With about a third of the season in the rear-view mirror, theScore's Josh Wegman evaluates 10 notable members of the 2018 rookie class, taking age into consideration.

C Elias Pettersson, Canucks

Age: 20
Draft: 5th overall, 2017

Draft assessment: Nobody questioned Pettersson's high-end talent and hockey IQ, but there were concerns about his frame. Dobber Prospects applauded his "deft puck skills" and "terrific vision," but called him "a work in progress" with some "serious filling out to do."

NHL assessment: Had Pettersson played in the NHL as an 18-year-old, the knocks on him might have been accurate - but a year spent tearing up Sweden's top professional league gave him the experience and confidence to silence the doubters. He's become one of the NHL's most dangerous, creative, and must-see talents in his rookie season.

LW Brady Tkachuk, Senators

Age: 19
Draft: 4th overall, 2018

Draft assessment: An anonymous NHL scout raved to ESPN about Tkachuk's will to win, saying the forward's "competitive urge is stronger than everyone else's on the ice." Despite a similar skill set to his brother Matthew, who found success playing for the Flames right out of his draft, this scout thought Brady was a year away from the NHL. There was also some worry about his lack of goals (eight in 40 games) at Boston University.

NHL assessment: The apple doesn't fall far from the tree in the Tkachuk family. Size, offensive versatility, and the toughness and physicality that allow him to be effective when he's not scoring are all traits he shares with Matthew and their father, Keith. Playing with better, smarter players has helped him produce at a higher rate in the pros than he did in college due to an advanced understanding of the game.

D Rasmus Dahlin, Sabres

Age: 18
Draft: 1st overall, 2018

Draft assessment: Dahlin was the surefire No. 1 pick in the 2018 draft from the get-go, earning comparisons to Nicklas Lidstrom and Erik Karlsson in the same breath. The Swede was praised for his world-class skating ability, shiftiness, confidence with the puck, creativity, physicality, and just about every other characteristic you'd want to see in a potential franchise defenseman.

NHL assessment: The standard numbers may suggest Dahlin isn't living up to lofty expectations, but defensemen take longer to develop. Only two - Bobby Orr and Phil Housley - have ever reached the 40-point mark as 18-year-olds. Dahlin has done the little things right and drastically improved the Sabres' blue line, even if he's nowhere near his sky-high ceiling yet.

D Miro Heiskanen, Stars

Age: 19
Draft: 3rd overall, 2017

Draft assessment: Every scouting report on Heiskanen contained the same collection of adjectives: calm, confident, smooth, and smart. He was praised for his skating ability and poise with the puck, and he appeared to have the makings of an elite, new-age, two-way defenseman. He was, however, knocked for his lack of offensive upside.

NHL assessment: An effortless skater, Heiskanen's puck-moving skills are already elite. He's mature beyond his years in his own end but, as the scouting reports suggested, hasn't quite wowed offensively. That doesn't mean it won't come with time. For now, he's a major reason why the Stars hold a playoff spot despite John Klingberg missing the last month.

C Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Canadiens

Age: 18
Draft: 3rd overall, 2018

Draft assessment: Kotkaniemi finished as Central Scouting's seventh-ranked European skater, but as a center with high-end skill and an advanced hockey IQ, he shot up the draft ranks. "He sees the game differently. He tries to make a play in every situation. He sees only upsides, and no downsides, and that’s why his game is sometimes a little bit risky," said Finland U18 coach Tommi Niemela.

NHL assessment: Kotkaniemi wasn't necessarily expected to make the Canadiens roster as an 18-year-old, but he left them no choice after a strong training camp and preseason. He still needs time to develop physically, but he hasn't looked out of place because he's so advanced mentally. Kotkaniemi's kept the risks to a minimum - due in large part to head coach Claude Julien, who's primarily deployed his young pivot in offensive situations.

C Colin White, Senators

Age: 21
Draft: 21st overall, 2015

Draft assessment: White is the lone 2015 draftee on this list. Prior to being selected by the Senators, Dobber Prospects applauded his "quick feet and impressive agility," along with his "blue-collar determination and the hockey sense to excel on both ends of the puck." He was viewed as a high-floor selection, but with perhaps a lower ceiling than most first-round picks.

NHL assessment: It may seem hard to believe, but the NHL is a lot different than it was at the time White was drafted. His intelligence, quickness, competitiveness, and 200-foot prowess are well-suited to today's game. He's been placed in a nice spot too, centering a line between two towering, skilled, smart wingers in Tkachuk and Mark Stone. White's been getting more ice time of late - a clear sign of increased trust from his coach.

D Dennis Cholowski, Red Wings

Age: 20
Draft: 20th overall, 2016

Draft assessment: Cholowski played in the BCHL in 2015-16, and was a late riser on most draft boards. While there's certainly good hockey in the BCHL, it pales in comparison to the CHL or professional leagues in Europe, where the bulk of first-rounders play their draft year. Despite his lower quality of competition, he was viewed as a mobile, intelligent, two-way defenseman, according to Dobber Prospects.

NHL assessment: Cholowski has injected some much-needed mobility and youth into the Red Wings' defense corps. He's already proven to be an effective power-play quarterback, as he leads the team with seven points with the man advantage. His overall game still needs some fine-tuning, but his decision-making and poise are impressive for a rookie blue-liner.

RW Andrei Svechnikov, Hurricanes

Age: 18
Draft: 2nd overall, 2018

Draft assessment: Svechnikov was viewed as the complete package, and likely would've been selected first overall in 2017 if he were a year older. NHL Central Scouting said: "Svechnikov plays a responsible game without the puck, has a strong stride with good top-end speed, (and) good instincts at reading the play to set up or be open for chances. He also has an excellent finishing touch."

NHL assessment: Pegged as a prolific goal-scorer, the biggest disappointment of Svechnikov's game so far has been his inability to capitalize on chances. Though he's third in the NHL in individual high-danger scoring chances per 60 minutes, he's only scored six goals. However, he's displayed a strong 200-foot game and hasn't shied away from physicality - both great signs considering he's one of the youngest players in the league.

C Brett Howden, Rangers

Age: 20
Draft: 27th overall, 2016

Draft assessment: Howden's size (6-foot-3), skill, work ethic, and leadership qualities lifted him into the first round of the 2016 draft, but the major concern was whether his weak shot would cap his pro potential.

NHL assessment: Howden wasn't necessarily expected to make the Rangers out of training camp, but he earned a shot with a strong preseason and hasn't looked back. While he could still stand to add to his somewhat lean frame, he's already displaying strong puck protection skills and winning 51.7 percent of his faceoffs. The knock on his shot seems to be correct, but he knows his limitations, as he's averaging just one per game.

C Casey Mittelstadt, Sabres

Age: 20
Draft: 8th overall, 2017

Draft assessment: Mittelstadt was tougher to evaluate than most prospects because he spent half of his draft year playing high school hockey in Minnesota - and, of course, he dominated. The traits that stuck out were his soft hands, heavy shot, and great vision. Dobber Prospects said he "could be the prospect with the highest skill in the 2017 NHL draft." However, there were question marks about his strength and worries about his defensive ineptitude.

NHL assessment: Mittelstadt has only occasionally flashed his high-end skill so far in his rookie season. He disappears for long stretches and hasn't consistently displayed the patience and poise he demonstrated in the USHL, college, or world juniors. There's likely still a bright future ahead, but a trip to the AHL may help him regain his confidence.

(Advanced stats courtesy: Natural Stat Trick)

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From center ice to center stage.

Toronto Maple Leafs superstars Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner will take their talents to the theatre when they debut as Cannon Dolls at The National Ballet of Canada's 'The Nutcracker.'

The National Ballet describes the Cannon Dolls as guest roles, "colorfully costumed Russian Petrouchka dolls who shoot a cannon into the audience to being the battle scene in Act I."

Unfortunately, the roles require no choreographed dancing, but it's possible one of the two could bust out an impromptu move.

Matthews and Marner aren't the first Maple Leafs to make an appearance in the show. Hall of Famer Mats Sundin took the stage in 2007, and legendary goaltender Jacques Plante performed back in 1971.

So, what's the price to witness the young Leafs in the ballet? About the same as it is to see the duo lace them up at Scotiabank Arena, as tickets currently start at CA$85.

Their performance is scheduled for Dec. 19 at Toronto's Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts.

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The 2021 world juniors are heading to Alberta and are set to be split between Edmonton and Red Deer, TSN's Bob McKenzie reports.

A formal announcement on the event from Hockey Canada is expected Thursday.

It would mark the sixth time since 2010 that Canada has hosted the tournament, with this year's edition taking place in Vancouver and Victoria, British Columbia.

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Connor McDavid returned to action Wednesday night against the St. Louis Blues after a one-game absence.

The Edmonton Oilers superstar potted the shootout winner to beat the Blues after sitting out Monday's loss to the Dallas Stars because he was under the weather.

It was the first contest he missed since his rookie season in 2015-16, ending a streak of 222 regular-season games played.

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William Nylander will make his long-awaited return to the Toronto Maple Leafs' lineup Thursday night on home ice versus the Detroit Red Wings, he told reporters on Wednesday.

The Swede missed the team's first 28 games of the season due to a well-documented contract dispute, which ended when he signed a six-year deal minutes before the Dec. 1 deadline.

During Thursday's morning skate, the winger was spotted practicing on a line with Auston Matthews and Patrick Marleau, according to TSN's Kristen Shilton, bumping Kasperi Kapanen off the top unit.

Nylander, 22, notched 61 points in each of the last two seasons with the Leafs.

Toronto posted a 20-8-0 record in Nylander's absence.

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The average value of NHL franchises rose 6 percent over the last year to a record $630 million, according to Forbes' annual report on the sport's finances.

For the fourth year running, the New York Rangers are the most valuable team, coming in at $1.55 billion, a 3 percent increase over 2017.

Three other franchises - the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, and Chicago Blackhawks - are valued at more than $1 billion.

Here's the full list:

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Phil Kessel can't seem to escape the rumor mill.

According to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, the Pittsburgh Penguins "tested the market" on a possible trade involving the high-scoring winger.

While a deal never came to fruition, the Penguins have been active in the trade market in recent weeks, parting with Carl Hagelin and Daniel Sprong while bringing in Tanner Pearson and Marcus Pettersson.

Prior to the deals, general manager Jim Rutherford floated the possibility of a roster shakeup if there wasn't improvement on the ice. The Penguins currently sit two points back of a playoff position in the Metropolitan Division.

As for Kessel, it's not the first time his name has surfaced in trade talks. Last offseason, a report indicated that the 31-year-old was open to a move to the Arizona Coyotes. Arizona, of course, is coached by Rick Tocchet, who was an assistant in Pittsburgh during the team's Stanley Cup wins in 2016 and 2017.

Kessel is owed $8 million for three more seasons, but $1.2 million of his salary is retained by the Toronto Maple Leafs. His contract also allows him to grant a trade to just eight teams of his choosing.

Across part of four seasons with the Penguins, Kessel has picked up 93 goals and 157 assists in 272 games.

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Vegas Golden Knights forward Ryan Reaves won't be called to the carpet following a hit he delivered to Washington Capitals winger Tom Wilson, a source told Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post.

The incident occurred late in the second period of Tuesday's game. Reaves was assessed a five-minute major for interference and a game misconduct following the play.

The Golden Knights and Capitals split their season series and will not face off again this year unless it is in the playoffs.

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