NHL Star Power Index: Clayton Keller continuing stellar season, Mitch Marner registering points at torrid pace

Welcome to the NHL Star Power Index, a weekly ranking of the players who make a significant impact in the league. When a player is included on this list, it may not be a good thing – it means he gets a lot of attention from the hockey world.

These players are not in any particular order when it comes to the amount of hype they create. We will be reviewing the Star Power Index every week during the regular season.

The Arizona Coyotes may be at the bottom of the NHL standings, but forward Clayton Keller is turning into a star right before everyone’s eyes. Keller, 24, is currently on a six-point streak starting March 5 and has scored five points in his last two games. He scored several points in four of six games during his recent hitting streak.

Keller currently leads the Coyotes in goals (31) and assists (40) in 68 games. His goals and points total already set a new career high and he was only two assists short of his career high.

His most impressive performance of the week was a 5-4 win over the Minnesota Wild in overtime. In this particular competition, Keller scored a couple of goals with an assist to pass the Coyotes.

This includes Keller’s 19th professional game-winning goal and his fourth of the 2022-23 season. In addition, Keller assisted Brett Ritchie in the second period, the 200th assist of his career.

After being selected seventh overall in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, Keller scored 65 (23 goals, 42 assists) in his first full NHL season in 2017-18. However, the Coyotes winger scored 47 or fewer points in each of the following three seasons before scoring 65 points a season ago. The Coyotes star is currently averaging 86 (38 assists 48) points per season.

Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner got off to a pretty good start to March. In seven games this month, Marner has scored four goals and eight assists and scored points in all but one of those competitions. More recently, Marner has started scoring in straight four games and has scored nine points in those four games.

After scoring a record 97 (35+62) points last season, Marner has a chance to set a new record in the last 15 games of the 2022/23 season. The Maple Leafs forward has 105 points (29 assists, 76 assists) and a career-high 76 assists.

Before Wednesday’s game against the Colorado Avalanche, Marner scored several points in three straight games. However, Marner had an early influence on the reigning Stanley Cup champions.

It was the fourth game in a row in which Marner provided an assist. He is one of the best in the league when it comes to assists this season. The Maple Leafs star is fourth in the league with 62 assists, trailing only Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid (73), Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov (69) and San Jose Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson ( 65).

Just three years ago, Tim Stutzle was selected third overall and is already showing his star potential with the Ottawa Senators. He has already spent a season in his career, gaining 73 (34 + 39) points. The Senators winger has scored three goals in his last two games, including two against the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday.

With two goals against Edmonton, Stutzle also made history.

Stutzle became the first Senators aged 22 or under to play seven multi-goal games in a single season. The German native now leads an impressive group that includes Martin Havlat (6 in 2002-03), Marian Hossa (5 in 1999-2000), Havlat (5 in 2001-02), Alexei Yashin (4 in 1994-95) and Havlat . (2001-02). In addition, Stutzle also set a new franchise record for goals (68) in his first three seasons.

Stutzle really showed off his goal-scoring ability in Tuesday’s 6-3 win against the Oilers.

Stutzle remained in the background throughout the draft as Alexis Lafrenière and Quinton Byfield passed him in the 2020 draft. However, Stutzle easily looked like the biggest star to be taken in the first round of this draft as he had 160 points (68 goals, 92 assists) in less than three full seasons with Ottawa.