The nine-game benchmark is fast approaching which is big for teams because it is up to the coaching, management, and front-office staff to decide which rookies stay and which will get sent down to the junior or AHL levels.
Juraj Slafkovsky
Although he has had many games where he showed flashes of what he can bring to the team on a more nightly basis, he just feels lost out there. Some time in the minor leagues should help him develop his game more and ensure he is on the top lines and getting good matchups. Seeing coaches playing rookies on the bottom 6 is not the most effective way to develop them into full-time NHL players because you aren’t playing him with the best players, and he is only getting limited ice time to show fans and the coaching staff what skills he possesses.
Kaiden Guhle
He has looked super strong through eight games so far. He has shown the Habs fanbase that he can take on those heavy minutes, as on Thursday night against Buffalo, he logged 22:40 TOI, which was second on the team. He also scored in Thursday’s contest as David Savard, who has been a great mentor for Guhle, set him up with a great pass. It looks as though Guhle will stay on the team for the entirety of the season because of how well he has played.
Arber Xhekaj
Besides his fight against Zack Kassian on October 20th, he hasn’t shown the team all that much, which could be largely due to his playing on the bottom pairing. In eight games, it’s easy to see that Xhekaj continues to have discipline issues as he leads all rookies with 15 PIMs. On top of that, he isn’t all that good in the defensive zone. It might be beneficial if he were to work on his game in the AHL and get called up later in the year.
Wyatt Johnston
Dallas Stars fans are getting treated to watch Johnston play so far. He has scored three goals to this point, and the sentiment around the team is that it’s not looking like Johnston is going anywhere. With Jamie Benn and Ty Dellandrea on his wings, it makes for a great third line for the Stars. With Jamie Benn on the wing, it adds a ton of experience and someone to lean on for Johnston to succeed in the NHL.
Shane Wright
The Seattle Kraken are wasting Wright’s talents and skill by healthy scratching him night in and night out. In addition, Dave Hakstol isn’t putting Wright in any position to succeed. If this continues, they might as well send him back down to Kingston, where he can dominate and play games. It’s hard getting any sort of NHL experience when all you’re doing is watching from the press box. When Seattle drafted Wright, fans immediately pointed to how the Kraken were building towards a championship, and they have a formidable 1st line and 2nd line center in Beniers and Wright. So far, that is not the case. When Wright does get in the games, he is on the 4th line playing under nine minutes a night.
Kent Johnson
Columbus should continue to keep on having Johnson in the lineup. He adds a dangerous scoring effect and can be really effective. Ever since being called up, he hasn’t missed a beat from his performance from last season. He scored five points in seven games against Pittsburgh, New York (Rangers), and Arizona. The kid is feeling as confident as ever, and it shows. With the way Johnson is playing, there is no need to send him down, and in fact, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him get bumped up to the first powerplay unit. However, Brad Larsen may want to spread the offense, as it’s still early in the season.
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