Better Rookie Class? | 2015 vs 2016

[Jimmy Firecracker]

Which season had the better rookie class?

2015-16 NHL ALL-ROOKIE TEAM

GP W L OT GAA SV% SO
G John Gibson, ANA 40 21 13 4 2.07 .920 4

GP G A PTS +/- TOI/G

D Shayne Gostisbehere, PHI 64 17 29 46 820:05

D Colton Parayko, STL 79 9 24 33 28 19:23

F Jack Eichel, BUF 81 24 32 56 -16 19:07

F Connor McDavid, EDM 45 16 32 48 -1 18:53

F Artemi Panarin, CHI 80 30 47 77 8 18:31

Other notable rookies:

Max Domi
Dylan Larkin
Anthony Duclair
Sam Reinhart
Nikolaj Ehlers
Robby Fabbri
Sam Bennett


———

2016-17 NHL ALL-ROOKIE TEAM

GP W L OT GAA SV% SO
G Matt Murray, PIT 49 32 10 4 2.41 .923 4

GP G A PTS +/- TOI/G

D Brady Skjei, NYR 80 5 34 39 11 17:27

D Zach Werenski, CBJ 78 11 36 47 17 20:54

F Patrik Laine, WPG 73 36 28 64 7 17:54

F Mitchell Marner, TOR 77 19 42 61 E 16:48

F Auston Matthews, TOR 82 40 29 69 2 17:37

Others notable rookies:

William Nylander
Ivan Provorov
Sebastian Aho
Matthew Tkachuk
Brayden Point
Mikko Rantanen
Connor Brown

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[TheBeastCoast]

2016.

 

[leafsfan1234]

The future face of league is in the 2016 rookie class so I'll go with that one.

 

[Nizdizzle]

It'd be nice if you were to provide a list of the highlights for each draft class in the OP

 

[Jimmy Firecracker]

It'd be nice if you were to provide a list of the highlights for each draft class in the OP

Working on it.

 

[Laineux]

2016. Better depth.

 

[sparxx87]

2016 was the best rookie class I can recall. There was 10 legitimate RoY candidates but the depth kept most from being finalists.

Make a line up - 2016 would destroy 2015.

 

[SB84]

The future face of league is in the 2016 rookie class so I'll go with that one.

Technically everyone listed played their rookie year in 2016, so you're not wrong

 

[ijuka]

2016 on depth, easily.

McDavid only gets you so far.

 

[tony d]

Close but 2015 for me.

 

[IPS]

2016 pretty easily. Panarin was only a rookie by virtue of ridiculous qualifications.

 

[DatSnipeMatthews]

2015 because 2016 had the most overrated player of all time: Patrick Laine.

 

[Tim Vezina Thomas]

Best player and face of the league is in 2015, but 2016 has more depth.

 

[McFlyingV]

2015 pretty easily if we're talking about contenders for the calder, but probably 2016 if we're talking about quantity of good talent.

If Panarin put up his 2015 season in 2016 as a rookie I think he wins the Calder still over Matthews given the criteria of age having no relevance in the actual voting. If McDavid played the full season then you now have 2 players from the 2015 class who would have likely won the 2016 award by comparison.

 

[Maplebeasts]

2015 pretty easily if we're talking about contenders for the calder, but probably 2016 if we're talking about quantity of good talent.

If Panarin put up his 2015 season in 2016 as a rookie I think he wins the Calder still over Matthews given the criteria of age having no relevance in the actual voting. If McDavid played the full season then you now have 2 players from the 2015 class who would have likely won the 2016 award by comparison.

I don't think Panarin's rookie season wins the Calder over Matthews'. 77 points as a 24 year old winger with a 106 point Patrick Kane doesn't compare favourably to 69 points and 40 goals as a teenage centre playing exclusively with rookies.

 

[McFlyingV]

I don't think Panarin's rookie season wins the Calder over Matthews'. 77 points as a 24 year old winger with a 106 point Patrick Kane doesn't compare favourably to 69 points and 40 goals as a teenage centre playing exclusively with rookies.

It would be close, and would depend entirely on biases from voters, but under the criteria for the award age should not have any bearing on the voting. The support argument definitely holds some weight, but I think that is often overlooked by voters. Just from a straight objective view of their seasons I'd take a 30 goal 77P season over a 40G 69P season, but its definitely up for debate.

With that said my opinion regarding the top end of 2015 being better than 2016 still holds true. Matthews imo was the only player from 2016 who could have had a case against Panarin, and Panarin almost assuredly doesn't win it if McDavid is healthy all year.

 

[Maplebeasts]

It would be close, and would depend entirely on biases from voters, but under the criteria for the award age should not have any bearing on the voting. The support argument definitely holds some weight, but I think that is often overlooked by voters. Just from a straight objective view of their seasons I'd take a 30 goal 77P season over a 40G 69P season, but its definitely up for debate.

With that said my opinion regarding the top end of 2015 being better than 2016 still holds true. Matthews imo was the only player from 2016 who could have had a case against Panarin, and Panarin almost assuredly doesn't win it if McDavid is healthy all year.

This sounds fair, as McDavid would have ran away with it in both years if he wasn't injured. The way I see it, 2015 had the best player (who was injured), and Panarin who despite me not thinking was a better rookie than Matthews at least has an argument for it when age and support is ignored. The edge for me goes to 2016-2017 as I preferred Werenski to Ghost and view the rest of the rookie crop as better from #3 onwards in Calder voting.

 

[McFlyingV]

This sounds fair, as McDavid would have ran away with it in both years if he wasn't injured. The way I see it, 2015 had the best player (who was injured), and Panarin who despite me not thinking was a better rookie than Matthews at least has an argument for it when age and support is ignored. The edge for me goes to 2016-2017 as I preferred Werenski to Ghost and view the rest of the rookie crop as better from #3 onwards in Calder voting.

The depth of 2016-17 was definitely better, I agree.

 

[jetsforever]

The future face of league is in the 2016 rookie class so I'll go with that one.

Laine?

Went with 2016 though, hard to go against McEichel but 2016 was loaded.

 

[Sasso09]

Skej over Provorov is fail

 

[KlefDown]

Werenski was 2015.

hold this L

edit: reread it. NVM. thought you were discussing draft class

I'll hold onto my L

 

[Incognito]

2016 was better at the top end (although this probably wouldn't have been the case if McDavid hadn't gotten injured). Looking at the two Calder winners, 40 goals and 69 points as a 19 year old playing with Hyman and a rookie Nylander is more impressive than 30 goals and 77 points as a 24 year old playing with Anisimov and a 106 point, Art Ross, Hart and Lindsay winning Patrick Kane.

The 2016 rookie class was probably also a bit better in terms of depth. In 2015, Eichel finished 4th in Calder voting while scoring 56 points on the season. The next year, Marner and Nylander (who, to be fair, were older than Eichel was in his rookie season) finished 5th and 6th in the voting despite both of them ending the year with 61 points. In comparison, the 5th and 6th place players in 2015, Larkin and Domi, finished their seasons with 45 and 52 points, respectively.

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

Eichel had a surprisingly weak rookie year honestly

 

[nickdawg95]

Eichel had a surprisingly weak rookie year honestly[/QUOTE
considering his supporting cast, he did alright

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

yeah but then he went and broke his point total the following year in 20 fewer games. For the talent Eichel has I feel like he could have done a little better imo