Five underrated NHL rookies deserving more attention in 2024-25
Depending on whom you talk to, the Calder Trophy race has really become a three-horse race: Montreal’s Lane Hutson, San Jose’s Macklin Celebrini and Calgary’s Dustin Wolf. You can throw in Philadelphia’s Matvei Michkov in for good measure.
It’s a quality rookie crop, and it goes much deeper than those names listed above. Today, we’re giving love to the underrated – the prospects who have played some solid hockey this year, despite not receiving much love for the Calder Trophy. Almost all of them have missed time due to injuries, and one of them is actually still in the AHL.
But for these five, it’s time to see them get some love:
Jiří Kulich, C (Buffalo Sabres)
Injuries have prevented Kulich from truly blossoming into the player many know he can be. But he’s still on pace for just under 20 goals, which would be huge for a team that needs all the offensive help it can get. Kulich started the season deeper in the lineup but has recently found himself playing alongside Tage Thompson and JJ Peterka on Buffalo’s top line. Kulich probably deserves more love across the league for his play, but he has missed time with injuries (and was a healthy scratch early on).
It’s easy to forget Kulich is just 20 because he already had four years of pro hockey experience before making the jump to full-time NHL duty. Kulich is still learning to deal with the speed and the grind of the NHL, and he can be inconsistent at times. But his ability to get high-quality shots on net from just about anywhere makes him dangerous. Many scouts expect him to be a 30+ goal-scorer before too long. Scouts are high on Kulich.
Emil Heineman, LW (Montreal Canadiens)
Heineman is everything you could ask for from a fourth-liner. He’s quick, skilled, can score and works his tail off. Before he was hit by a car earlier in 2025, Heineman was playing some truly remarkable hockey alongside Jake Evans and Joel Armia. They were a matchup nightmare, and, at the time, Heineman was playing at a 20-goal pace. He was so effective at both ends of the ice that Canadiens fans were giving him credit for being a big reason why the team had started to rocket up the standings.
Then, the injury happened ahead of the Canadiens’ game on Jan. 14 and the team won just five of its next 14 games to fall back down to earth. Since his return on Feb. 22, Montreal’s fourth line has become suddenly more dangerous again, and they’ve won both outings. Coincidence? Maybe, but Heineman is having a big impact deeper down the team’s lineup, and you love to see it.
Zachary L’Heureux, LW (Nashville Predators)
It’s been a rough few weeks for the tough winger, who started January with a three-game suspension and will end Februrary on injured reserve. But the aggressive forward has been such a force of a nature for the Preds this year. He’s always been one of the most aggressive young forwards anywhere he has played, but he showed last year he could produce with 19 goals and 48 points in 66 AHL games. This year, he has just 13 points in 45 games but boasts an impressive 4.2 goals above replacement – good for 11th among all rookies. He also has a 54.53 expected goals-for percentage, which is good for third on the Predators at 5-on-5 among players with at least 30 games played.
On one hand, L’Heureux needs to avoid the dumber penalties. On the other hand, you don’t want him to change his playing style – he’s an absolute menace who could send the Hulk to the moon. L’Heureux is good around the net, has a powerful shot, and has a penchant for making high-end plays in open space. I fully expect him to have a long, effective NHL career.
Leevi Meriläinen, G (Ottawa Senators)
Meriläinen is in the American Hockey League and likely will finish the season there, unless more injuries arise. But if it wasn’t for his incredible play during Linus Ullmark’s absence, we wouldn’t be talking about the team potentially making a big splash on the trade market to aid in their playoff run. Meriläinen has an 8-3-1 record with three shutouts and a .925 save percentage in just 12 games this season. He also has an impressive 5.57 goals saved above expected, which puts him second behind Wolf among all rookie goaltenders.
The Senators had spent the past few years trying to establish a clear goalie of the future. Mads Sogaard looked like that at one point, but he has played just 10 games between the NHL and AHL and still hasn’t won a game in Belleville this year. Meriläinen, meanwhile, has rocketed up Ottawa’s depth chart, something many believed he was capable of after watching him play in Finland. Ullmark is that long-term option the team was seeking, but Meriläinen has the potential to be an excellent long-term backup.
Cole Schwindt, RW (Vegas Golden Knights)
At 23, Schwindt is on the older side of the conversation. You might remember him best for being part of the Matthew Tkachuk/Jonathan Huberdeau trade – at the time, Schwindt wasn’t highly regarded. He had a solid AHL rookie campaign in 2021-22, but hasn’t surpassed the 40 points he had then. Schwindt became a full-time NHLer this year, and while he hasn’t scored, he has been a decent bottom-six forward for the Golden Knights. He’s a decent defensive forward who has played his role well with Vegas – especially on the penalty kill.
The Golden Knights have outscored opponents with Schwindt on the ice this year, and while he’s not a play driver, he works hard enough at both ends to be a serviceable NHLer. Vegas claimed Schwindt off waivers before the season, so watching him carve a role for himself despite often playing below 10 minutes a night is solid. He hasn’t played since Jan. 18 due to a lower-body injury, and he’s been a healthy scratch on occasion. But having a depth piece like Schwindt could prove valuable for the playoffs. Schwindt has a 50.74 expected goals-for percentage while sitting first on the team in penalties-drawn (1.35) at 5-on-5. His 3.9 goals-above placement and 0.6 wins above replacement are good for 13th among all rookies, as well. You won’t mistake Schwindt for being a big-time difference-maker, but he plays his role well enough.
Other notables: Lian Bichsel, D (Dallas Stars), Jakub Dobes, G (Montreal Canadiens), Adam Edstrom, C (New York Rangers)
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