2023-10-10 00:53:18
Most National Hockey League (NHL) teams revealed their game before the start of the season. After impressing during training camps, several promising teenagers will make their long-awaited debuts.
Here are some of the young players who convinced their respective teams this fall:
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Connor Bedard and Kevin Korchinski – Chicago Blackhawks
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Even though no one really expected Bedard to fail to make the Chicago lineup, the forward still had to prove that all expectations were justified. The Regina Pats product is already his team’s number 1 center.
On defense, Korchinski went straight from the Western Junior League (WHL) to the NHL. The 19-year-old athlete is responsible in both directions of the ice and will already solidify the squad at the blue line.
Adam Fantilli – Blue Jackets de Columbus
There was also little doubt regarding Fantilli, the third pick in the most recent draft. The Ontarian has been touted for his maturity and appears to be one of the best-equipped rookie players this year. At the University of Michigan in 2022-2023, he amassed no less than 65 points in 36 games. His 19th birthday falls on the same day as the Jackets’ first game, Thursday.
Leo Carlsson, Tristan Luneau and Pavel Mintyukov – Ducks d’Anaheim
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For the first time since 2019, the top trio from the most recent amateur auction will start the season on the Bettman circuit. The Ducks caused some surprise by selecting Carlsson with the second round pick, but they had big plans for him. Having played the last two campaigns with the men in Sweden, the center is ready to take the next step.
Luneau and Mintyukov are two players who were respectively named best defensemen in the QMJHL and OHL in 2023. The Quebecer and the Russian amassed more than 80 points each in the junior ranks last year. This is a pretty special accomplishment for Luneau, who cut his teeth with the Gatineau Olympics, a second-round pick in 2022.
Zach Benson – Sabres de Buffalo
The small winger achieved a tour de force since he broke into the Sabers lineup following being the 13th pick in the 2023 auction. The British Columbian had an excellent training camp, which convinced the organization to make room for it. He led the Winnipeg Ice with 98 points last year.
Logan Cooley – Coyotes de l’Arizona
Photo Martin KEEP / AFP
Like Fantilli, Cooley had a spectacular season in college. Declaring that he intended to play a second campaign in Minnesota before trying his luck in Arizona, the 19-year-old American finally changed his mind, to the great pleasure of the Coyotes. These made Cooley the third pick in the 2022 draft. He already seems ahead of those who were selected before him: Juraj Slafkovsky and Simon Nemec.
Fraser Minten – Toronto Maple Leafs
Fraser Minten is a prospect that few expected so early. In Toronto, the arrival of Matthew Knies already satisfied the fans’ appetite, but now a new 19-year-old striker is arriving. The Vancouver native has two and a half seasons with the Kamloops Blazers under his belt. He was the 38th overall pick in 2022.
Easton Cowan, the 28th player of the 2023 vintage, is still part of the Toronto group, according to the CapFriendly site, but he is expected to have returned to the London Knights to continue his apprenticeship.
Ivan Miroshnichenko – Capitals de Washington
Martin Chevalier / JdeM
There’s a new Russian in town in Washington. Ivan Miroshnichenko (20th in 2022) will have the opportunity to learn alongside Alexander Ovechkin. Also a left winger, he will undoubtedly have more playing time with the Capitals than he had with the Omsk Avangard last season. He finished his first season in the KHL with four points in 23 games.
Also to watch: Matthew Coronato (Calgary Flames), Mackie Samoskevich (Florida Panthers), Luke Hughes (New Jersey Devils) and Brock Faber (Minnesota Wild)
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