Its never to early to project what will happen in the NHL next season. One of the most interesting and difficult things to do is predict what first year players will make an impact. Will the top rookie be a 18 year old kid, like Jeff Skinner last season, or will it be someone who is highly touted but took some time to get to the show, like Logan Couture last year? Or will it be a shocking surprise, someone who comes out of obscurity to put up great numbers, like Michael Grabner?
In this week’s top 10, SenShot makes a very early toss at the dart board and suggests the top 10 candidates to be the league’s best freshman in 2011-12.
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2. David Rundblad, OTT – Regarded by many hockey people as the best player outside the NHL last season, Rundblad will be given the opportunity to play prime minutes on a rebuilding Ottawa franchise. The one thing that could hold him back is the fact that defensemen rarely seem to win the Calder, with only 5 defensemen in the last 30 years getting the honor.