Rookie Watch: Byram, Jeannot among best so far in Central Division

The impact several rookies are making on the NHL is one of the major storylines of the 2021-22 season. Each week, NHL.com will examine topics related to this season's class in the Rookie Watch.
This week, the top five rookies in the Central Division (in alphabetical order):

Bowen Byram, D, Colorado Avalanche:The No. 4 pick in the 2019 NHL Draft is tied for third among NHL defensemen with three goals in 10 games and is first among Avalanche defensemen with eight points, all at even strength. The 20-year-old is tied for fourth among NHL rookie defensemen with 13 hits and is sixth with 11 blocked shots. He's been paired with Samuel Girard or Erik Johnson with Cale Makar out with an upper-body injury. Byram (6-foot-1, 190 pounds) is averaging 21:04 of ice time, including an NHL career-high 26:07 in a 3-1 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights on Oct. 26. Colorado has taken 55.0 percent of all shots attempted at 5-on-5 with Byram on the ice this season. He had two assists in 19 games for Colorado last season.
"He had a slow [training] camp, and I didn't love his exhibition; his game seemed confident but pretty casual, not making a huge impact," Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said. "We had some conversations, and he snapped out of it right away. A good example for young guys. You got to push yourself out of your comfort zone. You can't play in your comfort zone."
Alexandre Carrier, D, Nashville Predators:The 25-year-old right-hand shot is averaging 20:43 of ice time playing on a defense pair with Mattias Ekholm. Carrier (5-11, 174), chosen in the fourth round (No. 115) of the 2015 NHL Draft, has scored five points (one goal, four assists) and is plus-2 with 12 shots on goal in 12 games. He leads the Predators in blocked shots (23) and takeaways (eight). Carrier scored three points (one goal, two assists) in 19 regular-season games and had two assists in six Stanley Cup Playoff games for the Predators last season.
"He's not the biggest, but he has quite an instinct," Nashville coach John Hynes said. "He's smart and competitive, can use his anticipation to defend in many situations. We're really happy with his progress, and it's nice to see."
Brandon Duhaime, F, Minnesota Wild:The right wing made an impression during training camp to earn his spot in the lineup. Duhaime, chosen in the fourth round (No. 106) of the 2016 NHL Draft, is tied for eighth among NHL rookies with five points (two goals, three assists) in 11 games, has 23 shots on goal, and ranks second on the Wild with 25 hits (Marcus Foligno, 30). He's averaging 10:40 of ice time in a checking role on a line with Nico Sturm and Nick Bjugstad. The 24-year-old (6-2, 200) scored 29 points (12 goals, 17 assists) and had 103 penalty minutes in 87 games for Iowa of the American Hockey League the past two seasons. He played three seasons at Providence College, scoring 72 points (22 goals, 50 assists) in 117 NCAA games from 2016-19.
"He just keeps getting better and he keeps developing, and that's it," Wild general manager Bill Guerin said. "It doesn't happen overnight for a lot of guys. Just the fact that he went through the process and just kept working and working and now he finds himself here.
"We could see it, like, 'Wow, he means business.' Just the impact he can have on our lineup with the youth and the speed and quickness and strength. He plays a physical brand which we really like."

Tanner Jeannot, F, Nashville Predators:The 24-year-old (6-2, 208) is tied for third among NHL rookies with four goals and tied for eighth with five points in 12 games. He is averaging 14:14 of ice time playing on a line with center Colton Sissons and Yakov Trenin. Jeannot, who wasn't chosen in the NHL Draft, played 15 games for the Predators last season, scoring seven points (five goals, two assists), and has scored 52 points (22 goals, 30 assists) in 107 AHL games with Milwaukee and Chicago. He caught the attention of scouts during his fourth season with Moose Jaw of the Western Hockey League, scoring 80 points (40 goals, 40 assists) in 72 games as an alternate captain in 2017-18. Nashville signed him as a free agent April 2, 2018, and to a two-year contract July 30.
"When you look at his track record as a player, he always starts from the bottom up and gets better," Hynes said. "He can rise to the occasion at each level. It's nice to have guys like that on the team; nothing has been given to him. He's earned everything. He's gone through some adversity as a player, has been told, 'No,' he's been told, 'You're not good enough.' He's been told, 'You have to work on this to get to this level,' and to his credit, he takes it and does it, applies it and he's got the ability to play at this level."
Karel Vejmelka, G, Arizona Coyotes: Though it's been a tough start for the 25-year-old (0-7-1), he's been giving the Coyotes a chance to win. The native of Trebic, Czech Republic, ranks third among NHL rookie goalies with a 2.84 goals-against average in 10 games (eight starts), second with a .913 save percentage and second with a .934 save percentage at even strength. Vejmelka (6-3, 224) was selected by the Predators in the fifth round (No. 145) of the 2015 NHL Draft and signed a one-year contract with Arizona on May 5. He made 37 saves in a 2-1 loss at the Carolina Hurricanes on Oct. 31, the highest total for a Coyotes rookie goalie since Adin Hill made 41 in a 3-2 overtime loss at the Toronto Maple Leafs on Feb. 11, 2020.
In 2020-21, Vejmelka was 14-21-0 with a 2.79 GAA, .911 save percentage and three shutouts in 35 games with HC Kometa Brno in the Czech Republic.
"He's not the most outspoken guy," Coyotes coach Andre Tourigny said. "He keeps things to himself and he's really quiet. To say he's low maintenance would be an understatement. When I talk to him, it's always, 'yes,' 'no,' and 'no problem.' Very easy to coach."