Teenage rookies that have had success in the NHL at faceoffs?

[Trap Jesus]

Faceoffs are one area that there is a very apparent learning curve for in the NHL, and it's usually a very obvious area that rookie centers struggle. It requires a lot of strength and experience to be successful in the NHL, and that's something that most rookies just don't have. For example, if you watched Reinhart at the World Juniors, you could see that he was dominant in the faceoff circle, but when he played in the NHL, he went just 24.4%.

Does anyone know of any exceptions to this? Who are some 18 or 19 year old centers that either held their own or succeeded in the faceoff circle?

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[Anglesmith]

Well, Monahan was not terrible last season as a rookie. He was 45.9% on faceoffs over the course of the season. Key thing for him is that he seems to be able to win them at key times, especially this season. Many of our much-discussed tying goals with the empty net have come because he manages to win just about all of the offensive-zone faceoffs with the goalie pulled. But that's this season.

 

[Big Ed]

I believe Bo is over 50%

 

[DonskoiDonscored]

Logan Couture was really good (for a rookie) in his rookie year

 

[jdatb]

Borvat is pretty good at them. Which is lucky, cos everyone else except captain Hank seem to have forgotten how to

 

[10coach*]

I believe Bo is over 50%

who?

 

[MrClutch86]

who?

Bo Horvat

 

[ThatQuietGuy93]

I remember playing minor hockey against Horvat Ina couple tournaments when I was younger lol.

 

[Appleyard]

As a teenager very few hit 50.

Couture, Toews and Dubinsky have been some of the few with a significant number of faceoffs taken to be over 50 as a teenager since faceoff % started to be recorded.

The average NHL rookie centre regardless of age averages ~46%. The average centre only gets over 50% in their 4th season.

 

[Strik_IX]

Faceoffs are one area that there is a very apparent learning curve for in the NHL, and it's usually a very obvious area that rookie centers struggle. It requires a lot of strength and experience to be successful in the NHL, and that's something that most rookies just don't have. For example, if you watched Reinhart at the World Juniors, you could see that he was dominant in the faceoff circle, but when he played in the NHL, he went just 24.4%.

Does anyone know of any exceptions to this? Who are some 18 or 19 year old centers that either held their own or succeeded in the faceoff circle?

I can't think of recent exceptions, but I can think of one reason why: they aren't yet physically developed to handle the job. I mean even if a kid is 6'4", he won't have the shoulders of a 30 year old man that's 4 inches shorter. They don't have the experience either, there is a huge gap between juniors and the NHL, the face off dot is where it shows the most when it comes to centers.

 

[Retire91]

Well, Monahan was not terrible last season as a rookie. He was 45.9% on faceoffs over the course of the season. Key thing for him is that he seems to be able to win them at key times, especially this season. Many of our much-discussed tying goals with the empty net have come because he manages to win just about all of the offensive-zone faceoffs with the goalie pulled. But that's this season.

Monahan came to mind for me, pretty darn good for a teen

 

[David Bruce Banner]

You'd figure Yannic Perreault and Manny Malhotra would have been up there.

 

[tsujimoto74]

Grigorenko last year (19yo) was 51.5% on the draw, though he might have played too many games at 18 to be considered a rookie.

 

[Rosko Thorn]

Horvat is at 52.8% with 252 faceoffs taken.

Impressive for a 19 year old rookie.

 

[Reign Nateo]

Horvat is at 52.8% with 252 faceoffs taken.

Impressive for a 19 year old rookie.

About as good as it gets. Really strange as normally that's the last thing thing to come for young players. Bo has been a force at the dot since day one.

 

[ghostingtaro]

Bo Horvat, if I remember he cleaned Toews and Kesler good when he went up against them multiple times

 

[Mount Suribachi]

Well, Monahan was not terrible last season as a rookie. He was 45.9% on faceoffs over the course of the season.

Um, 46% is terrible at faceoffs.

 

[weastern bias]

Logan Couture was really good (for a rookie) in his rookie year

Couture, Toews and Dubinsky have been some of the few with a significant number of faceoffs taken to be over 50 as a teenager since faceoff % started to be recorded.

Couture never played any NHL games as a teenager

 

[Soundgarden]

wasn't Couturier pretty good his rookie year?

 

[Trap Jesus]

Toews looks to be the best of the ones mentioned so far. Have to see Horvat keep it up, but that's very impressive so far. Bergeron at 49.4% on 699 draws at 18 years old is pretty impressive too.

 

[Son Goku]

Not a teen but Vitale is a boss at faceoffs and he was only a rookie last year.

 

[teddy83]

I don't know this for a fact but i think Barkov was around 49% last year, and he played against other teams top lines.

 

[Reign Nateo]

I don't know this for a fact but i think Barkov was around 49% last year, and he played against other teams top lines.

48.8% last year which is excellent for an 18 year old. Strangely, he's taken a slight step back this year at 47%.

 

[Theo Von]

Rask for the Hurricanes has taken over 500 draws and is 50 percent... while Horvat has taken 252 draws and is 52 percent. Both rookies are the best in faceoffs so far this season.

For the CBJ... Wennberg is brutal at draws. 38 percent. I believe one night he went 2 for 17 or something in that boat. Michael Chaput who is in his rookie season for the Jackets prides himself in faceoffs. FSO did a segment talking to him about it. He watches film of his opponents taking draws before EVER game... seems to work as he's at 48 percent on the year.

The player with the most draws, with the lowest percentage of faceoff wins is Sam Reinhart. 21 wins in 86 draws. 24 percent.

 

[Inkling]

Here are the stats for this year. Bear in mind that there are quite a few with a small sample size, but Victor Rask is running at 50% and he's had a lot of faceoffs this year (500+). Bo Horvat is leading in percentage among those who have had a significant number this year.

http://espn.go.com/nhl/statistics/player/_/stat/faceoffs/sort/faceoffPercent/position/rookies

EDIT: Realized that the thread is about 'teenage' rookies, which doesn't include Rask.