We're close to one month into the 2019-20 NHL season, and it's time to look at the rookie class. It remains an exciting one -- even if several of the bigger-name prospects haven't necessarily made a massive immediate impact. There's an awfully long way to go.
At this point, there are a couple of things I'm going to look at a lot closer than point totals. The first is usage. The coaches have the best read on the team and the best sense of what they feel their young players can handle. In many cases, we've seen rookies put into elevated roles on their teams and excel, whether it be as top-four defensemen or top-six forwards.