Can Macklin Celebrini And His Fellow NHL Rookies Sustain Their Hot Starts?

Will the NHL's Calder Trophy stay in North Vancouver for another year?

As one of the pre-season favorites to be named NHL rookie of the year, Macklin Celebrini put his best foot forward in his NHL debut. Deployed as a second-line center and playing on both special teams, the 18-year-old chipped in a goal and an assist in his first real game in teal, although the San Jose Sharks fell to the Vegas Golden Knights by a 4-2 score on Sunday.

Like Connor Bedard last year, Celebrini is set to play this entire season as an 18-year-old — his birthday isn’t until June. And since there many not be many other 2024 draft picks who will crack NHL lineups, most of his competition is going to be older — either a little, or a lot.

Matvei Michkov will turn 20 in December. He’s an NHL pro for the first time, while also making the big cultural adjustment from life in Russia. Michkov showed some great vision and skill with his two assists in the Philadelphia Flyers’ season-opening 6-2 win over the Washington Capitals on Sunday, but he's in a very different position from his two countrymen who have won the Calder during the last decade.

Kirill Kaprizov, the 2021 winner, played his rookie year with the Minnesota Wild at 23, five years after he was drafted. In 2015, Artemi Panarin won as an undrafted 24-year-old.

And while it was 18-year-old Carter Yakemchuk who drew most of the attention on the Ottawa Senators for his spectacular overtime goal on Sunday, a pair of 24-year-old rookies from his team also had very big nights, with four points each. Sixth-round pick Cole Reinhardt and summer trade acquisition Jan Jenik probably both earned themselves at least a longer look in camp with their productive debuts under Travis Green.

Is their production sustainable? Probably not. But when there’s a new coach in the house, that can mean new opportunities.

In net, two young goalies also got off to good starts in their first games. Two-time AHL goalie of the year Dustin Wolf underwhelmed in his 17 games with the Calgary Flames last season. This year, he got off to a great start by stopping 33 of 34 Seattle Kraken shots on the road on Sunday. Now 23, the door is open for him to grab the No. 1 job with the big club if he’s up to the task.

Meanwhile, at 21, first-round pick Jesper Wallstedt is younger, more pedigreed — and still waiver-exempt for two more seasons. He was dazzling in a 38-save road performance against the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday. Even though Marc-Andre Fleury and Filip Gustavsson are ahead of him in Minnesota, GM Bill Guerin has said that he’s open to carrying three goalies, at least at times, if that’s what’s best for the Wild.

But it’s very rare for goalies to win the Calder — perhaps in part because it’s so tough to parlay a great debut into a strong long-term career. Stuart Skinner had a pretty good case two years ago, but the award went to Matty Beniers. The last puck-stopper to actually take home the Calder was Steve Mason, who was with the Columbus Blue Jackets back in 2008-09.

Defensemen don't win much, either. Cale Makar took home the Calder in 2020; before that, it was Aaron Ekblad in 2015 and Tyler Myers in 2010.

But the Montreal Canadiens have high hopes for waterbug Lane Hutson — the hyper-skilled 20-year-old who has defied expectations at every level. 

If there's such a thing as an 'experienced rookie,' that title would go to Logan Stankoven of the Dallas Stars. 

Undersized but with the heart of a lion, he maintains his rookie status thanks to 24 regular-season games played last season. Two more would have taken him out of Calder contention.

But Stankoven played quality minutes in Dallas, in a top-six role and on the power play. He added another 19 games of valuable playoff experience before the Stars were eliminated by the Edmonton Oilers, averaging more than 16 minutes a game.

On a very good team with Stanley Cup aspirations, Stankoven has all but cemented an effective roster spot. Because he's still technically a rookie, he should be able to sidestep the dreaded sophomore slump. Right?

Stankoven has been visible in the Stars' first two pre-season games. In Dallas's 2-1 win over the St. Louis Blues on Saturday, he was held off the scoresheet but fired an incredible nine shots on goal.

Then, facing the Colorado Avalanche on Monday night, he made a sharp play to feed Lian Bichsel for a buzzer-beating game-winner.

If he picks up where he left off last year, the native of Kamloops, B.C., could start the year in pole position for the Calder.

And, by the way: Bichsel may be nearly a foot taller than Stankoven but he's a year younger — and also a rookie.

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