A Look at Likely Top Rookies for the 2024-25 NHL Season

Hey all and let's talk about rookies heading into this season.
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[@thesacreda9033]

I imagine if Zelleweger didnt play 26 games last year, he would be at least considered a dark horse for the Calder

[@HexagonalMan6]

Can't wait to finally see Wright play a full NHL season. I think he's gonna end up being a solid top 6 guy for us.

[@vdac1068]

Good luck

[@efaanshyper]

@@vdac1068 LMAOOO

[@MNWildFan57]

Wallstedt put up solid numbers on that atrocious Iowa Wild team. I have no doubt he will perform if given a chance at the NHL level.

[@guapdad69420]

That and he has "wall" in his name, how can he not be good?

[@MNWildFan57]

@@guapdad69420 exactly

[@Serenessl1994]

Next year the net is his to lose

[@kaz6854]

@@Serenessl1994what u mean the net is his lmao they have Gustavsson and Fleury before him

[@Sabresenthusiast]

Jiri Kulich I think deserves a little bit more credit then what’s been given to him this offseason

[@zcohen17]

Amazing Stars have two elite rookies while being annual cup contenders

[@Deadmanwolfpac93]

Honorable mention to Mackie Samoskevich, first round pick from 21' for the Panthers, who will likely play right wing on Lundell's line. Good playmaking ability from what I've seen in the AHL and college.

[@gTuya11]

He has a great shot. That is projected to be his best skill. Lundell was rolling once he had a great shot on his right wing (Vlady). I have a great feeling Lundell will be 60+ points and mackie will get 20 goals or more

[@neatmike7184]

If anyones an honourable mention it’s Brad lambert

[@EveryTimeIDavid]

@@neatmike7184he won’t get in this year. If McGroarty and Perfetti couldn’t get a shot at top 6 minutes, Lambert won’t either.

[@neatmike7184]

@@EveryTimeIDavid tell me you don’t know anything about the jets without telling me. Read the new reports on rutger. That was never the reason he wanted out, it was the reason he wouldn’t go to other teams. He wanted out bc “the jersey didn’t feel right” which sounds fake but is somehow true. And did you just say perfetti won’t be top6? 😂

[@GeorgeLahey420]

mcgroarty? Has a chance to play with Sid

[@christopheralbanese6689]

Was thinking that too. Probably one of the next guys that would make the board. But it’s uncertain if he’ll play on the 1st or 3rd line. And he probably won’t get PP1 time

[@GeorgeLahey420]

@christopheralbanese6689 I think it's either top 6 or ahl for him, waste of his development if he's only playing 6 mins a night, if he can stay on sids line I can seem him being a dark horse

[@xoanone]

give him 1 game against winnipeg and he's being carted off the ice

[@GeorgeLahey420]

@@xoanone 🤣 doubt that

[@andybeyer2230]

@@christopheralbanese6689 Have you seen our power play? The zamboni guy has a shot at pp1

[@stacanator]

Now that McGroarty has gone to the Pens and has the chance to possibly play with either Crosby or Malkin, I think he could absolutely be in the running.

[@zrproductions6469]

I could be wrong but I’m pretty sure since Shane Wright played more than 6 games in the last two seasons he’s no longer considered a rookie.

[@NotTHEColinDoyle]

from what i can find, it's not a combined total just individual season, but he did play 8 games in each of the last 2 years so i think you may still be right that he's not considered a rookie

[@genericchannel5899]

Sticking with the Wild, Oghren could be a surprise competitor for Calder this season. He looked like he fit in as a Top 6 winger in his 4 games last season, and he is a big body with a wicked shot. There's a lot of guys on several teams with good opportunities to backfill for injuries and suddenly show what they're about when they're getting top minutes and maybe PP2 time, though. I'm sure folks who are more familiar with their own teams will have their eyes on other guys like that.

[@TwoManAdvantage]

Hi Hockey Guy! Love the list, would love to see McGroarty sneak in, but that's me being delusional. I have a feeling it's Michkov's to lose.

[@martyboddy5965]

Liam Ohgren is my wild card pick. Im very Wild biased though

[@phillytheflyerable]

Solid guy, leader

[@TheDjcorey19]

I'm a Sens fan but I can't help but love the Wilds prospect pool. One more year of cap hell and the rest of the league better watch out

[@Kevin-qg2vs]

This is a crazy good year for rookies compared to some of the last few we’ve had

[@Bowman1999]

Look out for Shane Wright this year. My dark horse for ROY the Sabres Noah Ostlund.

[@neatmike7184]

Brad lambert.

[@chrisstorment1123]

@Bowman1999 Wright is gonna surprise alot of people this season

[@joesutherland508]

@@Bowman1999 Wright is ineligible for ROY (back to back 8 game seasons).

[@Azgoon69]

I would add Conor Geekie on that list, there's a spot available on the second line in Tampa so he could get a lot of ice time and play with some elite offensive players

[@WilliamBonney-gl2qf]

Excited to see the Sharks this upcoming season 🦈

[@TheDjcorey19]

I think Stankoven is the sleeper here. He's got a better team around him compared to the others

[@CoachBeck]

For me he’s the favourite until some of the others prove themselves. His game translated so well to the nhl.

[@jakeaaron]

Shane Wright isn't Calder eligible. But that might be good since it takes that pressure off. He's looked great though.

[@zZach___]

Cutter and Leo going to dance like Kariya and Teemu

[@matthewkabel6246]

So pumped for those two

[@Flash___]

Absolutely stacked rookie class

[@stevesmart170]

I might be biased, but as a longshot, Frank Nazar. While most insiders think he will start the season in Rockford, and about half think he'll be there most of the year; 2C is open, and if he shows up in camp and forces the issue, something about this kid makes me think he could be special. Or I'm just dreaming of back to back to back Calders with Bedard, Nazar, and Levshunov. 😊

[@TheDjcorey19]

Not that much of a long shot. I can see him getting time with Bedard. Good call

[@sharkhaos_probably]

The fact that San Jose has two possible Calder contenders is incredible

[@Staxxx23]

What a time to be a sharks fan

[@rileymehok2913]

3* players……

[@voightkampffchamp]

Will Smith enters the chat

[@darkwisher831]

3 players lol

[@robertevans00]

3!

[@christhornycroft3686]

Jonathan Lekkerimaki could be a sleeper pick. It's unlikely he makes the team out of camp, but if he does and he finds chemistry on the top 2 lines, he could be one to watch. He's a sniper.

[@leftcoaster67]

Got to make the team first though.

[@TheDjcorey19]

He's a wild card. It's boom or bust and nothing in between

[@by-rc3nl]

Cannot wait to see Hutson play a full season! Go Habs Go!

[@heyitsbranigan]

Brennan Othman, if he gets the minutes could be the Faber

[@SFLET-up9ll]

He has been playing RW. So he should be with Kreider, and Mika. Hopefully he can get them going 5v5.

[@Marvio12]

I'll say Stankoven takes the calder. His skill and compete level were super high in the games he played! He also pretty much has the most NHL experience a calder eligible player can possibly have. Oh, and he will be on a top team and have talented line mates. Wouldn't be surprised to see him go off and reach a point per game

[@Melitonen]

No Brad Lambert from Winnipeg? He was 2nd most points for a rookie in the AHL only behind Stankoven

[@lanemars]

Brad lambert realistically doesn't stand a chance against celebrini interesting name to bring up but he just not gonna be there

[@meatball-kr1jf]

I think the problem is that Lambert probably isn't going to get a bunch of ice time

[@Melitonen]

@@meatball-kr1jf from what I hear, he’s likely going to get a shot at 2C this year since they lost Monohan

[@matthewkilbride1669]

Wolf played one game two seasons ago and 17 less season. You have to play 6 or more in both of two different seasons

[@rileymehok2913]

Really like this topic for a video, great work. As a greedy American, I wouldn’t mind if you did 20-30 guys. These young guys are so good and there’s so many of them that can impact their teams.

[@brAnd7onX87]

Agreed there are a few that could end up being top 3 of calder list that aren't even listed or talked about.

[@rileymehok2913]

As a wild fan, I’m big on Liam Ohgren. If he takes the 2nd line LW spot, he will put up a good amount of goals just because Zuccerello is an unreal facilitator and playmaker. Combine that with his very ready NHL shot and strength 😮

[@bradschultz1011]

Tons of good rookies this year.

[@gregbayers7214]

I would like to see Askarov win the Calder

[@parkersmith-gp9xb]

If Stankhoven gets on the top PP unit with Dallas this year. He’ll win this for sure. Dallas will be one of the top teams this year . And if Stanky plays a major role (which I expect) , he’ll be the front runner for this award

[@neatmike7184]

No Brad lambert???

[@GrandTomah]

If Dvorsky makes the blues roster out of camp (looks like that is unlikely to happen), I think he could be a darkhorse for the calder. His junior projection and stats are right in like with wyatt johnstons’ numbers in the past. He would have a stronger team to come into than other rookies on rebuilding teams because the blues are fringe playoffs right now. It’s unlikely we see that this year but if we do that’s my 2 cents on it

[@CruelUnknown]

Sharks on the white board at the top 🙏🏻😭

[@chrisramsteck5866]

I like that Skanea guy out of Vancouver

[@wolfdreams1545]

Who?

[@tripsaplenty1227]

Stank Oven is one of my favorite hockey names.

[@aronbrown9411]

I think Kovalenko is a super Dark Horse Calder pick. He really isn't getting much love. On the top 6 he could really surprise. Oddly on a few sites such as Pokerstars for example Silovs isn't even listed? Could Doan be another dark Horse pick?

[@andrewburney8075]

I'm surprised Wright isn't even listed in the top 10, I feel like people have forgotten about him, but him being a year or 2 older may give him an advantage

[@andersnilsson8303]

This is one of the rookie qualification rules: "To be considered a rookie, a player must not have played in more than 25 NHL games in any preceding seasons, nor in six or more NHL games in each of any two preceding seasons". Wright played 8 games each in 22/23 and 23/24, so he's not eligible.

[@NeptuneTowers]

That young man in Pittsburgh wearing #87 seems to be in good form too.

[@otakumusprime7745]

I'm super excited for Stankoven and Borque. Stanky with Robo and Hintz, Borque with Johnston and Benn? Or both of them with Benn and Johnston on the top line? Stars are LOADED.

[@CoachBeck]

Stankoven is the safest pick. For my off the board rookie I’m going with Riley Heidt. If he makes the team out of camp which is likely and he goes on a run they’ll keep him around. He can produce points as well as any of the guys on this list.

[@thepivotguy1123]

Great content as usual Shannon!

[@chrisbelos2834]

a great rookie class this year. the michkov-celebrini rivalry begins, shane wright not far behind. this could be a epic calder race and not just one obvious winner

[@dvnd17]

Maybe I’m biased but could definitely see Joshua Roy of the Habs maybe not winning but being in the conversation for the Calder. Not as flashy as these guys but produces wherever he plays and should get top 9 maybe even top 6 minutes on the Habs aswell as PP

[@modeisin7]

Someone in Dallas will either win or be 2nd by probably not a lot.

[@uploaded1972]

Easton Cowan? why on earth would he not be on the list?

[@andrewgreen815]

You said it, rookies are so hard to predict prior to the training camp. This is a good list. I like Celebrini to win the Calder Cup this season.

[@fubartotale3389]

Really going out on a limb there eh?

[@ThomB1031]

Cutter has the opportunity for sure. He'll have the talent around him to perform. It will be interesting to watch. I can see the Ducks make a jump in the standings if Cutter hits his stride quickly.

[@cmz5847]

Who?

[@Breathtaker5000]

no idea

[@ThomB1031]

Welcome to the chat Philly fans?

[@joesutherland508]

I’m fairly certain Shane Wright is ineligible. He’s had back to back seasons of 8gp at the NHL level. I believe the threshold is 6gp. Here are a couple of honourable mentions: Maxim Tsyplakov NYI Ryan Leonard WAS Ivan Miroshnichenko WAS Danil Gushchin SJS Jiri Kulich BUF Matt Savoie EDM

[@neatmike7184]

Dude the number one guy that wasn’t mentioned in the video is by far Brad lambert… to leave him off an honourable mentions list????

[@joesutherland508]

@@neatmike7184Don’t be sad, bro. Here: …and Brad Lambert. Fixed!

[@neatmike7184]

@@joesutherland508 wasn’t sad was just pointing out a bad miss.

[@joesutherland508]

@@mannyoliveira776 Lohrei is ineligible. 41gp last year. 25 is the cutoff. Nice list, otherwise! Dvorsky in STL could cause some noise, too

[@neatmike7184]

@@mannyoliveira776 why do u resend this everyday man I keep getting notifications for it

[@martinst-amour331]

I thought the rule was if the player starts the season with less than 40GP they are eligible for the Calder

[@TheHockeyGuy]

Nope, 40 games is the threshold to burning a year of a player's career before they can become a UFA.

[@Somethingsomethingmorbid0]

I think this will be a stong year for rookie goalies (not mentioning levi even tho this should be his calder season) askarov, wolf, wallstedt, jet greaves silovs will all show their worth. Big fan of all of them

[@Meh661]

Will Nikishin come over ? It’s fun when dman wins it.

[@SFLET-up9ll]

Sleeper, Rangers, Brennan Othmann should be on the line playing RW with Kreider and Mika.

[@shaman2384]

I'd pick Stankoven or Kovalenko for reason mentioned in the video.

[@bespoketoke]

You know what I love to see? Two BU and two BC players on this list, both teams beaten in the semis/finals respectively by the 23/24 Denver Pioneers on their way to yet another NCAA title 😋 3 players from that roster attended Avs development camp in the off-season: Sean Behrens (two time champion and a very solid defensemen looking to join a franchise that has stockpiled quality D men as of late) and Matt Davis (tender who posted a .979% in the tourney including a shutout against BC with some some Hasek style slinky saves to close out the finals). I’m excited to see more DU pipelined players making an NHL impact like Terry, LOC and Stastny have.

[@shoeshine2914]

I believe Wright has played too many games to be Calder eligible.

[@rickyaz8640]

@@ryanlauzon177messed up here. 2 seasons of 6 games makes him ineligible

[@shoeshine2914]

@@ryanlauzon177played 8 games each in 2 seasons. Limit is 6.

[@SHAAAAAAAAAARKS]

He’s not eligible. Same thing happened to William Eklund last year…his first full season in the league, less than 26 games played, but already played 9 games in 2 consecutive seasons. Doesn’t seem right.

[@chrisstorment1123]

Wright isn't a rookie, not eligible for the calder Shouldn't be in this video. I wouldn't have put the player the kraken drafted in this video either. He's going to be a non factor, probably a waste of a #8 .

[@bsfm6990]

No samoskevich?

[@neatmike7184]

If there’s on he missed it’d be Brad lambert

[@TylerMorganShow]

Jagr coming over was huge, he's one of the best players of all time, who was drafted before him?

[@ab-ij8yo]

Simon Edvinsson. Big (6'6") (210+lbs.) left side defenseman 25 games of NHL experience over the last 2 seasons.

[@b1ackm4gic]

I don't think he's eligible anymore

[@xsamoax5]

@@b1ackm4gic Correct, he's not eligible.

[@Cacuna]

You need to do points to win this trophy and hes not offensive enought

[@michaelb4590]

Knock on Michkov was also no interest in playing defense. Issues about coach ability

[@guidovalenti4986]

Logan Stankoven

[@JeikobuNippon]

I couldn’t remember which organization Will Smith belonged to, and when I saw the Philadelphia logo there, I really hoped that was it. Would’ve been perfect! 😂

[@JarradBruessel32]

I hope one day he gets traded to philly... just would make it that much better.

[@sirfish9824]

Michkov future all time great

[@CC-of5xl]

I wonder about Savoie. He more than likely gets little or no ice time but if any player goes down with injury all of a sudden he gets a chance with Mcdavid or Draisaitl. Depending on deployment he could be on a 3rd line with RNH and Henrique playing soft matchups

[@kurtwpg]

I think sending Wright down to not burn a year is a mistake, and doing that is usually a mistake. Aside from possible hurt feelings, which some fans will say who cares, that's a more minor issue anyhow. The thing is, a 23 year old with lots of time to develop is likely to want a bigger number than a 22 year old who hasn't shown as much. Look at Tage Thompson. On his second contract Buffalo got 93 goals out of him for a grand total of $4.2 million. I mean yes, he's a guy who would have commanded a big number two years later, not one, but he demonstrates the concept.

[@chrisstorment1123]

@kurtwpg ? He's not playing in the AHL this year. 3rd line center probably.

[@oldhab7890]

I hope Will Smith has a great year. I really wanted the Habs to draft him. Sharks fans should be really excited for the team's future.

[@mikeyyy4111]

Will smith is kind of being pushed aside because of celebrini but I lowkey think hes better than celebrini.

[@matthewkabel6246]

no he's not

[@mikeyyy4111]

@@matthewkabel6246 lol we'll see.

[@peterhoagg4348]

Thoughts on Morgan Geekie with the Bolts? To me they still need either a 2nd line wing or a 3rd line center depending on where Nick Paul slots in. I'd rather see Paul at 3C as it at least gives the 3rd line a chance at having some offence as opposed to the 2 4th lines we seemed to have much of last season. Think Geekie with Cirelli and Hagel could be interesting.

[@joesutherland508]

@@peterhoagg4348 Conor*

[@peterhoagg4348]

@@joesutherland508 I realized my mistake last night just never got back to correct it.

[@heefo]

Shane Wright isn't listed in the Calder odds because he isn't eligible. To be eligible for the Calder you have to not have played 25 games in the NHL in any season (he hasn't) and ALSO not have played 6 or more games in any of the two preceding seasons. Wright played 8 games in 22-23, and 8 games in 23-24, thus he lost his eligibility.

[@JevonSwallow]

Might be my bias coming thru, but very surprised Easton Cowan is t somewhere lower on the board, has a chance to be linemates with either Marner or Nylander, get some PP2 time and maybe some PK time depending on how he does at Center

[@neatmike7184]

That’s purely your bias coming through

[@michaelpostsstuff9958]

How about Brandt Clarke?

[@tiffanynaidoo2003]

Yeah, Clarke should have been on this list.

[@joesutherland508]

@@michaelpostsstuff9958 Ineligible. (Back to back nhl seasons over 6gp)

[@michaelpostsstuff9958]

@@joesutherland508 I didn’t even realize that was a disqualifying factor. You’re right

[@Scantronimus466]

I think Shelob would have a better chance if he hadn’t let those hobbits pass through Cirith Ungol.

[@Uncle_Troy]

Silovs will probably start most games at the beginning of the season while Demko remains on IR, so he could easily be a dark horse to take the Calder if he steals his share of games for Vancouver. He would be the first Calder Trophy winner who tends the goal since Steve Mason won in 2009.

[@odeszaa]

I'm so damn excited to watch lekkerimakki play in the nhl, I think he has a good change to be a potential 40g scorer with how well he played in the shl as a 19 year old. If not 40g he'd most likely be a 30g scorer, xanucks have great luck with swedes

[@MegaDeioma]

Don't sleep on MARCO KASPER in Detroit

[@christopherharte4741]

McGroarty, if he makes the team, guy plays sullivans style already so Sully will give him the minutes with sid or geno. I am hoping sid because the stuff sid was doing with jakes first two years was hysterical to watch, just get to the net so sid can bounce it off your head behind the goalie

[@tacocruiser4238]

I think Michkov will win. Its easier to jump from the KHL to the NHL than it is from the NCAA to the NHL. Also just factor in that he is older than Celebrini.

[@aceeightyxxi]

Now that McGroarty is gonna make the jump this year he has to be in the conversation especially since Sid could set up a chimpanzee on skates if parked itself in the slot

[@scottpressnail543]

It's a shame that Simon Edvinsson doesn't qualify as a rookie.

[@num93ECBB]

COWBOY 🤠

[@PanthersJDub]

Bradley Nadeau... Call me a homer 🤷

[@Somethingsomethingmorbid0]

Stupid how a 65 year old Michael bunting was calder eligible but even stupider that a what 22 year old devon levi isnt? What

[@shaman2384]

Even the best forwards have horrible plusminus until the mid 20's.

[@LucaC27]

Easton Cowan

[@neatmike7184]

😂😂😂

[@georgemanakis]

@@neatmike7184 OHL Regular Season MVP, OHL Playoff MVP… dudes a beast, don’t be a hater

[@neatmike7184]

@@georgemanakis ya, ohl. Still very impressive what he did but his game won’t translate to the ahl, let alone the nhl. At least not in his first year which takes him out of the calder conversation

[@Vancebauder-f5d]

Ottawas first pick

[@NoRoids_JustRage]

If Frank Nazar is on the Blackhawks roster for next season do not count him out, he will a massive piece for the hawks going forward

[@Cacuna]

Nazar isnt better then mcgoerthy

[@LayneTrayne-s7o]

How would mailoux do next year for Montreal?

[@alexschannel8636]

That all depends, he may still play more in the AHL than the NHL. Even if he is in the NHL all year I'd be astounded if he's in the Calder conversation.

[@jmacallar]

Brennan Othmann maybe…..

[@clobster935]

Wright had three games early in the season on the 4th line and produced nothing. Later, he played five games and had those five points playing on the 2nd line. They can't keep him on the 4th line if they want to see some decent results this season.

[@itscambro1234]

Hi have a good day

[@rickyaz8640]

Wright’s not eligible for the Calder. Hakstol screwed with him when they brought him up in November and wouldn’t play him. One of the reasons Hakstol is gone

[@thekreal8703]

Ritchie the AV Ritchie the AV

[@shawnlewin9057]

Shout out for Othmann for the Rangers.

[@SFLET-up9ll]

Otter🦦

[@sukhpreetsingh4488]

I say Lekkerimaki makes it and wins

[@jimclarence5441]

I really question is Dustin Wolf is going to be a NHL goalie. Think he's gonna be exposed on high shots. Short in statue, butterfly goalies, that a tough go for any goalie. Wish him well though

[@joesutherland508]

@@jimclarence5441 He’s technically brilliant. Basically, he’s Saros 2.0.

[@intenttoinjure]

@@joesutherland508 Great comparison.

[@chrisstorment1123]

B.U. Graduate...lmao. yeah right. Sure these guys are all scholars..😂😂 you're right you definitely just threw some stuff on the board for this one.

[@Mmm.charmeleon]

Lord man relax

[@chrisstorment1123]

@@Mmm.charmeleon ok

[@politicalbandwagon4989]

Salty that you never went to school?

[@chrisstorment1123]

@@politicalbandwagon4989 define school

[@brAnd7onX87]

No mention of Olen Zellweger is disappointing. I could see Zelle put up some numbers especially if he quarterbacks PP1 but we will see.

[@ivantot506]

He played 26 games last year so he is not eligible. But i think him and Minty could combine for over 80 points maybe even 90

[@brAnd7onX87]

@@ivantot506 very odd considering many different calder eligible websites show zellweger being a candidate

[@jonmendelson1104]

"Something the Sharks fans have been screaming for since, it's gotta be 2018 or 2019." It was a long time before that. Pretty much all throughout the 2010s there were talks that the Sharks needed to rebuild.

[@9gangentertainment]

Ahh yes the team that made the finals in the 2010s, multiple conference finals in the 2010s, made the playoffs virtually every year of the 2010’s definitely needed a rebuild

[@jonmendelson1104]

​@@9gangentertainment Yes, there were constant talks of their window closing after the 2011 WCF run.

[@9gangentertainment]

@@jonmendelson1104 well in hindsight whoever was saying that didn’t know what they were talking about considering the points I made in my last comment

[@9gangentertainment]

We were legit right there but unfortunately didn’t win with our main core, now they’re retired/retiring and we’re rebuilding every team goes thru this…Detroit, Toronto, eventually Pittsburgh will have to go thru this too, were people saying Pittsburgh needed to rebuild when they were in heavy contention?😂

[@jonmendelson1104]

@@9gangentertainment In heavy contention, no. However, when teams start to backtrack and their stars are on the older side it is very common. After that 2011 WCF run we barely eked into the playoffs as a seventh seed and were eliminated in five games. That was followed up with a sixth seed in the lockout shortened season where we made it to the second round, then we had a good regular season but were reverse swept in the first round, then we missed the playoffs in 2015. Admittedly we made it to the cup final in 2016, but after a first round elimination followed by missing the playoffs with the star players getting up there in age (Jumbo and Patty in their 36 year old season, Burns and Pokey in their 30 year old season), very few people were predicting that success.