Hottest Rookie On Ice

by E. Spencer Kyte
Love of Sports Correspondent

Every year a new crop of kids enter the NHL to much fanfare and lofty expectations. Sometimes they succeed (see Crosby, Sidney) and sometimes they fail (see Daigle, Alexandre).

Every year there are two or three kids expected to take the league by storm who end up scuffling to make the adjustment to the NHL. Steven Stamkos and Kyle Turris are two such examples this season, as kids expected to step into major roles in Tampa Bay and Phoenix respectively who have managed to make less of an impact than a spitball against a brick wall.

Conversely, there are also youngsters who seemingly come out of nowhere to steal the show.

Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce: Derick Brassard.

The 6th Overall selection in the 2006 Entry Draft, it’s understandable if you have no idea who Brassard is right now.

For starters, he plays in Columbus and while the Blue Jackets are showing considerable improvement this season, they are still far from being the Detroit Red Wings ... if you know what I mean.

There is also the fact that we in the media – yes, I consider myself a part of the media thankyouverymuch – often prefer to discuss the guys who are struggling and wax philosophically about why, then talk about the kid who came into the league with little to no fanfare that happens to be leading his team in scoring and resting comfortably in the Top 20 in league with more points than perennial All-Star Dany Heatley.

Brassard’s play has been too good to overlook, however, so I figured we’d give you the opportunity to climb on board the bandwagon now, before the kid represents Columbus at the All-Star Game, leads all rookies in points and walks off this a big shiny Calder Trophy as the league’s Rookie of the Year at the end of the season.