THE SEASON HAS STARTED, and with it, brings the rookies’ first games.

Connor Bedard, being the first overall draft pick, is a must-watch. His first NHL game ever went pretty well scoring his first goal with a sick wrap-around. While he hasn’t really had his welcome to the league moment, he did manage to lose every single faceoff. He got a couple of tie-ups but no wins, but that’s to be expected lining up against one of the greatest to ever do it. Connor is a 5 ’10 and 185 pounds, but don’t let his small appearance fool you. He can go with the best since most of his weight is in his legs and arms. You can see his first goal HERE.

Leo Carlson is a 6 ‘3, 194-pound forward and the number two pick in the NHL draft. He did not do anything spectacular, but in all fairness, he is still adjusting to the faster pace, much like a lot of the rookies. He did, however, get a shot in the team’s pre-season shootout and while he did not bury it, it shows that his coach trusts him enough to take those shots when they need to.

Adam Fantilli is the next in line being drafted at number 3, but he is better known for his welcome to the league moment. He lost the puck in the neutral zone and Capitals forward T.J Oshie saw his opportunity and rocked up while he had his head down, sending Fantilli’s stick flying away. Fantilli did get his get back though, scoring the game-winning goal for a 5-3 win.

The 4th pick in the NHL draft was Will Smith, not the actor but a collegiate superstar, averaging 3 points a game. Will Smith had been kind of a letdown through his first two NHL games; however, that’s to be expected… he is a young kid who was drafted straight out of college. We can only hope he adjusts to the speed of the league soon and who knows… we might even see the next big NHL superstar.