While the NHL has its own Stars of the Week, we went ahead and chose a dynamic trio of skaters for the final week of January/first week of February. Every one of these skaters listed below earned the right to snag a spot on the list, given the contributions they made to their team as a sense of urgency arises across the NHL landscape.
So, which skaters separated themselves from the pack, and did one of your favorite players end up on the list? Keep reading, and you’ll find out who I was bullish on between January 27th and February 2nd.
3rd Star: Wyatt Johnson, Dallas Stars
The 21-year-old Wyatt Johnson continues to impress, with four goals and two assists in three games this past week with a plus-6. Johnson averaged 18:53 of average total ice time, and found the back of the net in just about every situation, including even strength, on the man advantage, short-handed, and overtime.
Through 52 games, Johnson now has 15 goals, 30 assists, 45 points, and a plus-13, but this epic week may give him that added spark as he inches closer to averaging a point per game. Fun fact: If Johnson scores one more short-handed goal, he’ll have matched his total from the previous season.
2nd Star: Carter Verhaeghe, Florida Panthers
Like Johnson, Carter Verhaeghe finished the week with four goals, six points, and a plus-6. He scored twice at even strength and another two times while the Panthers found themselves on the power play, giving him five goals this year on the man advantage.
So far, we’ve seen Verhaeghe appear in 54 contests, where he has 15 goals and 41 points, but a minus-12. His shooting percentage is a meager 9.1, by far a career-low. That said, maybe this epic week is the spark he needs to get going and start finding the net more routinely.
1st Stars: Tage Thompson, Buffalo Sabres
If there’s anyone out to prove to Team USA that they made a mistake snubbing him for the 4 Nations Face-Off, it’s Tage Thompson. It seems like Tage has been on a roll since the rosters were announced, and he showed up again this week, with four goals and eight points in three games.
Well, most of three games, as he left Sunday’s matchup vs. the New Jersey Devils early after he took an elbow to the face. Tage also averaged just 15:29 of ice time this week, making his feat more impressive, and he’s now crept over the point-per-game mark with 48 in 47 contests.
Throw in his 26 goals, and Tage has it all but wrapped up that he’ll return to the 30-plus goal club this season after he found the net just 29 times last year.
Update: Tage Thompson was named the NHL's Second Star of the Week