Five under-the-radar NHL rookies making noise in 2022-23
Matty Beniers. Jake Sanderson. Owen Power.
Those are some of the bigger names in the Calder Trophy race. There’s also Mattias Maccelli, Shane Pinto, JJ Peterka and Logan Thompson, all of whom has made some noise in the Calder Trophy fight early on in the NHL season.
But today, we’re looking at some of the more underrated, unheralded freshmen in the league this season. These players aren’t going to earn much, if any, consideration for the NHL’s coveted top rookie hardware, but they’re still making strong impacts.
Here are five names you need to know:
Arber Xhekaj, D (Montreal Canadiens)
With low expectations, the Canadiens didn’t do much to address the team’s need for true top-four defensemen over the summer. That allowed some of their youth to take over, including fan favorite Arber “Wifi” Xhekaj. Xhekaj’s journey to full-time NHLer is a crazy one, but he’s done enough defensively and physically to keep a permanent role with the big club. It’s so rare to see an undrafted player go straight from junior to the NHL, but Xhekaj has exceeded all expectations. And, seriously, stop trying to mess with him. He going to pummel you.
Nick Perbix, D (Tampa Bay Lightning)
The Bolts lost Jan Rutta and Ryan McDonagh over the summer, allowing someone deeper in the system to come in and steal a roster spot. Perbix has slotted in effectively, recording six points in 14 games and playing various roles throughout the lineup. Perbix was a sixth-round pick by Tampa in 2017, with a four-year stint at St. Cloud University and an Olympic appearance with USA in between. He missed the end of Tampa Bay’s game on Thursday with an undisclosed injury, but he had been playing in Tampa’s top four recently. The Lightning continue to turn late-round finds into impact NHLers – no wonder why they won consecutive Stanley Cups. Perbix didn’t even make the team out of camp, instead starting the year with the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch. What a few months for the 24-year-old.
Fabian Zetterlund, RW (New Jersey Devils)
Hey! You’ve probably heard the Devils are really good, and the team’s depth has been a huge reason why. Zetterlund had eight points in a 14-game stint last year with the Devils and has followed it up with seven in 12 games this season. He’s been spending time with Nico Hischier and Tomas Tatar on New Jersey’s top line recently, a huge boost of confidence for a winger with no shortage of competition. Zetterlund took a bit of time to find his groove since going 63rd overall at the 2017 NHL Draft, but his play with the AHL’s Utica Comets last year forced the team to promote him – and he’s done everything but disappoint. He’s a pending RFA this year, and it seems like they’re going to look to keep him around for a while.
Nils Lundkvist, D (Dallas Stars)
Lundkvist has done an excellent job of making up for the loss of John Klingberg. Lundkvist isn’t a direct replacement, but he’s averaging 18:17 in his first full season in the NHL. He’s got the skill to take the puck down the ice and create scoring chances and has surprisingly quick hands for a defenseman. That has allowed him to be a stable presence in Dallas’ top six right from the hop, and his underlying analytics are solid. Lundkvist was a highly coveted prospect at one point during his days with the Rangers, but a roster logjam left him as the odd man out. He’s realizing his potential as a stable second-pairing defender in Texas.
Pyotr Kochetkov, G (Carolina Hurricanes)
The Canes needed Kochetkov to perform some miracles during the team’s playoff run last year and he came close. They’re asking him to do the same thing now, and he has a 2-0-0 record with a shutout in two games. Not much of a sample size, sure, but the Hurricanes are a Stanley Cup contender this year. Given the laundry list of injury issues for Frederik Andersen and Antti Raanta, it’s good the team can rely on Kochetkov in pinch situations. The 23-year-old Russian has won all five of his NHL starts over the past two seasons, while also helping the Chicago Wolves win the AHL’s Calder Cup last year. Just keep doing what you’re doing, Pyotr. It’s going to pay off. He might just be a stopgap, but Kochetkov has to have gotten the Hurricanes’ management brass thinking about his long-term potential.
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