Seven unheralded NHL rookies making noise at the end of the 2022-23 season

Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

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It’s essentially a done deal that Matty Beniers will take home the Calder Trophy this year.

He has consistently been the best rookie all season, being the first to surpass the 50-point mark and giving Seattle some serious firepower up front. Arizona’s Matias Maccelli has also been excellent, and our Mike Gould made a strong case for him to earn Calder votes later this year. Other than that, there’s been a handful of young guns that have come and gone all year long.

But we’re at the time of the year when injuries are racking up, and teams are willing to try just about anything to get through the end of the season. Whether it’s teams in the Connor Bedard race looking to give their future stars a chance, or others needing help out of necessity, we always see a handful of rookies having hot late-season runs that we can’t ignore.

And that’s what we’re going to focus on today. Here’s a look at seven NHL rookies that have made some noise in the last few weeks:

Pavel Dorofeyev, RW (Vegas Golden Knights)

Injuries to Mark Stone and Reilly Smith helped open space on the right side, and Dorofeyev took advantage of it. Dorofeyev had three points in his first two games following a mid-March call-up and now has seven points in his past seven games in Vegas’ middle-six. It was nice to see after he failed to score in a more muted role around Christmas, where he seemed snakebitten in a three-game stretch. The 22-year-old has had a slow rise through Vegas’ system, and he didn’t blow the world apart in the AHL this year. But right now, with the team still banged up, Dorofeyev’s emergence as a scoring winger comes as the team looks to solidify its lineup heading into the playoffs.

Luke Evangelista, RW (Nashville Predators)

It was only a matter of time until Evangelista – a dominant scorer at the U-16 and junior levels – made his mark in the NHL. After posting some of the best numbers of any U-22 player in the AHL, Evangelista was called up in late February and now has five goals and nine points in 14 games. He’s been an excellent addition to the team’s top six, one that has needed some extra scoring in the wake of injuries to Filip Forsberg, Ryan Johansen and Matt Duchene. And while scoring at lower levels is one thing, it’s notable when it happens at various levels and then carries over to the next step. Evangelista looks confident, and that’s all you can ask for now.

Tyson Foerster, RW (Philadelphia Flyers)

For now, Foerster is back in the AHL, but the 6-foot-2 winger has a bright future in Philadelphia. He has seven points in his past five games as he quickly got comfortable to the pace and with his new linemates. A lot of Philly’s recent success can be tied to his tremendous stint that lasted around 11 days. He’s a high-output threat in the AHL, with his 40 points in 59 games making him one of the best 21-year-olds in the league. Drafted 23rd overall in 2020, very few players shoot with his level of confidence in his draft year, and that skill hasn’t slowed down to the pro ranks. Philly might be in the dumps this year, but Foerster’s emergence is something to get excited about. He’s expected to finish the year with Lehigh Valley, but he’s not getting sent back next year.

Lukas Reichel, LW (Chicago Blackhawks)

Reichel was easily the best U-21 player in the AHL, and one of the best in recent memory. He was humming around at just under a point-per-game pace and even had a three-point showing in early January in a short NHL stint. By March, he was called up for good, and after immediately stepping into the team’s top six, he’s up to nine points in 17 games. Obviously, scoring on a team like the Blackhawks can be quite the challenge, as Patrick Kane learned, but Reichel has shown some serious first-line potential in the early days of his NHL career. Hawks fans are thrilled and could still end up with a top pick like Bedard, Adam Fantilli or Leo Carlsson at the NHL Draft. The future’s bright in the Windy City.

Rafael Harvey-Pinard, LW (Montreal Canadiens)

It was always a good night when the Canadiens escaped a game without a season-ending injury. It was an even better night when RHP found the back of the net, something he has managed to do 12 times in 30 games already. Taken in the seventh round in 2019, Pinard showed some offense in junior, but undersized, goal-scoring wingers are a dime a dozen in the QMJHL. But after an excellent 2021-22 season with Laval, Harvey-Pinard quickly established himself as a prospect to watch, and now he’s become one of Montreal’s best players over the past few months. Is it a young guy playing way above his actual long-term potential, or could Harvey-Pinard be a diamond in the rough? The verdict’s still out, but the results are quite something.

Joel Hofer, G (St. Louis Blues)

When Jordan Binnington was given a three-game suspension earlier this month, Hofer came from the AHL and saved the day. One of the best goaltenders in the AHL, Hofer came in and posted a 3-0-1 record, including a 33-save shutout over Winnipeg in his second NHL start. That prompted many to wonder if he’ll be the starter come opening night next year, and there’s a real case for that. The 22-year-old has a big 6-foot-5 frame, an excellent track record of stealing games on weaker teams and is generally viewed as one of the best goaltenders outside of the NHL. That short-stint gave some Blues fans hope for the future, and there’s no doubt he’ll be with the big club full-time next year – but how long until he overtakes Binnington as the No. 1?

Ivan Prosvetov, G (Arizona Coyotes)

Prosvetov’s workload – a whole three games – is quite small, but he’s been outstanding when needed. He has a .952 save percentage and a 3-0-0 record, including a 39-save season debut against Nashville earlier this month. Sure, he had some starts against other low-quality teams, but they weren’t easy starts by any stretch of the imagination. The 6-foot-5 goaltender has always shown promise to be an NHL-caliber goaltender, and the Coyotes wanted him to get some opportunities. He has taken the opportunity by the horns and could challenge for full-time backup duties next season.