Rookie Watch: Kapanen, Wallstedt among best from Europe

The impact several rookies are making on the NHL is one of the major storylines of the 2025-26 season. Each week, NHL.com will examine topics related to this season's class in the Rookie Watch. This week, to celebrate the upcoming Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, a look at the top five European-born rookies (only players from countries participating in the Olympics are eligible; listed alphabetically):

Jakub Dobes, G, Montreal Canadiens: The 24-year-old from Ostrava, Czechia, was chosen in the fifth round (No. 136) of the 2020 NHL Draft. Dobes started off strong, winning his first six games with a 1.97 goals-against average and .930 save percentage, and was named the NHL Third Star for October after making at least 30 saves in three of his six starts and yielding two or fewer goals four times.

Dobes (6-foot-4, 215 pounds) has been looking for more consistency of late. He's 15-5-3 with a 3.01 GAA and .887 save percentage in 23 games (22 starts).

"I don't look at my stats, but I feel like I've had a really good season," Dobes said. "It's definitely not an easy life, like everyone thinks, being an NHL goalie. You sit there and think, '[He has] no pressure' but there's a lot of pressure. I just hope I can build on this and play soon."

Dobes played two seasons at Ohio State University, going 42-28-5 with a 2.29 GAA and .926 save percentage in 75 games prior to turning professional. He went 24-18-6 with a 2.93 GAA and .906 save percentage in 51 games of the 2023-24 season, his first with Laval of the American Hockey League.

"This year has been a little different," Dobes said. "Personally, I don't have a safe floor. Every day, I try to survive. That has been my story in the NHL. Try to survive and be here for one more day."

Oliver Kapanen, C, Montreal Canadiens: Kapanen (6-2, 194) will be the 11th NHL rookie to play for Team Finland at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, joining a list that includes Aleksander Barkov (2014), Olli Maatta (2014), Mikko Koivu (2006) and Jussi Jokinen (2006). He's showcased a well-rounded game with an ability to make plays at both ends of the ice and has been a great complement on a line with fellow rookie Ivan Demidov.

Kapanen has 27 points (16 goals, 11 assists) while averaging 15:01 of ice time in 52 games. He had 35 points (15 goals, 20 assists) in 36 games for Timra in the Swedish Hockey League last season, and two assists in 18 NHL games. A second-round pick (No. 64) in the 2021 NHL Draft, Kapanen is sixth among rookies in face-off winning percentage (47.5 percent; minimum 250 face-offs taken), second in face-off wins (236) and second in face-offs taken (497).

"I think he's got the potential of being a complete player," Montreal coach Martin St. Louis said. "I feel his offensive game is going to keep evolving because he's going to get more confident with the pace, the cues. And that's a normal path for a player of his type."

Linus Karlsson, C, Vancouver Canucks: The right-shot forward (6-1, 178), selected in the third round (No. 87) of the 2018 NHL Draft, has 24 points (11 goals, 13 assists) and averages 11:15 of ice time in 48 games when playing a bottom-six role on right wing.

Karlsson is tied for seventh among rookies in penalties drawn (13). He remained in Sweden until age 22, and had 46 points (26 goals, 20 assists) in 52 games in 2021-22, his final season with Skelleftea in the Swedish Hockey League. Prior to becoming a full-time NHL player last season, Karlsson had 148 points (70 goals, 78 assists) in 164 games over three seasons for Abbotsford in the AHL.

"I always believed in myself," Karlsson said in January. "I knew I could play this good in this League. So, I mean, that's probably the key. I always believed in myself and now I've got a lot of confidence and can show how good I can play. And just need to keep building. I think I have a lot more to show too."

Axel Sandin-Pellikka, D, Detroit Red Wings: Sandin-Pellikka (6-0, 186) is another Red Wings prospect having an impact in his first NHL season with 18 points (six goals, 12 assists) and seven power-play points (one goal) in 53 games. He was named the 2025 Junior Player of the Year in the Swedish Hockey League (29 points; 12 goals, 17 assists).

The right-handed shot, born in Gallivare, Sweden, has been playing with veteran Ben Chiarot on Detroit's second defense pair and averages 16:48 of ice time. Sandin-Pellikka tied for second in scoring at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship with 10 points (four goals, six assists) in seven games and was named the tournament's best defenseman. He was the second in tournament history at his position to win back-to-back honors, joining Viacheslav Fetisov (1977, 1978).

Fetisov won back-to-back Stanley Cup championships with the Red Wings (1997, 1998). Sandin-Pellikka seems to have earned the trust of Detroit's coaching staff as one of two defensemen averaging more than 1:30 per game on the power play (1:46), with Moritz Seider (3:09).

"He's now spent enough time to understand the pace of the game, the size of the players, the intensity, momentum, all those types of things," coach Todd McLellan said. "He's defending better. Usually, when you defend better, you're not using up your gas tank, if you will, in the [defensive] zone. You have more energy to do what you do offensively, and we've been able to see that from him as well."

Jesper Wallstedt, G, Minnesota Wild: The No. 20 pick in the 2021 NHL Draft is 12-5-4 with a 2.70 GAA, .914 save percentage and four shutouts in 21 games (all starts) this season.

Wallstedt will join his goalie partner, Filip Gustavsson, on Team Sweden at the Olympics after representing gold-medal-winning Sweden at the 2019 IIHF Under-18 World Championship. He played twice at the World Junior Championship (2021, 2022 bronze) and twice at the IIHF World Championship (2023, 2024 bronze). He and Gustavsson are set to become the first goalies to be NHL teammates and Olympic teammates in the same season.

Wallstedt was named the NHL Rookie of the Month for November after going 6-0-0 with a League-best 1.14 GAA, .967 save percentage and three shutouts in six games. His 33 saves in a 1-0 win at the Edmonton Oilers on Dec. 2 made him the fourth rookie goalie in League history and first in 87 years to have four shutouts over a span of six games, joining Frank Brimsek (Boston Bruins, 1938-39), Dolly Dolson (Detroit Cougars, 1928-29) and Tiny Thompson (Bruins, 1928-29).

"I think his preparation has been good, his performance have been strong," Minnesota coach John Hynes said. "I think he's played in different situations against different teams, and this is his first time going through it. The thing I like about it he's playing to his identity as a goalie and when he does that, he's a hard guy to beat."