Artemi Panarin is off to a hot start in his tenure with the New York Rangers, and now the forward has surpassed a record set by The Great One.
Panarin's 61 points this season are the most by a Rangers player through their first 43 games with the franchise since Wayne Gretzky put up 59 points over the same span in 1996-97.
The 28-year-old Panarin signed a seven-year, $81.5-million contract with the Rangers last summer, making him one of the highest-paid players in the league.
He's quickly shown his worth, as he leads the team with 24 goals and 61 points. The Rangers' second-leading scorer, Ryan Strome, has 41 points.
Despite sitting seventh in the Metropolitan Division with a 21-18-4 record, the Rangers are still in the mix for the playoffs, sitting six points behind the second wild-card spot.
NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly isn't loving the recent trend of players skipping out on the league's All-Star weekend.
"I do believe that there has to be a little more urgency among the players to make this a priority, because I think it should be a priority," Daly said, according to ESPN's Greg Wyshynski. "It is, in fact, one of the job responsibilities when it comes to being a professional ice hockey player.
"When you're honored to be selected in an All-Star event, it's in every player's contract that he has an obligation to perform in that All-Star event."
Alex Ovechkin and Marc-Andre Fleury, two of the league's most prominent stars, have already announced they will sit out this year's All-Star Game, even though fans elected Ovechkin as the Metropolitan Division's captain. The Washington Capitals superstar also skipped last season's festivities.
"I was the first to defend Alex Ovechkin's decision last year to take a year off, because he's fabulous in terms of helping the league in promoting the sport, including the All-Star event every year," Daly added. "Last year, I was much more willing to look the other way on something like this.
"But two years in a row is probably something we need to address with the players' association, so it doesn't become a trend."
Detroit Red Wings forward Dylan Larkin recently stated he'd rather have the weekend off than have fans vote him into All-Star events. His comments drew ire around the league, including from Sportsnet's Brian Burke.
According to NHL rules, a player who is named to the All-Star Game but chooses not to participate is suspended for one regular-season game.
"What we want to do is make sure everybody understands that it is an important event, not something that should be bypassed lightly," Daly continued. "We'll seek help with the (NHLPA) in instilling that sentiment with the players."
The All-Star weekend takes place Jan. 24-25 in St. Louis.
Sportsnet's Brian Burke isn't a fan of Detroit Red Wings forward Dylan Larkin's recent comments regarding the All-Star Game.
"Please don't vote, I like the days off more," Larkin said to reporters earlier this week when asked about being a candidate for the "Last Man In" fan vote, per USA Today's Helene St. James. "I'm sure there's guys more deserving to go so I'm fine with that."
Burke, a former hockey executive and general manager, did not take Larkin's comments kindly.
"It's an honor to be a part of the All-Star weekend ... You should get a speeding ticket on your way to the airport to fly to this game Dylan Larkin, and you shouldn't scoff at it like that," Burke said during Sportsnet's "To The Point" segment on Saturday.
"A player acquires the right to turn this down like Alex Ovechkin, but that's after he played in about 12 or 15 of these," he continued. "International hockey, all the other stuff he's done, all the playoffs. Once you've done that, you can say no to this game."
Larkin, 23, appeared in the All-Star Game during his rookie season in 2016. He has 10 goals and 26 points in 42 games this campaign.
Burke went on to say that if he were Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman, he would have "ripped his face off" for the comments, adding "If you're going to be that stupid, do it off-camera."
In the third edition of theScore's Hart Trophy Power Rankings, a defenseman on a historic pace enters the mix for the first time.
5. Jack Eichel
Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty
GP
Goals
Points
ATOI
xGF%
41
26
54
21:59
49.06
Eichel showed flashes of his immense talent over his first four NHL seasons, but he's unleashed what looks to be his full potential this year. A game-changing player, Eichel is doing his best to give the Buffalo Sabres their first playoff appearance since 2011. The Sabres have started to slip after a hot start to the season, but they remain in the postseason mix. With 19 more points than the second-leading scorer on his team, the 23-year-old Eichel will need to keep his foot on the gas in the second half of the season to keep Buffalo in the race.
4. John Carlson
Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty
GP
Goals
Points
ATOI
xGF%
41
13
50
24:57
50.59%
Cemented as a Norris Trophy favorite since the opening weeks of the season, Carlson is generating serious buzz in the conversation for league MVP. On pace for the first 100-point season by a defenseman since Brian Leetch in 1991-92, Carlson has been a driving force for the league's top team. Averaging a touch under 25 minutes of ice time per game, he's been eating monster minutes on the blueline while leading the Washington Capitals in scoring by a whopping 11 points.
3. Brad Marchand
Steve Babineau / National Hockey League / Getty
GP
Goals
Points
ATOI
xGF%
42
20
59
19:55
54.50
Playing in the shadow of goal-scoring machine and linemate David Pastrnak, Marchand is quietly putting together a terrific season from all angles. Sitting fifth in the league with 59 points, Marchand chips in on both sides of the puck. He's one of the best defensive wingers in the game and is tasked with killing penalties night in and night out for the Atlantic-leading Boston Bruins. He leads the league with 25 drawn penalties and ranks fourth in primary assists with 24.
In 70 minutes on the ice at five-on-five without Pastrnak, Marchand boasts a stout 58.52 Corsi For rating and a 61.42 Expected Goals For percentage. And while Marchand excels without Pastrnak by his side, Pastrnak struggles without Marchand, managing a 48.47 CF% and 41.98 xGF% in 129 minutes away from him. He might not possess as much flash or charm as his Czech linemate, but Marchand is certainly the oil that keeps the machine running smoothly in Boston.
2. Connor McDavid
Andy Devlin / National Hockey League / Getty
GP
Goals
Points
ATOI
xGF%
43
22
64
22:12
48.2
After recording 51 points through his first 30 games of the year, McDavid has cooled off a tad over the last few weeks, chipping in 13 points over the last 13 games as the Edmonton Oilers have started to fall in the standings. Even so, McDavid is the league's most dynamic player on a nightly basis regardless of who lines up alongside him; he possesses a fantastic 55.09 xGF% in 197 minutes without All-Star teammate Leon Draisaitl on his wing. Despite the Oilers' lackluster performance of late, they'd be in far worse shape without McDavid.
1. Nathan MacKinnon
Michael Martin / National Hockey League / Getty
GP
Goals
Points
ATOI
XGF%
41
25
62
21:01
53.99
When the injury bug hit the Colorado Avalanche in the early goings of the season, MacKinnon stepped up to ensure his team kept on trucking. He's gone just seven games without recording a point this year, five of which resulted in a Colorado loss. He continued rolling as his team inched closer to full health during the month of December, racking up seven goals and nine assists. MacKinnon ranks second in the league in shots and drives offense at a ridiculous pace whenever he's on the ice. He's third in the league in points and has an incredible 31 more than the next-highest scorer on the Avalanche. The 24-year-old has played an integral role in Colorado's rise to sixth in the league's overall standings, and he looks to be well on his way to surpassing the 99 points he posted in a career year last season.
Honorable mentions: David Pastrnak (BOS), Auston Matthews (TOR), Leon Draisaitl (EDM)
Buffalo shipped defenseman Marco Scandella to the Montreal Canadiens earlier Thursday in exchange for a 2020 fourth-round pick, which the Sabres then used to acquire Frolik.
Frolik joined the Flames as a free agent ahead of the 2015-16 campaign and is in the final year of a $21.5-million deal that carries $4.3-million annual cap hit.
The 31-year-old has five goals and five assists in 38 games this season. He's spent the majority of the year playing in Calgary's bottom six, averaging 11:56 of ice time per game.
Reilly has been with the Canadiens since 2018 when he was acquired from the Minnesota Wild. He's appeared in 14 games this season, recording four assists.
The 26-year-old is in the first season of a two-year, $3-million contract he signed with Montreal this summer. The Canadiens are not retaining any of his salary, according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun.
Sturtz, 25, was undrafted and has yet to appear in an NHL game. He's spent the last three seasons with the AHL's Belleville Senators, recording four goals and 11 points in 35 games.
Dallas Stars forward Corey Perry is pleading his case after being ejected from the Winter Classic on Wednesday.
After throwing an elbow to the head of Nashville Predators defenseman Ryan Ellis in the opening minutes of the contest, Perry was handed a five-minute major and game misconduct.
"I've played with Ryan before. I know him personally. It's very unintentional," Perry said postgame, according to ESPN's Greg Wyshynski. "I didn't mean to hurt him. I hope he's OK."
"It was an awkward play. I reached up to try and deflect the puck," Perry added. "It's unfortunate."
Perry is a repeat offender as he's been suspended twice before; his last incident came in 2013 when he was handed a four-game ban for an illegal hit on Minnesota Wild forward Jason Zucker.
Columbus Blue Jackets head coach John Tortorella has been fined $20,000 for his tirade against the officiating following a loss to the Chicago Blackhawks, the NHL announced Wednesday.
He was also assessed a conditional fine of $25,000 if he displays similar inappropriate behavior through Dec. 29, 2020.
Tortorella was upset with the referees on Sunday after they seemingly made an error with the game clock in overtime, which ultimately led to his team's apparent game-winning goal being negated.
Blue Jackets goaltender Joonas Korpisalo was also injured during the ensuing shootout, which added fuel to Tortorella's displeasure. The 25-year-old netminder will miss four-to-six weeks after undergoing knee surgery to repair a torn meniscus on Monday.
