Rookie Watch: Tsyplakov, George impacting Islanders

The impact several rookies are making on the NHL is one of the major storylines of the 2024-25 season. Each week, NHL.com will examine topics related to this season's class in the Rookie Watch.

This week, a look at seven impactful rookies not chosen in the first round or second round of the NHL Draft (listed alphabetically):

Jackson Blake, RW, Carolina Hurricanes: The fourth-round pick (No. 109) in the 2021 NHL Draft has earned his place in the lineup because of his relentless work ethic, particularly in his own zone. He's also provided some offensive spark, with 10 points (seven goals, three assists) in a bottom-six role while averaging 11:34 of ice time. Carolina has a 59.5 percent shot-attempts percentage at 5-on-5 when Blake is on the ice. The 21-year-old right wing, the son of retired NHL forward Jason Blake, scored his first NHL goal in his third game, a 4-2 win against the New Jersey Devils on Oct. 15. Blake led the University of North Dakota in goals (22), assists (38) and points (60) as a sophomore last season, when he was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award as the top NCAA Division I men's ice hockey player.

"There's reasons guys make the NHL quicker or faster, or they figure out they need to contribute more than just being able to toe drag and put one top corner. It's a full game," Carolina captain Jordan Staal told The Athletic. "It's every single little aspect to help you win, and it's the details that this group does really well. And he's jumped on board and done it. It's why he's here and why everybody seems to trust him."

Isaiah George, D, New York Islanders: George (6-1, 196), a fourth-round pick (No. 98) in the 2022 NHL Draft, has done enough to earn the trust of coach Patrick Roy. He was benched in a 3-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Dec. 10 after 10 shifts and has since been paired with Scott Mayfield. He exhibits poise and makes good decisions. The 20-year-old has three assists and ranks tied for sixth on the Islanders with 25 blocked shots in 19 games since being recalled from Bridgeport of the American Hockey League on Nov. 5. He had 30 points (six goals, 24 assists) when he was an alternate captain with London of the Ontario Hockey League in 2023-24. He had 12 points (four goals, eight assists) in 18 playoff games to help the Knights to an OHL championship last season.

"As a young kid coming in, he's done a great job of keeping his feet moving," Islanders defenseman Ryan Pulock said. "He's moving with the puck. He's poised with the puck. You can see his confidence growing shift by shift."

Nikolai Kovalenko, RW, San Jose Sharks: The sixth-round pick (No. 171) in the 2018 NHL Draft was acquired by the Sharks in a trade with the Colorado Avalanche on Dec. 9 that included four players and draft picks. He's the son of retired NHL forward Andrei Kovalenko. The 25-year-old (5-10, 180), who is relentless on pucks and plays well at each end of the ice, had eight points (four goals, four assists), 34 hits, 13 blocked shots and eight takeaways while averaging 12:00 of ice time in 28 games with Colorado; he has four assists and is averaging 12:07 of ice time in three games with San Jose. He has also drawn eight penalties this season, which is more than Sharks rookie Macklin Celebrini (seven). Kovalenko played with Torpedo of the Kontinental Hockey League prior to his North American arrival, where he had 35 points (11 goals, 24 assists) in 42 games last season before joining Colorado of the American Hockey League, where he had three points (one goal) in four games.

Victor Mancini, D, New York Rangers: Mancini has been a serviceable piece in a third-pairing role with five points (one goal, four assists) in 15 NHL games. He's tied for seventh on the Rangers with 20 blocked shots and averages 15:05 of ice time. Chosen in the fifth round (No. 159) of the 2022 draft, the 22-year-old played three seasons at the University of Nebraska-Omaha, where he had 10 points (four goals, six assists) and 78 blocked shots in 40 games as a junior in 2023-24. Mancini was named NCHC Academic All-Conference and a Distinguished Scholar at Nebraska-Omaha in 2022-23. A player who seems to be mature beyond his years signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the Rangers on April 2.

"It's his skating, it's his size, it's his poise with the puck," New York coach Peter Laviolette said. "He plays a physical game inside of his own elements. He's big and he's hard to play against. He does the right things with the puck and is very coachable."

Cole Schwindt, RW, Vegas Golden Knights: A hard-working, two-way forward, Schwindt (6-2, 203), who was selected by the Florida Panthers in the third round (No. 81) of the 2019 NHL Draft, has six assists and is plus-4 in 24 games with the Golden Knights this season. He's drawn eight penalties, has 15 hits and 11 blocked shots while averaging 9:55 of ice time. Vegas claimed Schwindt off waivers from the Calgary Flames in October. He was a piece of the trade involving Matthew Tkachuk and Jonathan Huberdeau between the Panthers and Flames on July 25, 2022. Capable of playing wing or center, the 23-year-old had 36 points (14 goals, 22 assists) in 66 games with Calgary of the AHL last season.

"I'm just trying to do things right, being part of an energy line and gaining offensive zone time," Schwindt said. "I'm still trying to make a name for myself here. It's awesome to play in the NHL, but it's another thing to stick and I just want to do all I can to stick around. I want to be a reliable player. A player who plays on both sides of the puck and ultimately helps the team win every night.

"Multiple guys on the team have told me to stick to your game and be yourself and that makes it comfortable to go out there on the ice."

Maxim Tsyplakov, RW, New York Islanders: Tsyplakov (6-3, 210), who was undrafted, earned a spot on the Islanders’ second line with center Bo Horvat and Jean-Gabriel Pageau. He is fourth among first-year players with 18 points (six goals, 12 assists) in 32 games. He leads the Islanders in hits (87), is third in takeaways (14) and has 16 blocked shots. New York has a 50.6 percent shot-attempts percentage at 5-on-5 when Tsyplakov is on the ice and 60.0 percent on-ice goals-for percentage. New York signed the left-handed shot out of the KHL in May after he had 31 goals and 47 points with Spartak Moscow, and he made a big impression on Roy in training camp. He's stood out on the power play as a presence in front of the net, and he's averaged 16:33 of ice time.

Tsyplakov is considered a rookie since he didn't celebrate his 26th birthday by Sept. 15 of the season when he's eligible. His turned 26 on Sept. 19.

"I love that he's around the net," Roy said. "He's around the net defensively. He's the one that's sacrificed himself in front of the net and he's always around the net. If we bring the puck behind the net, he's the one that gets the puck. If we shoot from the blue line, he's in front of the net."

Dustin Wolf, G, Calgary Flames: A seventh-round pick (No. 214) at the 2019 NHL Draft, Wolf (6-0, 166) leads all first-year goalies with a minimum five games played in wins (nine), save percentage (.915), goals-against average (2.65) and shutouts (two) in 15 games (all starts). Wolf has split the duties with Dan Vladar (6-6-4; .885; 3.08 in 16 games), but he’s taken better advantage of his playing time. He became the fifth goalie in Flames history with multiple shutouts before age 24, joining Dan Bouchard (seven), Trevor Kidd (six), Pat Riggin (four) and Mike Vernon (two).

Wolf's .842 high danger save percentage ranks in the 88th percentile, well above the League average of .807, according to NHL EDGE statistics. He also leads all NHL goalies with two assists this season. The 23-year-old made 32 saves in a 3-0 win against the Panthers on Saturday.

Former NHL goalie and current analyst Martin Biron said Wolf has earned his place in the discussion of potential Calder Trophy candidates as the League’s top rookie.

"Absolutely he should," Biron told SI.com. "When you look at [Matvei] Michkov, Celebrini and Lane Hutson, their teams are not doing great and they probably won't factor into the playoffs. Dustin Wolf is the No. 1 goalie with the Calgary Flames, a team that is near a playoff spot, and has been winning games because of Dustin Wolf."