The impact several rookies are making on the NHL is one of the major storylines of the 2021-22 season. Each week, NHL.com will examine topics related to this season's class in the Rookie Watch.
This week, a look at the top five NHL rookies from the Metropolitan Division (listed alphabetically; statistics entering Monday).
Rookie Watch: Fehervary, Mercer among best in Metropolitan Division
Defenseman playing on Capitals top pair, versatile forward has played every game for Devils
Martin Fehervary, D, Washington Capitals:The second-round pick (No. 46) in the 2018 NHL Draft earned a full-time spot in the lineup after the Capitals waived Michal Kempny and assigned him to Hershey of the American Hockey League on Oct. 10. The 22-year-old (6-foot-2, 199 pounds) is second among all NHL rookies with 228 hits. He's averaged 19:42 of ice time with a plus-18 rating in 72 games while earning top-pair minutes with John Carlson. Fehervary has scored 15 points (eight goals, seven assists) and is fifth among all first-year players with 111 blocked shots. He averages 1:51 of shorthanded ice time per game, third among Capitals defensemen.
"He's played fantastic," Capitals coach Peter Laviolette said. "He can shoot, he can skate, he can pass. And I think as you become older in the League and more of a veteran player, then you start to see the [offensive] numbers push that way. I don't think [offense] is the first thing on his mind. He defends really well, he skates really well to defend, but he does have those gears to get the offense."
Seth Jarvis, F, Carolina Hurricanes: The 20-year-old, selected by the Hurricanes with the No. 13 pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, has scored 15 points (six goals, nine assists) in his past 18 games and is second among Metropolitan rookies with 34 points (14 goals, 20 assists) in 62 games. Jarvis, who has been playing right wing alongside center Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov, is eighth among all NHL rookies with 29 even-strength points (13 goals, 16 assists), and is ninth among rookies (minimum 20 games played) in shooting percentage (14.6 percent). Prior to joining Carolina this season, Jarvis scored 11 points (seven goals, four assists) in nine games with Chicago of the American Hockey League and 27 points (15 goals, 12 assists) in 24 games with Portland of the Western Hockey League in 2020-21.
"He plays hard and doesn't shy away from any physical contact," Hurricanes forward Vincent Trocheck said. "He goes in the hard areas and plays with no fear. A guy with his size (5-10, 175), to be able to do that, is all that really matters."
Connor McMichael, F, Washington Capitals: McMichael (6-0, 180) has been in and out of the lineup this season but has been productive when given a chance. Selected by the Capitals with the No. 25 pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, McMichael has scored 18 points (nine goals, nine assists), and is averaging 10:26 of ice time in 66 games. He's taken 102 shots on goal and is averaging 1.30 takeaways per 60 minutes of ice time. The 21-year-old led Hershey of the AHL with 14 goals and 27 points in 33 games last season, his first as a professional.
Dawson Mercer, F, New Jersey Devils: The 20-year-old forward (6-foot, 180 pounds), selected by the Devils with the No. 18 pick of the 2020 NHL Draft, leads Metropolitan rookies and is tied for sixth among NHL rookies with 41 points (16 goals, 25 assists) in 75 games. He is second among NHL rookies in takeaways (48) and is seventh in shots on goal (144). He averages 16:31 of ice time and the Devils control 49.9 percent of the 5-on-5 shot attempts when Mercer is on the ice. Mercer is the only Devils player to skate in all 75 games this season; the last New Jersey rookie to play all 82 games in a season was Nico Hischier in 2017-18.
"Health wise, we're fortunate he didn't get injured," Devils coach Lindy Ruff said. "Playing wise, he's put a consistent year together and has helped us in different areas with power play, some penalty killing. He's played center, played wing when we've had injuries. He's got some unique tools, evasiveness. For his size you'd think he'd get run over but he doesn't. He can get himself out of tight spaces and make plays in small areas. To do it consistently, it's a credit to how the year's gone for him."
Cole Sillinger, F, Columbus Blue Jackets: The 18-year-old center (6-2, 203) is third among Metropolitan rookies with 27 points (14 goals, 13 assists) and has averaged 13:38 of ice time in 73 games. Sillinger is the youngest player in the NHL this season, and in a 6-4 win against the Vegas Golden Knights on March 13, he became the second-youngest player (18 years, 301 days) in Columbus history to score a hat trick (Nikita Filatov, 18 years, 230 days, Jan. 10, 2009). Sillinger, selected by the Blue Jackets with the No. 12 pick in the 2021 NHL Draft, is the son of retired NHL forward Mike Sillinger.
"We always forget that he's 18, at least some people I think do," Blue Jackets coach Brad Larsen said. "He's going through the grind of a season, and he's a kid. But he senses an opportunity. Some guys when they see the opportunities, they get excited. It's amazing what some guys can do. Some guys freeze. He doesn't seem to be that kid. Even when he's gone through struggles, he gives me work. He gives me a competitiveness. He gives me the things you can hang your hat on, and to me that's about being a pro."
