Youth Is Served: Class of Newcomers Among All-Time Best

One of the brighter storylines in the ongoing NHL season is the emergence of some tremendous young talent. Players like the Carolina’s Eric Staal, Los Angeles’s Alexander Frolov, and Florida’s Nathan Horton have taken their games to new heights this year, while the league’s rookie class is shaping up to be one of the best ever, and certainly the best since 1979-80,when Edmonton’s Wayne Gretzky finished second in the running for the Calder Trophy to Boston’s Ray Bourque.Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby and Washington’s Alexander Ovechkin are among the NHL’s best forwards this season, both averaging well over a point per game. Defensemen Dion Phaneuf (Calgary Flames) and Andrej Mezsaros (Ottawa Senators) are crucial components of their respective Stanley Cup contending teams’ defenses. And Henrik Lundqvist has provided the Rangers with better goaltending than any they’ve received since Mike Richter enjoyed his heyday in the mid-1990s.Of course, the NHL lockout had a huge impact on the size of the rookie class for 2005-06 – there are approximately twice as many rookies as usual playing in the NHL this season. During the year off, many of the league’s top prospects plied their trades in the minor leagues or in Europe. As a result, their developmental trajectories took a more natural form, and they have since sprouted up as top-notch players, seemingly without warning.In particular,Staal’s trajectory might turn out to be the impetus for a widespread change in philosophy regarding the development of young talent. In June of 2003, Staal was selected second overall in the NHL entry draft. The following fall, he earned a spot on the Carolina Hurricanes. But as an 18-year-old rookie, he often looked out of place; in 81 games, he scored only 31 points despite getting a surprisingly large serving of ice time.While it’s indisputable that he benefited from that experience, it’s difficult to argue that Staal wouldn’t have been better served spending that time in the minor leagues. The NHL, however, has an agreement in place with the Canadian Hockey League, whereby 18- and 19-year-old players must remain with their junior teams if they cannot earn a spot on an NHL roster. The agreement is designed to help preserve Canada’s junior hockey system, which is a noble goal. But it can also stunt the development of the very best players. In Staal’s case, the Hurricanes felt he’d be better served playing in the NHL than with the OHL’s Peterborough Petes.Because he spent the 2003-04 season in the NHL, Staal was permitted to play in the AHL during the lockout (rather than having to play for the Petes). In 77 games with the Lowell Lock Monsters, he tallied 77 points, then carried that momentum into the 2005-06 season: With 49 points in 34 games, he is one of the NHL’s leading scorers. Had there not been a lockout, Staal probably wouldn’t have emerged as a top-tier player quite so quickly, but he got so much high-quality playing time in Lowell that he was able to develop much more quickly.And there’s little question that playing a full season against professionals in the AHL made the transition to the NHL much easier.This season, the Southeast Division leading Hurricanes are the beneficiaries of a more patient development trajectory for Staal, and though it wasn’t necessarily their choice, it would appear to provide a strong template for future decision-making. Perhaps a compromise should be made, where each NHL team is permitted to assign one player to their AHL affiliate – rather than back to juniors – so that the player’s development will not be stunted. And when it takes that option, the NHL team should be expected to provide that player’s junior team with a stipend, much like the ones paid to European teams when their players transfer to North America.The NHL’s Collective Bargaining Agreement could also turn out to have a very significant impact on the development of future stars due to the sheer economics of roster building. Rookie salaries are capped at $850,000, and as a result, they will be among the best available bargains when NHL general managers put together their teams. Can those GMs – particularly those whose teams fall in the bottom-half of league revenues – be expected to choose rookies (even those whose salaries are at the maximum) over pricier veterans?Next season, the NHL’s rookie class will again be quite strong. A number of top-tier players – Edmonton’s Robbie Schremp being most prominent among them – were unable to earn spots in the NHL this season. Sent back to the London Knights with a chip on his shoulder, the Oilers’ 2004 first round pick has torn apart the OHL with a Gretzky-like vengeance. In just 27 games thus far this season, he’s already tallied 78 points, and he’s on pace to approach the 200-point mark if he can avoid injury. Look for Schremp to emerge as one of the NHL’s top rookies in 2006-07.***The IIHF’s World Junior Championships – a tournament featuring the world’s best under-20 players – begins this week in Vancouver, British Columbia, and Schremp is expected to play a key role for Team USA. In a bit of a role reversal, the American team finds itself the favorite while Team Canada rebuilds following the departures of Staal and Phaneuf.In addition to Schremp, Team USA will feature the Michigan Wolverines’ Phil Kessel, who delivered an impressive performance in last year’s tournament. The prohibitive favorite to be selected first overall in next June’s NHL draft, Kessel has scored 22 points in 18 games for the Minnesota Golden Gophers as a freshman.Suiting up for team Canada will be defense prospect Marc Staal (Eric’s brother), whom the Rangers selected with the 12th pick in this year’s draft. For the Blueshirts, a difficult developmental decision will need to be made next fall regarding Staal. On one hand, he has taken his game to new heights with the Sudbury Wolves this season, dramatically improving his defensive play and topping his 2004-05 season offensive totals, scoring 30 points in his first 27 games this year. Will Staal be better served spending a fourth season with Sudbury or playing on the Rangers’ blue line?The answer isn’t a simple one. Unfortunately, it seems Staal would be best served by spending the 2006-07 season with the Rangers’ AHL affiliate in Hartford, but due to the terms of the NHL’s agreement with the CHL, that won’t be an option. Instead, they must choose between sending him back to Peterborough or giving him a spot on their blueline. The World Juniors have turned into a crucial proving ground for top prospects, and it’s not a stretch to say that a strong performance by Staal for Team Canada could significantly impact his chances of making the Rangers next fall.Mr. Greenstein is the editor-in-chief of InsideHockey.com.

Youth Is Served: Class of Newcomers Among All-Time Best

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