Rookie Watch: Beniers, McTavish combine offense with toughness

The impact several rookies are making on the NHL is one of the major storylines of the 2022-23 season. Each week, NHL.com will examine topics related to this season's class in the Rookie Watch.
This week, the top six rookies capable of combining offense and toughness (listed alphabetically).

Matty Beniers, F, Seattle Kraken:The 20-year-old center is well known for his scoring prowess, but his physicality has been under the radar. Beniers (6-foot-2, 178 pounds) is first among rookies in goals (17) and points (36) in 47 games. He's averaged 16:59 of ice time per game while playing on Seattle's top line. He's third in penalties drawn (14), tied for third in takeaways (27) and tied for 12th in blocked shots (35).
The No. 2 pick in the 2021 NHL Draft, Beniers is second in face-off wins (256) and 14th in hits (58) among first-year players. He was to participate in the 2023 Honda NHL All-Star Weekend until he was injured and replaced by Vegas Golden Knights forward Chandler Stephenson.
Noah Cates, F, Philadelphia Flyers:The 23-year-old, who can play center or left wing, ranks first in takeaways (33), ninth in hits (71) and 10th in blocked shots (42) among rookies. Cates (6-1, 185) is tied for sixth with 22 points (eight goals, 14 assists) and averages 17:38 of ice time in 51 games. Among first-year players, he's first in face-offs taken (612) and third in wins (242). A fifth-round pick (No. 137) in the 2017 NHL Draft, Cates is the center on a line with left wing Joel Farabee and right wing Travis Konecny. He's third among rookies in even-strength face-off wins (201) and shorthanded wins (27) and fourth in defensive-zone wins (80). He's a big part of Philadelphia's penalty kill, averaging 1:57 of shorthanded ice time per game.
Mason McTavish, F, Anaheim Ducks:The center has been an offensive force during the second quarter of the season, earning a top-line role with left wing Adam Henrique and right wing Troy Terry. Since Dec. 1, McTavish (6-4, 213) leads rookies in points (17) and shots on goal (65) in 26 games.
The No. 3 pick in the 2021 draft, McTavish is third among rookies with 28 points (10 goals, 18 assists) in 49 games, tied for 17th with 28 blocked shots and tied for fifth with 12 penalties drawn while averaging 15:13 of ice time. The 20-year-old is tied for second in power-play points (11), tied for fourth in even-strength points (17) and tied for eighth in takeaways (19).
Juuso Parssinen, F, Nashville Predators: The 21-year-old, selected in the seventh round (No. 210) of the 2019 NHL Draft, has impressed as the center on the third line with left wing Cole Smith and right wing Colton Sissons. Parssinen (6-3, 212) is 10th among rookies in hits (61) and seventh in takeaways (20) in 34 games. His 16 assists are tied for seventh and he's ninth with 21 points (five goals, 16 assists) while averaging 15:06 of ice time, and he's seventh in face-offs taken (283) and face-off wins (139).
Parssinen was recalled from Milwaukee of the American Hockey League on Nov. 12. He became the first player in Predators history to score three goals in his first four games and tied Filip Forsberg (2014) for the longest point streak (seven) by a Nashville rookie.
"You never know what's going to happen when you come up to the NHL," Forsberg said. "He's been playing like a veteran since Day 1. There was a stint where he didn't produce but he's doing so much for our team. He's the definition of being strong and skating well, making great plays. He's teed me up for a couple nice free ones."

Jake Sanderson, D, Ottawa Senators:The 20-year-old, the No. 5 pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, is second among rookie defensemen in assists (18) and points (20), ranks second in power-play points (11) and first in shots on goal (84), and is tied for fourth in takeaways (18) and second in average ice time (21:21) in 50 games. Sanderson (6-3, 195) leads all rookies with 86 blocked shots and the Senators control 52.1 percent of all shots attempted with him on the ice at 5-on-5. He's second among rookie defensemen in penalties drawn (11) and leads all first-year players in average shorthanded ice time (3:08). He had two surgeries on his hand last season yet averaged more than 1.00 points per game as a sophomore at the University of North Dakota (eight goals, 18 assists, in 23 games).
Arber Xhekaj, D, Montreal Canadiens: Signed as a free agent Oct. 4, 2021, Xhekaj (6-4, 238) is second among rookies with 154 hits and tied for eighth in blocked shots (42) in 49 games while averaging 15:15 of ice time playing with Justin Barron on the second pair. The 22-year-old has 13 points (five goals, eight assists) and 72 shots on goal. He is first among rookie defensemen in penalties drawn (15) and leads all rookies in penalty minutes (92).