The NHL has become a playground for prospects to step in and take on substantial roles with their teams. The 2019-20 rookie class looks unlikely to change that.
Here's a look at the 10 rookies most likely to make big splashes with their respective teams, along with five more who are a little more under-the-radar but could be sleepers in a seemingly deep first-year class.
Impact rookies | Sleepers
Others to watch
IMPACT ROOKIES
1. Cale Makar, D, Colorado Avalanche
My early Calder Trophy prediction is Makar. It's not just because he was one of the most dominant collegiate defensemen I've seen since I started covering the sport. It's not just because he looked great in his 10-game playoff stint with the Avs, in which he registered six points in his first NHL action. It's largely because I can't think of a better fit between a team and a prospect than Makar and Colorado.
He plays the game at a high pace, thanks to explosive skating and elite hockey sense. He passes well and expertly surveys the ice. And as he showed in his 10 playoff games, he is more than prepared for NHL physicality and speed.
2. Jack Hughes, C, New Jersey Devils
The expectations are high for Hughes, as they would be for any No. 1 pick. But there is a lot left to learn about the 18-year-old's first foray into the NHL. Who will be his long-term linemates? How much ice time will he earn? Will there be an emphasis on putting him on the power play? One assumes Nico Hischier will still log the most minutes among Devils centers, but Hughes probably won't be far behind.
As gifted as Hughes is and as improved as the Devils appear to be on paper, there is at least some reason to hedge on the American phenom's rookie season output. For one, he is the first player to make the jump directly from the U.S. National Team Development Program to the NHL. Hughes performed well in preseason NHL games and at the Men's World Championship last spring, but he has a lot to learn about the rigors of an NHL season. Despite that, Hughes has the tools -- specifically his speed and hockey sense -- to make a substantial impact at this level immediately.
3. Kaapo Kakko, RW, New York Rangers
Playing professionally in Finland last season and then excelling at the Men's World Championship (in which Finland won gold), Kakko showed that he is more than ready for the jump to the NHL. He produced the third-most points in a single Liiga season by a U18 player.
Whether Kakko plays on a line with Artemi Panarin or not, there should be greater opportunities for him to create offense. He'll either skate with an elite playmaker in Panarin, or the line Panarin is on will eat the toughest defensive matchups. It all is setting up very nicely for Kakko. Then there's his effort and strength down low. He's so good at battling along the walls and playing in front of the net. It's going to be easier for him to transition to the NHL than it might be for a lot of his peers.
4. Drake Batherson, C/W, Ottawa Senators
Batherson's development arc is fascinating, accelerating north at an alarming rate. He was a fourth-round pick in 2017 and has spent the past two seasons shattering all expectations tied to a player picked that late. He was dominant in his last QMJHL season, then recorded more than a point per game in the AHL as a rookie. In 20 games with Ottawa, he had nine points.
Now the big club is going to need him and probably even in an elevated role in its lineup. The Sens do not look like a good hockey team, but Batherson should have the role and ice time to produce at a relatively high clip while continuing his rapid development.
5. Quinn Hughes, D, Vancouver Canucks
Hughes showed flashes of his dynamic skating and playmaking ability during his brief NHL stint last season. He had three assists in five NHL games after a strong two-year career at the University of Michigan. Hughes is fully expected for full-time NHL duty this season and likely will play a substantial role for the Canucks.
When it comes to picking up awards and accolades as rookies, defensemen have to produce points, and the Canucks don't have a team -- beyond a few of their top forwards -- that inspires a lot of faith in a high level of production. But as he gains experience and a better understanding of how to play his game in the NHL, Hughes could be a big-time player for this team as the season progresses. He should have the chance to put up some nice numbers.
6. Noah Dobson, D, New York Islanders
Watching Dobson at the end of last season in the QMJHL was watching a man among boys. He played massive minutes, got every tough matchup and still was able to produce. He now has two Memorial Cups with two teams. There isn't much left for him to prove in junior, and I try not to use that phrase lightly.
Dobson is a true two-way defenseman who plays the game intelligently without being too conservative. Based on his development and maturation last season, he can impact the Isles in a similar way to what Miro Heiskanen did for the Dallas Stars last season.
7. Alexandre Texier, C/W, Columbus Blue Jackets
Texier had such a phenomenal 2018-19 season that it was hard to envision it getting any better when he hopped from Finland's Liiga to the AHL and very quickly to the NHL. The French national's transition to North America could not have been smoother, and his impact couldn't have been more immediate, with seven points in his first seven AHL games and three points in eight playoff appearances with Columbus.
The Blue Jackets have holes to fill, and Texier is poised to have a substantial opportunity to make an offensive impact on a team that needs production. Players such as Texier and Emil Bemstrom soften the substantial offseason blow the Blue Jackets endured; they can't replace who left, but they are going to contribute. In Texier's case, I think he could have a pretty strong season.
8. Martin Necas, C, Carolina Hurricanes
Having spent almost all of last season in the AHL, Necas was a leading offensive player for a championship team. He showed all of the things that made him the No. 12 pick in 2017. The question now is whether Necas has done enough to play a role on the Canes as they're currently constructed. They could really use another player on an entry-level contract to make an impact this season, and you'd have to expect Necas to be in the mix to be one of the centers on the roster to start the season.
9. Rasmus Sandin, D, Toronto Maple Leafs
Sandin has been on a fast track to the NHL since he performed at a high level in his first season of North American pro hockey with the Toronto Marlies at just 18 years old. The Maple Leafs could really use someone like him. He has maturity with the puck on his stick, plays solidly defensively and, most importantly, is really, really cheap against the cap. Travis Dermott is out for a while with injury, and even if Sandin doesn't make the opening night roster, he gives the team a good depth option a call-up away. The way he has played through rookie tournaments and the preseason, however, suggests that he is in the driver's seat to land a full-time role more quickly than expected.
10. Filip Zadina, RW, Detroit Red Wings
It isn't a given that Zadina is on the opening night roster, but there is a lot to like about his game. He can make plays and has creativity, but he has to get better at using his frame and building strength over the course of the season. The Red Wings got his contract to slide, so he still has three years on his entry-level deal. In his limited time with the team last season, he looked better and more comfortable than he did in the AHL. This is a franchise that has often preached patience but lacks depth -- that could open the door for Zadina to land on the roster and make an impact.
UNDER-THE-RADAR ROOKIES
1. Elvis Merzlikins, G, Columbus Blue Jackets
The 25-year-old netminder is a two-time winner of the Swiss NLA's Goaltender of the Year award and has often kept Latvia in games it shouldn't have been in at the top level of international hockey. Columbus has little choice but to use Merzlikins in the NHL this season, where he'll compete with Joonas Korpisalo for ice time. He's a complete wild card but one worth knowing. He very well could end up a No. 1 as early as this season.
2. Dominik Kubalik, LW, Chicago Blackhawks
He's on the older side for a rookie, but Kubalik, 24, is angling for a bigger role with the Blackhawks. Being a more experienced, physically developed player should make for an easy transition, though Kubalik has never played in North America. With four seasons of pretty significant production in the Czech and Swiss pro leagues, he has been a driver, and the former Kings draft pick has little trouble getting to the net and making plays in tight. If given the right line situation, he could make a substantial impact this season.
3. Thatcher Demko, G, Vancouver Canucks
Demko is expected to split time with Jacob Markstrom in Vancouver's net. After Markstrom played fairly well last season, one figures the veteran will play the bulk of the minutes when healthy. However, Demko stands to play more than your average backup goaltender. The Canucks pretty much need to groom him into their future No. 1 based on the draft capital and development time invested in him. It's time for the San Diego native to seize the chances he has been given.
4. Karson Kuhlman, RW, Boston Bruins
After getting a taste with the Bruins last season, Kuhlman appears poised for a full-time role with the team. Boston has some flexibility on its wings, which would allow Kuhlman a shot at playing some substantial minutes and providing some scoring touch down the lineup. The 23-year-old brings an element of speed and tenacity to the forward group.
5. Taro Hirose, RW, Detroit Red Wings
The undrafted free agent signed out of Michigan State looks poised to stay with the big club after impressing in his 10-game, seven-point NHL stint at the end of last season. He was a dynamic talent at the collegiate level and has impressed in preseason and rookie tournament play. Although he lacks size and probably could be afford to be more explosive, he possesses a high hockey IQ and can make plays. On a rebuilding team, there might be a spot for him in a productive middle-six role.
OTHER ROOKIES TO WATCH
Emil Bemstrom, RW, Columbus Blue Jackets
Max Comtois, LW, Anaheim Ducks