NHL Three Stars: Stars Second-Liner, Maple Leafs Goalie and Panthers Power Forward Impress

Dallas Stars winger Mason Marchment, Florida Panthers star Matthew Tkachuk and Toronto Maple Leafs call-up goalie Martin Jones were the NHL's MVPs this week.

Welcome back to the three stars of the week, a regular THN.com file in which we pick out three NHL players who had the biggest impact on their team in the last seven days. Let’s get to it:

Tkachuk was third in the league in points this week but first in points per game, with eight (including five assists) in just three games. One of his three goals was a game-winner against the Vegas Golden Knights.

He’s now amassed 27 assists and 35 points in 39 games. The 26-year-old winger is on pace for a 56-assist, 73-point season – while that’s a dropoff of about 30 points from his previous two seasons, Tkachuk is averaging less ice time at 18:52 per game, and the Panthers likely want him to be a little fresher by the playoffs.

Tkachuk is earning $9.5 million this season, so ideally, his totals on offense would be better than they are at the moment. However, Florida is romping right now, winning seven games in a row, and Tkachuk’s contributions are noteworthy. He’s an antagonist, but he can back it up with effective play. 

We expect his offensive numbers to rise, and if they do, the Panthers should remain at or near the top of the Atlantic Division.

Jones began the season with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies but was recalled in December after Joseph Woll's injury. Jones rewarded GM Brad Treliving’s faith in him with an excellent showing this past week. 

The 33-year-old netminder went 3-0-0 with a sterling 0.66 goals-against average, a .976 save percentage and one shutout. He now has a record of 7-3-0 in 11 appearances this season, along with a 2.08 GAA and .932 SP in that span. Those numbers are his best since the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons when he was the top goalie for the San Jose Sharks.

Jones is earning just $875,000 this year, making him one of the best bargains in the league right now. Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe is going to give youngster Woll opportunities in net when he returns from injury, but Jones has established himself as a solid option as a tandem mate for Woll. 

At his age, Jones is expected to lose a step, but the opposite has been true; he’s been terrific positionally, he hasn’t gotten rattled on the rare occasion he does surrender a goal, and he’s allowed Toronto’s offense to power the Buds to victory. Treliving couldn’t have asked for more from Jones than what he’s delivering, and the Leafs are going to ride him until the wheels fall off.

Marchment tied for the league lead this week with six assists and nine points in four games while averaging just 16:15 of ice time. All six of his assists came at even-strength, and he now has 13 goals and 30 points in 38 games this season. The 28-year-old is on pace for a 28-goal, 64-point campaign, which would demolish his current career highs of 18 goals and 47 points, both set with Florida in 2021-22.

Marchment is earning $4.5 million per season through the 2025-26 campaign, and he has a no-trade clause, but Dallas has no intention of trading him. He’s a fixture on the Stars’ second line, and he’s averaging only 14:46 of ice time this season. Dallas remains one of the most dangerous teams in the Western Conference (and the NHL, for that matter), and it’s because they’re getting outstanding performances from players, including Marchment.