Welcome to the NHL Star Power Index, a weekly look at players generating significant attention in the league. Inclusion in this list signifies high buzz in the hockey world, for various reasons.
The players are listed without ranking based on buzz. We will update the Star Power Index weekly throughout the regular season.
Nathan MacKinnon is arguably having the most impressive season in the NHL this year. The Colorado Avalanche star achieved a career milestone this week.
MacKinnon reached his 1,000th career point with two assists in the Avalanche’s 3-0 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday.
The 29-year-old became the 100th player in NHL history to reach 1,000 career points. MacKinnon joins Joe Sakic (1,641) and Peter Stastny (1,048) as the only Avalanche/Quebec Nordiques players to achieve this milestone.
Adding to his achievements, MacKinnon became the first NHL player this season to reach 100 points. He is also only the second player in franchise history, alongside Stastny, to record three 100-point seasons.
MacKinnon has recorded points in six of his last seven games, including a two-goal performance in a 7-4 win against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
In the third period against Toronto, Martin Necas passed to MacKinnon, who scored a notable goal over Anthony Stolarz.
MacKinnon’s goal was the game-winner against the Maple Leafs. Valeri Nichushkin scored a hat trick, and MacKinnon added an empty-net goal to secure the win.
The Hart Trophy race appears to be between MacKinnon and Edmonton Oilers’ Leon Draisaitl. MacKinnon is currently projected to score 127 points this season.
Dylan Cozens is experiencing a significant week. Traded from Buffalo to Ottawa at the NHL deadline, he joined a Senators team contending for a Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference.
Cozens has started strong with the Senators, scoring two goals and two assists in his first four games. He scored in a 5-2 win against the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday.
Against the Flyers, Cozens intercepted a puck and scored a goal past Ivan Fedotov, making the score 4-2.
Cozens also scored in a 2-1 win against the Detroit Red Wings on Monday.
Drafted seventh overall in 2019 by Buffalo, Cozens recorded 106 points in his first two full seasons with the Sabres, including a career-high 68 points in 2022-23.
His production decreased last season with 47 points. Before the trade, he had 11 goals and 20 assists in 61 games for Buffalo this season.
Early signs suggest Cozens has found a good fit in Ottawa, playing on a line with Drake Batherson and David Perron, potentially helping the Senators end their playoff drought.
Seattle Kraken defenseman Brandon Montour had a memorable game in a 5-4 overtime win against the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday, ending the game dramatically.
Montour scored two goals and two assists, including the overtime game-winner just four seconds into the period.
In the overtime face-off, Montour gained control of the puck and scored past Canadiens goalie Jakub Dobes to win the game.
In the Kraken’s league-leading eighth comeback win, Montour tied an NHL record for the fastest goal at the start of any period.
Montour also tied a Kraken record for most points by a defenseman in a season and became the third NHL defenseman with multiple four-point games this season. He set a franchise record for most goals in a season by a Kraken defenseman with 15, surpassing Vince Dunn’s 14 from 2022-23.
After winning the Stanley Cup with Florida last season, Montour signed a seven-year, $50 million contract with Seattle. He has brought significant offensive skill to Seattle’s defense, achieving his third double-digit goal season in the last four years.
After inconsistent seasons with the Washington Capitals, veteran goalie Darcy Kuemper is performing well with his new team.
In his first season with the Los Angeles Kings, Kuemper has a 21-8-7 record, a 2.23 goals-against average, and a .917 save percentage. His GAA is second-lowest among qualifying goalies, only behind Winnipeg Jets’ Connor Hellebuyck.
Recently, Kuemper saved all 21 shots in a 3-0 win against the Capitals. He improved his home record to 11-0-1 in his last 12 games, matching Kelly Hrudey’s home point streak from 1990-91.
Kuemper has a 1.58 goals-against average in March, allowing only two goals in his last three starts. He has allowed just eight goals in five appearances this month.
After winning the Stanley Cup with Colorado in 2022, Kuemper had a GAA of at least 2.87 in the previous two seasons. Now with the Kings, who are second in the Pacific Division and playoff-bound, Kuemper seems to have found his form.
