Welcome to the NHL Star Power Index: A weekly gauge of the gamers who’re controlling substantial buzz across the league. When a participant is included on this checklist it is probably not a very good factor — it implies that they’re capturing a considerable amount of the hockey world’s consideration.
These gamers are in no specific order with regards to the quantity of buzz that they are creating. We’ll revisit the Star Power Index each week all through the common season.
The Arizona Coyotes could also be close to the underside of the NHL standings, however ahead Clayton Keller is growing right into a star proper earlier than everybody’s eyes. Keller, 24, at the moment has a six-game level streak relationship again to March 5 and has recorded 5 factors over his final two video games. He’s recorded a number of factors in 4 of the six video games throughout his current scorching streak.
Keller at the moment leads the Coyotes in objectives (31) and assists (40) by means of 68 video games. His objective and level totals have already set new career-highs, and he is simply two assists shy of tying his career-high in that division as effectively.
His most spectacular efficiency of the week got here in Sunday’s 5-4 additional time win over the Minnesota Wild. In that individual contest, Keller scored a pair of objectives whereas meting out an help to tempo the Coyotes.
That included the nineteenth game-winning objective of Keller’s skilled profession and his fourth of the 2022-23 marketing campaign. In addition, Keller’s assisted on Brett Ritchie’s second interval objective and that was the two hundredth help of his profession.
After being chosen with the No. 7 decide within the 2016 NHL Draft, Keller registered 65 factors (23 objectives, 42 assists) in his first full NHL season in 2017-18. However, the Coyotes winger recorded 47 or fewer factors in every of the following three seasons earlier than having a 65-point marketing campaign a season in the past. The Coyotes star is at the moment on tempo for 86 factors (38 objectives, 48 assists) on the season.
Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner has gotten off to fairly a scorching begin in the course of the month of March. In seven video games this month, Marner has tallied 4 objectives and eight assists and has registered factors in all however a kind of contests. Most lately, Marner has launched into a four-game level streak and racked up 9 factors throughout these 4 video games.
After posting a career-high 97 factors (35 objectives, 62 assists) final season, Marner has an opportunity to set a brand new profession benchmark during the last 15 video games of the 2022-23 season. The Maple Leafs ahead is on tempo to register 105 factors (29 objectives, 76 assists) along with his 76 assists additionally being a career-high.
Prior to Wednesday’s recreation in opposition to the Colorado Avalanche, Marner had recorded a number of factors in three consecutive video games. Still, Marner had an impression early on in opposition to the defending Stanley Cup champions.
That marked the fourth consecutive recreation during which Marner tallied an help. He is among the many league’s finest with regards to racking up assists on the season. The Maple Leafs star ranks fourth within the league with 62 assists, which is behind solely Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid (73), Tampa Bay Lightning ahead Nikita Kucherov (69) and San Jose Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson (65).
Tim Stutzle was the No. 3 decide simply three years in the past and is already displaying his star potential for the Ottawa Senators. He’s already had a profession season to the tune of 73 factors (34 objectives, 39 assists). The Senators winger has registered three objectives over his previous two video games, together with a two-goal efficiency in opposition to the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday.
With that two-goal displaying in opposition to Edmonton, Stutzle made a little bit little bit of historical past as effectively.
Stutzle grew to become the primary Senators participant aged 22 years previous or youthful to have seven multi-goal video games in a single season. The Germany native now leads a formidable group that features Martin Havlat (6 in 2002-03), Marian Hossa (5 in 1999-2000), Havlat (5 in 2001-02), Alexei Yashin (4 in 1994-95) and Havlat (2001-02). In addition, Stutzle additionally set a brand new franchise file for objectives (68) in his first three seasons.
Stutzle actually put his goal-scoring potential on full show in Tuesday’s 6-3 in opposition to the Oilers.
Stutzle was overshadowed all through the draft course of as Alexis Lafreniere and Quinton Byfield went forward of him on the prime of 2020 NHL Draft. However, Stutzle has simply appeared like the largest star to be taken within the opening spherical of that draft as he is racked up 160 factors (68 objectives, 92 assists) in lower than three full seasons with Ottawa.
The Carolina Hurricanes appeared primed for a deep postseason run in the course of the Stanley Cup Playoffs a season in the past. Then an damage to goalie Frederik Andersen proved to be a thorn within the aspect for the staff.
After lacking over two months from November to January this season, Andersen is lastly wholesome and showcasing his worth to the franchise. He has loved a strong month of March, placing collectively a 3-2-0 file to go together with a 2.15 goals-against-average and .895 save proportion. The 33-year-old keeper hasn’t yielded greater than three objectives in any of his 5 begins in March.
On Tuesday, Andersen stopped 21 of 24 photographs in a 5-3 win over the Winnipeg Jets and made joined some very particular firm within the course of. Andersen recorded his 259th profession win and now has the sixth-most wins by an NHL goalie of their first 9 seasons. The Hurricanes netminder solely trails New York Rangers legend Henrik Lundqvist (309), former New Jerseys Devils star Martin Brodeur (268), Detroit Red Wings Hall of Famer Terry Sawchuk (264), Chicago Blackhawks legend Tony Esposito (262), and former Dallas Stars goaltender Marty Turco (261)
The Hurricanes are definitely going to wish Andersen to proceed to come back up huge down the stretch.
