This week, we are going to look at the rookies in the Western Conference and check out how they are doing. Are they playing well, getting regular minutes, getting power play time or are they in over their heads, playing on the fourth line with under 10 minutes per game?

We are only going to include rookies who have played at least five games and are still in the NHL.

Beckett Sennecke (F) (19.7 years of age) – Anaheim

Sennecke was the surprise 3rd overall pick in the 2024 draft. He's fit in reasonably well in his first eight NHL games with three goals and two assists. He's averaged 17:21 per game and has produced four points at even strength and one point (a goal) on the power play. He's had 11 hits and 14 shots on goal. He's not shying away from being involved.

He has played with Mason McTavish 83.6% of the time at even strength so far, and played on the power play 28.5% of the time. He has struggled a bit defensively, which is something he'll have to clean up to remain in the top-six for the rest of 2025-26.

He is ineligible to play in the AHL in 2025-26.

Samuel Honzek (F) (20.9) – Calgary

Honzek has one assist in eight games while averaging 12:22 per game. He's had 17 hits and 12 shots on goal, so he has been involved but has yet to produce much. He's played with Mikael Backlund and Blake Coleman 61.6% of the time at even strength, so there has been some opportunity for him.

He's holding his own, it would appear, but the Flames didn't draft him 18th overall in 2023 to be a third or fourth liner.

Zayne Parekh (D) (19.6) – Calgary

The Flames are playing it slow and steady with Parekh in 2025-26 at even strength, which was to be expected.. He's averaged 15:53 in eight games and has produced one assist (a secondary one on the power play).

He's received 38.6% of the time on the power play but did see 59.2% against Edmonton and 57.8% against the NY Rangers. His time as the quarterback on the first unit might have arrived.

Sam Rinzel (D) (21.3) – Chicago

Rinzel began the 2025-26 campaign as the quarterback on the first unit of the Chicago power play. After nine games, he remains there (64.3%), but he has no power play points of his three points so far. He's averaged 20:38 per game and has 11 hits and 13 blocks.

Artyom Levshunov (D) (19.9) – Chicago

Levshunov has averaged 14:59 per game with a season high of 17:02. He has two assists, 11 hits and two blocks in eight games. He has seen power play time at 35.4% while he has played and has one power play assist.

His PDO sits at 111.1, which could tell us that he's lucky to have a plus/minus of three.

In the 18 games he played in 2024-25, he averaged over 20 minutes per game. I would expect him to get back up there at some point this year.

Colton Dach (F) (22.8) – Chicago

Dach had an impressive 25 games in 2024-25 with Chicago, where he put up two goals, five assists and 86 hits while averaging 12:08 per game.

In 2025-26, he has two assists and 38 hits in nine games while averaging 13:30 per game. He's getting some third-line minutes, and if he continues to play physically while being defensively responsible, he should remain a regular in the Chicago lineup.

Ryan Greene (F) (22.0) – Chicago

Greene was the Blackhawk's 57th overall pick in 2022, and after three years at Boston University, he turned pro at the end of 2024-25.

He's had a goal in nine games on two shots on goal while averaging 11:35 per game. He's won 32 faceoffs (49.2%), which makes him one of the better Blackhawks in that department.

The lack of production and opportunity is a concern for his ability to remain in the NHL as a regular. He's going to have to create a little more offense.

Gavin Brindley (F) (21.0) – Colorado

Brindley has one goal in ten games, while averaging just 8:54 per game. His season high is 11:17, but mostly he has been stuck on the fourth line and not had any significant power play time (7.9%).

Colorado has very little depth in the AHL, so even though Brindley had just 17 points in 52 AHL games in 2024-25, he's at or near the top of their forward depth chart for AHL call-ups. He had 25 goals and 28 assists in 40 games with the University of Michigan in 2023-24, so there are obviously some good skills with him, but will they be enough with his lack of size in the NHL? He is still very young.

Zakhar Bardakov (F) (24.6) – Colorado

Bardakov has dressed for five games with the Avalanche in 2025-26 and has one assist, while averaging just 6:00 per game. His season high is 8:11.

He played 2024-25 in the KHL, where he had 17 goals and 18 assists in 53 games. The Avalanche are a fairly top-heavy forward lineup, so there aren't many minutes for the fourth line in some games. He will likely need some injuries in the lineup to get a few more minutes.

Ilya Solovyov (D) (25.2) – Colorado

Solovyov was picked up by Colorado on waivers from the Calgary Flames at the start of 2025-26.

In seven games with the Avalanche has no points, eight hits and eight blocks while averaging 11:55 per game. He's filled the role of a 7th defender, which might be his ceiling in the NHL.

Justin Hryckowian (F) (24.6) – Dallas

Hryckowian has played eight games for Dallas in 2025-26 and is pointless so far, with 13 hits, while averaging 8:44 per game. His season-high is 11:23.

There is some hope that, after he put up 60 points in 67 AHL games in 2024-25 that he might produce some points in the NHL as well. It will be a tough go to produce in the minutes he has been allocated to this point. He is capable of playing above the fourth line.

Isaac Howard (F) (21.5) – Edmonton

Howard was acquired in a trade with the Tampa Bay Lightning this past offseason. Howard left Michigan State University after the Oilers signed him and turned pro for 2025-26. In 2024-25, at Michigan State, he had 26 goals and 26 assists in 37 games.

Expectations were perhaps a little high for the NHL in 2025-26, as he has played nine games, with one goal on 10 shots on goal, while averaging 10:09 per game.

The Oilers are a top-heavy forward group, and it is hard to produce points outside of the top six. Howard might be better served with 20-30 games at the AHL level sooner rather than later.

Matt Savoie (F) (21.8) – Edmonton

Savoie was the 9th overall pick in 2022 by the Buffalo Sabres and subsequently traded to Edmonton.

He has played 10 games in 2025-26 and put up one assist and 12 shots on goal while averaging 13:24 per game.

He's received a little more opportunity than Howard so far, but has produced almost the same. Savoie's overall game is probably a little better than Howard’s, but it will be interesting to see which forward is sent to the AHL when Zach Hyman is healthy in a week or two.

Zeev Buium (D) (19.8) – Minnesota

Offensively, Buium has been impressive as the quarterback on the first unit of the power play with five power play points in 10 games. In the Wild's past two games, he was not the quarterback on the first unit, but was moved to the second unit. Overall, he has two goals, six assists (64-point pace) and 15 shots on goal, while playing 20:01 per game.

The Wild aren't going to give the role to Buium, especially as they struggle to put up wins. I think he's too good to be a Calen Addison 2.0, but I don't think he's going to put up 50-60 points as a rookie either. He will get there, though.

Danila Yurov (F) (21.8) – Minnesota

Yurov has played eight games and put up one goal on five shots on goal while averaging just 9:45 per game.

He was the 24th overall pick in 2022 and played in the KHL in 2024-25 where he had 13 goals and 12 assists in 46 games.

He could use some games in the AHL if he isn't going to see more than 10 minutes per night.

Adam Wilsby (D) (25.2) – Nashville

Wilsby played 23 games for the Predators in 2024-25 and had a goal, four assists, 18 hits and 17 blocks while averaging 18:06 per game.

He's become a regular in 2025-26, playing in all ten games, with two assists, four hits, seven blocks and averaging 19:02. He's had four games above 20 minutes.

It will be interesting to see who comes out of the lineup when Roman Josi is back and healthy, now that Nicolas Hague is back.

Ozzy Wiesblatt (F) (23.6) – Nashville

Wiesblatt has played seven games in 2025-26 with two assists and 19 hits while averaging 10:42 per night. He looks like he wants to stay in the NHL and become a regular.

He put himself back on the prospect map in 2024-25 with 40 points in 65 AHL games. He might never live up to being a 1st-round pick (31st overall in 2020), but he can sure be a regular in the NHL.

Michael Misa (F) (18.6) – San Jose

I'm not sure why the Sharks brought Misa so slowly along at the start of 2025-26, other than to string along the nine-game window, but he has now played five NHL games and has a goal and two assists while averaging 12:22 per game. All three points have come at even strength, even though he has played 35.3% on the power play.

I think the Sharks will still be very careful with him, but he might have forced his way into being a regular in the short term, even though he can't be sent to the AHL in 2025-26.

Sam Dickinson (D) (19.3) – San Jose

In seven NHL games, Dickinson is pointless with five hits and five blocks while averaging 14:20 per game. The Sharks are giving him nine games, but I think they will send him back to the OHL as he might not be ready for the NHL, with the AHL not an option in 2025-26.

Vincent Iorio (D) (22.9) – San Jose

Iorio was picked up by the Sharks on waivers from the Washington Capitals earlier in the season. In six games with San Jose, he is pointless, with three hits and six blocks while averaging 16:20 per game.

He's likely going to be a 7th defender who they will keep on the roster to cover for injuries to Mukhamadullin and Klingberg.

Jani Nyman (F) (21.2) – Seattle

Nyman played 12 games in 2024-25 with the Kraken and impressed with three goals and three assists. I thought he would have a tougher time in 2025-26 in making the team, but he proved me wrong and has three goals on nine shots on goal in nine games. He's averaged 10:40 per game with 24.4% of time on the power play.

He will need to earn more ice time and shoot the puck more to cement a role on this team as a regular. He's a top-six player or bust in my opinion, but he can sure shoot the puck.

Berkly Catton (F) (19.7) – Seattle

There is no AHL option for Catton, so he will need to be sent back to the WHL if the Kraken elect to do that after nine games.

He has two assists, is a plus-three and has seven shots on goal while averaging 13:18 per game.  Both of his assists were secondary.

Seattle could stretch this out to the full nine-game look as Catton has been good in his games. Could he stick for the full season? Possibly, but unlikely. The Kraken have Jared McCann and Frederick Gaudreau to slot into the forwards when they return.

Jimmy Snuggerud (F) (21.4) – St. Louis

Snuggerud is near the top of the pack for 2025-26 rookies. He has three goals and three assists in eight games on 18 shots on goal. He's averaging 14:03 per game with 39.5% of time on the power play.

He could approach 45-55 points this year.

Logan Mailloux (D) (22.5) – St. Louis

Mailloux was acquired from the Montreal Canadiens for Zack Bolduc in the off-season, and expectations were a little high for Mailloux coming into St. Louis.

In five games, he is pointless, a minus-nine and has averaged just 12:24. I think he needs some time in the AHL to get 15-20 games under his belt, with increased responsibility.

Dmitri Simashev (D) (20.7) – Utah

Simashev was the 6th overall pick in 2023 and played 2024-25 in the KHL, where he had a goal and five assists in 56 games.

He's played 10 games for Utah in 2025-26 and has no points, two hits and 11 blocks while averaging 15:05.

He appears to be holding his own defensively, but he might be on the bubble to get more playing time in the AHL or stay as a 6th defender for this year.

Yaroslav Askarov (G) (23.3) – San Jose

Askarov has had a tough start to 2025-26 with a record of 1-3-1, a save percentage of 85.5 and a GSAA of negative 6.48.

He'd probably have to continue to play at this level for the next five or six starts before the Sharks start to panic a little and think about his AHL options.

It's not all on him, of course, as the Sharks are not a defensive juggernaut.

Linus Karlsson (F) (25.9) – Vancouver

Karlsson played 23 games in 2024-25 with the Canucks and had three goals and three assists on 28 shots on goal while averaging 10:56 per game.

He has played seven games in 2025-26 with two assists, while averaging 9:03 per game. The difference in playing time is perhaps the difference between the coaching of Rick Tocchet and Adam Foote and their allotment for the fourth line.

Karlsson is a pretty steady presence who can provide some offense from time to time. I think he will stick as a regular but might see some healthy scratches.

Nikita Chibrikov (F) (22.6) – Winnipeg

This is the first time in the NHL that Chibrikov has struggled to put up points. He had one point in one game in 2023-24 and three points in four games in 2024-25. Three of the four points were goals.

He has played five games with the Jets in 2025-26 and is pointless on just two shots on goal while averaging 9:42 per game. It's a tough scenario for offensive players like Chibrikov and Brad Lambert to make an impression in the NHL with so little ice time. It's a little Catch-22ish.

Thanks very much for reading. If you have any comments or suggestions, please let me know in the comments or on Twitter @gampbler15.