Any NHL player can pop off for a strong week, while any star can have a rough few games. It's time to take a close look at those players.
We’re beginning a new weekly series by breaking down which NHLers are on a hot streak at the moment and which stars are cold in the past week, going back to Oct. 29. Let's get to it.
Hot: Cutter Gauthier, LW, Anaheim Ducks
Gauthier came into the season looking to improve on his 20-goal, 44-point rookie campaign. Through 12 games, it's looking like he'll do it.
The 21-year-old is thriving, with 10 goals and 16 points – which includes his seven-game point streak that includes seven goals and 13 points.
In the past week, Gauthier led all NHLers in scoring with eight points in three games. His teammate, Leo Carlsson, is tied for second with Connor McDavid, both with seven points.
Gauthier stood out on Tuesday with a hat trick and assist to complete a season sweep over the Florida Panthers. We'll talk about who he scored on later.
It’s unfair to expect Gauthier to maintain this scoring pace, but he is showing people why the Philadelphia Flyers drafted him fifth overall in 2022. Gauthier engineered his way out of Philadelphia and to the Ducks, earning him the hatred of Flyers fans. But he’s playing nearly four more minutes per game than the 14:09 he averaged last season, and he’s quickly developing into one of the best young players in the league.
Five Most Intriguing NHL Odds To Make Or Miss The PlayoffsBurning questions surround five NHL teams with playoff odds that are worth a closer look.Cold: Artemi Panarin, LW, New York Rangers
For most of his 11 NHL seasons, Panarin has been one of the best point producers on his team. And since he arrived in Manhattan in 2019, Panarin has been the straw that stirs the drink for the Rangers.
But after his offensive totals took a 31-point dip last season, the 34-year-old has come out of the starting blocks ice cold, as he’s put up only two goals and seven points in 14 games. And Panarin hasn’t put up a single point in his past six games, including the three games in the past week.
The crazy part about Panarin’s season is he’s currently averaging 21:08 of ice time, more than a minute over his career average of 19:42. Panarin also has the motivation of being in a contract year, and if he wants a pay raise on the $11.6 million he’s currently earning, he’s going to have to improve in a hurry.
Hot: Dawson Mercer, C, New Jersey Devils
The Devils started strong, sitting second in the Eastern Conference, and Mercer’s offensive production is a key reason why.
The 24-year-old has points in six of his past seven games, including four goals and five points in the past week. He and Gauthier have the most goals since Oct. 29.
That hot stretch has given Mercer eight goals and 14 points in 13 games this year, putting him on pace to demolish his current career highs of 27 goals and 56 points, two totals he set in 2022-23.
Mercer is averaging 17:57 of ice time, which is slightly better than his career average of 17:05. But on a deep, talented New Jersey team, he doesn’t have to do all the heavy lifting, and that lack of pressure on him is leading him to do great things.
NHL Power Rankings: Each Team's Biggest Surprise One Month InThe Panthers are last in the East? The Rangers were shut out again? Nearly everything's going well for the Penguins? This week's NHL power rankings features no shortage of surprises as the list continues to change.Hot: Michael Bunting, LW, Nashville Predators
Bunting has bounced around the NHL since debuting in 2018-19, and the Predators are his fifth NHL team. Bunting generated nine points in 18 games after Nashville acquired him from the Pittsburgh Penguins in March last season, but the 30-year-old has four goals and nine points in 15 games this year.
In four games jam-packed into the past week, Bunting has two goals and six points. That's surprising, considering he averaged 14:19 of ice time in that span, well below his career average of 15:34.
He’s in the final season of a contract that pays him $4.5 million per year, and while it’s unlikely he’ll get a raise on his next deal, Bunting could play well enough, consistently enough, to have Nashville trade him to a legitimate Stanley Cup contender.
Cold: Sergei Bobrovsky, G, Florida Panthers
For the last two seasons, Bobrovsky was the star goalie for the back-to-back Cup champions, so he doesn’t have anything to prove to anyone.
However, given that he’s earning $10 million per year – and because he’s in the final season of his contract – Bobrovsky has a high bar to clear. So far this year, he’s failed to clear it, posting a 6-4-0 record, a 2.82 goals-against average and a .883 save percentage in 10 appearances on an injury-affected squad.
This past week looked particularly rough for Bobrovsky, who had an .815 SP and 4.85 GAA. He allowed three goals on 22 shots in a win over Dallas (.864 SP) and then conceded seven goals on 32 shots in a loss against Gauthier and the Ducks.
Florida’s skaters in front of Bobrovsky need to step up in the absence of Aleksander Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk and Dmitry Kulikov, but he also has to own his role in the Panthers’ struggles. If he’s going to strike it rich on what could be his final NHL contract, the 37-year-old Bobrovsky has to show he’s still capable of being a No. 1 option on a Cup front-runner.
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