The three New York Rangers rookies have all had impressive years in their own right. Brady Skjei proved that he can do it all: he can anchor a defensive pairing, kill penalties, and put up points. Jimmy Vesey showed off his strong two-way skill set that won him the Hobey Baker Award. Pavel Buchnevich battled through injuries and was one of the best scorers per 60 minutes in the NHL.
However, as they will learn this season, the NHL playoffs are a completely different beast. Play tends to tighten up in the neutral zone, and teams that don’t regularly play a physical game come out swinging.