Wild West – Top 12 Western Rookies – Update

Grant Campbell

2024-02-19

We looked at the top-12 rookies after the first quarter here. I thought it was time to check in and update the list, to see if anyone had burst onto the scene or started to slip.

Some notable rookies who aren't on this list and could make an impact for the rest of the season are Brandt Clarke, Dustin Wolf, Olen Zellweger, Shakir Mukhamadullin, and perhaps Yaroslav Askarov if Nashville drops out of the playoff hunt.

#12 – Kevin Korchinski – D – Chicago (Down from #9 in November)

When we last looked at Korchinski, he had two goals and four assists in 19 games. He was minus-seven, with no hits and 23 blocks while averaging just over 19 minutes per game.

Since then, he has played 30 games, posting just one goal and three assists. He's a minus-14, with 12 hits and 31 blocks while averaging about the same ice time.

The return of Connor Bedard should be good for most Blackhawks players, but it appears that Korchinski lost his role on PP1.

He's on pace for 17 points, but Korchinski is capable of running a power play one day and putting up 45-55 points.

#11 – Alex Laferriere – F – Los Angeles (HM in November)

Laferriere is a 22-year-old, 3rd-round pick from 2020. He turned pro following the 2022-23 season, after posting 42 points in 34 games during his second year at Harvard. He played just four games in the AHL at the end of 2022-23. In 52 games as a rookie, he has seven goals, nine assists and 56 hits while averaging 12:59 per game. He's on pace for 25 points and probably has a ceiling of third-line forward who posts 30-40 points.

#10 – Tye Kartye – F – Seattle (up from #11)

Since our last check, Kartye has five goals, four assists, 41 SOG and 94 hits in his past 30 games. I had him pegged as being capable of 12-15 goals and 150 hits at the time. Overall, he has eight goals and 132 hits in 51 games. His physical game has ramped up and he is on pace for 24 points. His ceiling is probably 15-20 goals, but he did have 28 goals and 29 assists in 72 games as a 21-year-old AHL rookie last year.

#9 – Joel Hofer – G – St. Louis (up from #10)

Since we last looked at Hofer, he's started 10 games for the Blues. He's gone 5-5-0, with a 2.57 GAA, a 92.1 save percentage and a GSAA of 5.59. Overall, he is now 10-8-0 with a save percentage of 91.5 and a GSAA of 5.88.

If he ends up with 35 starts and maintains his current level of play, he will move up this list.

#8 – Luke Evangelista – F – Nashville (down from #5)

Evangelista cooled off after posting 12 points in his first 19 games. In 34 games since, he has seven goals and five assists. His shots per game has dipped to 1.8 after being at 2.1. Overall, he sits at 10 goals, 14 assists and 95 SOG while averaging 13:23 per game.

He is on pace for 14-17 goals and 35-40 points after being on a 52-point pace for his first 43 games in the NHL.

#7 – Leo Carlsson – F – Anaheim (no change)

Carlsson 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%.

Since then, he has missed quite a few games as a result of injuries. He has played 21 games, posting two goals and 10 assists. He's still maintaining his shot-on-goal rate (2.0) and has seen his face-off percentage rise from 25.4 to 33.8.

He'd been on pace for 20-25 goals early on but has now gone 18 games without a goal.

#6 – Pavel Mintyukov – D – Anaheim (down from #2)

Mintyukov had a great start to the year with 12 points in his first 21 games. He'd posted 32 hits and 24 blocks while averaging just under 19 minutes per game.

Since then, he missed just over a month with a shoulder injury and has played 22 games. During that stretch, he has two goals, six assists, 29 hits and 20 blocks while averaging just over 17 minutes per game. He has been back in the lineup for three games since he was hurt.

Overall, he has three goals and 17 assists in 43 games, with 61 hits and 44 blocks.

#5 – Connor Zary – F- Calgary (up from #8)

Zary began the year in the AHL and put up 10 points in six games before being recalled by Calgary. He's been with the big club since.

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When we looked at him, he had three goals and six assists in his first 11 games. He was only shooting the puck 1.6/game, so I had mentioned that he might struggle to maintain his production unless he shot more.

Since then, Zary has had nine goals and eight assists in 34 games but is stuck at 1.6 shots per game. His shooting percentage is hovering around 20%.

Overall, Zary has 12 goals and 14 assists on 61 SOG while averaging 15:27 per game. He's on pace for about 40-45 points. I was tempted to have Zary ahead of Cooley, but he's had a bit more support than Cooley so far.

#4 – Logan Cooley – F – Arizona (up from #6)

Cooley had a decent start to his rookie campaign with two goals and 11 assists in his first 20 games, but nine of those points came on the power play.

Since then, he has played 34 games, tallying six goals and eight assists. Just one of those points came on the PP. His shot rate has stayed at 1.6/g, but his faceoff success has dipped from 43.1% to 40.7.

Overall, he has eight goals and 19 assists in 54 games and is on pace for 41 points. I thought he might be a threat for 50-60 points at the start of the year if not a little bit more.

#3 – Marco Rossi – F – Minnesota (no change)

Since we last looked at Rossi, he has played 35 games, posting eight goals and 11 assists while taking 64 shots on goal. He has seen his shots on goal stay at 1.9/g, while his faceoff success has improved from 42.4 to 44.5. His ice time has gone from 16:13 to 16:43 per game.

Overall, Rossi has 14 goals and 16 assists in 54 games, on pace for 20 goals and 45 points. Not a bad rookie year for a player who had just one assist in his first 22 NHL games.

#2 – Brock Faber – D – Minnesota (up from #4)

When we looked at Faber after his first 19 games, he had a goal, seven assists, 11 hits and 32 blocks while averaging 23:08 per game. I thought he could emerge and finish with 30-35 points and 100 blocks.

Since then, Faber has three goals, 22 assists, 35 hits and 79 blocks while quarterbacking the top unit of the power play and averaging over 26 minutes per game.

Overall, Faber has four goals, 29 assists, 46 hits, 111 blocks and now averages 25:05 per game. He's blown through any expectation I've had after 54 games as a 21-year-old.

If not for Connor Bedard returning from his injury, the Calder would have been Faber's.

#1 – Connor Bedard – F – Chicago (no change)

Bedard started his first 19 games with 10 goals, seven assists, 57 SOG (3.0/g) and even put up 12 hits while averaging 19:33 per night.

In the 20 games after our first look at him, he had five goals and 11 assists before he caught an elbow and broke his jaw. He missed about six weeks and has just returned to the Blackhawks lineup for their past two games, where he had a goal and two assists.

Overall, he now has 16 goals and 20 assists in 41 games (0.88/g), taking 127 SOG (3.1g), posting 29 hits and averaging 19:06 per game.

The only stat that he didn't improve on was faceoffs, which went from 39.9% down to 39.0.

I think the only way Bedard doesn't win the Calder is if he plays less than 55 games this season.

~

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.

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PATRIK LAINE MTL
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JESPER WALLSTEDT MIN
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