NHL rookies prospering after strong performances at 2017 World Juniors

Many of the young stars in the NHL received their first big break playing for their country at the IIHF World Junior Championship.
There are several NHL rookies this season who gained exposure at the 2017 World Junior Championship in Toronto and Montreal and now are playing key roles for their NHL teams. Nico Hischier, chosen No. 1 in the 2017 NHL Draft by the New Jersey Devils, created attention for himself when he had seven points (four goals, three assists) in five games for Switzerland.

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"The World Junior Championship helped me a lot; it was a fun tournament and just a great experience," Hischier said. "I can remember seeing all my buddies from Switzerland at the tournament. When I'm having fun that's when I can play my best hockey, and I think most players who played in that tournament would say that."
The United States won 5-4 in a shootout against Canada in the gold medal game of the 2017 WJC.
Here are eight players from the 2017 WJC now playing key roles as NHL rookies this season (players listed alphabetically):
Mathew Barzal, F, Canada:Barzal had eight points (three goals, five assists) in seven games to help Canada to the silver medal. Selected by the New York Islanders with the No. 16 pick of the 2015 NHL Draft, he leads NHL rookies with 35 points (12 goals, 23 assists) in 36 NHL games. On Saturday, Barzal had three goals in a 5-2 win against the Winnipeg Jets. He's the youngest Islanders player (20 years, 211 days) with a hat trick since John Tavares (20 years, 117 days) on Jan. 15, 2011.

Thomas Chabot, D, Canada:Chabot, selected No. 18 by the Ottawa Senators in the 2015 draft, led defensemen with 10 points (four goals, six assists) in seven games, led all players in average ice time (26:14), and was voted the tournament's most valuable player and best defenseman. He has six points (one goal, five assists) and 14 shots on goal while averaging 13:38 of ice time in 15 games for the Senators.
Pierre-Luc Dubois, F, Canada:Dubois, chosen by the Columbus Blue Jackets with the No. 3 pick of the 2016 NHL Draft, had five points, all assists, in seven games for Canada. He has 17 points (eight goals, nine assists), and 70 shots on goal in 37 games for the Blue Jackets. He also is sixth among rookies with 67 hits. The Blue Jackets control 59.33 percent of shots attempted at even strength when Dubois is on the ice.

Nico Hischier, C, Switzerland: The first Switzerland-born player selected No. 1 in the draft, Hischier scored twice in a 3-2 loss against the United States in the quarterfinals. Hischier has been praised by Devils coach John Hynes for his 200-foot game and elite hockey sense which has enabled him to impact any situation. He has 21 points (five goals, 16 assists) in 35 games and averages 16:19 in ice time.
Tyson Jost, F, Canada: Jost was the first player from the University of North Dakota to play for Canada at the WJC since Jonathan Toews won back-to-back gold medals in 2006 and 2007. He had four points (one goal, three assists) in seven games at the tournament. Selected by the Colorado Avalanche with the No. 10 pick of the 2016 draft, Jost has five points (two goals, three assists) in 19 games for the Avalanche.

Clayton Keller, F, United States:He is third among NHL rookies with 29 points (13 goals, 16 assists) while averaging 18:49 of ice time in 38 games for the Arizona Coyotes, who selected him No. 7 in the 2016 draft. Keller was third in tournament scoring and led the United States with 11 points (three goals, eight assists) in seven games at the 2017 WJC.
Charlie McAvoy, D, United States:McAvoy (Boston Bruins, 2016, No. 14) played 31:55 in a shootout win against Russia in the semifinals and one day later played 35:33 in the shootout win against Canada in the gold medal game. Selected No. 14 by the Boston Bruins in the 2016 draft, McAvoy has 19 points (five goals, 14 assists) and a plus-7 rating, and is second on the Bruins with an average ice time of 23:13 in 34 games, 16 seconds fewer per game than defenseman Zdeno Chara.

Mikhail Sergachev, D, Russia:Sergachev has 23 points (eight goals, 15 assists), 74 shots on goal, and a plus-12 rating in 35 games for the Tampa Bay Lightning, who acquired him in a trade with the Montreal Canadiens for forward Jonathan Drouin on June 15. He is the fourth NHL rookie defenseman with at least five game-winning goals in a season, joining Dion Phaneuf (2005-06), Shayne Gostisbehere (2015-16) and Gord Fraser (1926-27), and is two behind Phaneuf's record of seven. Sergachev had one goal and plus-4 rating in seven games for Russia at the 2017 WJC. He was chosen by the Canadiens with the No. 9 pick of the 2016 draft.