The top standouts in the NHL this week come from the Vancouver Canucks and Los Angeles Kings, including another Hughes brother and two goalies, writes Adam Proteau.
It’s Sunday, and that means it’s time for THN.com’s NHL three stars of the week.
To pick the players we did, we went through the past seven days and picked out the three NHLers with the biggest positive effect on their teams between last Sunday and this past Saturday. We’ll end the anticipation quickly and go right to it:
3. Cam Talbot, Los Angeles Kings
Before the start of the season, there were valid questions about the impact (or lack thereof) of Talbot as he came into L.A. for his first season as a member of the Kings. Talbot is 36 years old, and he’s coming off a subpar season stats-wise with Ottawa, so many pundits wondered whether he would be a difference-maker for Los Angeles.
This week, at least, Talbot answered that question with a dominant 3-0-0 record, 1.00 goals-against average, .963 save percentage and one shutout against the Flyers. He also did all of this on the road.
Talbot has a defense that’s proving to be an underrated bunch, so he’s not doing this all by himself. That said, he’s doing his part, and his season stats of 6-2-1, .923 SP and 2.14 GAA make Kings GM Rob Blake feel good about signing Talbot to a one-year, $2-million contract. Talbot has reason to lay it all on the line contractually, and if his play tails off this year, Blake can walk away from him next summer.
Right now, though, Talbot is giving Kings management reason to want to sign him to a contract extension. Los Angeles has a potent offense to support him, but Talbot has shown he’s still got stuff left in the tank. He’s a key reason for the Kings’ surge through the Pacific Division standings, and he’s earned himself a longer look in their net.
2. Thatcher Demko, Vancouver Canucks
In three games this week, Demko went 3-0-0, and his save percentage was never worse than .931. Like Talbot, his goals-against average in that span was 1.00, and he posted one shutout (against the very good Dallas Stars). The 27-year-old has two shutouts already this season, and he’s exactly the kind of workhorse Canucks brass were hoping he’d be after dealing with an aggravated groin injury last season.
In eight games this year, Demko is 6-2-0 with a 1.55 goals-against average and .947 SP. Vancouver has allowed only 22 goals in 11 games this season, and Demko’s contributions to the Canucks’ success are significant. Demko has two years left on his contract after this season, and at a $5-million annual average salary cap hit, he’s a massive bargain.
Also, when Team USA puts together its roster for the Olympics and/or World Cup of Hockey, Demko deserves to be in the mix. He’s in his prime, and Vancouver is benefiting greatly from him.
1. Quinn Hughes, Vancouver Canucks
Hughes’ brother, Jack, was last week’s first star in THN.com’s three stars file. But this week, with a league-high seven assists and eight points in only three games, Quinn Hughes is the biggest standout.
Quinn Hughes – named the Canucks’ captain in the summer – is signed through the summer of 2027 at a $7.85-million annual average value, and he’s doing things that are going to result in a huge pay raise when he does get to unrestricted free agency.
Vancouver’s overall competitive state will dictate whether Hughes stays a Canuck for his entire career, but at the moment, he and the Canucks are steamrolling the opposition while keeping the collective clamp down on other teams as a defensive unit. Hughes clearly is a best-of-the-best talent, and he’s still got room to grow his game.
The Hughes family has much to take pride in regarding the three Hughes brothers. They’re putting their clan’s stamp on hockey’s top league, and we haven’t seen the best of them yet. The Canucks and Devils are strong teams in no small part due to the play of the three Hughes brothers, and we expect at least two of them will be back in this three stars space again this season.
