The NHL season is winding down and it has been one for the ages. Players are reaching milestones, scoring is up around the league, the teams are more evenly matched than ever, and the playoff race is closer than it has been in years.
However, the one thing that makes this one of the best seasons in years is the rookie crop. The rookies this year have taken the league by storm and given hope that the new generation will carry this league for years to come.
This rookie class was not drafted together, and they were not even drafted in the same draft year. That is what makes it exciting is the fact that rookies are playing exceptional hockey and that they are from different drafts.
For me, the Calder Trophy winner is Detroit Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider. This kid has everything to win multiple Norris Trophies, be a top-pairing defenseman for years to come, and be one of the best defensemen in the league. Seider is not the only rookie worth a mention as below is my all-rookie team from this year.
Here is my NHL All-Rookie Team for the 2021-22 season.
As mentioned above one of my defensemen is Seider. This kid is a highlight reel every time he is on the ice. He uses his size, 6-foot-4 and 195 pounds, to destroy the opposition with devastating body checks that send the player rows into the seats. His hockey sense is off the charts and he can see a play developing a mile away.
Drafted by Detroit with the sixth pick in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, he has been the Red Wings’ best defenseman since stepping on NHL ice. This season he has 6 goals and 42 assists for 48 points in 78 games, with 32 penalty minutes.
He can on the play power play and penalty kill with the same intensity. A smooth skater, Seider uses his stick defensively to break up plays and gets into passing lanes. He wins the Calder Trophy by a close margin.
The other defenseman is the Los Angeles Kings’ Sean Durzi. Since stepping onto the ice with the Kings he has been amazing. A smaller defenseman, he plays a big, physical game and is not afraid to challenge the biggest players. A good two-way defenseman, he is not afraid to shoot on the power play and takes control of the defensive zone.
The owner of a nice outlet pass, Durzi recognized the play before it starts and therefore gets to a place on the ice before the puck does. Durzi’s best attribute may be that he is very good under pressure and has taken over the number one defenseman in place of the injured Drew Doughty. This season, Durzi has 3 goals and 24 assists for 27 points in 61 games, with 55 penalty minutes.
On offense, no other rookie has been as electrifying as Red Wing’s left-winger Lucas Raymond. Playing on the top line with captain Dylan Larkin, Raymond does not look out of place. A true sniper that Detroit desperately needs, he finds the smallest spaces to score on and can also blast one past the opposing netminder.
Raymond possesses blazing speed, a sneaky shot, is good defensively with an aggressive forecheck, and looks like a veteran.
Dangerous on the power play, Raymond has been very good in his last 11 games, recording 3 goals and 3 assists for 6 points in that span. This season he has 23 goals and 33 assists for 56 points in 78 games.
At center is Florida Panthers phenom Anton Lundell. Drafted twelfth overall in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, he is a solid two-way player who gets his nose dirty and plays a 200-foot game. An underrated passer, he also has a shot that will fool goalies and result in scoring chances.
Lundell always seems to be one step ahead of the play and gets back into the defensive zone with ease. Lundell possesses a heard, yet accurate, shot that he uses with regularity. This season Lundell has appeared in 62 games, recording 18 goals and 25 assists for 43 points.
Montreal Canadians right-winger Cole Caufield rounds out the forwards. Caufield plays his best hockey under pressure, making some of his best plays at the end of the game or while Montreal is playing from behind.
A smaller forward, he makes up for his lack of size by playing a big man’s game. Caufield can score big goals with the best of them and is a pure goal scorer. He uses his pinpoint accurate shot mostly on the power play, a situation where he has become quite dangerous. This season Caufield has 19 goals and 20 assists for 39 points in 63 games.
Vegas Golden Knights netminder Logan Thompson takes the last spot. Although he has not appeared in many games, those games he has played in he has been spectacular.
Thompson is a young goaltender taking the starter’s job in a pressure situation and filling in for starter Robin Lehner is no easy task. He thrives on seeing a lot of pucks, he is mentally focused and reads the play well.
In his last 10 games, Thompson has given up 21 goals and has a save % of.932. With strong side-to-side motion and giving up few rebounds, Thompson has shown he can take control of the Vegas net. This season he has a record of 9-5 with a 2.56 GAA and a save % of .920 in 15 games. He has played so well that Vegas might want to see about shopping Lehner.
The NHL season is winding down, and the rookies this year have taken the league by storm.