Every year it’s the same thing. Some hot young rookie is getting all the buzz, and gets talked up as possibly, maybe, could be, you never know, might be making the team.
It’s not a con. Not really. There are real chances out there in the NHL for unlikely rookies. Training camp surprises have happened before, after all, and some teams have more openings than others. The Maple Leafs have very few openings, but even Vegas is playing the game.
The number of rookies that make an NHL roster out of their first camp and then actually stick beyond the 9 free games you get before you burn a year of your ELC slide is really small.