn't think that Bourque would stick as a regular, but he proved me wrong in what was mostly a third- or fourth-line role. He had 77 points in 71 AHL games in 2023-24, so there is some offense there moving forward.

Oskar Back – Dallas Stars (F) – (73-4-12-16)

Back was a three-year veteran in the AHL, never putting up more than seven goals or 36 points in a year. He won't provide much in the way of offense, but he can penalty kill and play a more defensive role.

Zachary L'Heureux – Nashville Predators (F) – (62-5-10-15)

L'Heureux should be a player to watch as he can combine a bit of offense, physicality (198 hits) and will agitate opponents regularly.

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