Greatest Concurrent Rookie Duos Within the Same Franchise

[Calderon]

Who are the greatest rookie duos (or, better yet, trios) that started their NHL careers in the same franchise? Let's have Calder eligibility as a prerequisite for the purpose of this topic. What I'm aming at is making noise in their defining rookie season coupled with high career value.

Some duos that come to mind:

• 1979-80: Wayne Gretzky and Kevin Lowe for Edmonton: Hart winner and a solid rookie D-man; GOAT and a HHOFer.
• 1980-81: Peter and Anton Stastny for Quebec: both top2 in rookie scoring and 1st/10th in Calder voting; Peter in HHOF, Anton's career cut short. It's a bit iffy as Peter was 24 as a rookie. How did Anton finish only 10th for Calder Trophy?
• 1980-81: Anderson, Coffey and Kurri for Edmonton: all solid contributors, somehow Kurri was completely ignored in Calder voting even though he amassed 75 points in 75 GP; all HHOFers.
• 1992-93: Selänne and Zhamnov for Winnipeg: the GOAT rookie (though Gretzky wins if we ignore the weird non-eligibility) and and a 72-point effort; a well-deserved HHOFer and a respectable career, respectively.
• 2000-01: Daniel and Henrik Sedin for Vancouver: 8th and 13th in rookie scoring; both members of HHOF.
• 2006-07: Evgeni Malkin and Jordan Staal for Pittsburgh: Calder winner and a dependable #3C; HHOF bound Eurostar and a respected two way center.
• 2007-08: Kane and Toews for Chicago: 1st and 3rd in rookie scoring as well as Calder voting, respectively; both HHOF bound.
• 2016-17: Matthews, Marner, Nylander for Toronto: 1st, 4th and 3rd in rookie scoring; Matthews already HHOF bound, the two others also building solid careers.

Forgive me for the clear emphasis on forwards. I'm also aware the NHL existed before the 1980's, this is just to kick things off.

I suppose you can go by "best" instead of greatest if you feel like. That'd probably lift players like the Stastny brothers while holding back some players who didn't peak as high (eg. Jordan Staal).

Edit: I want to clarify that by Calder eligibility I was thinking about games played, not an unfair eligibility omission (at least in hindsight) á la Gretzky (I think Gretzky definitely deserved a Calder). However, I was wrong about the criteria, thinking it was nine games instead of 25 (nine games being the upper limit regarding burning a year off an entry-level contract).

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[MadLuke]

Gretzky was famously not Calder eligibile.

Forsberg-Deadmarsh could have been quite something (94-95) Quebec,, Hejduk-Drury was a nice year as well for them.

Kovalchuk-Heatley, 2002 Atlanta is an other one that could have been quite something.

 

[Brodeur]

Off the top of my head, Chris Drury and Milan Hejduk finished 1st and 3rd for the 1999 Calder.

Scott Gomez (Calder winner), Brian Rafalski (squeaked in Calder eligibility), John Madden (also barely Calder eligible), and Colin White lifted the Cup in 2000 as rookies; White might have still qualified for the 2001 Calder since he only played in 21 regular season games.

 

[decma]

The 86/87 Kings, with Robitaille, Carson, and Duchesne.
Robitaille and Carson were 1st and 3rd in Calder voting and Duchesne had a solid rookie season.

 

[Dale53130]

Who are the greatest rookie duos (or, better yet, trios) that started their NHL careers in the same franchise? Let's have Calder eligibility as a prerequisite for the purpose of this topic. What I'm aming at is making noise in their defining rookie season coupled with high career value.

Some duos that come to mind:

• 1979-80: Wayne Gretzky and Kevin Lowe for Edmonton: Hart winner and a solid rookie D-man; GOAT and a HHOFer.
• 1980-81: Peter and Anton Stastny for Quebec: both top2 in rookie scoring and 1st/10th in Calder voting; Peter in HHOF, Anton's career cut short. It's a bit iffy as Peter was 24 as a rookie. How did Anton finish only 10th for Calder Trophy?
• 1980-81: Anderson, Coffey and Kurri for Edmonton: all solid contributors, somehow Kurri was completely ignored in Calder voting even though he amassed 75 points in 75 GP; all HHOFers.
• 1992-93: Selänne and Zhamnov for Winnipeg: the GOAT rookie (though Gretzky wins if we ignore the weird non-eligibility) and and a 72-point effort; a well-deserved HHOFer and a respectable career, respectively.
• 2000-01: Daniel and Henrik Sedin for Vancouver: 8th and 13th in rookie scoring; both members of HHOF.
• 2006-07: Evgeni Malkin and Jordan Staal for Pittsburgh: Calder winner and a dependable #3C; HHOF bound Eurostar and a respected two way center.
• 2007-08: Kane and Toews for Chicago: 1st and 3rd in rookie scoring as well as Calder voting, respectively; both HHOF bound.
• 2016-17: Matthews, Marner, Nylander for Toronto: 1st, 4th and 3rd in rookie scoring; Matthews already HHOF bound, the two others also building solid careers.

Forgive me for the clear emphasis on forwards. I'm also aware the NHL existed before the 1980's, this is just to kick things off.

I suppose you can go by "best" instead of greatest if you feel like. That'd probably lift players like the Stastny brothers while holding back some players who didn't peak as high (eg. Jordan Staal).

Edit: I want to clarify that by Calder eligibility I was thinking about games played, not an unfair eligibility omission (at least in hindsight) á la Gretzky (I think Gretzky definitely deserved a Calder). However, I was wrong about the criteria, thinking it was nine games instead of 25 (nine games being the upper limit regarding burning a year off an entry-level contract).

I'm pretty sure Tkachuk was still considered a rookie in 1992-93.

 

[mrhockey193195]

Leetch & Granato in 88-89 for the Rangers were 1st and 3rd in Calder voting respectively.

 

[frisco]

82-83 Sabres had two HOFers in Housley and Andreychuk. Housley was runner up for the Calder with 19 goals and 66 points. Andreychuk had 37 points in 43 GP.

My Best-Carey

 

[Moose Head]

Ken Dryden and Guy Lafleur were rookies in 71-72.

 

[Calderon]

Kovalchuk-Heatley, 2002 Atlanta is an other one that could have been quite something.

A glaring omission by me, one of the better duos for sure!

I'm pretty sure Tkachuk was still considered a rookie in 1992-93.

Yeah that's a good catch. I messed up the GP criterion about eligibility. Tkachuk is easily better than Zhamnov by career value (though point production would indicate Zhamnov outdid KT as a rookie but was Selänne the deciding factor there?).

82-83 Sabres had two HOFers in Housley and Andreychuk. Housley was runner up for the Calder with 19 goals and 66 points. Andreychuk had 37 points in 43 GP.

My Best-Carey

Two bonafied HHOF players, thanks!

Ken Dryden and Guy Lafleur were rookies in 71-72.

This duo will be hard to beat! Pair up Gretzky with anyone is the old joke for best duo in any category but for the sake of balance Dryden and Lafleur are both easily a lot better than Lowe -- albeit Dryden's ridiculously decorated career is infamously short.

 

[Moose Head]

A glaring omission by me, one of the better duos for sure!


Yeah that's a good catch. I messed up the GP criterion about eligibility. Tkachuk is easily better than Zhamnov by career value (though point production would indicate Zhamnov outdid KT as a rookie but was Selänne the deciding factor there?).


Two bonafied HHOF players, thanks!


This duo will be hard to beat! Pair up Gretzky with anyone is the old joke for best duo in any category but for the sake of balance Dryden and Lafleur are both easily a lot better than Lowe -- albeit Dryden's ridiculously decorated career is infamously short.

If you can pair Gretzky with someone per the rules of the OP, he should be paired with Messier, who also lost his rookie status because he played one year as an underager in the WHA.