There is just a little over a month before the NHL starts its preseason. Teams will hit the ice with a roster doubled its size to see what young prospects or veteran players will make the team. This is a great opportunity for fantasy players to find out which rookies will be playing in the NHL. Last year it was pretty easy to tell which rookies were going to make it or not. Austin Matthews, Patrick Laine, and Matthew Tkachuk were shoo-ins to make their teams. However, there were also players who surprised us and didn’t make their team or didn’t last long if they did — like Jesse Puljujarvi or Pierre-Luc Dubois. We also had a few surprise rookies make their teams like Ryan Dzingel, Jake Guentzel, and Artturi Lehkonen. This week, I’m going to cover what rookies I think will make the NHL this year and give my analysis on whether they will be productive or not. I’ll be breaking this list down by position.
Forwards
Dylan Strome, Arizona Coyotes
Strome was drafted third overall in 2015 and played in seven games for the Coyotes last season, scoring just one point. Strome has shown an elite presence at every stage of his hockey career, scoring 354 points in only 219 games in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), 21 goals in only 27 games in the Memorial Cup tournament, and 16 points in 12 games for Canada at the IIHF World Junior Championship. Look to see him score in the 50-60 point range this season. He will probably slide in as the team’s No. 2 center.
Clayton Keller, Arizona Coyotes
Keller is another weapon waiting to be unleashed for Arizona. In his freshman year at Boston University, he had 45 points in 31 games. He played in three games for the Coyotes last season and scored two points while averaging just over 12 minutes of ice time. Keller will more than likely play on the wing and score within the 30-40 point range. His size could slow him down, as he is only 5-foot-10, 185 pounds, but he should be able to handle the fast pace of the NHL.
Tyson Jost, Colorado Avalanche
[the_ad id=”384″]Tyson Jost could be the surprise rookie this year that comes out of nowhere to challenge for the Calder Trophy. With the Avalanche actively shopping Matt Duchene, Jost could slide in as the No. 2 center in an offensively weak Colorado lineup. With this lineup, Jost should see a lot of minutes and power-play time, giving him loads of opportunity to score points. In his freshman year at the University of North Dakota, he had 35 points in 33 games, and there is no reason why he can’t score 40-50 points at the NHL level. The only thing holding him back from more would be subpar linemates.
Joel Eriksson Ek, Minnesota Wild
Eriksson Ek made a stellar debut in his short stint last year with the Wild. In 15 games, he scored seven points with four goals. Look for him get more ice time and probably slot in as team’s No. 3 center now that Martin Hanzel has signed with Dallas. He will probably be stuck behind Mikko Koivu and Eric Staal on the depth chart but could still get top six minutes. Look for him to score in the 40-50 point range.
Brock Boeser, Vancouver Canucks
Brock Boeser is another top prospect out of the NCAA. In 32 games with North Dakota, he scored 34 points. Like Jost, he has a chance to show his talent at the NHL level. In nine games with Vancouver last season, Boeser scored five points, four of them goals. He is big and strong and looks to be a top-six forward next season. He’s also a perfect playing partner for Bo Horvat. If he is aligned with Horvat, look for Boeser score 45-55 points.
Defensemen
Charlie McAvoy, Boston Bruins
Charlie McAvoy could very well win the Calder this year and help resurge a struggling Boston Bruins defense. McAvoy didn’t play a regular season game last year but made his mark in the playoffs against the Ottawa Senators. In just six games, McAvoy notched three assists and averaged 26 of ice time while playing on the team’s top pairing. Like Keller, he is a Boston University alum and scored 25 points in 37 games as a freshman. He should get top pairing minutes, which will give him around 25 minutes per night. With power-play time, you should see him score in the 35-45 point range.
Julius Honka, Dallas Stars
Honka was poised to be a top four defenseman for the Dallas Stars last year, but an upper body injury put him out of the lineup. He managed to suit up for only 16 games but made the most of it and scored five points. He did, however, excel for Dallas’ minor league team, scoring 31 points in 50 games and showing he can play and succeed at the pro level. Honka should get top-four minutes and power-play time, but he will more likely score around 30 points.
Mikhail Sergachev, Tampa Bay Lightning
Sergachev was a huge prospect for the Montreal Canadiens … at least until they decided to trade him to Tampa Bay for Jonathan Drouin this offseason. Sergachev is touted to be a top defenseman in the NHL and could be a perfect fit with Victor Hedman to pour some offensive life into the Tampa defense. I don’t see Tampa keeping him in the minors any longer, especially with the season Anton Stralman had last year. Look for him to get 25-35 points in his first season.
Goalies
Juuse Saros, Nashville Predators
Juuse Saros is probably the only rookie goalie that will get any significant playing time next year. In 21 games for the Predators last year, he had a 10-8-3 record with a 2.35 GAA and a .923 save percentage. Saros is the future in Nashville, and with Pekka Renne getting older and at times struggling, look for Saros play 30-plus games this year. He has a stellar save percentage, and with the team the Preds have put together, he could get 20 wins.
Other names to keep an eye on for the upcoming season include Sonny Milano, LW, Columbus; Jakub Varana, LW/RW, Washington; Thomas Chabot, D, Ottawa; Ryan Pulock, D NYI; John Gillies, G, Calgary; and Thatcher Demko, G, Vancouver.