Rookie Watch: Blackhawks among those not shying away from 1st-year players

The impact several rookies are making on the NHL is one of the major storylines of the 2025-26 season. Each week, NHL.com will examine topics related to this season's class in the Rookie Watch. This week, a look at the top six NHL teams with most games played by first-year players (teams listed by total games played by rookies):

1. Chicago Blackhawks

Total games played by rookies: 261 (eight players)

Players: Forwards Ryan Greene, Oliver Moore, Colton Dach, Nick Lardis; defensemen Artyom Levshunov, Sam Rinzel, Ethan Del Mastro; goalie Drew Commesso

The scoop: The Blackhawks are building an identity with fast and skilled forwards up front and big, mobile defensemen down low. Levshunov (6-foot-2, 208 pounds), selected No. 2 in the 2024 NHL Draft, leads all Chicago rookies with 21 points (two goals, 19 assists) and 51 blocked shots while averaging 19:11 of ice time in 52 games. Rinzel (nine points; two goals, seven assists in 31 NHL games), who has split time in the NHL and Rockford of the American Hockey League this season, has plenty to offer once he truly settles into a fulltime role with the Blackhawks. Greene (20 points; seven goals, 13 assists) and Moore (16 points; five goals, 11 assists) are Nos. 1-2 among rookie forwards in scoring for the Blackhawks, and Dach (6-4, 218) has been a physical force with center Nick Foligno in a fourth-line role, leading all NHL rookies with 184 hits.

2. Montreal Canadiens

Total games played by rookies: 192 (eight players)

Players: Forwards Ivan Demidov, Oliver Kapanen, Owen Beck, Jared Davidson, Florian Xhekaj; defenseman Adam Engstrom; goalies Jakub Dobes, Jacob Fowler

The scoop: Demidov (No. 5, 2024 draft) was named the NHL's Rookie of the Month for December after leading all first-year players with 14 points (four goals, 10 assists) in 15 games, becoming the second Canadiens player in as many seasons to be named a Rookie of the Month after defenseman Lane Hutson (the eventual Calder Memorial Trophy winner) in December 2024 and March 2025. Demidov leads all first-year players with 46 points (12 goals, 34 assists) while averaging 15:24 of ice time in 57 games. Kapanen (No. 32, 2021 NHL Draft) will be the 11th NHL rookie to play for Team Finland at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026. He has proven himself at each end of the ice and has stabilized a line with Demidov and left wing Juraj Slafkovsky, ranking fourth among all rookies with 31 points (18 goals, 13 assists) while averaging 15:02 of ice time in 57 games. Dobes (18-5-4, 2.96 goals-against average) and Fowler (4-4-2, 2.62 GAA) have performed admirably when called upon.

3. New York Rangers

Total games played by rookies: 176 (seven players)

Players: Forwards Noah Laba, Gabe Perreault, Brennan Othmann, Jaroslav Chmelar; defensemen Matthew Robertson, Scott Morrow, Vincent Iorio

The scoop: Laba (6-3, 214) has certainly been a bright spot for the Rangers with 16 points (six goals, 10 assists), 73 hits and 35 blocked shots as a third-line center. Perreault (No. 23, 2023 NHL Draft) has been given every opportunity in a top-six role of late, most recently with center Mika Zibanejad and left wing J.T. Miller. The 20-year-old has eight points (three goals, five assists) in 24 games. Robertson (6-4, 210), a second-round pick (No. 49) in the 2019 NHL Draft, has performed well in a second defense-pair role with Will Borgen. The 24-year-old has 11 points (four goals, seven assists), 70 hits, and leads Rangers rookies with 62 blocked shots and time on ice (17:15) in 47 games. Iorio, who has three assists in 22 games, was claimed off waivers from the San Jose Sharks on Jan. 31.

4. Vancouver Canucks

Total games played by rookies: 170 (seven players)

Players: Forwards Linus Karlsson, Liam Ohgren, Jonathan Lekkerimaki, Braeden Cootes; defensemen Tom Willander, Zeev Buium; goalie Nikita Tolopilo

The scoop: Karlsson, a right-shot center, has 24 points (11 goals, 13 assists) while averaging 11:34 of ice time in 54 games. He is seventh among NHL rookie forwards in penalties drawn (14) and has 65 hits. Buium (No. 12, 2024 Draft) was traded by the Minnesota Wild to the Canucks in the trade involving Quinn Hughes on Dec. 12. In 20 games with Vancouver, Buium, 20, has six points (two goals, four assists) and has averaged 20:25 of ice time. Willander (No. 11, 2023 draft), a 20-year-old right-handed shot, has 16 points (four goals, 12 assists) and leads Canucks rookies with 41 blocked shots in 45 games

5. Tampa Bay Lightning

Total games played by rookies: 162 (seven players)

Players: Forwards Dominic James, Jack Finley, Curtis Douglas; defensemen Max Crozier, Declan Carlile, Maxim Groshev, Simon Lundmark

The scoop: James has been the busiest of Tampa Bay's prospects this season. The 23-year-old, selected by the Blackhawks in the sixth round (No. 173) of the 2022 NHL Draft, signed a two-year, entry-level contract on the third day of training camp (Sept. 20). He has 13 points (five goals, eight assists), 55 hits, 12 takeaways, a 48.2 percent face-off winning percentage (119-for-247) and averages 12:08 of ice time in 40 games in a top-six role with the Lightning. Finley, selected in the second round (No. 57) of the 2020 NHL Draft, was claimed off waivers by the St. Louis Blues on Saturday after he averaged 8:25 of ice time as a fourth-line center this season with Tampa Bay. The 23-year-old right-handed shot had three points (two goals, one assist) and won 48.5 percent of face-offs (83-for-171) in 22 games.

6. San Jose Sharks

Total games played by rookies: 160 (eight players)

The scoop: Forwards Igor Chernyshov, Pavol Regenda, Michael Misa, Ethan Cardwell, Patrick Giles; defensemen Sam Dickinson, Vincent Iorio; goalie Yaroslav Askarov

The scoop: San Jose was excited to acquire Askarov, the No. 11 pick in the 2020 draft, in a trade with the Nashville Predators on Aug. 23, 2024. He started strong this season and ranks second among all rookie goalies in wins (17) and has a 3.53 GAA and .889 save percentage in 35 starts. Dickinson has nine points (one goal, eight assists), 41 blocked shots, 42 hits and averages 15:49 of ice time. Misa (No. 2, 2025 NHL Draft) has eight points (two goals, six assists) while working as a third-line center, averaging 11:49 of ice time in 18 games. The 18-year-old also played two games with San Jose of the AHL.