Welcome to the NHL Star Energy Index: A weekly gauge of the gamers who’re controlling substantial buzz across the league. When a participant is included on this record it might not be a very good 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 Energy Index each week all through the common season.

Matthew Tkachuk was the unsung hero of the 2023 postseason and helped lead the Florida Panthers to only their second Stanley Cup look in franchise historical past. After considerably of a sluggish begin to the 2023-24 season, the Panthers star has actually turned it on of late.

Tkachuk is at present driving a four-game purpose streak as has racked up six targets over that stretch. Tkachuk has tallied 12 factors (six targets and 6 assists) throughout his goal-scoring streak.

In Tuesday’s 5-1 win towards the St. Louis Blues, Tkachuk registered a four-point efficiency (three targets and one help) by which he scored three unanswered targets. Tkachuk and fellow Panthers ahead Sam Reinhart turned the third and fourth gamers in franchise historical past to file six targets apiece on a highway journey. Tkachuk and Reinhart joined Richard Zednik (six targets from Feb. 2-10, 2008) and Pavel Bure (six targets from March 16-23, 2000) as the one gamers to realize such a feat.

Early within the third interval of Tuesday’s contest, Tkachuk helped set himself up for an amazing scoring probability. On the 2:18 mark of the third interval, Panthers ahead Carter Verhaeghe made a stellar defensive play and received the puck forward to Tkachuk, who was racing forward of the pack. Tkachuk then made a sound play when he waited for Verhaeghe to hitch the push, and handed it off to Verhaeghe. Verhaeghe gave the puck proper again to Tkachuk for a one-timer purpose.

Later within the interval, Tkachuk scored a type of gritty targets that followers have grown accustomed to seeing from him throughout his profession.

Panthers defenseman Gustav Forsling had the puck out on the level and let a snap shot go from on the market. Tkachuk was capable of carve out sufficient area in entrance of Blues goaltender Joel Hofer to deflect Forsling’s shot into the again of the online for his second purpose of the evening.

Tkachuk was ready so as to add an empty-net purpose within the last minute of the competition to assist clinch the 5-1 win for the Panthers. 

The Panthers star has registered at the least some extent in six consecutive video games, and has tallied six targets and 9 assists throughout that six-game stretch. 

Florida is creeping again up towards the highest of the Atlantic Division and at present sits simply two factors behind the juggernaut Boston Bruins. If Tkachuk can proceed this excessive degree of play, a repeat efficiency of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs definitely is not out of the query for the Panthers.

It has been fairly every week for William Nylander, to say the least. On Monday, Nylander signed an enormous eight-year, $92 million contract extension ($11.5 million common annual worth) to stay with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Nylander register three assists in Tuesday’s 7-1 win towards the San Jose Sharks to mark his third multi-point sport over his final 4 contests.

Nylander has now registered some extent in 34 of his 38 video games in the course of the 2023-24 marketing campaign. His 4 video games with no level is the fewest by a participant within the NHL with a minimal of 20 video games performed. The following closest gamers to Nylander are Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid and New York Rangers star Artemi Panarin, who each sit at six video games with no level on the yr.

On the 16:48 mark of the opening interval of Tuesday’s sport, Nylander displayed his sensational playmaking potential. 

Nylander got here up with the puck within the face-off circle and drifted again out towards the blue line. Simply when it seems that Nylander was hemmed in, he slid the puck between two Sharks defenders and onto the stick of defenseman Morgan Rielly, who deposited a snap shot previous Sharks goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen.

The Maple Leafs star additionally earned secondary assists on targets by Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner to finish a stellar three-point displaying. 

Nylander at present leads the Maple Leafs in factors (57) and assists (36), whereas being tied with Matthews for the workforce lead in photographs (164). The Maple Leafs winger has completely been electrical this season, which definitely helped him earn that new contract.

The Maple Leafs are wanting like an insanely harmful offensive unit, and Nylander is likely one of the greatest explanation why. It is secure to say Toronto could possibly be a troublesome out when the Stanley Cup Playoffs roll round later this season.

Quinn Hughes has been arguably probably the most achieved defenseman the NHL has to supply this season.

The Vancouver Canucks blue-liner at present leads all NHL defenseman in factors (51) and assists (40). Hughes additionally ranks second in targets (11) behind solely Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin (12). 

Hughes is at present on a three-game level streak by which he is registered a purpose and 4 assists throughout that stretch. The 24-year-old is coming off of a sport by which he scored an unassisted purpose in a 5-2 win towards the New York Islanders on Tuesday.

Whereas Hughes excels on the defensive finish of the ice, the star defenseman confirmed simply how harmful he might be with the puck on his stick towards the Islanders. 

Within the opening interval, Hughes scooped up the puck behind the online within the offensive line. As he tried to discover a extra open shot, Hughes weaved his method across the total Islanders protection, waited for area to filter, and ripped a snap shot previous goaltender Ilya Sorokin from the slot.

Hughes had additionally had a three-assist efficiency in a 6-4 win towards the New Jersey Devils on Saturday. The Canucks star earned secondary assists on two targets from Elias Pettersson and one from J.T. Miller.

Hughes has simply positioned himself as one of many frontrunners for the Norris Trophy because the NHL’s high defenseman. In spite of everything, he is at present on tempo for 102 factors (22 targets and 80 assists) for the 2023-24 marketing campaign. If he is capable of preserve anyplace this tempo, the Canucks are going to cement themselves as one of many Western Convention’s high groups come playoff time.

Connor Hellebuyck has been enjoying at a very totally different degree over the previous two months. 

Hellebuyck has solely surrendered greater than two targets on one event over the previous two months. The Winnipeg Jets netminder final gave up greater than two targets on Dec. 18 in a 3-2 additional time loss towards the Montreal Canadiens. Previous to that, Hellebuyck final yielded greater than two targets was on Nov. 17 in a 6-3 win towards the New Jersey Devils.

Hellebuyck has yielded simply three targets over his final three video games, together with registering a shutout in his most up-to-date begin towards the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday. The Jets netminder stopped all 29 photographs he confronted towards the Blue Jackets in a 5-0 win.

Hellebuyck has been dominant for the reason that calendar flipped to 2024. The Jets goaltender has a 4-0-0 file, a 1.26 goals-against-average and a .954 save share in these 4 begins, and he has allowed simply 5 whole targets throughout that span.

The Jets goalie has had a sub 2.00 goals-against-average in every of the final two months, together with a 1.88 goals-against-average in 9 video games in the course of the month of December.

Proper now, Hellebuyck may simply be thought of one of many frontrunners for the Vezina Trophy because the league’s high goaltender. If anyplace close to one of these manufacturing continues within the crease, Hellebuyck could possibly be securing the celebrated award for the second time in his profession.