Logan Cooley, F, Arizona Coyotes: The 19-year-old, who was selected No. 3 in the 2022 NHL Draft, ranks fourth among rookies with 41 points (18 goals, 23 assists) in 77 games. He is averaging 15:47 of ice time and is fearless in getting into the tough areas of the ice to create offense, as evidenced by the fact he's in the 71st percentile in shooting percentage (13.6 percent; 6-for-44) from the mid-range or high slot area of the ice, according to NHL Edge. The League average is 8.9 percent.
Few will forget the highlight-reel goal Cooley scored in his first NHL preseason game for the Coyotes against the Los Angeles Kings in Melbourne, Australia, when he beat three defenders with a spin-o-rama move before pulling the puck back to his forehand for a goal in a 5-3 win as part of the 2023 Global Series -- Melbourne on Sept. 23.
"We know what he can do ... you will see him all the time as a rookie, and we see him as a player for us," Arizona coach Andre Tourigny said. "He's a member of our team, an important guy on our team and he will grow every game, learn a few things. We will focus on what we can control ... not the result but the performance."
Luke Evangelista, RW, Nashville Predators: Evangelista ranks fourth among Central Division rookies with 16 goals and is fifth with 35 points while averaging 13:49 in ice time in 76 games. He's tied for fifth among all first-year players with 27 even-strength points (13 goals) and is fourth with 36 takeaways.
The 22-year-old was selected in the second round (No. 42) of the 2020 NHL Draft. Evangelista plays right wing on a line with center Tommy Novak and Mark Jankowski and is the second cousin of three-time Stanley Cup champion and Hockey Hall of Fame forward Brendan Shanahan.
During a team-record 18-game point streak (16-0-2) from Feb. 17-March 26, Evangelista had 10 points (six goals, four assists), a 13.3 shooting percentage and averaged 14:48 of ice time.
Brock Faber, D, Minnesota Wild: Faber leads all rookies in ice time per game (25:01), total ice time (1,926:50) and blocked shots (144), and is ninth among rookie defensemen in hits (62) in 77 games. He's second among Central Division rookies with 43 points (seven goals, 36 assists) and fifth with 122 shots on goal. The 21-year-old, selected by the Los Angeles Kings in the second round (No. 45) of the 2020 NHL Draft, who was traded to Minnesota, with a first-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft (forward Liam Ohgren), for forward Kevin Fiala on June 29, 2022, leads all NHL rookie defensemen with 30 even-strength points (five goals, 25 assists).
Faber had 53 points (seven goals, 46 assists) and a plus-54 rating in three seasons at the University of Minnesota, losing 3-2 to Quinnipiac in the 2023 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey championship game. He also had one assist in four games with the United States in the 2022 Beijing Olympics. Faber signed his entry-level contract on April 9, 2023.
"I still see myself as just a normal 21-year-old kid," Faber told the Wild's website. "I just love working out, skating and bettering myself. I love winning and I hate losing and that's kind of just how I am. I've never been big on points or social media or accolades or anything like that. Frankly, it hasn’t changed one bit since I have signed. It's obviously different but I would talk about that a lot with my coaches growing up and they would always preach, unselfish people make it to the next level. Good people make it to the next level. People who care more about the team make it to the next level. And that's just all the way up and how I was raised."
