Early impact

Arnason, Chistov, Frolov move to head of rookie class

I know it's still early in the season and that as rookie performances go, sometimes early on is the best they'll be. As the season grinds on and the competition intensifies, first-year players often experience a reduction in effectiveness. Right now, though, the early race for the Calder Trophy is a good one.

After last season's 10-game trial and an impressive turn in Carolina's run to the finals, Jaroslav Svoboda figured to be strong out of the gate this season. And despite modest offensive numbers, he's playing 16:30 minutes a game, as coach Paul Maurice spreads around the ice time. Svoboda continues as a strong forechecker who is quite responsible defensively for a 22-year-old.

Henrik Zetterberg likewise entered the season with a little more fanfare than most first-year players. He created his own buzz with a decent showing in the 2002 Winter Olympics for Sweden against mostly NHL competition. He hasn't disappointed in Detroit, showing speed and creativity in the open ice. Zetterberg also has shown a willingness to wade into the high-traffic areas and to make plays despite a slight frame.

The two youngsters entering the league with the most hype from this past entry draft, Jay Bouwmeester and Rick Nash, have performed well on developing teams as opposed to joining already established rosters like those in Carolina and Detroit.

In Florida, coach Mike Keenan, who is a stickler for consistency, is bringing Bouwmeester along at a medium pace. He scored his first NHL goal on the power play but sees limited special-teams play in logging 16:41 minutes a night. His advanced poise for his age has allowed him to look comfortable for the most part and certainly not out of place.

Nash is playing just about 12 1/2 minutes per game for the Columbus Blue Jackets and getting decent production in those minutes. Already, though, the goals are a little harder to come by and his line has the worst defensive record on the team. Still, he has shown enough in the early going to explain why GM Doug McLean coveted the young power forward.

Maybe the rookie with the biggest impact thus far has been Tyler Arnason. The NHL named him Rookie of the Month for October, and Arnason has played well on into November. His fine offensive start made veteran Michael Nylander expendable, allowing the Blackhawks to move him to Washington for Chris Simon and Andrei Nikolishin.

As a result, Chicago now has a bigger, better-balanced front line, as its current six-game unbeaten streak attests. Meanwhile, Arnason tries to follow up last year's AHL rookie of the year honor with a Calder Trophy.

Moving further west, the two most dynamic freshmen are opening eyes in California. Alex Frolov is making the most of his minutes for the Kings, staying near the top of the rookie-scoring race despite playing just 12:30 per game. Most impressive, all of Frolov's production has come at even strength. And Frolov's teammate Jaroslav Bednar is likewise helping the Kings survive without Jason Allison with his contributions up front.

But the best rookie I've seen so far is Anaheim's Stanislav Chistov. He is quick and calm with the puck, as well being creative and competitive. He has meshed nicely with Andy MacDonald and Petr Sykora giving the Mighty Ducks long-sought offensive balance behind the Steve Rucchin-Paul Kariya tandem. That slots Matt Cullen on the third line, which is a better matchup for the Ducks than playing him in the top-six.

Right now, the Ducks are playing outstanding hockey as a result, earning points in six straight road games for the first time in their history. When Adam Oates comes back from injury, the Ducks' attack will be deeper than ever.

Does the fast start by these rookies preclude the likes of Jordan Leopold and Chuck Kobasew in Calgary, Jason Spezza in Ottawa or Stephen Weiss for the Panthers from moving to the head of the class? Not necessarily. But the odds are with the guys who are off to a difference-making start, because as first-year guys go, finishing the season with similar panache is a more difficult task.

Darren Eliot, a former NHL goaltender, is a hockey analyst for CNNSI.com.

 

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