Welcome to the NHL Star Power Index: A weekly gauge of the players who are controlling substantial buzz around the league. When a player is included on this list it may not be a good thing — it means that they are capturing a large amount of the hockey world’s attention.
These players are in no particular order when it comes to the amount of buzz that they’re creating. We’ll revisit the Star Power Index every week throughout the regular season.
The Dallas Stars have an embarrassment of riches at the center position, but Roope Hintz has arguably been the team’s most productive player in recent weeks.
Hintz has tallied two goals and 11 assists in his last four games, and has racked up two four-point performances in that span. He recorded a goal and two assists in a 4-3 win against the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday.
In the final seconds of the second period, Hintz cashed in on some phenomenal puck movement from his Stars’ teammates. Defenseman Thomas Harley stick-handled the puck towards the edge of the face-off circle before dishing it off to forward Wyatt Johnston at the side of the net. Upon receiving the puck, Johnston quickly passed it to Hintz, who ripped a shot into the back of the net from right in front of the crease.
Hintz also had a hand in the game-winning as he tallied a secondary assist on Harley’s game-winning goal with just 3.9 seconds remaining in regulation.
Hintz has been a force serving as the center on Dallas’ top line over the last month dating back to before the 4 Nations Face-Off began. While he does possess the ability to score from anywhere on the ice, his playmaking skills have allowed the 28-year old to find his teammates at a ridiculous rate lately.
The Stars center has a chance to have a career season if this current level of productions keeps up. Hintz is currently on pace to tally 74 points this season, which is within just three of his top season of 75 points in 2022-23. Even if he doesn’t get there, this has been one of the most productive campaigns that Hintz has put together in his career up to this point.
The Ottawa Senators are making a strong playoff push this season, and a good amount of that success can be attributed to the play of forward Tim Stutzle.
Stutzle extended his point streak to 13 consecutive games with a game-winning goal in overtime of a 4-3 win against the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday.
Stutzle’s goal marked his 20th of the season, and in doing so, became the fourth German player in league history to have three or more 20-goal campaigns, joining the likes of Leon Draisaitl (9), Marco Sturm (7), and Walt Tkaczuk (6) as the only German-born players to achieve the feat.
Just 46 seconds into the overtime period, Stutzle was able to secure the puck at his own blue line. The Senators star brought the puck up the ice, entered the offensive zone and made a power move towards the front of the net. Stutzle was able to shuffle the puck into the back of the net for the game-winning goal.
Stutzle’s game-winning goal came just 48 hours after setting up some more late game heroics against the Washington Capitals.
With just over a minute to go in regulation of Monday’s contest, Senators defenseman Jake Sanderson found a wide-open Stutzle in the face-off circle for a one-timer that goaltender Logan Thompson was able to stop. However, Senators teammate Brady Tkachuk was in the right place at the right time as he deposited the rebound into the net to tie the game at 4-4.
Stutzle has recorded two goals and three assists in his last three games, and tallied at least a point in every game since Jan. 26 against the Utah Hockey Club.
The Senators star has certainly benefitted from playing on a terrific line alongside Tkachuk and Claude Giroux. If Stutzle continues to thrive down the stretch, it’s hard to imagine Ottawa not being right there in the playoff picture when the regular season is wrapping up.
The Dallas Stars are known as an offensive juggernaut due to their abundance of star power amongst the team’s forward group. However, defenseman Thomas Harley has helped stabilized the Stars’ back end, while also showcasing offensive prowess.
Harley, who is in just his second full NHL season, has excelled on both ends of the ice lately with a goal and six assists in his last four games. In Tuesday’s 4-3 win against the New Jersey Devils, Harley proved to have a flair for the dramatic.
With just 3.9 seconds left in regulation, the Stars had an offensive zone face-off following an icing call against the Devils. After Mikael Granlund won the face-off, Stars forward Jason Robertson found Harley across the ice, and Harley stepped into a snap shot that got past Devils goaltender Jacob Markstrom for the game-winning tally.
Harley also recorded a secondary assist on Hintz’s second period goal that extended the Stars’ lead to 3-1 at the time.
Since the NHL returned from the 4 Nations Face-Off hiatus, Harley has playing some of his best hockey of the campaign. The 2019 first-round pick has compiled two goals and six assists in seven games.
Harley has anchored Dallas’ top defensive pairing alongside Ilya Lyubushkin, who signed a three-year deal with the Stars this past offseason. The 23-year old has developed into the true definition of a two-way defenseman, and could be a massive piece of a potential Stanley Cup run for the Stars later this season.
The Calgary Flames traded a franchise fixture in the form of goaltender Jacob Markstrom this past offseason. While Markstrom had excelled during his time in Calgary, the Flames had a goalie waiting in the wings in the form of Dustin Wolf.
Wolf — who the team selected in the seventh round of the 2019 NHL Draft — certainly hasn’t disappointed in his first season as Calgary’s full-time starter in net. The 23-year old has racked up a 21-12-4 record, a 2.59 goals-against-average and a .913 save percentage in 37 games this season.
Wolf had gone on a brief rough patch in early February in which he gave up nine goals in two games against the Toronto Maple Leafs and Colorado Avalanche in consecutive starts. However, he’s since rebounded from that by allowing no more than three goals in any of the ensuing five games.
Wolf’s presence in net has loomed large for the Flames, who are currently occupying the final Wild Card playoff spot in the Western Conference. If Wolf is able to continue to provide a strong presence in net, the Flames certainly have a chance to be postseason bound.
The NHL season is well underway, and fans are already buzzing about the standout performances of some of the league’s brightest stars. Two players who have been making waves with their impressive point accumulation are Roope Hintz and Tim Stutzle.
Roope Hintz, a forward for the Dallas Stars, has been on fire this season, racking up points at an impressive rate. Hintz has shown incredible skill and speed on the ice, making him a formidable opponent for any team. His ability to find the back of the net and set up his teammates for scoring opportunities has been a key factor in the Stars’ success this season.
Hintz’s point accumulation has been particularly impressive, with the Finnish forward currently sitting near the top of the league in points scored. His combination of scoring ability and playmaking skills has made him a valuable asset for the Stars, and fans are excited to see what he will accomplish as the season progresses.
On the other hand, Tim Stutzle, a rookie forward for the Ottawa Senators, has been turning heads with his impressive point streak. Stutzle has been a standout performer for the Senators, showcasing his speed, skill, and hockey IQ on a nightly basis. His ability to create scoring chances and capitalize on them has been a key factor in the Senators’ success this season.
Stutzle’s point streak has been one of the most impressive in recent memory for a rookie player, with the young forward consistently finding ways to contribute offensively. His ability to make plays in all areas of the ice has made him a player to watch in the NHL, and fans are eager to see how he will continue to develop as the season goes on.
Overall, both Roope Hintz and Tim Stutzle have been standout performers in the NHL this season, showcasing their skill and talent on a nightly basis. Their impressive point accumulation and streaks have not gone unnoticed by fans and analysts alike, and it will be exciting to see how they continue to perform as the season progresses.
