Welcome to the NHL Star Power Index: a weekly look at the players generating the most discussion around the league. Being on this list signifies significant attention in the hockey world.
The players are listed without ranking based on buzz. We will update the Star Power Index weekly throughout the regular season.
San Jose Sharks forward Macklin Celebrini is having a strong rookie season, highlighted this week by his first career hat trick in an 8-7 overtime loss to the Minnesota Wild.
Celebrini scored three goals and added two assists in the high-scoring game. He became the first 18-year-old in Sharks history to achieve this and the NHL`s third in the last eight seasons, joining Leo Carlsson of the Anaheim Ducks and Cole Sillinger of the Columbus Blue Jackets.
This was Celebrini`s fourth multi-goal game in his rookie campaign.
Celebrini opened the scoring at 7:29 of the first period after excellent puck movement. Rookie teammate Will Smith passed to defenseman Jack Thompson at the blue line, who then got the puck to Celebrini in the slot. Celebrini controlled it quickly and shot it past Wild goalie Marc-Andre Fleury.
Midway through the third period, Smith retrieved a loose puck and circled behind the net before finding Celebrini cutting to the goal. Celebrini then roofed a shot past Fleury for his third goal.
Despite a challenging season for the Boston Bruins, star winger David Pastrnak is performing offensively at a high level.
In Tuesday`s 7-2 victory over the New Jersey Devils, Pastrnak scored a goal and two assists, reaching the 100-point mark for the third straight season. Pastrnak is the first Czech-born player in NHL history to achieve this milestone.
Earlier in the week, Pastrnak made history again with his first career natural hat trick in a 5-1 win against the Carolina Hurricanes. He contributed to all five of the team`s goals, adding two assists. This also marked his fourth consecutive 40-goal season and fifth overall, tying Rick Middleton for the second-most in Bruins history.
Pastrnak dominated the final 30 minutes of Saturday`s game against the Hurricanes.
Midway through the second period, Pastrnak scored from a sharp angle. Elias Lindholm flipped the puck in front of the net, and Pastrnak kicked the puck to himself before firing a side-angle shot past Hurricanes goalie Frederik Andersen.
At 15:18 of the game, Pastrnak displayed his impressive stick-handling. Morgan Geekie entered the Hurricanes zone and found Pastrnak open in the face-off circle. Pastrnak skated in on Andersen and deked his way to another goal.
Pastrnak is having an exceptional week with five goals and eight assists in his last four games. Over his last six games, he has seven goals and shows no signs of slowing down, even though the Bruins will miss the Stanley Cup Playoffs this season.
Since entering the NHL in 2022, Ottawa Senators defenseman Jake Sanderson has improved each season. As the regular season nears its end, Sanderson is having his best offensive season yet.
Sanderson has 54 points, and his 43 assists are second on the team, only behind Tim Stutzle (51).
The Senators defenseman has three goals and two assists in his last five games, recording points in four of them. Sanderson had a goal and an assist in a 3-0 win against the Florida Panthers last Saturday.
At 11:21 of the first period against Florida, Sanderson was in the right place at the right time. After Shane Pinto got the puck behind the Panthers net, Sanderson was positioned in the face-off circle, and Pinto passed it to him for a powerful one-timer goal.
Sanderson also had a secondary assist on a Drake Batherson power-play goal three minutes later, extending Ottawa`s lead to 2-0.
Sanderson has been crucial to Ottawa`s success this season as the team aims for its first postseason appearance since 2016-17. He provides defensive stability and offensive skill, boosting the Senators.
Vegas Golden Knights goalie Adin Hill has been a reliable presence in net since joining the team during their 2022-23 Stanley Cup season. Now a franchise goalie, Hill continues to perform well for a team aiming for another championship.
Hill has a 31-13-5 record with a 2.46 goals-against average and a .908 save percentage this season. In his last two starts, he has consecutive wins with a 1.50 goals-against average and a .935 save percentage.
Most recently, Hill saved 24 of 25 shots in a 2-1 win against the Seattle Kraken on Thursday, including 11 saves in the third period to prevent the Kraken from tying the game.
Hill has allowed one or fewer goals in four of his last nine games and is playing strongly down the stretch.
The Golden Knights are close to securing the top playoff spot in the Pacific Division with only a few regular-season games left. In the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Hill will be crucial in stopping top Western Conference teams as the Golden Knights pursue another Stanley Cup.
