How the New York Rangers rookies compare

What about the defense?

The Rangers are fielding three rookies per game in Adam Fox, Libor Hajek and Ryan Lindgren.  None of them can compare to Colorado’s Cale Makar who has locked up the Calder Trophy already (according to observers).   Makar has scored four goals and has a rookie league leading 17 points in 17 games.  He is averaging 19:07 per game and leads all rookies with eight power play assists.

It may be too early to annoint Makar as Vancouver’s Quinn Hughes is putting up some impressive numbers.  Hughes has eight power play assists and with 12 points, he is the second leading rookie scorer, tied with Olofsson.  Hughes actually has more points (9) than Makar (8) on the power play. Hughes is playing 19:49 minutes per game, second in the league to Edmonton’s Ethan Bear who is averaging 21:11.

How about the Rangers?  Adam Fox has quietly moved up in the rookie rankings.  He didn’t get a point in the first seven games of the season, but in the last eight games he has two goals and four assists.  He is third among rookie defensemen in points (6), power play points (2) and points per game (0.40).    He is getting more and more ice time and has played about 20 minutes per game in three of the last four games.

One more positive about Fox is that he has a Corsi percentage of 48%, pretty impressive for a possession-challenged team like the Rangers.  Only Mika Zibanejad is better.  The best news about Adam Fox is that he will only get better.

Libor Hajek doesn’t have numbers that stand out as he is a defensive defenseman, but the trust David Quinn has in his game is evident from his ice time.  In the Blueshirts’ recent six game streak he has played over 20 minutes three times.  His plus/minus is even and he is second on the team with 28 blocked shots.  Hajek will never get the credit he deserves, but considering that he is playing heavy minutes with Jacob Trouba on the top defense pairing is significant.

Ryan Lindgren has only played in five game, but if he keeps this up, he will force his way into the  conversation when it comes to top rookies.  He has a goal and an assist in five games and is an impressive +3 in those five games.  It’s a small sample size, but Lindgren has the fifth best shooting percentage (20%) among all rookies.

Looking ahead

Right now, Kaapo Kakko is on a pace to score 22 goals and 33 points.  However, he has been playing recently at a 40 goal/55 point pace and that could put him in the Calder conversation.

Adam Fox got off to a slow start like Kakko, but over the last eight games he’s been scoring at a 20 goal/61 point pace.

Are we raising false expectations talking about numbers like these?  Maybe, maybe not.  The good news is that all of the Ranger rookies are getting better.  They are showing steady improvement game to game.  That’s much better than having a rookie who bursts out of the gate with six goals in his first seven game then goes ice cold with one goal in his next ten games.  That would 24-year old Victor Olofsson of the Buffalo Sabres.

Kakko is 18.  Hajek, Fox and Lindgren are all 21.  That’s the best news.   And here’s a bit of trivia  you may not have known.   All four  of these players celebrate their next birthdays between February 4 and February 17.  In the Zodiac, that means they are all Aquarians whose best traits are humanitarianism, fairness, kindness and being inventive.  Other famous Ranger Aquarians?  Wayne Gretzky and Jaromir Jagr.  We can only hope.