Rookie Watch: Beniers, Cates among best born in United States

The impact several rookies are making on the NHL is one of the major storylines of the 2022-23 season. Each week, NHL.com will examine topics related to this season's class in the Rookie Watch.
This week and to celebrate the start of Hockey Week Across America, a look at the top seven United States-born rookies (listed alphabetically):

Matty Beniers, F, Seattle Kraken:The 20-year-old left-shot center born in Hingham, Massachusetts, leads all rookies in goals (18), points (40) and even-strength points (32) in 54 games. He's averaging 16:58 of ice time while playing on Seattle's top line, is second in penalties drawn (16) and takeaways (36), and 11th in hits (64). The No. 2 pick in the 2021 NHL Draft, Beniers is first in face-off wins (288) and tied for 14th in blocked shots (37) among first-year players.
Beniers had 43 points (20 goals, 23 assists) in 37 games as a sophomore at the University of Michigan in 2021-22 and represented the United States at the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship and the 2022 Beijing Olympics.
"He's just a terrific kid," Kraken general manager Ron Francis said. "He is a great hockey player. He's going to be great hockey player as he gets stronger, but just a terrific kid. He's one of our engines. He pushes the pace in practice. He pushes the pace in games. He's an easy-going guy who has fit in really well with our veterans. He's got a bright future ahead of him."
Noah Cates, F, Philadelphia Flyers:The 24-year-old, who can play center or left wing, leads rookies in takeaways (38) and is eighth in hits (74) and blocked shots (47). The native of Stillwater, Minnesota, is second among United States-born rookies with 24 points and third with 16 assists while averaging 17:34 of ice time in 57 games. Among first-year players, Cates is first in face-offs taken (674) and third in wins (267). The fifth-round pick (No. 137) in the 2017 NHL Draft is the center on a line with left wing Kevin Hayes and right wing Owen Tippett. He's third among rookies in even-strength face-off wins (231) and shorthanded wins (29) and tied for third in defensive-zone wins (91). He's a big part of Philadelphia's penalty kill, averaging 1:52 of shorthanded ice time per game.
Cates played four seasons at the University of Minnesota Duluth and was captain as a junior and senior (2020-22). He had 99 points (39 goals, 60 assists) in 139 NCAA games.
"I think I've gotten more comfortable in all areas of the ice," Cates said. "Skating, coming back, playing low against some of the big guys. I think I've just kind of adjusted and we've done a lot of video and whatnot about coming back into the zone and different responsibilities. So just more time working into the position has been really helpful for me."

Paul Cotter, F, Vegas Golden Knights:The 23-year-old, born in Canton, Michigan, has four points (three goals, one assist) in a four-game point streak and is third among United States-born players with 11 goals and tied for fifth with 15 points. Cotter is averaging 13:10 of ice time in a top-line role with center Jack Eichel and right wing Jonathan Marchessault. Since Jan. 1, he leads the Golden Knights with seven goals in 16 games.
Cotter was selected in the fourth round (No. 115) of the 2018 NHL Draft and played eight games at Western Michigan University before joining London of the Ontario Hockey League in 2018-19, when he had 26 points (nine goals, 17 assists) in 48 games.
"The next step for him is just that complete game, be able to rely on him in any situation," Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said. "So that's consistency away from the puck or board battles. That's an area that he, for a bigger guy, he has to be more consistent on. [Eichel] is so good at coming from underneath speed that when the wingers win the battles for him, a lot of good things happen. That's where Paul needs to be. Take pride in that part of the game. Value that part of the game."
Jordan Harris, D, Montreal Canadiens:He's tied for fifth among United States-born players with 15 points (three goals, 12 assists) and tied for second in average ice time (18:35) in 52 games. The 22-year-old was selected in the third round (No. 71) of the 2018 draft and signed a two-year, $2.8 million contract Feb. 10. He's second among United States-born rookies in blocked shots (75), sixth in takeaways (16) and seventh in hits (43). Born in Haverhill, Massachusetts, Harris is usually skates with David Savard on Montreal's second pair.
Harris had 73 points (15 goals, 58 assists) in 130 games over four seasons at Northeastern University, where he was captain as a senior in 2021-22 and earned a degree in business administration.
"It's a dream come true just to be able to play hockey for a living," Harris said. "I would play hockey for free and so the money to me it's great but, at the same time, that's never my main focus. I take more pride in the finished product on the ice."
Nick Perbix, D, Tampa Bay Lightning:He's tied for fifth among United States-born players with 15 points (four goals, 11 assists) and first with a plus-11 rating while averaging 14:48 of ice time in a third-pair role with Ian Cole. A sixth-round pick (No. 169) in the 2017 draft, Perbix had a solid training camp but wasn't on the opening-night roster. He debuted in the fourth game of the season Oct. 18 and has since remained in the lineup. The 24-year-old, born in Elk River, Minnesota, is fifth in blocked shots (40), fourth in takeaways (19) and eighth in hits (41) among United States-born rookies in 44 games.
Perbix had 89 points (22 goals, 67 assists) and was plus-23 in 135 games over four seasons at St. Cloud State University (2018-22).
"He just does everything well," Lightning television color analyst Brian Engblom told The Athletic. "He's smart. He's mature in his game. The NHL hasn't seemed to bother him. He doesn't panic. He reads the game really well and is in a good position. His efficiency is the best part of his game. Nothing flashy, but it's what you want."
Shane Pinto, F, Ottawa Senators:The second-round pick (No. 32) in the 2019 NHL Draft is second among United States-born rookies with 14 goals and tied for second with 24 points in 55 games. The 22-year-old right-shot center also has 100 shots on goal, is tied for first with four power-play goals and third with 24 takeaways while averaging 15:34 of ice time in 55 games.
Born in Franklin Square, New York, Pinto was the center on Ottawa's second line with left wing Alex DeBrincat and Drake Batherson for a 7-2 win against the St. Louis Blues on Sunday. He missed most of last season after having shoulder surgery in November 2021 and was limited to five games with Ottawa (one assist). He was a finalist for the 2021 Hobey Baker Award given to the top player in NCAA Division I after he had 32 points (15 goals, 17 assists) for the University of North Dakota.
"He's playing with a lot of detail," Senators coach D.J. Smith said in October. "He's playing inside the dots, finding open areas, and he's playing hard defensively. When he plays like that, the way he can carry the puck up ice, he was in on all kinds of scoring chances."

Jake Sanderson, D, Senators:The 20-year-old from Whitefish, Montana, is second among rookie defensemen in assists (18) and points (21), second in power-play points (11) and first in shots on goal (85). He's also fifth in takeaways (18) and second in average ice time (21:19) in 51 games. The No. 5 pick in the 2020 NHL Draft has missed four games after being placed on injured reserve with an upper-body injury Feb. 13. Sanderson still leads all rookies with 88 blocked shots and Ottawa controls 52.1 percent of all shots attempted with Sanderson on the ice this season at 5-on-5.
He had 41 points (10 goals, 31 assists) in 45 games over two seasons at North Dakota (2020-22).
"Sanderson's been great all year and he continues to get better," Smith said. "You say a couple times off the rush against Connor McDavid (in a 6-3 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Feb. 11) ... very few guys off the rush are going to be able to handle him and not look like their inches from getting beat. His ability to play guys off the rush and in the D-zone has really improved."
NHL.com staff writer Tom Gulitti contributed to this report