Last season, the NHL’s rookie class was arguably the best ever, featuring an impressive combination of toptier talent and tremendous depth. From forwards Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin to defenseman Dion Phaneuf and Andrej Meszaros to goaltenders Henrik Lundqvist and Cam Ward, rookies stole the show from start to finish.

Of course, this plethora of stellar rookies arriving all at once was due in part to the 2004–05 lockout, which kept the league shuttered for an entire season. Essentially, two years’ worth of rookies crowded into one freshman class, including Crosby and Ovechkin, two of the NHL’s most highly touted prospects of all time. There were no fewer than 10 rookies who would have been worthy of Calder Trophy consideration in any other season.

Another important reason for the rookies’ sudden emergence was the extra year of development time they got in minor, college, junior, or European hockey. Rather than being rushed into the NHL before they were ready, that extra year of seasoning served many of these prospects well. For two examples, Lundqvist’s season in Sweden cemented his status as a bona fide NHL prospect, while Ward excelled for the Lowell Loch Monsters of the AHL.

With so many talented rookies crowding the playing surface in 2005–06, there were a number of excellent prospects who were sent down for another year of seasoning. So it’s quite possible that this year’s freshman class will be nearly as impactful as last year’s.

Which rookies are most likely to make a big splash in their NHL debuts? Here’s a look at some of the top freshman expected to play key roles for their teams this season.

GILBERT BRULE
Columbus Blue Jackets, Center

Brule was very impressive last fall, making the Blue Jackets out of training camp. But two injuries — a fractured sternum and a broken leg — forced him to miss all but seven games, and the Blue Jackets reassigned him to his junior hockey team, the Vancouver Giants. The speedy Brule was dominant with the Giants, and is an early favorite to win the Calder. If he gets to play alongside power forward Rick Nash, Brule’s NHL career should get off to a flying start.

EVGENI MALKIN
Pittsburgh Penguins, Center

Malkin hurt his shoulder last week, and is expected to miss 4–6 weeks. But judging from Malkin’s performance for Team Russia against the world’s best players in the 2006 Winter Olympics, he is ready to step in and make a huge impact at the NHL level. Assuming he’s able to return on schedule, Malkin could still tally 80+ points in his first NHL season. And with Crosby deflecting the press attention, he won’t be saddled with unreasonable expectations.

PHIL KESSEL
Boston Bruins, Center

It’s fair to say that Kessel has a lot to prove. Back in the summer of 2005, he was considered the de facto no. 1 pick in the 2006 draft. But his stock fell dramatically during the course of the 2005–06 season, and Kessel ultimately slipped down to the fifth overall pick. Kessel is expected to take a spot on one of the Bruins’ top two lines, and if he stays focused, his rare combination of speed, playmaking, and finishing ability could enable him to blow away the competition in the race for the Calder.

MATT CARLE
San Jose Sharks, Defenseman

The Hobey Baker Trophy award-winner as the nation’s finest college player, Carle stepped into the Sharks’ lineup after finishing the season with the Denver University Pioneers and didn’t miss a beat. He scored six points in 12 games with the Sharks, and should be a regular contributor on the point of their power play this season.Given that he’ll be feeding the puck to the likes of Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau, a 50-point season from Carle is not out of the question.

ALEXANDER RADULOV
Nashville Predators, Right Wing

Maybe it’s because he was a Russian playing in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League last season, but it seems that Radulov was slighted where press attention was concerned. His numbers for the Quebec Remparts rivaled those Crosby put up the season before, yet most prognosticators are ignoring him when handicapping the Calder Trophy race. He scored 152 points in 62 games for the Remparts last year, and if he develops chemistry with Paul Kariya in Nashville, he could certainly top the 90-point barrier as a rookie.

WOJTEK WOLSKI
Colorado Avalanche, Left Wing

Wolski demonstrated excellent playmaking ability in a short stint with the Avalanche last year, and should excel this season on a “kid” line with Paul Stastny (son of former NHL star Peter) and Chris Stewart. It’s a bit unreasonable for Avs fans to expect Wolski to match the production of the departed Alex Tanguay, but a 70-point rookie season is possible for the talented Pole.

Of course, there are plenty of other highly touted rookies waiting to make their marks in the NHL. The Kings’ Patrick O’Sullivan, the Blackhawks’ Tony Salmelainen, and the Wild’s Josh Harding are all strong candidates to break out with excellent rookie seasons, as is defenseman Marc Staal, who at press time was still in the hunt for a spot on the Rangers’ blue line.

2005–06 was a stellar comeback season for the NHL, both with regard to the league’s smooth escape from the lockout and the promise demonstrated by its stellar rookie class. If these Calder candidates are any indication, the NHL’s future is in excellent hands.

Mr. Greenstein is the Editor in Chief of InsideHockey.com.