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 checklist it might not be an excellent 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 Energy Index each week all through the common season.

Colorado Avalanche ahead Artturi Lehkonen had offseason shoulder surgical procedure, and missed the beginning of the season. Regardless of lacking the primary month of the marketing campaign, Lehkonen has showcased that he is nonetheless able to placing the puck on the web at a robust charge.

Lehkonen has tallied 4 objectives in his final three video games, together with a hat trick in a 4-1 win in opposition to the Utah Hockey Membership on Dec. 27. It was simply the most recent in a robust December for Lehkonen, who added a purpose in opposition to the Jets on New Yr’s Eve to run his complete to 10 for the month.

Lehkonen’s hat trick was his first since coming into the league in 2016-17 with the Montreal Canadiens. It was additionally the second multi-goal recreation of the season for the native of Finland.

In Friday’s recreation in opposition to the Utah, Lehkonen acquired the Avalanche into the scoring column within the second interval. Colorado defenseman Sam Malinski carried the puck into the offensive zone earlier than flipping it off to star ahead Nathan MacKinnon within the face-off circle, and MacKinnon displayed his super imaginative and prescient to arrange Lehkonen’s purpose. MacKinnon skated with the puck, slid it proper throughout the slot, and Lehkonen was capable of faucet the puck in for a straightforward purpose.

After the Utah Hockey Membership tied the sport early within the third interval, Lehkonen managed to place the Avs proper again in entrance. On the 14:44 mark of the third interval, ahead Valeri Nichushkin threw a puck in entrance that Lehkonen tried to place previous goaltender Karel Vejmelka, however was initially stopped. Nevertheless, Lehkonen was capable of deposit his personal rebound into the again of the online to provide the Avalanche a 2-1.

Since being traded to Colorado in March 2022, Lehkonen has proved to be an integral of the Avalanche’s offensive assault, together with serving to the franchise win the Stanley Cup. 

Regardless of lacking the opening month of the season, the 29-year outdated is presently on tempo to attain 44 objectives, which might be a career-best. The 2022-23 season was the one time that Lehkonen topped the 20-goal mark, so this marketing campaign might show to be a really particular one for the Finnish ahead.

Heart Jack Eichel was one of many unsung heroes that helped lead the Vegas Golden Knights to a Stanley Cup in 2023. Even with that lofty accomplishment, Eichel is likely to be taking part in one of the best hockey of his skilled profession proper now.

Eichel has been an assists machine recently as he leads the crew with 40 on the season, whereas additionally main Vegas in factors (50). The veteran ahead has dished the puck effectively within the final six video games, the place he has document seven assists and not less than one in every of the final 5.

In Thursday’s 5-2 win in opposition to the Philadelphia Flyers, Eichel picked up a pair of assists.

After the Flyers turned the puck over within the Golden Knights zone, Eichel acquired the puck and started to take it up the ice. After coming into the offensive zone, Eichel patiently stick-handled the puck, and threw a backhanded shot on web that teammate Mark Stone was capable of redirect for a purpose.

Eichel additionally added a secondary help on Tanner Pearson’s empty-net purpose within the last minute of the third interval.

The Golden Knights star presently on tempo for 86 assists on the season, and that may far exceed his earlier career-best (54) that he set as a member of the Buffalo Sabres in 2018-19.

The Golden Knights do not want Eichel to attain 40 objectives each season attributable to the truth that the crew possesses a deep secure of purpose scorers reminiscent of Ivan Barbashev, Mark Stone, and Tomas Hertl. As an alternative, Eichel has been a superb facilitator for an offensive unit that’s averaging 3.55 objectives per contest, which is tied for third within the NHL. 

The checklist is countless with regards to the abundance of offensive firepower that exists on the Edmonton Oilers roster. Nonetheless, one of many crew’s high offensive producers has been on the blue line this season.

Defenseman Evan Bouchard presently ranks third on the crew in factors (28) and assists (21), whereas logging a team-high 23:38 of ice time on a nightly foundation. Bouchard has tallied a purpose and two assists in his final three video games, and even registered a purpose throughout that span.

In Sunday’s 5-3 loss to the Anaheim Geese, Bouchard was capable of make an impression on each ends of the ice.

Halfway by means of the opening interval, Geese ahead Brett Leason was bringing the puck into the offensive zone when Bouchard was capable of swipe the puck away. The Oilers displayed terrific puck motion down the ice. Ahead Viktor Arvidsson, who had simply got here out of the penalty field, flipped the puck over to Bouchard, who ripped a snap shot previous Geese goaltender Lukas Dostal to provide the Oilers an early 2-0 lead.

Bouchard additionally recorded a secondary help on Leon Draisaitl’s power-play purpose that opened the scoring within the first interval. The veteran defenseman has now tallied an help in every of his final two video games.

On a crew that additionally options gifted ahead like Zach Hyman and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, it is extraordinarily spectacular to see Bouchard being one of many crew’s high offensive producers this season. Bouchard continues to be sensational on each ends of the ice, which is large for an Oilers crew that’s trying to make one other Stanley Cup run.

The New Jersey Devils have been in dire want of a franchise goaltender for a number of seasons. Lastly, the crew landed one in an offseason commerce with the Calgary Flames as Jacob Markstrom made his method to the Backyard State.

After a mean begin to the season, Markstrom has actually been hitting his stride.

Markstrom has tallied a 3-1-0 document, a 1.25 goals-against-average, and a .938 save share in his final 4 video games. Over that span, the veteran netminder has registered two shutouts in opposition to the Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Rangers, respectively.

In a 4-2 win in opposition to the Carolina Hurricanes on Dec. 27, Markstrom had one other sturdy efficiency during which he stopped 29 of the 31 photographs that he confronted. Markstrom stopped seven photographs within the last interval when the sport was hanging within the steadiness.

Whereas Markstrom has been scorching of late, it capped off an unimaginable December for the goalie the place he posted an 8-1-0 document with a .937 save share.

The Devils are proper on the high of the Metropolitan Division, and Markstrom’s efficiency in purpose has had so much to do with the crew’s general success.