Few teams in modern NHL history have found as much success on the backs of rookies as the 2016-17 Toronto Maple Leafs.
The club's recent tilt against the New York Islanders made that abundantly clear, as the youthful squad saw five different rookies register a goal for the first time in Leafs history in the overtime loss.
But as the high-flying first-year forwards pile up points, another rookie Leaf is carrying the mail for Toronto's blue line on a nightly basis: Nikita Zaitsev.
The 25-year-old Russian joined the blue and white this season following a seven-year stretch in the KHL. Through 51 games in Toronto, Zaitsev has emerged as a key piece of the Leafs' promising puzzle.
He's seen the most average minutes of any Leafs player up to this point, getting on the ice for 22:26 per game this season. That might not seem like a hefty workload compared to some of the game's elite workhorses, but it's a notably high average for a first-year NHLer.
Not only does Zaitsev's nightly average top all other rookies this season - including blue-line standouts like Columbus' Zach Werenski - it's in fact one of the highest marks in years.
Of all the rookies to suit up in the league over the past decade, only 10 have logged 22 minutes or more per night, as Zaitsev has. And that group features more than a few notable names - among them P.K. Subban, Drew Doughty, Marc-Edouard Vlasic, and John Carlson.
Jumping into the big leagues and seeing that much ice that quickly is no small feat - especially in an Eastern Conference featuring some of the most dynamic offensive talents in the world.
To be fair, Zaitsev had a lengthy KHL career under his belt, but there's no denying his new workload is at an entirely different level amidst the speed and grinding physicality of the NHL.
Not to mention Zaitsev never played more than 57 regular-season games in the Russian league. His 51 for the Leafs have already outlasted all but two of his KHL campaigns.
Even without the rookie comparisons, Zaitsev's been doing work in Toronto, seeing the eighth-most shifts per game among all NHL rearguards - tied with Rasmus Ristolainen and Jake Muzzin.
The first-year defender hasn't been flawless this season, but with 23 points, 208 shot attempts, and 87 blocks - all tops among Leafs defensemen - it's fair to say Toronto's KHL gamble paid off.
Zaitsev, who's signed to a one-year, $925,000 contract - making him the second-lowest earner on the Leafs' blue line - will be a restricted free-agent after 2016-17 concludes.
Don't expect general manager Lou Lamoriello to leave him hanging without a new deal for too long.
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