Rookie Watch: Thompson, Power, Beniers on 1st-year All-Star Team

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, to celebrate the 2023 Honda NHL All-Star Weekend beginning Friday at FLA Live Arena in Sunrise, Florida, NHL.com presents the All-Rookie All-Star Team:

Goalie
Logan Thompson, Vegas Golden Knights:He leads rookie goalies in wins (19), starts (34), shots against (1,069) and saves (976). He's tied for second among rookies who have played at least 15 games with a .913 save percentage (
Pyotr Kochetkov
, Carolina Hurricanes) and second with a 2.69 goals-against average. Thompson is one of three rookies with at least one shutout (Kochetkov;
Samuel Ersson
, Philadelphia Flyers). The 25-year-old (6-foot-4, 205 pounds) went undrafted following four seasons with Brandon of the Western Hockey League and attended Brock University to play in a Canadian university league, U Sports, which provides opportunities to Canadian Hockey League and Canadian Junior Hockey League graduates. He finished 18-6-0 with a 2.22 GAA and .934 save percentage in 24 games and was named U Sports rookie of the year and goalie of the year in 2018-19. After two seasons in the ECHL, he signed a two-year, entry-level contract with Vegas on July 13, 2020, and then a three-year contract Jan. 30, 2022.
Thompson was among 15 first-time participants for the 2023 Honda NHL All-Star Game on Feb. 4.
"Yeah, it's been a tough journey, tough road, and I've definitely faced a lot of adversity along the way," Thompson said. "So I think it just makes you grateful for where you're at in your career now. It makes you not want to take things like this for granted. So just something I'm going to be able to enjoy, something that I've worked for, so it's going to be a rewarding feeling."
Defensemen
Owen Power, Buffalo Sabres:The No. 1 pick in the 2021 NHL Draft is third among first-year defensemen in assists (16) and points (19), first in average ice time (23:39) and first in average time at even strength (20:48) in 46 games. The 20-year-old is the third-youngest defenseman with a goal streak of at least three games in the past 35 years and is a big reason the Sabres are within one point of the Pittsburgh Penguins for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference. Power is fifth in blocked shots (57) and Buffalo controls 54.3 percent of the 5-on-5 shot attempts when he's on the ice. He's second among first-year defensemen (minimum 20 games played) in 5-on-5 on-ice shooting percentage (10.8) and fourth in 5-on-5 on-ice goals-for percentage (57.4).
"Owen is pretty amazing, obviously, three goals in a row, it's impressive at his age," Sabres coach Don Granato said. "What he does on a nightly basis is just amazing when you factor in his age and lack of experience in our league, to dominate situations and really full games the way he does."
Calen Addison, Minnesota Wild:A second-round pick by the Penguins (No. 53) in the 2018 NHL Draft, Addison (5-11, 173) leads first-year players at the position in assists (21), points (24) and power-play points (17, all assists) in 47 games. Minnesota controls 51.6 percent of all shots attempted (5-on-5) when the 22-year-old right-hand shot is on the ice. Addison has dominated on the power play, leading all rookies in primary assists (eight) and average ice time on the man-advantage (3:45). He was acquired by the Wild with left wing Alex Galchenyuk and a first-round pick in the 2021 draft (Carson Lambos) for left wing Jason Zucker on Feb. 10, 2020.
"I think when my defensive game is good, I think my offensive game is better, too," Addison said. "So I think it's just being more consistent and having that aspect of my game every night."
Forwards
Matty Beniers, Seattle Kraken:The left-shot center, who has missed two games with an upper-body injury, leads NHL rookies in goals (17), points (36) and even-strength points (29) in 47 games. Beniers told The Seattle Times in September that he changed up his workout routine in the offseason, spending six weeks training in Massachusetts to allow his body "to build muscle and not work out and just burn it right off." Building muscle has enabled him to work the tough areas of the ice in the early stages this season. He ranks eighth among first-year forwards in hits (58) and second in blocked shots (35). He's second among forwards in average ice time (16:59), playing center with left wing Andre Burakovsky and Jordan Eberle when healthy.
He was among the first-year players invited to participate in the 2023 NHL All-Star Game until he was replaced by Golden Knights forward Chandler Stephenson because of the injury.
"As a young guy in this league, especially as a centerman, that's a heavy load to carry," Seattle coach Dave Hakstol said. "I've said it all along, there's going to be nights where he's having great success, there's going to be other nights that are more difficult. But his demeanor doesn't change his response to the next day, the next shift, the next period.
"He's got a great hockey sense. That competitiveness never wanes. It's not up and down. His competitiveness is there, day in and day out."
Cole Perfetti, Winnipeg Jets:He's second among rookies with 29 points (seven goals, 22 assists) and 24 even-strength points (six goals) in 46 games. The No. 10 pick in the 2020 NHL Draft is tied for seventh (Jack Quinn, Sabres) among rookie forwards with 17 takeaways and tied for eighth with 21 blocked shots. He plays on a line with center Pierre-Luc Dubois and left wing Kyle Connor, averages 14:57 of ice time, and is good at reading and reacting to how an opponent plays him.
The 21-year-old has rebounded this season after playing just 18 NHL games and 17 American Hockey League games last season because of an upper-body injury.
"Being a good pro is you find a way to succeed and play your game," Winnipeg coach Rick Bowness said. "He's done that. He's growing on the ice and he's growing off the ice. He sees the ice very well, has a good hockey IQ and knows where people are. He's getting it away from the defender and giving the receiver of the pass an opportunity to make the next play."
Mason McTavish, Anaheim Ducks:Since Dec. 1, McTavish leads rookies in points (17) and shots on goal (65) in 26 games. The 19-year-old, selected No. 3 in the 2021 NHL Draft, ranks third among rookies with 28 points (10 goals, 18 assists) in 49 games. He's second in power-play points (11), tied for fourth in even-strength points (17) and tied for eighth in takeaways (19). McTavish is the center on Anaheim's top line with left wing Adam Henrique and Troy Terry, averaging 15:13 of ice time.
He had an impressive 2021-22, being named the Most Valuable Player of the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship after leading all skaters with eight goals and 17 points in seven games for gold medal-winning Canada. He also represented his country at the 2022 Beijing Olympics and scored 40 points (14 goals, 26 assists) in 24 regular-season games and 29 points (16 goals, 13 assists) in 19 playoff games for Ontario Hockey League champion Hamilton.
"When I look back at when I first came in the League, it's just about being confident and being confident around your teammates as well too," Ducks defenseman John Klingberg told The Athletic. "He's a great kid, works hard every day in practice and wants to get better. I think [Trevor Zegras] and those guys have been really good for him, too. They're working on stuff in their game every practice. After every practice.
"That's why you see him get rewarded. He works really hard and he's a smart two-way hockey player. He's just going to get better and better. He's got that confidence. The coaches trust him a lot and that goes a long way."