NHL youth movement: How the 2016-17 rookie class fared

The 2016-17 season was not kind to the New York Islanders, as they missed the playoffs by just one point. But there is hope for their future, in part because of Beauvillier's impressive rookie campaign, in which he generated goals against some of the toughest veteran netminders in the league.

It has been a season full of ups and downs for the rookie blue liner. While he has had to deal with injury in the latter part of the campaign, Carlo has made himself a fixture on the portion of the Boston Bruins' roster that is being retooled. He also has become part of he team's top defensive pair alongside towering captain Zdeno Chara.

Not a whole lot of good came out of the Arizona Coyotes' 2016-17 season. Rookie defenseman Chychrun was one of the few bright spots, however, as he demonstrated two-way playing abilities well beyond his years. 

We only saw a little bit of the rookie center this past season, as he was sent to play in his native Sweden after just nine games in Minnesota. But Eriksson Ek remains one of the Wild's bright young stars, especially since he tallied three goals and four assists when he rejoined the Wild for the end of the regular season. 

The 2016-17 campaign showed that the San Jose Sharks have a bevy of young talent in their minor league system with the number of players who were productive when called up this season. Staten Island, N.Y., native Labanc proved to be the most pleasant surprise, with offense so explosive that he spent some time on the top line with captain Joe Pavelski.

The shame in the Winnipeg Jets not making the playoffs is that everyone has to wait until next October to watch Patrik Laine play again. Never mind the bit of a slump he went through toward the end of the season, because every player on this list went through some sort of a drought. But the towering Finn is the explosive and exciting player the NHL needs: speedy, score-happy and a master of goal celebration arts.

The casual hockey fan may know who Mitch Marner is because the NHL cameras caught him belting out Bon Jovi on the bench with teammate Auston Matthews. But Marner has also become a fixture on the Maple Leafs' growing young club, with a ridiculous assists record to boot.

Here he is: the first overall pick from the 2016 NHL Draft and, more than likely, this year's Calder Trophy winner. Auston Matthews jumped out of the gate with four goals in his NHL debt and never looked back. He went through his skids but continued to demonstrate leadership and support for the Maple Leafs team that defined the rookie movement. Move over, Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin. Auston Matthews and Connor McDavid are the future, and the future is closer than you think.

The netminder's freshman campaign has been something of a long travel schedule, with the Bruins recalling and reassigning him at a seemingly rapid rate. He thrived in Providence this season, although those numbers didn't transfer up in the handful of games he played for the big club. 

Yes, it is hard to remember that Matt Murray is still technically a rookie given that he was between the pipes last playoffs when the Pittsburgh Penguins won the Stanley Cup. But the kid is still plugging away despite a couple run-ins with the injury ninja. He also started to get hot at the very end of the season, but those injuries cropped up again, leading to Marc-Andre Fleury going back between pipes this postseason for Pittsburgh.

When talking about this season's rookie arsenal, the conversation always comes around to the large group up in Toronto and the exciting season the youngsters had for the Maple Leafs. Nylander bounced in and out of Calder Trophy discussions since the start of the season and set a franchise rookie record when he went on a colossal goal-scoring streak in later March.

The Rangers' rookie defenseman took advantage of a big opportunity at the end of the 2017 regular season when Ryan McDonagh was sidelined with an injury. His ability to carry the heavy workload also reportedly followed him into the playoffs, as he demonstrates veteran-like skill and composure.

As the Flames surged after a disappointing 2015-16 season, the rookie Tkachuk cemented his place on the roster. A chip off the old block, the 19-year-old rookie brings a level of fire and grit to the Calgary lineup, agitating opponents while taking pressure off his teammates.

It is no surprise that Vesey made an impact in his first professional season, since the Harvard product had been a topic of conversation long before he took to the NHL ice. He is still dealing with a learning curve and has had to take his lumps for diminished play, but expect this kid to remain a league staple.

Even before he took a puck to the mug against the Pittsburgh Penguins, Werenski had become the gutsy driving force the Columbus Blue Jackets needed. The defenseman helped bolster CBJ offensively, defensively and on special teams — not to mention be part of the second-longest winning streak in NHL history.