Multiple NHL teams need their stars to break early-season funk

Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy

Sticking with goalies, the Lightning are off to a 1-2-1 start thanks to dismal play from Vasilevskiy. He was resurgent last season in a down year for goaltenders across the league. As the leaguewide save percentage went down, his numbers inverted upwards to a stellar .921 save percentage.

If the Lightning have aspirations of getting further than last year, it won't happen without a locked in Vasilevskiy. He has an .870 save percentage and is 50th of 62 goaltenders in MoneyPuck's goals saved above expected metric. The Lightning, similar to the Flames, have been fine defensively. They need more from the goalie. 

St. Louis Blues center Robert Thomas

The 2017 first-round pick has developed into a legitimate No. 1 center, who scored at a 95-point prorated pace last season. So far, this season, he's got two points in four games, but it's the analytics that are alarming. Thomas has been outscored 6-4 on the ice, out-chanced 34-27, has only 35.55% of the expected goals share (per Natural Stat Trick) and has been on-ice for three high danger goals in four games. That's 2024-25 Mika Zibanejad territory as far as top-line centers are concerned. 

Thomas is just 26, and you could easily chalk this up to a bad 10 days. The Blues are 2-2-0, so it's not like they've come out on the losing end more than they've won. St. Louis just needs more from Thomas.

New York Rangers left winger Artemi Panarin

Through six games, the Rangers are number one in the league in Natural Stat Trick's high danger chances allowed per 60 minutes and high danger goals allowed per 60 minutes and third in scoring chances against per 60 minutes. Defensively, they appear to have taken a massive step from last season. Yet, the Rangers are 2-3-1 because they've scored a combined one goal in their four losses.

Panarin's role in that: He has just two assists and no goals through six games. The superstar winger is in a contract year and should be highly motivated. So far, he's struggled to drive play or create offense for the Rangers in any situation, with the Rangers power play ranking 26th in the league in conversion percentage (11.8%).

Utah Mammoth center Logan Cooley

Cooley was a hot pick to be one of the breakout superstar players of the season entering a contract year. So far, the 21-year-old has shown very little of what drove him to 65 points in 75 games in his age-20 season. The Mammoth are 2-2-0 and have scored only eight times in those four games. Cooley's five-on-five metrics show a player who has played responsible two-way hockey, but not one who has yet shown that extra gear that made him the No. 3 overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft.