The NHL rookies making an unexpected early impression

Travis Konecny’s instinctual response to a recent thunderous check is the fiery sort of retribution typical of the pugnacious five foot 10, 175-pound Philadelphia Flyers rookie. Then the 19-year-old looks up and realizes the hit came from Chris Neil, one of the NHL’s toughest customers, and he opts to pull back.

It’s the kind of lesson Konecny, a London, Ont. native, is learning in his first NHL season while still managing to offer the Flyers an unexpected boost. The 22nd overall pick of the 2015 draft has rung up four goals and 12 points in his first 20 games, primarily playing alongside Jakub Voracek and Sean Couturier on Philadelphia’s second line.

Few would have anticipated Konecny even being in the NHL at this point, let alone making a real dent on the league. Sarnia general manager Nick Sinclair proclaimed in September that Konency had a chance to be major junior hockey’s best player if he returned to play for the Sting.

“For me, just the type of person I am, my goal from the start was to play in the NHL as soon as possible,” Konecny said in a recent interview. “Obviously I wasn’t being as realistic as I should’ve been, but I had the positive mindset.”

Konency, rambunctious in the mold of Canadiens sparkplug Brendan Gallagher, is among the rookie leaders in hits as well as points. A 101-point scorer last season in the OHL, Konecny also sits second on the Flyers in even-strength production (nine points) and first among the team’s forwards in five-on-five points and assists per-60 minutes.

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He’s still just figuring out the league, getting a real taste, for example, of how physical it was during a late October tilt against the Arizona Coyotes. Crunched multiple times by six foot two, 229-pound defenceman Luke Schenn, Konecny was reminded how much bigger and stronger the competition was, how little time he had to make plays.

Konecny was draped in ice bags after that game and says he’s had to treat his body differently now that he’s playing in the NHL. Unlike junior hockey, where it was in and out of the rink, now he might spend an hour or more at the arena after a game or practice with the Flyers. More trips to the hot and cold tubs are required.

Konecny is absorbing what he can from teammates, too, including captain Claude Giroux, another smallish late first round pick. He’s been wowed Giroux’s efficiency and ability to outsmart opponents.

“If you ever get the chance just to watch how he uses the ice to his advantage and uses other players to his advantage to get everyone on the ice on the same page as him, it’s pretty impressive,” Konecny said.

Konency worked with Giroux after a recent practice, doing all he could to steal the puck. His teammate shielded him off, not with his body, but stick.

It was another tip for a young player quickly finding his way in the league.

—

Here are a few other young rookies making unexpected contributions early on this season:

ZACH WERENSKI (COLUMBUS): A dark-horse Calder Trophy candidate, Werenski trails only Patrik Laine and Mitch Marner in rookie scoring with 15 points in 17 games, tops among first-year defencemen. The 19-year-old, averaging more than 22 minutes per-game, also helps steer the NHL’s top power play unit.

DENNIS MALGIN (FLORIDA): Malgin is maybe the most unlikely rookie having success. He’s only 19, Swiss, a mere five foot nine and 177 pounds, and the 102nd overall pick of the 2015 draft. But Malgin, a teammate of Auston Matthews in Zurich last season, is fast with good skill, mustering four goals and eight points in 20 games for the Panthers.

BRANDON CARLO (BOSTON): A second round pick in 2015, Carlo is playing the most minutes of any rookie in hockey this season, almost 23 per-game alongside captain Zdeno Chara on the Bruins top pair. Underlying numbers suggest effectiveness both at even-strength and on the penalty for the huge six foot five defenceman from Colorado. 

BRAYDEN POINT (TAMPA BAY): With seven points in 20 games, the Calgary native has chipped in for a Lightning squad that’s now without Steven Stamkos for the next four months. Among the lighter NHL players at just 166 pounds, Point is likely to see his role grow in the absence of the team’s captain.

SEBASTIAN AHO (CAROLINA): The slick, slight Finnish 19-year-old started his NHL career with points in four of the first five games, cooled off and is now starting to heat up again, including a career-best three point outing last week against Washington. The Hurricanes have high hopes for Aho, a second round pick in 2015.

MATTHEW TKACHUK (CALGARY): The top goal-scorer for the OHL champion London Knights last spring has managed to offer the Flames an offensive boost early this season. Tkachuk, only 18, has chipped in five goals and nine points in 17 games, all at even-strength. Puck possession numbers are tops among all Flames’ players despite a pretty good chunk of starts in the defensive zone.

Jonas Siegel, The Canadian Press