The first half is complete and the All-Star break is approaching, and while parity has largely been the theme of the 2023-24 NHL season so far, that doesn’t mean there haven’t been superlatives.
There’s been Nikita Kucherov showing he’s back in top form for the not-done-yet Tampa Bay Lightning. And Nathan MacKinnon putting together his best Hart Trophy case yet for the Colorado Avalanche. Even the bottom-of-the-standings teams have had someone to be excited about, from the Chicago Blackhawks’ Connor Bedard to the Anaheim Ducks’ Radko Gudas.
The Athletic has already taken a look at the best surprises and worst disappointments across the league so far. This week, we asked our NHL staff for the player who provided the very best for each team on a nightly basis.
Here’s who our writers picked.
Radko Gudas: Frank Vatrano has a team-leading 21 goals, along with his first-ever All-Star Game selection. Rookies Leo Carlsson and Pavel Mintyukov have each had moments that show they could become big performers. But going off the board a bit here, we’ll pick with the heavy-bearded 33-year-old defenseman with a penchant for big hits. Gudas signed a three-year deal with Anaheim as a free agent and has already become a leading force on the blue line. He has the best advanced metrics of any defender on the team, is a plus-16 rating on a team with numerous minus players and has chipped in six goals to already tie his career high. Most of all, Gudas has given the Ducks a tougher identity that’s been missing for some time. — Eric Stephens
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Connor Ingram: Ingram began the year as Karel Vejmelka’s backup but has effectively wrestled the starter’s job away with night-in, night-out excellence. He’s been the goalie of record for 17 of the team’s 23 wins, as the Coyotes unexpectedly remain in the hunt for a wild-card playoff spot. His five shutouts in 31 appearances, 29 of them starts, were tied for the league lead through Thursday – and his save percentage (.916) and goals-against average (2.59) are significantly better than Vejmelka’s. Honorable mention goes to Sean Durzi, who’s been an excellent addition on the blue line, but Ingram’s overall play makes him the clear-cut choice. — Eric Duhatschek
David Pastrnak: He’s done everything: score, pass, average his highest amount of ice time. And he’s doing all of this with Charlie Coyle, Pavel Zacha and Morgan Geekie as his primary centers. They’re good, but they’re not Patrice Bergeron or David Krejci, Pastrnak’s previous pivots. Even with every opponent’s highest defensive attention, Pastrnak drives the team’s offense. — Fluto Shinzawa
Rasmus Dahlin: Casey Mittelstadt leads the team in points (40), so he has a case for being the team’s MVP. But Dahlin, the team’s lone All-Star, gets the nod for me. He has 13 goals and 38 points and has shown he’s capable of carrying the team at times, even in a down year. — Matthew Fairburn
Jacob Markström: Yes, Yegor Sharangovich and Blake Coleman have been better than advertised and are among the team leaders in goals and points. MacKenzie Weegar is near the top of the league’s leaderboard in goals by a defenseman (12) while playing more than 22 minutes per game. But the Flames aren’t within striking distance of a wild-card spot without Markström rebounding from a poor 2022-23 campaign. — Julian McKenzie
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Sebastian Aho: Aho is having his best statistical season, with 54 points in 44 games — a 97-point pace that would be the team’s second-best point-producing season since relocation to North Carolina and the sixth-best in franchise history. He’s the top weapon on Carolina’s third-ranked power play and a key part of the Hurricanes’…
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