Yeah this looks about right for opening night. I'm hoping that Steel and Terry can push for a spot on the 2nd line before the season ends

I agree, I don't think they make the playoffs this year. But they're not far off

Their prospect pool at forward is actually incredible.
The post-Getzlaf era won't be too bad

No need to waste a year or two on Zegras' ELC by signing him now. He's going to college for a couple of years. Save the term on his contract and sign him when makes the move from the NCAA to the AHL.

I sure hope Eakins doesn't put all three rookies on the same line. And I think that if the Ducks can actually solve their RD problem, they will be a playoff team this season.

I know it's semantics but only Steel is technically a rookie and if he played three more games, none of those three would be rookies. I get what you're saying though but it's not like those three will be deer-in-the-headlights youngsters who aren't ready. I have no problem with the three of them playing on a line together. Hell, they might be our most talented line, even in October.

Well, I sure hope you're right!

P.S. In my eyes, a guy is a "rookie" until he's played 100 games.

That seems a little arbitrary. So by your definition Austin Matthews was still a rookie by his 17th game in his second year where he had already hit 90 career points? What about Connor McDavid? Was he still a rookie when he was named captain of the Oilers? I mean, there's an argument to be made that you could still consider Steel, Terry and Jones rookies but that definitely shouldn't be the case if by March they've played every game. To each his own I guess but to me a player is no longer a rookie if they've played a significant chunk of a season, period. They could still be a prospect if they haven't cemented a roster spot but now we're getting knee-deep in semantics. Bottom line is these players shouldn't be treated with rookie gloves this season. It's not like they don't know what to expect to play in the NHL.

Well, if you think that Auston Matthews or Connor McDavid had the same level of understanding of the game at the points you mentioned as Patrice Bergeron or Mikko Koivu or Ryan Getzlaf or Johnathan Toews, more power to you. I don't think that Brayden Point has the same grasp of the game as Steven Stamkos. The same goes for Mitch Marner and William Nylander versus Jon Tavares. I'm not trying to lay down a hard-and-fast rule, or even a general rule, about playing less-experienced players; I'm just saying that there is no substitute for experience. I guess what I'm saying is that up to a certain point, a guy isn't responsible for his mistakes; after that, he is. What that point may be in terms of games played varies from player to player, but Comtois, Jones, Steel and Terry are rookies.

I totally get what you're saying, I guess I just disagree that it applies to Terry, Steel and Jones (we're on the same page about Comtois though). Those three spent more than a third of last year with the big club and played significant roles at times. If they're on this team in October I expect them to perform like they've played in this league, especially Jones and Steel considering their draft pedigree. That's not to say I expect them to play at the top of their potential since that takes years to achieve and long after the strictest definition of a player being a rookie. But they shouldn't treated the same as legit rookies.