The 2016-17 NHL season has been one of the most memorable in terms of rookie talent making an immediate impact. Patrik Laine of the Winnipeg Jets and Sebastian Aho of the Carolina Hurricanes have made incredible impacts on teams outside of the playoffs. Meanwhile, Auston Matthews, William Nylander and Mitch Marner have helped carry the Toronto Maple Leafs back to the playoffs in their first season. With the regular season schedule winding down, now is the perfect time to look at the rookies we think will have the biggest impact in the postseason. It should be no surprise that a member of the Maple Leafs is at the top of the list. Here is a look at the five NHL rookies set to make the biggest playoff impact.
Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs
Matthews is coming off one of the most memorable seasons by an NHL rookie in the league’s history. On Monday, he set a rookie record for the most goals scored by a first-year player born in the United States. So what does he have in store for an encore come playoff time?
The Maple Leafs will need Matthews to shine in order to have a shot in the postseason. With a potential first round matchup against the rival Ottawa Senators, he should be in line to make a major impact. After all, Matthews did score four goals against Ottawa in his NHL debut against them earlier in the year. Matthews has seven points and is a plus-three in four games against the Senators so far this season. Toronto undoubtedly has the scoring punch to upset Ottawa in the first round. If the Maple Leafs are going to get the job done, they will need Matthews to have a major playoff impact.
Matt Murray, Pittsburgh Penguins
Considering he helped Pittsburgh win a Stanley Cup last season, it’s easy to forget that Murray is still technically an NHL rookie. However, the 22-year-old played in just 13 regular season games for the Penguins last season. He was therefore able to keep his rookie status for this year. Murray followed up his Stanley Cup run by posting a 30-10-4 record with a 2.40 goals against average. He also had a .923 save percentage this season. After establishing himself as the clear No. 1, there is no doubt Murray will need to shine in order for Pittsburgh to repeat as Stanley Cup champions.
Zach Werenski, Columbus Blue Jackets
The rookie defenseman is a dark horse Calder candidate after helping Columbus return to the playoffs this season. With 11 goals and 47 points, Werenski was the top scoring defenseman in this year’s rookie class. He also tied for 10th among all NHL defensemen in scoring. At 19 years old, Werenski will need to build off his strong regular season campaign with a strong performance in the playoffs. After playing at a veteran level throughout the year, the Blue Jackets are hoping that Werenski can have a major impact this postseason.
Matthew Tkachuk, Calgary Flames
Considering the way Tkachuk plays on the edge, there should be no doubt he will have a major playoff impact for the Flames. The question for Tkachuk is whether or not he can walk the fine line between being a spark plug and hurting his team with dumb penalties. Tkachuk accumulated 105 penalty minutes in his rookie season, which put him seventh in the NHL. His 46 points ranked seventh among all rookie scorers. He showed he can change the game in more ways than one. Calgary will lean on the youngster in the postseason. How far the Flames go will depend largely in part on the play of their rookie winger.
Ryan Hartman, Chicago Blackhawks
The cap-strapped Blackhawks desperately needed their young players to step up and provide some secondary scoring for them this season. Hartman did exactly that with 18 goals, including four game-winning markers. Hartman fit in perfectly as a top-six winger that could play in all situations for Chicago. The former USNMT member has been a perfect fit for the Blackhawks. Hartman is poised to continue his outstanding campaign in the postseason for Chicago.
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