February is over, and there is a new rookie of the month. Furthermore, it is a first year player from Tampa Bay that has burst onto the scene and took it to new heights. Other rookies performed well but only one could take the top spot.
The field was tough to narrow down, but here are three of the players one may keep an eye on in our “Rookie Watch”.
Rookie Of The Month
Yanni Gourde – Tampa Bay Lightning – Winger
Tampa had an idea of what Yanni Gourde was but were patient with him. However, injuries did press things a bit, and since he was brought up, the forward has played extremely well. Then there was this past month.
Gourde amazed with 16 points (5 goals and 11 assists) in 14 games in February. His offensive zone usage has stabilized around 45%. Average ice time has been a shade above 16 minutes a night.
Getting some power play time with Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point has helped Gourde in ways most cannot see. The little plays that the young forward has been able to make have been so important. There have been rough patches but so far his two-way game has held up (+27 on the year). Shot volume is a concern but he is on a top power play with Steven Stamkos, Victor Hedman, and Kucherov. His possession numbers are around Tampa’s team average. That is impressive. Gourde has potential to hit 60 points now and that could not have been expected.
Mathew Barzal – New York Islanders – Center
The New York Islander forward had two goals and 16 points in 14 games. Barzal received more power play time and has speed in abundance. Teams continue to have problems containing the forward’s ability to accelerate with and without the puck.
The forward’s production has been fun to watch and Barzal has not slowed down. Projections were high but not this high. He has 67 points in 66 games, including 49 assists, which leads all rookies.
Currently, Barzal is playing 17 1/2 minutes a night and is a prominent secondary source of offense. His possession metrics are still 7-8% above team relative. That is an incredibly high stat.
There is a good chance that Barzal tops 75, if not 80 points. He is still the current front-runner for the Calder Trophy (some will argue for Brock Boeser). On the other hand, there was some considerable competition this month.
Kyle Connor – Winnipeg Jets – Winger
Connor started off a bit slowly in Winnipeg when many thought he should have been back in the AHL. He surprised many with taking the struggles well. Connor produced well in the AHL and the result was a call-up in October.
In February, Connor had 11 points in 12 games (6 goals, 5 assists). There is this feeling that the winger can play on either top line and thrive. The Winnipeg winger has had some issues on his own side of the ice and has been 4-5% below team relative in possession metrics. The forward has scored well. 22 goals and 41 points is nothing to sneeze at in 58 games. Playing with Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler has helped Connor gain experience and let him play his game.
Can he continue the point production? That remains debatable, but his ability is hard to dispute. Connor has a ton of speed plus an above average shot. There will be dips, but expect his defense to slowly improve. That will help!
Others rookies to watch: Alex DeBrincat (Chicago), Dominik Simon (Pittsburgh), Nico Hischier (New Jersey).
