NHL's Kids to Watch

Author:
SI Staff
Publish date:
Oct 6, 2011

NHL's Kids to Watch

Adam Larsson

The Swedish defenseman is the blue chip prospect that GM Lou Lamoriello was looking for as a centerpiece in rebuilding New Jersey's blue line. Taken with the fourth overall pick this summer, Larsson is big, mobile and poised. He will play a lot and will certainly be prominent in the Calder Trophy conversation. -- Darren Eliot

Gabriel Landeskog and <br> Stefan Elliott

While left wing Gabriel Landeskog, the second overall pick in the 2011 draft, figures to get most of the media attention and, if he plays as expected, Calder consideration, Elliott could be the surprise rookie after he gets called up. A second-round pick in 2009, he set the all-time WHL scoring mark for blueliners during his four years at Saskatoon and is coming off a monster season of 81 points (30 goals) and plus-62 in 71 games with the Blades. -- Adrian Dater

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Taylor Hall

While many experts believe Nugent-Hopkins will be as good or better than teammate Hall, there is less consensus on whether he'll be as NHL-ready as Hall proved to be last season. Nugent-Hopkins is listed at 6-3, 183 -- in other words, he's skinny. It may be that, at 18, his body just won't be ready for an 82-game NHL grind. But he'll start the season with the Oilers and approach the 10-game mark where rules say junior-age players must either go back or stay for good. Hall, as an 18-year-old, put up solid 22-20-42 numbers in 65 games and impressed Oilers brass with his leadership qualities. He has future captain written all over him. With his tremendous hands and great wheels, at least 30 goals would seem to be a realistic expectation. -- Adrian Dater

Ben Smith

After a wave of injuries gave him a chance to play late in the season, Smith did some good things when the games mattered most. Included were three goals in the seven-game, first-round playoff series against the Canucks. The stocky winger should get another opportunity once he recovers from that huge hit in a Sept. 30 preseason game that got Detroit's Brendan Smith suspended. -- Adrian Dater

Ryan Ellis and Blake Geoffrion

The 11th overall pick in the 2009 draft, defenseman Ellis had a monster junior season for Windsor (OHL), posting 101 points in 58 games. There are questions about his size (5-10, 186), but not his patience with the puck. Still just 20, he may need one more year of junior seasoning. -- Adrian Dater Geoffrion is Nashville's first homegrown player, but no NHLer has ever had quite his pedigree. His father Danny played in the league, his grandpa Bernie and great-grand dad Howie Morenz are Hall of Famers. Blake has already made name for himself as the 2010 Hobey Baker Award winner and he scored six goals in his first 11 NHL games last season, including a hat trick against Buffalo, but none the rest of the way. He can play center or left wing, and a good camp will help him cement a spot for the coming season. -- Stu Hackel

Cody Hodgson

With Ryan Kesler expected to miss the start of the season and be out possibly into November after groin surgery, Hodgson will get a good chance to make a top-six impression in the forward corps. Picked 10th overall by the Canucks in 2008, he spent the summer working out with noted fitness guru/former NHL player Gary Roberts. -- Adrian Dater

Marcus Johansson

He will continue to build on a credible rookie campaign (13 goals, 27 points, 2) and should take over as the number two center behind Nicklas Backstrom. The Caps are deep and talented and Johansson looks to be a big part of that among their top-six forwards. -- Darren Eliot

Zac Dalpe

This 21-year-old center is just what the 'Canes needed: an infusion of offense in their top six forward mix. He produced nearly a point-per-game in the AHL and got 15 games with the big club last season. This season is all about solidifying his standing. The 'Canes will also hope to get blueline contributions from two teens who made the roster out of training camp: Ryan Murphy, 18, and Justin Faulk, 19. Murphy is a former junior teammate of 'Canes center Jeff Skinner, who won the Calder Trophy last season after being drafted in the first round the previous summer. -- Darren Eliot

Alex Burmistrov

This 20-year-old Russian center is a key to the Jets' progress. He showed flashes last season as a teen out of junior that he belonged. If his progress continues as a hard working, two-way pivot, he will fill a big void in the middle where the Jets as the Thrashers really struggled during their truncated history in Atlanta. -- Adrian Dater

Brad Marchand and <br> Tyler Seguin

Feisty forward Marchand, 23, made a huge splash during the postseason by leading all rookies in goals (11) and plus/minus ( 12) and ranking second overall in goal-scoring. It will be interesting to see how he builds on his first full regular season (21 goals, 41 points in 77 games) after signing a new two-year deal in September. Seguin's rookie campaign was short on individual highlights, but he did have an impact game in the playoffs when pressed into duty. The opportunity will be there for him to grab more minutes, particularly with the free agent move of Michael Ryder to Dallas and the retirement of Mark Recchi. The Bruins could use a boost of energy up front from a youngster looking to prove himself, especially in the first half of the season. -- Darren Eliot

Erik Gudbranson

He's an all-around defenseman the Panthers can build around. His development will go a long way in shaping the team's new path under GM Dale Tallon. Veteran acquisition Brian Campbell's experience will aid Gudbranson's development and shape his season. That's certainly good for the 19-year old and it puts even more value on Campbell's potential impact on this team and franchise. -- Darren Eliot

David Rundblad

It's harder to break into the NHL as a defenseman than it is as a forward, but the Sens have added to a blueline corps that includes third-year d-man Erik Karlsson. Hockey's Future called Rundblad "possibly the best hockey player currently not playing in North America", which might explain why the Sens traded a first-round pick to the Blues to get him at the 2010 Entry Draft. A strong skater, he's got excellent puck skills, makes a very good first pass, and is projected as a top power play quarterback, which is reflected by his Swedish Elite League performance last season (50 points in 55 games as a 20-year-old). The defensive side of his game still needs work, however. Also of note is Jared Cowen, Ottawa's first-round pick in 2009. He may lack Rundblad's offensive dimension, but he's an all-around talent with size (6-5, 228) who had a great spring: After scoring 14 points in 17 playoff games for WHL Spokane, Cowen stepped into the AHL Binghamton Senators' lineup and helped them win the Calder Cup, with four assists and a plus-6 rating in 10 games that impressed the Ottawa brass. -- Stu Hackel

Nino Niederreiter

A groin injury suffered in a preseason game will delay the Swiss forward's start to the season, but expectations are high. He is already being thought of as a top-six forward and Calder hopeful. Taken fifth overall in 2010, he's a potentially explosive scoring winger who thrives in big situations. After nine games with the Isles last season, he went back to his WHL junior club in Portland where he scored 41 goals. In the playoffs, his 27 points were just one behind the top total as he helped lead the Winterhawks to the WHL final. -- Stu Hackel

Ryan McDonagh

With Marc Staal's health (concussion) in question and the other half of last season's surprise rookie tandem, Michael Sauer, nursing a groin injury, backliner McDonagh, 22, could log over 20 minutes a night right out of the gate. He came into the mix in the second half of the season, stepped in and played a calm, patient, heads-up game, posting a plus-16. He may make the move from "comfortably dependable" to "counted on deeply" and quickly. -- Darren Eliot

Brayden Schenn and <br> Sean Couturier

Part of the return on the trade that sent Mike Richards to the Kings was prized center prospect Schenn. The fifth overall pick in 2009 was a Calder candidate until a preseason shoulder injury resulted in him being sent to the AHL. After he recovers, look for him to return to the big club and make an impact. In the meantime, the Flyers will take a regular-season look at 18-year-old center Sean Couturier, their 2011 first-round pick who had a strong camp and was hailed by coach Peter Laviolette as a smart, well-rounded player. Regarded as possibly the biggest steal of last summer's draft, Couturier was at one time rated the top prospect by Central Scouting before his stock slid well behind Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and others. -- Darren Eliot

Ryan Johansen

With 92 points in 63 games for Portland (WHL) last season, the 19-year-old center looks ready for regular duty with the Jackets. Drafted fourth overall in 2010, he could face durability questions with a 6-3, 190-pound frame, but his talent is unquestioned. -- Adrian Dater

James Reimer

All eyes will be on the young netminder who handled himself exceedingly well as a rookie replacing veteran J-S Giguere. All things point to Reimer being durable and dependable. If that proves to be true, some of the Leafs' shortcomings won't be quite so glaring. -- Darren Eliot