It is the season of the rookie in the NHL, and not just because of high-scoring forwards like Torontos Auston Matthews and Winnipegs Patrik Laine, or Pittsburgh goalie Matt Murray. The biggest surprise of this season is how eight teams are using rookies on their top defensive pairing.Looking back through recent history, it is unusual for there to be more than one or two particularly exceptional defensemen to play on the top pair in their rookie season. In 2015-16, for example, there were only occasional stretches of the season when rookies like Carolinas Jaccob Slavin, Edmontons Darnell Nurse and Philadelphias Shayne Gostisbehere were on the top tandem. Right now, there are eight rookies being employed on the main duo.Not every team is using a rookie defenseman in the top two for the same reason. Some teams are blessed with one of those rare and particularly talented prospects, like Zach Werenski of the Columbus Blue Jackets, while other teams have an elite veteran who is capable of guiding a young apprentice, like Drew Doughty of the Los Angeles Kings or Zdeno Chara of the Boston Bruins. Some teams have been hit with so many injuries that they are left with few alternatives, like the Vancouver Canucks.Heres a ranking of the eight rookie defensemen being used on the top unit this season, and how they have fared so far: Authentic Jerseys Cheap .com) - The Montreal Canadiens will try to halt their longest losing streak of the season when they host the struggling New York Islanders in tonights clash at the Bell Centre. NFL Jerseys China .R. Smith realized how easily basketball can be taken from him, and he wasnt going to take his place in the NBA for granted anymore. http://www.cheapjerseysapp.com/ . -- Matt Kuchar and Harris English ran away with the Franklin Templeton Shootout, shooting a 14-under 58 on Sunday in the final-round scramble to break the tournament course record. China Jerseys . Andrew Luck lost his favourite target and the Indianapolis locker room lost one of its most revered leaders when Reggie Wayne was diagnosed Monday with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee that will cost him the rest of the season. Cheap Jerseys From China . PETERSBURG, Fla. CHICAGO -- John Lackey was cruising along when Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon hit for the right-hander in the eighth inning.Finding some work for his bullpen is Maddons biggest problem these days.Lackey got his first win in six weeks and Miguel Montero drove in three runs, helping the Cubs sweep the Cincinnati Reds with a 9-2 victory on Wednesday night.I definitely felt like I got better as the game went along, Lackey said.Kris Bryant hit his 38th homer and Dexter Fowler also connected as major league-leading Chicago moved a season-high 42 games over .500. The Cubs (97-55) also matched their win total from a year ago and lowered their magic number for clinching home-field advantage throughout the NL playoffs to two over Washington.Lackey (10-8) allowed two runs and five hits in seven innings in his first win since he beat the Angels on Aug. 9. The right-hander retired his last 14 batters and finished with just 87 pitches.After seven, having to get these bullpen guys some work, I had to do what we did, Maddon said, but he definitely could have gone deeper into the game.Hector Rondon got two outs and Mike Montgomery pitched a scoreless inning before Maddon went to Joe Smith for a game-ending strikeout of Steve Selsky. The Cubs clinched the NL Central title last week, giving Maddon plenty of time to take a look at various postseason possibilities.The last-place Reds lost for the seventh time in eight games. They managed just five runs and 19 hits in the three-game series.Its a challenge over the last couple of years to constantly find ourselves down in the game, especially when its by three, four or five runs and then rally and rally and rally, manager Bryan Price said. Its a comfort zone for the opposing pitchers.Robert Stephenson (2-2) was pulled with two out in the fourth inning and remains winless in four September starts. The rookie was charged with four runs and a career-high eight hits.I just couldnt get into a rhythm today, he said.Jose Peraza hit a tying RBI single in Cincinnatis two-run second, but Chicago pulled away from there. Montero hit an RBI single in the third and a two-run single with two out in the sixth. The veteran catcher also scored on Michael Lorenzens bbalk in the fifth.ddddddddddddBryant capped the scoring with a two-run shot to left in the seventh. It was Bryants 10th homer of the year against Cincinnati, tied for the second most for a single season against the Reds.Montero, Ben Zobrist and Javier Baez each had three of Chicagos 15 hits, and Fowler scored three times from the leadoff spot.ABOUT THAT ROTATIONChicago right-hander Kyle Hendricks, one of the leading contenders for the NL Cy Young Award, will start on seven days rest Monday at Pittsburgh, and the Cubs will have a bullpen day with several pitchers on Tuesday.Its to look a lot of different things right now, Maddon said. Potentially line things up, potentially look at different people in different roles. ... Theres all kinds of different things were working on right now to try to make it a constructive week and we get a really a final good look at some guys, get them a chance to possibly be in a role that they might be utilized in in the postseason.TRAINERS ROOMReds: Price said RHP Homer Bailey (biceps) could start Sunday at Milwaukee after there were no negatives following his Tuesday bullpen session. Hes looked very good to me, Price said. I think if hes 100 percent Id like to see him pitch. If Bailey cant go, Price said LHP Brandon Finnegan or RHP Tim Adleman would start.Cubs: LHP Jon Lester said he was fine a day after he had a liner go off his right wrist in the sixth inning of Chicagos 6-1 victory on Tuesday night. ... OF Jorge Soler (tightness on his right side) is doing well, according to Maddon. Probably by Friday hopefully well be able to interject him in the game, Maddon said.UP NEXTReds: Following a day off, the Reds begin a weekend series at Milwaukee. Cincinnati RHP Anthony DeSclafani (8-4, 3.15 ERA) gets the ball on Friday night.Cubs: RHP Jake Arrieta (17-7, 2.96 ERA) faces St. Louis RHP Mike Leake (9-10, 4.54 ERA) on Friday afternoon. Maddon said he plans to play the weekend series straight up out of respect for the Cardinals competition in the wild-card race.---Jay Cohen can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/jcohenap Cheap Throwback Baseball Detroit Tigers Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball Colorado Rockies Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball Houston Astros Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball Kansas City Royals Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball Los Angeles Angels Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball Los Angeles Dodgers Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball Miami Marlins Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball Milwaukee Brewers Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball Minnesota Twins Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball New York Mets Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball New York Yankees Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball Oakland Athletics Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball Philadelphia Phillies Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball Pittsburgh Pirates Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball San Diego Padres Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball San Francisco Giants Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball Seattle Mariners Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball St. Louis Cardinals Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball Tampa Bay Rays Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball Texas Rangers Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball Toronto Blue Jays Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball Washington Nationals Jerseys ' ' '