Rookie Watch: Schaefer, Sennecke among those being rewarded with ice time

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 three rookie defensemen and top three rookie forwards averaging the most time on ice (minimum 20 games; listed alphabetically):

Emmitt Finnie, C, Detroit Red Wings: A seventh-round pick (No. 201) in the 2023 NHL Draft, he is first among NHL rookie forwards in average ice time (16:54) in 40 games. Finnie has been playing left wing on the top line with center Dylan Larkin and right wing Lucas Raymond all season. The 20-year-old is sixth among NHL rookies with 19 points (nine goals, 10 assists), tied for second in takeaways (14), tied for fourth in penalties drawn (13), and is fifth in hits (64).

Ryan Greene, C, Chicago Blackhawks: The 22-year-old selected in the second round (No. 57) in the 2022 NHL Draft ranks third among rookie forwards in average ice time (16:20), including 1:48 on the penalty kill in 38 games. A right-handed shot, Greene has been playing center on a line with left wing Oliver Moore and right wing Nick Lardis of late and has 12 points (four goals, eight assists). Chicago coach Jeff Blashill has matched Greene against opposing top lines at times this season. "He's a player who has a lot of skill for a guy who maybe hasn't produced at high, high numbers on the way up," Blashill said. "His skill set, his ability to pass, his ability to shoot, just his pure skill set is very good."

Yan Kuznetsov, D, Calgary Flames: The 23-year-old is second among NHL rookies in average ice time (20:24) in 24 games. Chosen in the second round (No. 50) of the 2020 NHL Draft, Kuznetsov (6-foot-4, 209 pounds) is getting his chance after three seasons with Calgary of the American Hockey League; he did earn one game with the Flames in 2023-24. Kuznetsov is second among all rookies in average ice time at even strength (18:36) and fourth while short-handed (1:46). He ranks sixth among rookies with 37 blocked shots. The Flames have a 49.2 percent shot-attempts percentage at 5-on-5 when Kuznetsov is on the ice. He has six points (two goals, four assists) and is plus-1 in 24 games this season.

Alexander Nikishin, D, Carolina Hurricanes: A third-round pick (No. 69) in the 2020 draft, Nikishin (6-3, 218) ranks fourth among rookies in average ice time (19:03), including fifth in average time at even strength (16:32) and seventh in average time on the penalty kill (1:33) in 36 games. He is first among first-year defensemen in hits (72), third in blocked shots (46), and fifth in assists (nine) and points (13).

Matthew Schaefer, D, New York Islanders: The No. 1 pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, Schaefer ranks first in average ice time among rookies (23:47), including first in average even-strength ice time (19:05) and power play ice time (3:32). The 18-year-old leads all first-year defensemen with 24 points (nine goals, 15 assists), blocked shots (57), takeaways (20), and penalties drawn (22) in 39 games. Schaefer became the first Islanders teenager to reach 27 minutes of ice time in a single game, logging 27:40 against the Philadelphia Flyers on Oct. 25, since that statistic was first tracked in 1997-98. He’s played at least 27 minutes five times since, including 27:03 in a 2-0 win against the New York Rangers on Saturday.

Beckett Sennecke, RW, Anaheim Ducks: The 19-year-old, selected No. 3 in the 2024 NHL Draft, has been a workhorse since making his debut this season, ranking second among first-year forwards in average ice time (16:41) in 38 games, including 1:44 per game on the power play. Sennecke is second among all rookies with 29 points (11 goals, 18 assists) and first with 23 even-strength points (nine goals, 14 assists). He's tied for first with Ryan Leonard (Washington Capitals) among first-year forwards in penalties drawn (16). Sennecke was a finalist for Rookie of the Month for November, when he led all first-year forwards in average ice time (16:16) and had 14 points (four goals, 10 assists) in 15 games. "I think he's got a really good demeanor," Anaheim coach Joel Quenneville said of Sennecke. "He's brash in the way he plays, because he's not afraid to try things. We’ve got to find that balance, knowing that some of that stuff is effective in major-junior, but you're against men now. He's very coachable and [I] think he has pretty good understanding of the game and where to be. I think he might be deceiving because his instincts are on the right track."