Michael Bunting, F, Toronto Maple Leafs (26 years, 157 days): Bunting (6-foot, 186 pounds) is fifth among NHL rookies with 33 points (16 goals, 17 assists) in 48 games, finding success on Toronto's top line with Auston Matthews and Mitchell Marner. He's averaging 15:21 of ice time per game and is first among rookies in penalties drawn (29), fifth in takeaways (23) and 23rd in hits (47). Selected by the Arizona Coyotes in the fourth round (No. 117) of the 2014 NHL Draft, Bunting signed a two-year contract with the Maple Leafs on July 28.
"He's just gaining more and more confidence, both in himself and his role playing with Auston," Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said in December. "He's playing with lots of urgency, lots of competitiveness. He keeps finding ways to generate offense and keep getting points. So we're feeling good about his game."
Alexandre Carrier, D, Nashville Predators (25 years, 136 days):The right-handed shot (5-11, 174) is averaging 20:52 of ice time in 47 games playing on a defense pair with either Roman Josi or Mattias Ekholm. Carrier, chosen by the Predators in the fourth round (No. 115) of the 2015 NHL Draft, is third among rookie defensemen with 19 points (two goals, 17 assists) and second with a plus-14 rating. He is fourth among first-year players and second on the Predators with 75 blocked shots (Josi, 76) and second among rookie defensemen with 19 takeaways. Carrier scored three points (one goal, two assists) in 19 regular-season games and had two assists in six Stanley Cup Playoff games last season.
Dysin Mayo, D, Arizona Coyotes (25 years, 188 days):Mayo (6-2, 183) has scored six points (three goals, three assists) in 41 games. He's second among NHL rookies with 80 blocked shots and fourth among first-year defensemen with 64 hits while averaging 20:40 of ice time. The right-hand shot was chosen by the Coyotes in the fifth round (No. 133) in the 2014 draft and scored in his NHL debut Oct. 21, the first Arizona defenseman to do so since Tony DeAngelo on Nov. 8, 2016. He played the previous six seasons with Springfield and Tucson in the American Hockey League, scoring 42 points (13 goals, 29 assists) with a plus-8 rating in 256 games.
Jake Middleton, D, San Jose Sharks (26 years, 50 days): Middleton is fifth among NHL rookie defensemen with 61 hits and sixth with 49 blocked shots while averaging 18:15 of ice time in 32 games. Selected by the Los Angeles Kings in the seventh round (No. 210) of the 2014 NHL Draft, Middleton (6-3, 219) has scored eight points (three goals, five assists) and has 38 shots on goal. He was signed as a free agent by the Sharks on Sept. 7, 2017 and played 228 games for San Jose of the AHL from 2016-21.
"Some guys take longer than others," Sharks coach Bob Boughner said. "Jake's a guy that's paid his dues and put his time in. He's having the time of his life. He's a great teammate. Guys love him, and he's helped with this team identity we've tried to create. He's a big part of that."
Alex Nedeljkovic, G, Detroit Red Wings (26 years, 45 days):He leads rookie goalies in wins (14), starts (33), shots against (1,083) and saves (982). He ranks fifth among rookies who have played at least 10 games with a .907 save percentage and 3.01 goals-against average, and is one of five with at least one shutout. Nedeljkovic (6-0, 203) was acquired in a trade with the Carolina Hurricanes on July 22 for goalie Jonathan Bernier, who signed with the New Jersey Devils as an unrestricted free agent, and a third-round pick in the 2021 NHL Draft (defenseman
Aidan Hreschuk
).
