Two players battled all year long for individual supremacy, and in the end, it was Nikita Kucherov who edged Connor McDavid as the NHL's most productive in the 2017 calendar year.
The Tampa Bay Lightning winger led the league in both goals and points over the last year, while the Edmonton Oilers center - who finished second in points - came out on top in helpers.
Here's a look at the 12 top-scoring players since Jan. 1, 2017, all of whom hit the 80-point plateau:
Player
Team
Games
Goals
Assists
Points
Nikita Kucherov
Lightning
81
52
54
106
Connor McDavid
Oilers
83
30
72
102
Blake Wheeler
Jets
83
26
64
90
Patrick Kane
Blackhawks
81
39
51
90
John Tavares
Islanders
80
38
50
88
Nicklas Backstrom
Capitals
86
22
65
87
Mark Scheifele
Jets
81
32
55
87
Brad Marchand
Bruins
70
44
42
86
Josh Bailey
Islanders
85
20
62
82
Sidney Crosby
Penguins
83
32
50
82
Alex Ovechkin
Capitals
87
40
42
82
Jack Eichel
Sabres
84
33
47
80
Kucherov has 25 goals and 31 assists through 38 games to begin 2017-18, and is the favorite to unseat McDavid as the NHL's Art Ross and Hart Trophy winner at season's end.
On Nov. 30, the Devils traded the center (along with a prospect and draft pick) to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for defenseman Sami Vatanen.
As fate would have it, Henrique made his return Monday, less than three weeks later. He proceeded to score a truly original "goal of the year" candidate at the expense of not just his former club, but the very defenseman for whom he was deemed expendable.
Here's how it happened:
The play began in the defensive zone as Henrique (No. 14) held possession of the puck and turned to skate up the ice. Vatanen (45) was the defenseman directly in his path.
As he skated over the blue line, Henrique flipped the puck into the air while Vatanen was skating backward.
The puck flew over Vatanen's head and landed near the offensive zone blue line. Henrique and the defenseman - who was forced to pull off a quick 180-degree turn - raced to track it down.
Henrique was able to beat Vatanen on the outside and gathered the puck as he entered the faceoff circle.
He positioned himself between Vatanen and goaltender Cory Schneider, although it wasn't yet clear whether he would move the puck to his forehand or stick to his backhand.
After faking a move to his forehand, Henrique decided to stick with the back of his blade and roofed the puck past Schneider.
The Ducks lost to New Jersey in Henrique's return, but the center also added an assist Monday, bringing his totals as a Duck to four goals and four helpers in nine games.
Whatever he might do over the rest of the season, this play will be hard to top - especially given the team, the occasion, and the opposing player involved.
A harmonious start to the season in St. Louis hit a very sour note with the announcement that Blues forward Jaden Schwartz will be out at least six weeks with an ankle injury.
Schwartz had been excelling on a line with Brayden Schenn and Vladimir Tarasenko, arguably the NHL's top trio so far this season. Through 30 games, he recorded 14 goals and 21 assists, one point behind Schenn for the team lead and good for ninth in the NHL, tied with Edmonton's Connor McDavid.
Those numbers had him on pace for 38 goals, 57 assists, and 96 points, all of which would demolish previous career highs. Now he'll watch as a Blues team that sits first in the Central Division toils on without him well into 2018.
Here are three teammates who will need to step up in his absence.
Ivan Barbashev
Immediately recalled from the AHL's Chicago Wolves in light of Schwartz's injury, Barbashev is out to prove he belongs with the big club.
A second-round pick in 2014 (33rd overall), the 21-year-old center/winger has appeared in 129 AHL contests, averaging 0.57 points per game after scoring 33 goals and adding 44 helpers. His production has dropped off at the NHL level, though, as he's been good for only five goals and seven assists in 36 appearances, albeit in limited ice time.
Barbashev was a dominant force in his junior days, and St. Louis could greatly benefit from a big step forward taken at this point in his pro career.
Paul Stastny
St. Louis' second-highest-paid forward will likely get a run on the top line with the highest, allowing Stastny to earn that $7-million salary alongside an elite player in Tarasenko.
Stastny can become an unrestricted free agent at season's end, giving him extra incentive to make use of a plum line assignment.
He's recorded a decent 21 points through 30 games, but he's only on pace for 16 goals after scoring 18 in 66 games last season. Stastny's shooting percentage sits at 9.7, down from his 12.6 career average.
There's no better time for an uptick in that department, both for the team and the pending UFA.
Magnus Paajarvi
Drafted 10th overall by Edmonton in 2009, Paajarvi hasn't been able to put it together in the NHL, putting up 45 goals and 96 points in 334 contests.
He's managed to stick around due to some decent AHL numbers (33 goals, 99 points in 141 games), but could find himself struggling to find work in North America if he can't take advantage of the gaping hole left in Schwartz's absence.
Like Stastny, Paajarvi can hit the open market in 2018 with UFA status upon the expiry of his one-year deal that carries a cap hit of $800,000.
If he wants to remain with the Blues, or sign with any NHL team for that matter, he'll need to drastically improve on the two goals and three points posted in 26 games. If not, European hockey is likely in his future.
Current owner Peter Karmanos Jr. met with Dallas billionaire Tom Dundon on Thursday, and the pair later appeared at the NHL's Board of Governors meeting in Florida.
A purchase agreement is in place and is expected to be announced later Thursday, according to TSN's Darren Dreger and Pierre LeBrun.
Karmanos Jr. will not be stepping aside immediately, however.
Tom Dundon, if the purchase agreement goes through, would own 52 percent of the Hurricanes with an option in 3 years to buy the remaining 48 percent
All indications are Dundon will help stabilize the team's presence in North Carolina.
"(Karmanos Jr.) had said (all) along: he's put a lot of money into this marketplace, he believes in this marketplace, the NHL believes in this marketplace," team president Don Waddell said on Nov. 29, according to Cory Lavalette of North State Journal. "Any potential buyer is not going to have that option. They know if they're buying the team, they're buying it to keep it in Raleigh, North Carolina."
Reports of discussions between Karmanos and Dundon emerged in late November.
Back in July, a purchase offer of around $500 million was submitted by Chuck Greenberg - co-owner of the Texas Rangers - but Karmanos later said he felt Greenberg couldn't afford to make the right deal.
The Florida Panthers will be without Roberto Luongo for an extended period as the goalie deals with a lower-body injury, according to head coach Bob Boughner.
Boughner added the injury isn't related to Luongo's surgically repaired hip.
Luongo underwent an MRI after exiting Monday's game against the New York Islanders with the apparent injury. In 15 appearances this season, he has a 6-6-1 record and .928 save percentage.
Goaltending duties will now fall primarily to James Reimer (4-6-3, .892 save percentage), while Harri Sateri has been recalled from the AHL to serve as backup.
A ban placed on Russia by the International Olympic Committee ahead of the 2018 Winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea has not deterred Ilya Kovalchuk.
As far as he is concerned, anyone who is able should make the trip to South Korea.
"We all perfectly understand that the IOC decision is pure politics and we understand against whom it is directed," Kovalchuk said, according to Reuters.
"It was clear that there would be such a decision. But if the athletes go there, it will unite the country. All clean athletes must go."
A ruling banning the Russian Olympic committee in 2018 was made Tuesday as a result of widespread and systemic doping, but individual athletes and teams may still compete as Olympic Athletes of Russia under a neutral flag.
Whether Russia attempts to prohibit the KHL from allowing its players to participate remains to be seen, however.
Mathew Barzal is the NHL's most productive rookie since the beginning of November, and he's vaulted to the top of the rookie scoring leaders as a result.
The New York Islanders forward recorded a goal and an assist in a loss to Tampa Bay on Tuesday, giving him a total of four goals and 15 assists in 15 games since Nov. 1.
Those 19 points are the most among all rookies in that period of time, with Vancouver's Brock Boeser (16 points in 17 games) and Chicago's Alex DeBrincat (14 points in 15 games) trailing just behind.
Arizona's Clayton Keller was tabbed as the early Calder Trophy favorite, but he's cooled off a bit and Boeser is the standout at the moment, averaging a point per game. Barzal's 0.96 average isn't far behind, though, and the rookie-of-the-year race is shaping up to be a tight one.
Player
Team
Games
Goals
Assists
Points
Mathew Barzal
Islanders
27
7
19
26
Brock Boeser
Canucks
24
13
12
25
Clayton Keller
Coyotes
30
11
12
23
In regards to Islanders history, Barzal is the fourth rookie in club history to reach the 25-point mark through the first 27 games of a season, following Mike Bossy, Pat LaFontaine, and Bryan Trottier, according to NHL PR.
Barzal was selected 16th overall in 2015 with a pick acquired from Edmonton.
There are plenty of reasons why the Winnipeg Jets are flying high these days, but perhaps none more important than their success on the power play.
With a win over Ottawa on Sunday, Winnipeg moved into a tie with Tampa Bay for the most points in the NHL (38), and the two teams are rolling at an almost level clip with the man advantage - the Lightning enjoy a 27.8 percent success rate, while the Jets barely trail at 27.4.
Winnipeg's opening goal Sunday against the Senators came on a power play less than three minutes into the first period, and served as the game-winner. It also demonstrated lethal passing and a finish that's becoming commonplace.
Here's how it went down.
The play began just inside the offensive zone, with Dustin Byfuglien (33) making a short pass to Mark Scheifele (55), who - with Ottawa's Cody Ceci (5) in his face - sent a cross-ice pass to Blake Wheeler (26).
Wheeler and Byfuglien then went to work at the top of the zone, spurred by a short chip pass from the former to the latter with Tom Pyatt (10) aggressively tracking both players.
Byfuglien actually had to take the pass off his skate as Pyatt turned his focus from Wheeler to the blue line.
Able to gather the puck off his skate and maintain possession, Byfuglien held off Pyatt's dogged forecheck, kept the puck in the zone and got it back to Wheeler along the boards. Meanwhile, with all the Senators' defenders tuned in to that back-and-forth, Scheifele was sneaking toward the net.
Wheeler quickly saw added pressure from Johnny Oduya (29), but neither he nor Pyatt could stop the winger from making a quick cross-ice pass to Scheifele, who still had not drawn Ottawa's attention.
Here we note Scheifele was playing on his off wing, and received Wheeler's pass on his backhand rather than attempt a one-timer, giving goalie Mike Condon more time to get across the crease in an attempt to thwart a scoring opportunity.
Still, Scheifele was able to get the puck to his forehand and fire it past Condon short-side.
It should also be noted that Patrik Laine (29) was set up more in the middle of the ice throughout this play, thereby demanding a healthy measure of coverage due to his lethal shot and allowing Scheifele to remain largely unchecked.
The goal was Scheifele's 14th of the season, six of which have come on the power play. Wheeler added another assist later in the game to give him 13 power-play helpers, while eight of Byfuglien's 13 have also come on the man advantage.
Interestingly, Scheifele's previous PPG came on a similar play against Minnesota on Nov. 27, but that time he was able to convert a Wheeler cross-ice pass with a one-timer past Alex Stalock.
Having Scheifele set up in the left circle as a right-hand shot is clearly by design, and head coach Paul Maurice is being rewarded with regular production thanks to this type of deployment.
