Who Will Win Rookie of the Year? (Skater Edition)

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Who Will Win Rookie of the Year?

 

Hello everyone! In this article, I'll be looking at the top five candidates (in my eyes) for rookie of the year in the VHL. This will include any skater eligible for the award, not goalie. Let's get right to it!

 

Favorite: Maverick Goncalves (MOS) - 51GP 27G 26A 53P +44 - 1st in Rookie Scoring

Description: Maverick Goncalves is in my eyes, the obvious favorite to win rookie of the year. They've got a great resume 51 games in, with having over a point-per-game as a rookie and an impressive +44 on the season. You could argue that these numbers are inflated due to the fact that they are on a good team, but a rookie putting up (most likely) 30+ goals is impressive. On top of that, they're one of the main contributors on Moscow and could find themselves easily landing this award.

 

Runner-up: Med (PRG) - 49GP 19G 26A 45P -29 - 3rd in Rookie Scoring

Description: The reason I have Med in second place, despite being 3rd in scoring is due to the fact he is severely team gapped. Prague is a team that is rebuilding and with that, the +/- numbers are not going to look as impressive compared to the other players. It's a bit brutal, however, they're just under a point-per-game on a team that is struggling in the standings and is looking forward to another high draft pick. However, this could go both ways, where you could argue that Med only has these numbers due to the fact he quite literally only has 3 other forward teammates. 

 

Outside looking in: Wally Lose (VAN) - 49GP 22G 25A 47P -20 - 2nd in Rookie Scoring

Description: Wally Lose has had a fantastic season with LA, putting up an impressive 47 points and honestly, having a very close stat line to Med. However, the quality of teammates is what is going to make me think he will end up placing third, due to the fact his teammates are better than Prague's, even if by a little. Regardless, Wally Lose has 22 goals in his rookie campaign and will be looking to eye 30 at the end of the season. A 30 goal rookie campaign might help him be in discussions for ROTY at the end of the season.

 

Outside looking in: Lazlo Holmes (PRG) - 49GP 14G 27A 41P -46 - 5th in Rookie Scoring

Description: The first defenseman on this list, I have Holmes being just outside like Wally Lose. However, I think that Holmes putting up these point totals on a team that's struggling, while being a defenseman could give him a great case for rookie of the year. Scoring 14 goals as a defenseman is pretty impressive, let alone being able to do it as a rookie. On top of that, if he's able to get to 20 goals this season, you could argue 20 goals as a defenseman is more impressive than 30 as a forward. Regardless, don't rule out Lazlo Holmes for a potential ROTY bid.

 

Outside looking in: Felicia Hardy (DAV) - 51GP 8G 35A 43P -11 - 4th in Rookie Scoring

Description: The last player on this list, and the second defense is Felicia Hardy. Hardy has had a great season with Davos, putting up 35 assists and easily on their way to 40 assists on the season with probably over 10 goals. However, racking up assists just isn't as impressive as being a defenseman who pots goals, so I have them below Lazlo Holmes for that specific reason, despite having more points. On top of that, Davos has a more put together team than Prague, hence why they're a bit further down the list. However, if they're able to pop off in the remaining 20 or so games, they could sneak themselves into the conversation without a doubt.