NHL.com’s Rookie Watch section features hot topics about this year’s rookies. In this issue: Berni finds his place in the NHL.
In the discussion about the best league newcomers, one often hears the names of the players who are in the limelight through spectacular actions. Strikers who score beautiful goals, goalkeepers who make stunning saves. Defenders are often neglected, especially the more defensively oriented defenders. But later in their careers they are often invaluable. In recent years, defenders like Moritz Seider, Cale Makar or Quinn Hughes play in the foreground. This season, alongside a number of powerful forwards, there are again some notable defenders.
Owen Power is the most prominent name among defensive players to be considered a potential contender for the Calder Trophy for top rookie preseason. The first pick of the 2021 NHL Draft is doing a great job for the Buffalo Sabers. He’s still waiting for his first goal, but with 23:46 minutes ice time per game he is the rookie with the most playing time in the NHL. He had 12 assists in 32 games.
Other defenders were also able to play their part in the foreground with their contributions to the offensive. Calen Addison of the Minnesota Wild leads all rookie defensemen with 16 points (2 goals, 14 assists). Kaiden Guhle from the Montreal Canadiens follows with 14 points (2 goals, 12 assists). Jake Sanderson of the Ottawa Senators is third with 13 points (2 goals, 11 assists).
A total of nine defensive rookies have scored at least ten points so far. One of them embodies the combination of defensive work and offensive contributions like no other. Montreal’s Arber Xhekaj has the most goals (5) and fourth most points (12) among defenders, but has made a name for himself primarily with other qualities. Considered the toughest rookie of the season, he leads the rookies with 65 penalty minutes and has the second most checks (106).
However, while Xhekaj still delivers decent points, there are a handful of defenders who earn plenty of Ice Age as defensive specialists. One of them is the Swiss Tim Bernie. At the beginning of the season he was not in the squad for the Columbus Blue Jackets. In the AHL, he wasn’t a top scorer with the Cleveland Monsters either. He has one goal and three assists in 15 games, putting him in seventh place among defenders within the team. Due to his strong defensive performance, he was called up to the NHL and took advantage of this opportunity.
As of December 6, Berni has his place in the Blue Jackets roster. He retained that role despite not scoring a single point in 12 NHL games. His contributions are difficult to capture statistically. Berni is not a player who attracts attention with spectacular actions, but also not with mistakes.
“He looks confident and confident,” said coach Brad Larsen of the 22-year-old defenseman after Berni’s call to the NHL. “If you watch videos of him you can find these little things he does when there’s pressure from the opposition. He doesn’t just throw the puck forward. He’s ready to take the check, spin out and fight. When we Cleveland’s coach, Trent Vogelhuber, gave us an accurate description of how Tim played there and he translated that perfectly to the NHL.”
Among all rookie defensemen with at least ten games, Berni has the fourth most hits with 6.24 checks per 60 minutes of play. He also blocked an impressive 4.07 shots per 60 minutes and recorded three puck captures. His consistent play took him from a non-roster player to the sixth-most ice time per game rookie (18:24).
Surely Berni would love to celebrate his first point in the NHL. But he is absolutely aware of his style of play and his role. Although he is so good in defense that he keeps his place in the squad despite his zero points, he is always looking for ways to improve his defensive work. That attitude got him into the NHL.
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“Of course there are always small things that I still have to improve,” explained Berni. “I have to win more tackles and hold the puck better. But overall I’m satisfied with my game. I try to trust my abilities. But my teammates also make my job easy for me.”
The humble league newcomer has been proving for a month that you can make it as a rookie in the NHL even if you don’t dance your way through defense to score a highlight goal. Hard work and disciplined defense are his trademarks, which have enabled him to capitalize on his chance in the league and earn his place in the squad.