Sit back and enjoy as Tony Ferrari goes through some rookie superlatives, including who’s most likely to make a competitor cry and who will win the Calder.
Superlatives have become a staple on late-night television talk shows, and they are a great way to have a laugh. They allow us to step back from hard-hitting analysis and just have some fun while discussing some of the players that will be making up the NHL’s future.
Let’s take a break from the hard-hitting analysis and bring back some NHL superlatives for the 2022-23 rookie class.
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Mason McTavish, C, Anaheim Ducks
Most Likely to be a Caveman
The Anaheim Ducks center has been a welcome addition who has been around the rookie of the year race all season. His wild curly hair, thick beard and big frame all look as if McTavish could be from a time long, long ago. Could he be a caveman? If any NHL rookie claims the title, it’s McTavish.
Kirill Marchenko, W, Columbus Blue Jackets
Most Likely to Not Pass the Puck
Marchenko isn’t exactly building a reputation as a playmaker. He is currently third in the NHL rookie goal-scoring race with 19 goals while almost refusing to record an assist. It wasn’t until Feb. 11, in his 30th game, that Marchenko recorded his first assist of the year. To date, he has three. If Marchenko has the chance to shoot, don’t expect him to pass.
Cole Perfetti, W, Winnipeg Jets
Most Likely to be a 10-year-old who Snuck Into an NHL Locker Room
When you get into your 20s and 30s as a hockey fan, you’re often confronted with the fact that players coming into the league are younger than you are. They struggle to grow facial hair, they look like high schoolers, and when you cheer for their goals, your back hurts and your knee cracks when jumping off of the couch. There may not be a better example than Cole Perfetti, who looks like he could be graduating from junior high any day now.
The good news for Jets fans is he’s only 21 and has a respectable 30 points in 51 games this season, the third-most points per game among rookies with at least 50 matches played.
Owen Power, D, Buffalo Sabres
Most Likely to Start a Line of Hair Products
When you’re a bald man like myself, you often get jealous of a flow so good, you only wish you could have it. There are a number of sweet flows in the NHL’s rookie class this year, but Owen Power has the kind of luscious locks that make you blush. I mean, look at it – it’s gorgeous!
Calen Addison, D, Minnesota Wild
Least Likely to Start a Line of Hair Products
Addison used to have a long set of hair before deciding it was just too hot. You have to respect a guy who buzzes his hair off in his rookie season in the NHL. It’s not often someone in their early 20s decides just to get rid of the lettuce up top, but when they do, you have to give them credit. He let it grow back nicely lately, but Calen, welcome to the club – you look great.
Arber Xhekaj, D, Montreal Canadiens
Most Likely to Make a Grown Man Cry
It’s not often a player walks into the NHL and becomes one of the most feared players in the game, but Arber Xhekaj has done just that. With nine fights and countless scrums under his belt in his rookie year, Xhekaj is becoming one of the game’s premier enforcers. Only four players have more fights than Xhekaj in the NHL, and if he hadn’t been injured, he would likely be right there with the league leaders at 11. Xhekaj may very well have already made a grown man cry. Getting punched in the face hurts.
Juraj Slafkovsky, LW, Montreal Canadiens
Most Likely to Pass His High School Exams
The first overall pick from last year’s draft had an up-and-down rookie season, flashing his potential and showing the skill and size combination that made him Montreal’s choice on draft day. He may not have worked his way into the rookie of the year conversation, but he had a decent start to his NHL career before injuries hit.
Slafkovsky has plenty to build on over the summer. Before summer training kicks off, though, Slafkovsky was back in Slovakia to finish high school and was pictured sitting in the back of the class, getting through the school day.
Matty Beniers, C, Seattle Kraken
Most Likely to Win the Calder
At the end of the year, the NHL’s rookie of the year award will likely be given to Matty Beniers. He’s been the top rookie scorer basically from start to finish this season and his role as a pivotal member of the Kraken as they push for the franchise’s first playoff berth in their second season. Beniers is already a two-way force and has more offensive potential to be unlocked. He should be the Calder Trophy winner and a cornerstone around which the Kraken can build moving forward.
News Summary:
- Having Fun with NHL Rookie Superlatives: 2022-23 Edition
- Check all news and articles from the latest NHL updates.