Celebrini, Wolf highlight NHL.com’s Rookie All-Star Team

The impact several rookies are making on the NHL is one of the major storylines of the 2024-25 season. Each week, NHL.com will examine topics related to this season's class in the Rookie Watch. This week, to mark the midway point of the season, NHL.com presents the Rookie All-Star Team:

Goalie

Dustin Wolf, Calgary Flames: Calgary traded goalie Jacob Markstrom to the New Jersey Devils on June 19, 2024, leaving the door open for the 23-year-old to make his mark. A seventh-round pick (No. 214) in the 2019 NHL Draft, Wolf leads all first-year goalies (minimum 10 games played) in wins (18), is second in save percentage (.916) and goals-against average (2.54), and is tied with Leevi Merilainen of the Ottawa Senators in shutouts (two) in 27 games (all starts). Wolf has split time this season with Dan Vladar (6-10-5, .886, 3.12 in 21 games).

Wolf's .841 high danger save percentage ranks is in the 91st percentile, well above the League average (.806), according to NHL EDGE statistics.

"When he is on he beats the play a lot, so he's in position and he makes hard saves look relatively easy," Flames coach Ryan Huska said. "Then it's the rebound control; he seems to know where he's putting them when he's on. But I think his biggest strength is how he reads the play. He arrives a lot of times on his feet, when most goaltenders would be sliding over to make a save."

Defensemen

Lane Hutson, Montreal Canadiens: Hutson, who turns 21 on Feb. 14, has impressed in his first full professional season. A second-round pick (No. 62) at the 2022 NHL Draft, he leads all NHL rookies in assists (36) and points (39), primary assists (16), power-play points (16), blocked shots (72) and time on ice (22:38) in 49 games. He's in the 95th percentile in skating distance by NHL players at 164.45 miles, per NHL EDGE statistics. Since Dec. 1, Hutson is fourth among all defensemen with 26 points (three goals, 23 assists) in 26 games despite being 48th in average time on ice (22:11).

Hutson had 49 points (15 goals, 34 assists) in 38 games as a sophomore at Boston University and signed an entry-level contract April 12 after the Terriers lost a Frozen Four semifinal 2-1 to eventual champion University of Denver.

"I think he deserves to be in the conversation for the Calder because he's had a pretty good year so far," said his brother, Cole Hutson, a defenseman with Boston University and gold medalist for the United States at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship. "Obviously it's only halfway over, so he's got to finish it off pretty strong. But he's already up there in points and when you're doing that, that's pretty impressive."

Nolan Allan, Chicago Blackhawks: Selected in the first round (No. 32) of the 2021 NHL Draft, Allan is a defensive defenseman, ranking first among rookies at his position with 55 hits and third with 40 blocked shots. He is second among rookie defensemen with eight points (one goal, seven assists), all at even strength, and averages 15:14 of ice time in 39 games. The 21-year-old has played a key role on Chicago’s penalty kill and is tied for second among first-year defensemen in takeaways (seven).

“He kind of knows what he is,” Chicago interim coach Anders Sorensen said. “I hate to make a comparison, but he’s got Niklas Hjalmarsson-type qualities in his game, and obviously we know how that looked for years and years. But he has some of those traits in his game, so that should be a really good fit for some of these other guys.”

Forwards

Macklin Celebrini, San Jose Sharks: The No. 1 pick in the 2024 NHL Draft is second among rookies with 35 points (15 goals, 20 assists) in 40 games; the 18-year-old missed 12 games earlier this season due to injury. Celebrini averages 19:32 of ice time, has drawn 13 penalties, and his 135 shots on goal ranks in the 93rd percentile, per NHL EDGE statistics. Celebrini scored his 15th goal of the season in a 6-5 loss to the Nashville Predators on Thursday to tie Jeff Freisen for the most by a Sharks player before his 19th birthday. He has seven points (two goals, five assists) in his past eight games.

Celebrini scored 46 seconds into overtime of a 5-4 win against the Detroit Red Wings on Nov. 18 to become the third-youngest player in NHL history (18 years, 158 days) at the time of their first regular-season OT goal, behind Sidney Crosby (18 years, 101 days on Nov. 16, 2005) and Jordan Staal (18 years, 153 days; Feb. 10, 2007).

Matvei Michkov, Philadelphia Flyers: Michkov's arrival in the NHL has generated plenty of fervor in The City of Brotherly Love, and the 19-year-old is living up to expectations. Philadelphia selected Michkov with the understanding he had three seasons remaining in the Kontinental Hockey League with SKA St. Petersburg, but the final two seasons of that contract were terminated June 25, and Michkov signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Flyers on July 1. His start couldn't have been better; Michkov was named the NHL's Rookie of the Month for October after leading all first-year players in goals (four), power-play goals (three) and power-play points (six) and finishing tied for overall points (nine) in 11 games. The right wing has averaged 16:14 of ice time and ranks second among first-year players with 14 goals, third with 34 points and first with six power-play goals in 48 games. His 13.6 shooting percentage ranks above the League average (12.6) and is in the 58th percentile of all players, per NHL EDGE statistics.

"It was taught to me before he even came over here, he was a competitor," coach John Tortorella said. "That doesn't surprise me. I didn't know much about him as far as away from the puck, but he has picked up a number of things we tried to teach him very early on in the season. I just think he's done a really good job as a young kid coming in here with all the things being talked about and all the spotlight on him. He's handled things very well."

Logan Stankoven, Dallas Stars: A second-round pick (No. 47) at the 2021 NHL Draft, Stankoven is fourth among NHL rookies with 24 points (six goals, 18 assists) in 47 games and is averaging 15:38 of ice time in a top-six role. He's first among first-year players in penalties drawn (16) and tied for third in game-winning goals (three). Dallas has a 54.1 shot-attempts percentage at 5-on-5, and 51.2 on-ice goals for percentage 5-on-5 when Stankoven is on the ice.

"'Tank' is plug and play," Dallas coach Pete DeBoer said. "Anybody you put him with, he complements. Good players want to play with a guy like that because he's competitive, he’s on pucks, he recovers pucks, he can make a play. Everyone talks about his scoring, but he's got great vision and passing ability too."