NHL rookies who could have big impacts in 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs

Apr 16, 2026, 11:30 EDTUpdated: Apr 16, 2026, 11:37 EDT

NHL rookies who could have big impacts in 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs

Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images

The Stanley Cup playoffs are upon us – and thus, the pressure is really on.

It’s hard enough for the veterans of the sport – you work your whole season to get to this point. One team will be elated – the other 31 will spend the summer months crying alone. But for NHL rookies, it’s a whole other world. Some NHLers get their first real big-league action in the playoffs, thanks to the end of European and NCAA campaigns. Regardless, it’s a wild time of the year for any youngster.

The NHL’s top rookie this season, Matthew Schaefer, won’t be participating in the postseason after the New York Islanders were eliminated from contention a few days back. Other notable freshmen who’ll be watching from the sidelines include Washington’s Ryan Leonard, St. Louis’ Jimmy Snuggerud, and San Jose’s Yaroslav Askarov, among others.

But which rookies will be leaned upon when it matters? Here’s a look at 11 you need to know:

Beckett Sennecke, RW (Anaheim Ducks)

The Ducks’ turnaround has been one of the better stories in the NHL this year. Sure, things got a bit hairy down the stretch with some tough losses to non-playoff teams. But after years of hanging around the basement, the team finally means business. Sennecke is a big reason why – he reached the 60-point mark in the NHL while most others his age were battling it out in the CHL playoffs.

Sennecke was a surprise pick at No. 3 in 2024 but quickly became one of the game’s top prospects. He’s big, strong and as skilled as they come. You won’t find many other 6-foot-3 forwards who can dangle like Sennecke does. It didn’t take long for him to crack Anaheim’s top six, and he has been a top-line fixture for nearly the entire season. Sennecke is likely going to be one of the three finalists for the Calder Trophy – but that’s not the trophy he’s focused on this spring. Side note: remember Dustin Penner’s smash-at-all-costs playoff run as a rookie in 2007?

James Hagens, LW (Boston Bruins)

Hagens is Boston’s top prospect, and after giving him a few games in the AHL, his time has come in the big show. The 19-year-old had a productive two seasons at Boston College, where the Bruins kept a close eye on him. He led Hockey East with 28 points this year and earned a spot on the first all-star team for his efforts. But a lot of Hagens’ value comes away from the puck. He’s a fantastic skater who frequently makes outstanding passes, a la Jack Hughes. Hagens is a play-driver with strong two-way game. It feels like his decision-making under pressure hasn’t evolved much over the past two to three years, but he still has a bright future as an impact NHLer.

And what better time to throw him to the wolves than in the playoffs? All of Boston’s Trade Deadline deals were minor, and it always felt like they were planning to keep a roster spot open for Hagens. He’s on the wing to start his career, but he’s a natural center who plays with a lot of speed. For now, he’ll look to build chemistry with fellow rookie Fraser Minten on Boston’s third line, which could prove to be a nightmare matchup for teams in the playoffs.

Fraser Minten, C (Boston Bruins)

Minten has blown expectations out of the water this season. Most expected him to settle into a third-line role – it fits his game quite well. But the 21-year-old has spent significant time as Boston’s No. 1 center, playing alongside David Pastrnak. The offense hasn’t been anything to write home about. But we’re still talking about a reliable, two-way center in the early stages of his career. It has been a solid year, all things considered.

Minten will grind opponents down. He won’t blow you away with natural skill. But few young centers work as hard as he does to win every single battle. It’s hard for a guy his age to play key minutes down the middle, but Minten is already quite well-rounded. He doesn’t crumble under pressure, and he’s very quick in straight-line situations. As a third-liner, Minten should be a difference-maker for the Bruins as the team looks to ruffle some feathers.

Alexander Nikishin, D (Carolina Hurricanes)

Like we’ve said many times all season long, Nikishin’s value doesn’t often make the scoresheet. He’s strong and loves to force opponents to the outside. He also breaks up a ton of plays with his long reach and is defensively responsible. The Hurricanes play him when they need someone to shut a play down, and Nikishin often delivers. He was known more for his scoring touch in the KHL, but registering 30 points as a rookie NHL defender is nothing to sneeze at.

Nikishin averages just more than 18 minutes a night, up from about 15-16 early on. We’ve seen him on the top power-play unit as of late, but he’ll likely handle second-pair units during the playoffs. Regardless, we’ve seen him become a legitimate top-four defender in the second half of the season, and it won’t be long until he’s a permanent fixture on the top pair. The Hurricanes are hoping to finally make the most of their contention window – if that happens, Nikishin will likely be a big reason for that.

Justin Hryckowian, LW (Dallas Stars)

Hryckowian is one of the older prospects this year at 25, but he’s been a remarkable story. He was an undrafted free-agent signing back in 2024 and would go on to register a whopping 60 points in his AHL rookie campaign. That earned him a spot with the big club this year, and while his offensive numbers were nothing to lose your mind over, his overall impact was impressive.

For a midsized guy, Hryckowian loves to hit everything in sight. He’s aggressive, quick and spends a lot of time creating havoc. He’s a perfect energy forward who can play anywhere in the lineup, and he’s very reliable defensively. Hryckowian has all the makings of a post-season fan favorite – sort of like former Stars assistant captain Steve Ott. And the best part? The Stars recently signed his brother, Dylan, who is a near carbon copy.

Matthew Savoie, RW (Edmonton Oilers)

From Oct. 7-Dec. 31, Savoie managed just 13 points in 41 games. He had 20 in the final 40, but, more importantly, 15 in the final 24. That shows some serious progress for an offensive forward who seemed extremely unlucky early on in the season. These days, he’s a legitimate top-six forward, playing some solid hockey alongside Connor McDavid.

This is exactly what the Oilers were hoping for after promoting him from the AHL to full-time NHL duty. Savoie is an excellent skater and plays at a high pace. He can be a bit streaky, but he’s clearly playing with confidence right now. Savoie is on the smaller side, but he makes up for it with his creative playmaking. His tenacious play style allows him to get into high-danger scoring situations, and while he has never been much of a goal-scorer at any level, he’s still quite dangerous around the crease.

Ivan Demidov, RW (Montreal Canadiens)

Demidov finished the season fifth in scoring for Montreal with numbers that would have put him at the top during the early days of the team’s rebuild. Registering more than 60 points as a rookie is one thing – but with an average of 2.48 points per 60 at 5-on-5, he has been one of the NHL’s most efficient forwards this season. In most other years, Demidov would have a strong argument for the Calder. Schaefer had other plans this season, though.

Demidov already has a bit of playoff experience. After a strong (yet short) showing in his first KHL post-season run, the Canadiens brought him over last spring and thrust him into middle-six duty. He registered two points in five games, which was all they could have asked for, given he joined the team just days before the playoffs. Now, with a full season under his belt in North America, he’s much more comfortable and ready to play a big scoring role on the team’s second line.

Jakub Dobeš/Jacob Fowler, G (Montreal Canadiens)

It’s one thing for a team to have a rookie goaltender. It’s another to have a goalie duo comprised of two guys with limited experience. But after it became clear early on that Samuel Montembeault was not the answer in net, Montreal’s two youngsters have come alive to become one of the more intriguing pairs in the league. Dobeš, in particular, has a 29-9-4 record with a 23.71 5-on-5 goals saved above expected (good for sixth in the NHL). Dobeš should be the Game 1 starter – and he does have NHL playoff experience after playing three games against the Washington Capitals a year ago.

Fowler, 21, was fantastic in the AHL, and once he got his first taste of big-league hockey, it became clear he wasn’t heading back to Laval. Fowler has been one of the more impressive backup goalies this season, forcing the Canadiens to completely re-evaluate their crease situation a little earlier than they probably expected. Many believe Fowler is Montreal’s No. 1 of the future, but there’s no reason to rush that right away.

It’s not crazy to think a rookie goaltender could get the job done. Ken Dryden and Patrick Roy were two notable examples. Jordan Binnington, Matt Murray (twice!) and Cam Ward have all done it since the start of the salary cap era. It might be asking a lot of Dobeš and Fowler to steal a few games, but they’ve done that already during the regular season. Why not now?

Oliver Kapanen, C/LW (Montreal Canadiens)

Kapanen is one of just a handful of rookie forwards to crack the 20-goal mark this season. He has always been a goal-scorer (that scoreless 18-game run with Montreal last year was more of a blip than anything). Kapanen has had excellent chemistry with Demidov, often on the receiving end of Demidov’s passes. Michael Hage’s eventual arrival will push Kapanen down Montreal’s lineup, but it’s been good seeing the 22-year-old stand out in Montreal’s middle six this year after a bit of a false start in 2024-25.

The Canadiens need their secondary scoring to step up if they’re going to go deep. The Finnish forward has struggled as of late with just two points since March 26 (both coming in a 4-1 victory over Nashville on March 28). His ice time started to fall a bit, with him even getting separated from Demidov and being moved to the wing on the third line. Having him as the No. 2 center always felt a bit forced – he projects more as a solid bottom-sixer. We’ll see if he can find his mojo again this spring.

Porter Martone, RW (Philadelphia Flyers)

Martone was one of the most productive forwards in the NCAA, and he has carried that over to the NHL. He registered 10 points in his first nine NHL games, which, frankly, is absurd. He jumped into the top six and wasted no time generating quality chances for the Flyers, with Martone’s play being a big reason why the Flyers advanced to the playoffs in the first place. Martone already has three multi-point efforts to his credit, which is crazy for a guy coming out of college.

Martone is a competitive dude. He has played in a lot of high-stress situations over the past two years, especially internationally. He’s a guy teammates love to play for, and has been a captain at various levels. At this point, it’s hard not to fall in love with the way he’s playing in Philadelphia. He’s a star in the making, and he’s ready for the playoff spotlight.

Benjamin Kindel, C (Pittsburgh Penguins)

At some point, someone will take over as the No. 1 center in Pittsburgh. Kindel might not be that guy, but he’s going to be a highly impactful forward, no question about it. He has played everywhere in the lineup, from serving on the wing alongside Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, to handling the middle-man duties on the third line.

Kindel fell just short of 20 goals and 40 points during the regular season, but he always felt like a long shot to make the NHL this year anyway. So all things considered, it’s been one heck of an opening campaign for the smart, skilled and crafty forward. The Penguins are definitely better with Kindel in the lineup than without him. He missed a bit of time with an upper-body injury but should be good to go as Pittsburgh looks to give its veteran core one last kick at the Cup.

Also considered: Colten Ellis, G (Buffalo Sabres); Jesper Wallstedt, G (Minnesota Wild); Arturs Silovs, G (Pittsburgh Penguins)

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