Pick the rookies
The Hockey News has asked all of its correspondents to rank the top five NHL rookies this season. Who are yours? Rank them one through five...
We'll see if anything interesting comes out of this morning's practice. John Zeiler is expected to be back on the ice and Kyle Quincey is expected to skate, even though he suffered a fairly deep cut on his leg during Sunday's game.
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Rich Hammond has covered the Kings, on a full-time or part-time basis, since the 2000-01 season. He was the beat writer for the entire John Torchetti era and has witnessed Bob Miller singing country music in a Nashville honky-tonk bar. A native of Los Angeles, Rich has worked at the Daily News since 1999 and also serves as the paper's deputy sports editor. E-mail Rich at rich.hammond@dailynews.com.
Jill Painter joined the Daily News in 2000 and during the last eight years she's covered the Dodgers, Cal State Northridge, UCLA, Kings, golf and everything in between. Even though she's from Colorado, she still freezes in the Staples Center press box but always manages to thaw her fingers in time to make deadline. E-mail Jill at jill.painter@dailynews.com.
1. Doughty, homer pick...but he has definitely been the most valuable rookie to his team
2. Brassard
3. Schenn
4. Wheeler
5. Voracek
Ryan can get into this list if he stays with the top line...
Stamkos has been disappointing as has Turris and Okposo.
Huh. Doesn't seem so bad right now that we didn't pick Stamkos. I think Doughty is doing extremely well and should be on the top 5, 2nd leading rookie defenceman for points.
Versteeg and Brassard.
Both Quincey and Zeiler skated this morning.
1. Brassard
2. Versteeg
3. Doughty
4. Grabovski
5. Goligowski
1. Doughty
2. Moller
3. Ersberg
4. Simmonds
5. Boyle
Sorry I don't know what constitutes a rookie nor do I pay that close attention to other teams. The Kings are the only ones that matter.
1. Doughty
2. Brassard
3. Versteeg
4. Grabovski
5. Schenn
Doughty
Brassard
Berglund
Schenn
Voracek
Is Ersberg a "rookie"?
I haven't seen a Blue Jackets game yet, nor have I seen Stamkos play, but Grabovski and Schenn looked good in the 2 games I saw them play and I don't see what's so special about Fabian Brunnstrom in Dallas; maybe I need to see him play more. No one mentioned Mikkel Boedker but that kid has skills. Right now Drew Doughty has to AT LEAST be mentioned as a finalist for the Calder. I know it's early, but daaaaang... kid can play. And he's a King. Thank you hockey Jesus wherever you are.
Story on nhl.com about the 2009 draft class...
FAN POLL: CONSOLATION PRIZE
Which team will have the No. 1 pick in 2009?
Florida Panthers
New York Islanders
St. Louis Blues
Other
I was fully expecting the Kings to be on that poll...
http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=392972
1. Doughty
2. Boyle
3. Moeller
4. Simmonds
5. Quincey
1. Bryan Little -- Atlanta -- great promise on a lousy team
2. Grabovski -- Toronto -- heard Ron Wilson compare him to Datsyuk, and after watching him for a bit, I agree. OK, he played a little last year for Montreal, but I consider him a rookie, still.
3. Doughty
4. Brassard
5. Voracek
1. Doughty
2. Doughty
3. Doughty
4. Doughty
5. Doughty
too biased?
but really...
1. Brassard
2. Doughty
3. Versteeg
4. Goligoski
5. Grabovski
Dark Horse: Jeff Droulin-Deslauriers
1. Doughty
2. Brassard
3. Versteeg
4. Grabovski
5. Schenn
I think Eric K had it right the first time. OK, the "but really" entry is spot on as well.
Doughty may well end up leading the league in ice time if Murray keeps sending him out there for 20+ minutes each game. Let's hope his legs hold up.
#1 Brassard
#2 Versteeg
#3 Doughty
#4 Grabovski
#5 Berglund
#5.5 Goligoski
Brassard
Versteeg
Doughty
Goligoski
Grabovski
and I'll save a spot for Bobby Ryan, who will probably have good enough stats to merit consideration for the all rookie team by year's end.
Rich - for those of us that don't want to do the research, what's the criteria for qualifying as a rookie.
If Ersberg is still a rookie, he might have something to say about this in the end.
Doughty is wonderful, but it can't be based on minutes alone. Matching Joe Corvo in points and +/- doesn't say rookie-of-the-year if you ask me.
1 Doughty
2Schenn
3Grabovski
4Brassard
5Versteeg
6Goligoski
7Ersberg
8Moller
9Quincey
10Wheeler turned into a bit of a homer near the end there.
"Matching Joe Corvo in points and +/- doesn't say rookie-of-the-year if you ask me."
I think when you're a rookie, playing about 1/3 of each game, for the kings (not exactly a playoff team).. . +6 with 6 points is pretty phenomenal.
Brassard may be better, but I think thats about it
1. Brassard
2. Doughty
3. Versteeg
4. Wheeler
5. Drouin-Deslauriers
Is setoguchi a rookie still?
1 - Versteeg
2 - Doughty
3 - Brassard
4 - Goligoski
5 - Brunnstrom
I have seen some of the rookies play, not Brassard or Versteeg yet though. Doughty is amazing and very much Calder worthy, but he'll never get it since some of the things he does well defensively has no statistical catagory...and there is always an East Coast Bias with these awards, just look at the Vezina from last year, Nabakov clearly was the better goaltender and Broduer still got it...any way you slice it though, Doughty is ours and we have a lot to look forward too.
As for Moller, if he can start finishing more often, I'm sure he'll get some consideration, but stats are going to speak loudly and he's not even close to Brassard right now.
Also, as far as Doughty is concerned, I don't think point production is a great way to measure how valuable he is to the Kings.
What about Quincy ? He is technically a rookie right..... He went from Detroit waived AHL player to Top 2 on an NHL team. Everyone said Doughty should be ready, but nobody thought Quincey would turn out to be a top 4 this season.
1. Doughty---Besides goalie, D is the toughest position
20+ minutes a game, +6 gets my vote.
2. Grabovski---sweet hands, 9 goals on a bad team.
3. Brassard---Played 17 games last year, puts a handicap
on my voting, not a pure rookie.
4. Shenn---Playing stand-up D for a bad team.
5. Boedker---gonna be a star, speed to burn.
Whoever is tops, what a great crop of rookies this year!
True, Doughty probably cannot be measured on points alone. He is great defensively, for the most part. He has made some big mistakes and cost the team some games, actually, but overall his defensive maturity IS incredible, especially for an 18 year old. I can't help but be reminded of S. Neidermeier when watching him. Quincey, is great, but in no way could he be considered for Rook of the year. None.
If defense is harder than offense, why can't LA find a 50 goal scorer? No way defense is a more difficult position. You can't teach skill like Forsberg, Zetterberg, or Kopitar have/had.
Don't count Stamkos out yet. We still have over 3/4 of the season to go.
I think if you bas your decision on how much impact each rookie has on their perspective teams...
1) Doughty / he looks like a ten year vet, skates like niedermayer, has passing vision like a young phil housley ( think the year he had 96 assists with winnepeg ) his hockey IQ is off the charts...he always seems to make the right play, and when he makes a seldom giveaway, he is so quick to recover without any panic...reminds me of zubov with his panic threshold....i could go on for hours about doughty, but i guess i need to spend some time on my other four guys...
2) Brassard / Nash seems to have finally found a center pivot to get him the puck, plus he has soft hands around the net.
3) Grabovski / Helpi9ng Toronto become competitive alot quicker then most would have anticipated.
4) Quincey / Not sure if he is eligble, but for being a full time player for the first time in his career, he has been awesome...leads the kings in icetime...plays a strong physical game...pinches in well and makes smart shots to the net...much like doughty, he doesn't seem to panic much...typical Detroit prospect, reads the game well and has alot of upside
5) Pavelec / i think in the long haul he will have alot of impact on Atlanta because with his strong play they will hopefully be able to unload Lehtonen and his wonky groin...
Notable Players missing; Stamkos, Turris, Berglund, Moller, Boedker, Versteeg