All fantasy hockey rankings and predictions come down to guesswork. But rookie projections are even more speculative, partly because we're not even sure which of them will win NHL jobs. Most overhyped 18-year-olds won't deliver much to your fantasy hockey team.
To get any value from this list, you have to follow the players through training camp and see who has a legitimate shot at helping your fantasy hockey team.
Here's a look at some of the more prominent names in the 2009-10 rookie crop.
John Tavares - Center, New York Islanders. Age: 19
The Islanders don't have a ton of talent to work with. So Tavares will play lots, and benefit from power play minutes with scoring defenseman Mark Streit and power winger Kyle Okposo, who might have been the best rookie in the NHL by the end of last season. He'll have his ups and downs, of course. But having watched him in junior, my guess is that Tavares can avoid the early struggles that plagued Steven Stamkos last season and lead all rookie scorers with 55-60 points.Nikita Filatov - Left Wing, Columbus Blue Jackets. Age: 19
Considering the Jackets' depth chart at left wing - Kristian Huselius, R.J. Umberger, Jason Chimera - you have to think there's a job for Filatov, who scored 32 points in 39 games in the AHL last year. He'll likely be benched several times for lax defensive play (a Ken Hitchcock rite of passage), but this team is not afraid to give ice time to kids. He has the talent to be a 50-point rookie.Artem Anisimov - Center, New York Rangers. Age: 21
Placed fifth in AHL scoring last season with 81 points in 80 games. He's old enough to get a shot at the big team, and you have to think he can beat out journeyman Tyler Arnason for the third-line center job (behind Brandon Dubinsky and Chris Drury). He won't have the best finishers on his wings, but 30 points is a reasonable target.Jimmy Howard - Goaltender, Detroit Red Wings. Age: 25
After a lengthy apprenticeship, Howard gets a full time NHL job as Chris Osgood's back-up. Osgood started 46 games last year, and is approaching his 37th birthday. As long as he gets off to a decent start, Howard could play 30-40 games behind a very good team.Ville Leino - Center/Left Wing, Detroit Red Wings. Age: 25
Not as well known as fellow rookie Darren Helm, but probably more NHL-ready. A late arrival from Finland, Leino had five goals and four assists in 13 regular-season games last year, and his reputation for two-way hockey makes him a prime candidate to take over the role of checking center from aging Kris Draper. Regular ice time will mean a 25-point season. If he moves up to the second line he could score 40-45 points.Jonas Gustavsson - Goaltender, Toronto Maple Leafs. Age: 24
Toronto's latest savior has been earning rave reviews in training camp, which is worth squat once the real games begin. He'll be given every chance to win the job from incumbent starter Vesa Toskala. But even if he plays 40 games, it will be for a lousy team. Is there a Leafs fan in your pool? That team will likely draft Gustavsson way too early.Zach Bogosian - Defenseman, Atlanta Thrashers. Age: 19
Bogosian scored 19 points in 47 games last season, so technically he's a second-year player. But because he plays in Atlanta and missed so much time with injury, he'll be a forgotten man in many pools. Every report you read says the Thrashers want him to be a number-one defenseman right now. So he'll get plenty of ice time. Ron Hainsey was the team's highest scoring defenseman last year, with 39 points. Bogosian has a decent chance to match that.Victor Hedman - Defenseman, Tampa Bay Lightning. Age: 18
Playing in the Swedish Elite League last year, Hedman had 21 points in 43 games. Very good, considering his age. He's obviously talented, and already huge at 6-6, 220 lbs. Guys that size often take a while to catch up to the speed of the NHL, and the Lightning won't have to rely on Hedman for points because they already have several scoring blueliners. I wouldn't expect more than 25-30 points.Cody Hodgson - Center, Vancouver Canucks. Age: 19
Voted the best player in Canadian junior hockey last season, Hodgson probably has to win a job on the top two lines or spend another season in junior. He came to training camp with a lingering back injury, so the situation bears watching. The suspicion here is that he doesn't play more than 10 NHL games.Evander Kane - Center, Atlanta Thrashers. Age: 18
Given his age and size (176 pounds), and the overall quality of the team, the best decision would be to send Kane back to junior and bring him along slowly. Even if he sticks, Kane will be overvalued in most drafts, as fantasy managers imagine him feeding passes to Ilya Kovalchuk. That's more likely to be the case three years from now, assuming they're still on the same team.
