The first month of the 2022-2023 NHL season has come and gone, and with it, we have been able to see some great hockey. With that great hockey comes great performances from quite a few players. Three of those performances have stood out among the rest to claim the honor of being named the NHL’s “Three Stars” of the month for October. The three players that have been given that honor are Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers, David Pastrnak of the Boston Bruins, and Artemi Panarin of the New York Rangers.

NHL’s Third Star of the Month – Artemi Panarin

Panarin led the Rangers to a 5-3-2 record in the month of October, leading the way with five goals and eleven assists for sixteen points in just ten games. Those sixteen points were good enough for third in the league overall and made him just the second player in the history of the Rangers franchise to score sixteen or more points in their first ten games of the season, the first being Jaromir Jagr in the 2006-2007 season. His eleven assists put him in a tie for second in the league while leading the league in power-play assists with seven, and power-play points with eight. Panarin may have gone undrafted but won the Calder Memorial Trophy in 2015-2016 with the Chicago Blackhawks before being traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets and then eventually signing with the New York Rangers in 2019.

NHL’s Second Star of the Month – David Pastrnak

Pastrnak has helped lead the Bruins to an astounding 8-1 record to start the season, their best start in franchise history, as they’re first place in the league. He finished October sitting in second in the NHL in points with seven goals and ten assists for a total of seventeen points. Pastrnak had one goal and three assists for a total of four points in Boston’s opener against Washington, which was the second time he put up four points in his season debut, putting him with some elite company as he is only the seventh player in NHL history to pull that off. He finished the month by scoring multiple points in four straight games, putting up a total of nine points in that run. Pastrnak was selected with the 25th overall pick in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft and has been with the Bruins ever since but with his contract expiring this year, his future status as a Bruin is up in the air.

NHL’s First Star of the Month – Connor McDavid

McDavid finished the month of October as the leading scorer in the NHL with nine goals and nine assists for a total of eighteen points. Those eighteen points helped him lead the Oilers to a 6-3-0 record to start the season. He also led the league in power-play goals with five and tied Panarin in power-play points with eight. He scored a hat trick in his season debut which made him the sixth-fastest player in NHL history to score 700 points, a feat he pulled off in just 488 games. He scored another hat trick later on and even scored four points in three separate games. McDavid was selected as the first overall pick in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft and has been one of, if not the best player in the league ever since. He is looking to get his third straight Art Ross Trophy and his fifth in the last seven seasons.