On Tuesday we looked at three rookies who had a solid month of the December.
NHL Rookie Watch: The Best Of January
Sadly, there are a few rookies that had a rough January for one reason or another. The field was tough to narrow down but here are three of the players one may keep an eye on in our “Rookie Cold Watch.”
NHL Rookies On Cold Ice — December
Pierre-Luc Dubois — Columbus Blue Jackets — Center
The Columbus forward had just three points in ten December games, so it does seem a little unfair to focus on a player who wasn’t playing a lot of minutes. However, Dubois had spent all of January playing 19-20 minutes a night and sometimes beyond.
Columbus has given Dubois chances, and the forward has not produced enough. He has not severely disappointed from an effort standpoint, but more from a production perspective. Two goals on 30 shots are not what a top-six forward should not be his totals given his chances. This is why he is further down on the depth chart for now.
It will be intriguing to see how he handled the decreased role for a couple of games. There are tools to work with when it comes to Dubois. The Blue Jackets coaching staff must be able to get more out of him. His hands are above average, and the center must just convert chances.
There is a good chance that this is just all apart of the learning curve for Dubois. Shot and chance generation will be vital as much as the defensive part of his game. All are works in progress.
Mikhail Sergachev — Tampa Bay Lightning — Defenseman
Sergachev surprised many by starting out so well, recording 11 points in ten game stretch at one point. He has played some tough minutes, and that has backed off a lot of late. His average ice time has been falling overall, and in the past three games, less than 15 minutes each.
The defenseman recorded three assists in ten games which included a few healthy scratches. The young defenseman has been invisible and now has been passed on the depth chart temporarily by others.
Can Sergachev bounce back? Is this simply a rookie hitting the wall? A 19-year-old trying to play a full NHL schedule is not an easy task. His shot rate and defensive awareness are not where they need to be currently. Those must bounce back.
Nolan Patrick — Philadelphia Flyers — Center
The Flyers selected Patrick with the second pick in the 2017 draft. His impact this season would be lower given Philadelphia has eased him into the league. Flashes have been on display so far, but three points in 12 games are just not what was expected in January.
Patrick has been able to stay healthy so far this season. The Flyers center makes plays most often do not see coming, and he has shown flashes of why the forward was drafted second overall.
His ice time is still being sheltered at around 13 minutes per night. Patrick is being utilized with 55%+ offensive zone starts, but has -4% possession metrics to team relative. Improvements are being noticed, and he did play almost 17 minutes over the weekend.
Patrick should gain more of a power play role, which should help his numbers come later in the season. Chance and shot output are still too low despite the sheltered nature of his role. More is expected of the rookie. His two-point night against Washington offers hope for February.