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 an excellent factor — it implies that they’re capturing a considerable amount of the hockey world’s consideration.
These gamers are in no explicit order on the subject of the quantity of buzz that they are creating. We’ll revisit the Star Power Index each week all through the common season.
After spending the primary six seasons of his NHL profession with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Zach Hyman opted to signal a seven-year cope with the Edmonton Oilers. Since arriving in Edmonton, Hyman has thrived on the workforce’s prime line.
In Toronto, Hyman was nearly an afterthought at occasions and solely topped the 20-goal mark in two of these six campaigns. Despite the truth that Hyman was a restricted free agent, the Maple Leafs had been up in opposition to the wage cap and simply did not have the means to re-sign the versatile ahead.
Their loss has rapidly turn out to be the Oilers’ achieve.
When a workforce possesses gamers like Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl on their roster, it might probably already be mentioned that they’ve depth amongst their prime six forwards. With Hyman in toe on prime of that, it is nearly a humiliation of riches. In his first season in Edmonton, Hyman tallied 27 objectives and 27 assists, which had been each career-highs. As spectacular as that was, Hyman is slated to blow these numbers out of the water in Year 2 with the Oilers.
Entering Thursday, Hyman has registered 25 objectives and a career-high 32 assists whereas incomes 20:39 of ice time on a nightly foundation. Hyman at present has a six-game level streak and likewise has a four-game purpose streak. In addition, Hyman has racked up 5 objectives over that four-game stretch.
Hyman is at present on tempo for 43 objectives on the season, which might obliterate his earlier career-high. He just lately turned in a four-point effort (one purpose & three assists) in a 4-2 Oilers’ win in opposition to the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday.
Hyman clearly advantages from most of the opposing workforce’s eyes being on McDavid and Draisaitl when the three are on the ice collectively, however the 30 yr previous will probably proceed to rack up the objectives because the season goes on.
It’s a criminal offense that Rasmus Dahlin wasn’t named to the 2023 NHL All-Star Game. The Buffalo Sabres’ star defenseman continues to showcase himself as one of many premier gamers on the place.
Dahlin is at present second within the NHL in factors (53) and objectives (14) behind solely Erik Karlsson in each classes whereas additionally rating fourth within the league in assists (39). Those 39 assists are sixth in all the NHL. The Sabres blue-liner does all of this whereas being a workhorse that averages 26:08 of ice time on a nightly foundation.
Dahlin has registered not less than one level in three of his final 4 weeks, together with back-to-back two-point outings in opposition to the Anaheim Ducks and New York Islanders. In every of these contests, the 22-year-old star recorded a pair of assists.
Despite constantly taking part in elite hockey, teammate Tage Thompson would be the solely Sabre representing the franchise on the NHL All-Star Game in South Florida subsequent month.
“I assume the followers need to see forwards. It is what it’s,” Dahlin instructed The Buffalo News on Monday. “I’m happening trip and I’m going to have an excellent time, however, clearly, I need to be there. That’s simply the way it goes.”
Considering the season that he is having, Dahlin has strongly positioned himself within the Norris Trophy dialog for the league’s prime defenseman. He’s made an enormous bounce into one of many prime stars at his place and everyone seems to be beginning to take discover.
The New Jersey Devils have shocked everybody as one of many prime contenders within the Metropolitan Division this season. One of the most important causes for that success is in between the pipes.
Goalie Vitek Vanecek has been large all through the primary half of the season. He ranks sixth in goals-against-average (2.30) and seventh in wins (20) whereas registering a pair of shutouts on the yr.
Vanecek has allowed only a grand whole of three objectives over his final two begins, which each resulted in time beyond regulation victories in opposition to the Pittsburgh Penguins and Vegas Golden Knights. On Sunday, Vanecek stopped 25 of the 26 pictures that he confronted in a 2-1 Devils’ win in opposition to their division rivals within the Penguins.
During the month of January, Vanecek has racked up a 7-0-0 file to associate with a 2.08 goals-against-average and a .931 save proportion. The Devils goalie hasn’t allowed greater than three objectives in any of these begins and has additionally yielded two or fewer objectives in 4 of these outings.
The Devils have actually been trying to find a franchise netminder since Martin Brodeur left following 2013-14 seasaon. Cory Schneider had a couple of robust seasons after coming over from the Vancouver Canucks, however New Jersey hadn’t had a reliable goalie in fairly a while. Until now.
