Sophomore slump?
We’ve all been there before, picking the hotshot rookies thinking he’d really become an elite player in his second season, only to see them hit the development wall. Fatigue can still be a factor with shorter summers, and their first-year success becomes a double-edged sword since it provides both a great starting point for them but also ends up drawing more focus from opposing defenses.
For the most part, there’s nothing to be afraid of. Two years ago, Quinn Hughes led all rookies in scoring with 53 points in 68 games, and while he did struggle defensively in his second season with a team-worst minus-24 rating, he still managed to score 41 points in 56 games to finish tied-10th among defensemen. Of the top 10 rookie scorers that season, only two saw their production fall off in their second season: Dominik Kubalik, who went from 30 goals to 17 as the Blackhawks tanked, and Alex Nylander missed the entire season due to a knee injury.
It was the same story for the 2020-21 rookie class. Though it didn’t offer much depth, the high-end rookies – Kirill Kaprizov, Jason Robertson, Josh Norris, Tim Stützle, Igor Shesterkin, Ilya Sorokin – all made big strides in their second season.
The 2022-23 sophomore pool is deep, so here are 20 of them to keep an eye on.
Short list:
Trevor Zegras, C, Ducks
Zegras finished second in rookie scoring and TOI/GP, and those numbers increased significantly. Ryan Strome was signed for added scoring punch, but it’s Zegras’ team in the post-Getzlaf era. He’s penciled in as their top center.
Tanner Jeannot, RW, Predators
It’s a bummer Jeannot no longer has dual-winger eligibility, but it’s not out of the question he regains it again given how liberal Yahoo has been with position eligibility. He led all rookies with 24 goals and he could push for a top-six role. Even if his scoring dips, Jeannot is also one of the league’s best bangers recording 130 PIM and 318 (!) hits last season.
Bowen Byram, D, Avalanche
Byram’s breakout party began in the playoffs and offers up plenty of offensive upside. His minutes may be limited because the Avs’ blue line is deep, but he’s arguably their second-best scoring option from the blue line behind Cale Makar, and will mop up any power play minutes he leaves behind.
Cole Caufield, LW/RW, Canadiens
The dual-winger eligibility is a big bonus and under Martin St. Louis, Caufield scored 22 goals in 38 games over the last three months…
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