At ESPN Insider, Neil Greenberg says that expectations for Chris Kreider should probably be tempered a bit as he looks at what players in his position, 21-year old rookies who will play at least 40 games have done in the past.

Since the lockout, Greenberg notes, those players have averaged 15 goals on 131 shots and 18 assists while averaging close to 13 minutes a game.

Players since the lockout who have scored at least 15 goals and had 15 assists as 21 year old rookies are:

• Paul Stastny: 28 goals and 50 assists
• Jeff Carter: 23 goals and 19 assists
• Alex Steen: 18 goals and 27 assists
• Travis Zajac: 17 goals and 25 assists

Last season, as a 23 year old, Carl Hagelin had 14 goals and 24 assists. As a 20 year old rookie Derek Stepan had 21 goals and 24 assists. As a 21 year old he had 17 goals and 24 assists.

Adam Rotter: I think that the Carter, Steen and Zajac comparables are probably about where I think Kreider will finish this season. I think he will end up with more goals than assists and be somewhere in the 40-50 range. He will need to spend time this season learning the system and becoming better defensively, so that may limit his numbers a touch.