Artemi Panarin finished 23rd among skaters last season on the ESPN Player Rater for fantasy hockey value. Shayne Gostisbehere was No. 82 on the list. Connor McDavid scored at better than a point-per-game pace, and rookie Matt Murray led the Pittsburgh Penguins to the Stanley Cup.

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Rookies are a huge part of fantasy hockey every season, especially because some of them aren't the hyped prospects who go earlier than they should in drafts every season. Gostisbehere came out of nowhere. Murray wasn't expected to be a factor yet. Dylan Larkin was a surprise last preseason. Even Panarin's potential wasn't exciting fantasy owners at drafts last year, given the recent track record of KHL imports prior to him.

The top 10 rookie scorers averaged 0.66 points per game last season, an increase from 0.60 in 2014-15 and 0.55 in 2013-14. The kids are on the rise.

There are too many rookies who could have an impact to drill down on all of them in one sitting, so we offer you a quick-hit introduction to as many as possible. Here are 66 sentences about 33 rookies who should at least be on your radar for the coming season.

Fantasy rookie rankings

1. Patrik Laine, RW, Winnipeg Jets: He's in the best position to make a meaningful impact among members of the rookie class, and if the Jets give Laine a consistent top-six role, he will challenge Alex Ovechkin for the shots on goal lead. Locked in for a spot on the wing and top power-play unit, Laine needs to be the first rookie off the board in re-draft leagues.

2. Auston Matthews, C, Toronto Maple Leafs: A better long-term outlook awaits Matthews, who is a franchise center for the both the Leafs and fantasy owners in keeper leagues. Given his supporting cast, and with no real reason to rush him, look for the training wheels to stay on until later in the season.

3. Matt Murray, G, Pittsburgh Penguins: A hand injury means he won't challenge Marc-Andre Fleury for the starting gig out of the gates, but Murray was phenomenal in helping the Penguins win the Stanley Cup last spring. When he returns in November, he's going to play, and is a must-handcuff for fantasy owners of Fleury.

4. Dylan Strome, C, Arizona Coyotes: The future of the Coyotes down the middle, Strome won't be rushed into the role because of the presence of Martin Hanzal. But after barely missing the NHL roster last season and notching a ridiculous scoring pace in the OHL without McDavid at his side, Strome might just take the job on merits.

5. William Nylander, RW, Toronto Maple Leafs: With almost two full seasons of experience in the AHL and 13 points in a 22-game NHL stint at the end of last season, Nylander is among the more experienced of the rookie crop. That extra development could vault him to the top of the pack, especially if he gets first crack at the offensive opportunities on a rebuilding Leafs team.

6. Jimmy Vesey, LW, New York Rangers: After a drawn-out courting period with many NHL clubs, the reigning Hobey Baker Award winner as NCAA MVP chose to sign with the Rangers. Given the team's need to find some offensive muscle, he has the talent and opportunity combination to make an immediate fantasy impact.

7. Ivan Provorov, D, Philadelphia Flyers: An offensive powerhouse in the WHL last season, Provorov has the most scoring upside of any rookie blueliner for the coming season. If Provorov transitions to the NHL without hiccups, he's talented enough that it's not crazy to think he'll go ahead of Gostisbehere in fantasy drafts next season.

8. Jesse Puljujarvi, RW, Edmonton Oilers: Projects as a talented top-line winger in the future, but even with trading away two of the last seven first-overall NHL draft picks, there are still a lot of young cooks in the Oilers' kitchen. It's difficult to see this 18-year-old Finn getting the minutes he needs to make a huge impact right away; however, he'll be a monster when he does get the call.

9. Mitchell Marner, C, Toronto Maple Leafs: On any other team, Marner might slide into a subtle top-six scoring role on his rookie season and produce enough to be a lock for Calder Trophy contention. Unfortunately for the linemate of Matthew Tkachuk and Christian Dvorak who dominated the OHL last season, he's No. 3 among rookies on a team bursting at the seams with youth players looking for chances.

10. Sebastian Aho, RW, Carolina Hurricanes: A point-per-game player in the Finnish elite league at the age of 18, Aho has skills that will translate directly to the NHL with the rebuilding Hurricanes franchise. It's exciting to think about the combination of Aho and Teuvo Teravainen leading the charge for the Canes' scoring, it just might be one year early to expect the results to be consistently fantasy-relevant.

11. Zach Werenski, D, Columbus Blue Jackets: After displaying plenty of offensive chops in college, Werenski closed last season with a brief AHL stint and Calder Cup playoff run with the Lake Erie (now Cleveland) Monsters. He found his groove and scored 14 points in 17 playoff games to land squarely on the bubble for a regular role with the Blue Jackets this season.

12. Nick Schmaltz, C, Chicago Blackhawks: A huge part of the North Dakota Fighting Hawks' championship season in 2016, with 46 points as a sophomore, Schmaltz opted to go pro by signing with the Blackhawks. While he doesn't have the high-end pedigree of other prospects, the opportunity to possibly flank Jonathan Toews drives up his potential significantly.

13. Mikko Rantanen, RW, Colorado Avalanche: A nine-game trial with the Avalanche last season didn't go anywhere for Rantanen, but he exploded in the AHL, with 24 goals and 60 points to finish among the top 10 scorers, and second among all rookies. The Avs have enough offensive options that they don't need Rantanen to have a big impact this season, but that doesn't preclude him from carving out a role.

14. Nikita Zaitsev, D, Toronto Maple Leafs: At 24 years old to start the season, Zaitsev tied as the leading scorer in the KHL playoffs last season and brings more experience to the table than most rookies, having played against pros for seven full seasons. A true breakout will probably wait until the young Leafs all have more experience, but we wouldn't rule it out sooner than later.

15. Ryan Pulock, D, New York Islanders: Possessing a booming slap shot from the blue line, Pulock doesn't have the puck-moving skills to match other top offensive prospects, but that shot is something special. He scored 17 goals in his AHL rookie season in 2014-15 and got a taste of the NHL last season, which puts him in position to win a bottom-pairing role with the Isles, and work his way up this season.

16. Oliver Bjorkstrand, LW, Columbus Blue Jackets: A sneaky scorer at every level at which he's played, Bjorkstrand was the Calder Cup playoff MVP for the champion Monsters last season, and had eight points in a 12-game cup of coffee with the Blue Jackets. If he sneaks into a scoring-line role, he'll be a fantasy contributor thanks to his nose for the net.

17. Shea Theodore, D, Anaheim Ducks: The defenseman with the most offensive skills for the Ducks, Theodore only needs the experience to grow into his role as the team's power-play quarterback. Unfortunately for this season, the team is deep on defense and the opportunity might not be there quite yet.

18. Pavel Buchnevich, LW, New York Rangers: A 21-year-old skilled offensive forward with four seasons of KHL experience already in the books, Buchnevich will play with the Rangers this season. It's just a matter of whether he can earn top-six ice time given the Rangers' current depth chart -- a task easier said than done, with a strong enough lineup returning.

19. Connor Brown, RW, Toronto Maple Leafs: While all the focus is on the big three of Matthews, Nylander and Marner, don't overlook the possible contributions of the constantly underrated Brown. He scored at a strong pace in the OHL for three seasons and the AHL for two seasons, before notching six points in seven games during an abbreviated debut with the Leafs last season.

20. Anton Forsberg, G, Columbus Blue Jackets: With Sergei Bobrovsky not showing an ability for stringing together two consecutive quality seasons, Curtis McElhinney no more than a backup and Joonas Korpisalo already injured to start the season, Forsberg has to at least be on the radar to start the 2016-17 season. He was third in the AHL for goals-against average in 2014-25 as a rookie, and seventh in the league last season as the Monsters went on to win the Calder Cup.

Just missed

Devils fans are hoping to see Pavel Zacha, No. 37, celebrating goals with Kyle Palmieri quite often in the coming seasons. Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports

Anthony Mantha, RW, Detroit Red Wings: A prodigy in junior hockey, Mantha has been slow to bloom at the professional level, with no eye-popping stats from his two seasons in the AHL. But, there will be opportunity with the Red Wings this season for a power forward like Mantha to find a role.

Pavel Zacha, C, New Jersey Devils: Technically, Zacha is a 2.0 points-per-game player in the NHL, with two assists in his debut last season with the Devils. A skilled center, the 19-year-old will crack the Devils roster for the coming season, and only has to earn some time on a scoring line to make some noise.

Matthew Tkachuk, LW, Calgary Flames: Keith's son should at least get a nine-game trial with the Flames this season. Ultimately, the team can afford to send him back to junior, but if he sticks, he'll produce.

Christian Dvorak, LW, Arizona Coyotes: With Max Domi and Anthony Duclair carving out roles last season and Strome due for a spot this season, it's tough to envision yet another young Coyotes forward earning fantasy value. That said, Dvorak was a beast in the OHL last season, and wouldn't be overwhelmed plying his trade in the pros.

Mathew Barzal, C, New York Islanders: Already a proven scorer in junior, Barzal could skip the AHL because of Mikhail Grabovski's ongoing injury concerns. With a chance at time in the Isles' top six, Barzal could surprise if he can find chemistry with some of the other young talent behind John Tavares.

Dark horses

Kyle Connor, LW, Winnipeg Jets: Following in the footsteps of Jack Eichel, Connor was named NCAA rookie of the year following a 35-goal campaign. The hitch here is that he's looking to earn time on a fairly stacked Jets team, which is already looking to increase the ice time of Mark Scheifele, Nikolaj Ehlers and Patrik Laine.

Pierre-Luc Dubois, C, Columbus Blue Jackets: It was a surprise to see him drafted ahead of Puljujarvi, and Dubois will have his work cut out for him to make the Blue Jackets, and is surely destined for another season of junior hockey. Keep his name in your back pocket for next season, when he'll be considered along the same lines as we look at Strome this season.

Travis Konecny, C, Philadelphia Flyers: Splitting time between the Ottawa 67s and Sarnia Sting in the OHL last season, Konecny had a 101-point campaign in his third season of junior and has been turning heads during the preseason. It will be tough to find a fantasy-friendly role in a fairly deep Flyers roster, but pushing his way onto the second line wouldn't be impossible.

Jakob Chychrun, D, Arizona Coyotes: There is plenty of room for this 18-year-old defensemen to go straight from his draft year to the NHL, and plenty of examples in recent seasons of such a leap, but the Coyotes can afford to let him get more seasoning in the OHL. If Chychrun makes it past his nine-game trial, he'll be worth keeping a close eye on this season, as moving up the depth chart to No. 2 behind Oliver Ekman-Larsson is within his reach.

Michael Matheson, D, Florida Panthers: Getting a taste of the NHL late last season and into the postseason, Matheson is on a slow boil to making a fantasy contribution. He showed well in the AHL last season, but didn't blow the doors off from a scoring perspective, so he is likely due for another season in the minors.

Kevin Fiala, C, Nashville Predators: The cream of the Predators' crop of young forwards looking to earn scoring-line roles, Fiala is 20 years old and has two seasons of AHL experience with small samples in the NHL during that time. As players like Mike Ribeiro and Mike Fisher continue to age their way out of key roles, the opportunities will be there for Fiala.

Nikita Tryamkin, D, Vancouver Canucks: A physical specimen in the mold of Zdeno Chara, Tryamkin doesn't have the offensive touch to his game yet, but it could come in time. For now, he should be able to crack a thin Canucks depth chart and continue to hone his game in the NHL, following four seasons of KHL experience.

Josh Morrissey, D, Winnipeg Jets: Expected to develop more in the AHL this season following a good, but not great, rookie campaign, Morrissey's time could be now, thanks to Jacob Trouba demanding a trade from the Jets. Morrissey has more offensive upside to his game than Trouba, but it's premature to expect him to display it at the NHL level.