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NHL Player Power Rankings: Patrick Kane steals the spotlight

Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

As we enter the third month of the NHL season, the sample size is large enough to begin categorizing players among the league's best.

An emerging star is positioning himself to dethrone the King in his quest for another Vezina Trophy, a young defenseman has quickly become a sound combatant in the Norris Trophy race, and a trio of players have distinguished themselves as Art Ross Trophy favorites.

The Dallas Stars continued their dominant play in November, going 10-3-0 with remarkable production from their three marquee players. However, one opposing player stole their spotlight over the last 30 days. Following an underwhelming opening month, the Chicago Blackhawks proved they were over their Stanley Cup hangover thanks to the play of the hottest player in the league.

Here are our top 10 players through the month of November:

1. Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks

GP G A PPP CF %
24 14 23 10 54.9

Building off an impressive finish to October, Kane vaulted to the top of the league with 37 points after putting up 23 in 13 games this month. To put those numbers into perspective, the 27-year-old recorded a point on 53 percent of the Blackhawks' goals in November.

Kane finished the month in style, beating Jonathan Quick with a wicked shot to break the record for longest point streak ever by an American-Born player, recording at least one in 19 consecutive games.

2. Jamie Benn, Dallas Stars

GP G A PPP CF %
24 18 17 10 54.8

If not for Kane, Benn would have easily retained his No.1 spot in the rankings. The Stars captain continues to prove that last year's Art Ross campaign was no fluke, expanding his league-leading goal tally to 18 by scoring nine times in November.

Benn now has 11 multi-point games this season, playing a critical role in his team's rise to the top of the Western Conference standings. Oh, and he finished the month by being named the first star of the week.

3. Tyler Seguin, Dallas Stars

GP G A PPP CF %
24 13 21 11 54.6

Riding yet another impressive eight-game point streak, Seguin has notched at least a point in 16 of his last 17 games to rank third behind Kane and Benn in both goals and points.

Seguin has nine multi-point games this season, and has played a pivotal role in Benn's goal-scoring success with an assist on 14 of his 18 goals.

4. Henrik Lundqvist, New York Rangers

GP W-L-OT GAA SV % SO
19 12-5-2 2.05 .936 2

The King has been nothing short of exceptional all season long, ranking among the league leaders in every goaltending category thanks to another impressive month that saw him win seven games with a .930 save percentage.

The Rangers are near the bottom of the league in puck possession, ranking 29th with a 45.8 Corsi For rating, and they've been outshot in 15 of 24 games. That makes Lundqvist's production all the more important. They certainly wouldn't be fourth overall in the league without him.

5. John Klingberg, Dallas Stars

GP G A PPP CF %
24 5 22 11 53.4

In just his second year in the league, Klingberg has emerged as a legitimate Norris Trophy candidate. The 23-year-old leads all defenseman in points and sits tied for fourth overall with fellow Swede Daniel Sedin.

Drawing comparisons to Erik Karlsson, Klingberg finds himself quarterbacking the second-best power play in the league. His 11 power-play points place him third overall, one point ahead of his countryman.

6. Daniel Sedin, Vancouver Canucks

GP G A PPP CF %
24 11 16 10 51.6

The combination of a tough 2014-15 campaign and turning 35 in September had many thinking the Sedins were on a steady path of regression. They've proven everyone wrong, with Daniel leading the way.

His 27 points tie him for fourth in the league, thanks to an impressive November that saw him tally eight goals and 10 assists. So much for slowing down.

7. Braden Holtby, Washington Capitals

GP W-L-OT GAA SV % SO
19 15-4-0 1.95 .926 1

Holtby was just named second star of the week after going 4-0-0 with a .945 save percentage. His nine wins in November were the most among all goalies.

The Capitals' netminder is one of the primary reasons his team has emerged as a legit contender through the first two months, sporting the best goals-against average among regular starters.

8. Erik Karlsson, Ottawa Senators

GP G A PPP CF %
23 5 21 10 50.9

Karlsson continues to be as consistent as they come, positioning himself for yet another Norris Trophy-contending season. He's an absolute workhorse, logging an average ice time of 27 minutes.

The Senators went 7-2-3 in November, and Karlsson's 16 points in those 12 games were a huge reason for their success. He leads the team in points, and will likely do so throughout the entire season.

9. Matt Duchene, Colorado Avalanche

GP G A PPP CF %
23 12 10 8 50.4

Duchene is on fire, silencing all trade talks after a scorching-hot November. He finished tied with Seguin in points with 20 for the month, while leading the league in goals with nine.

The 24-year-old is primed to finish the season around the point-per-game pace he played at in 2012-13 and 2013-14, finding himself on one of the best lines in the league with Gabriel Landeskog and Nathan MacKinnon.

10. Evgeny Kuznetsov, Washington Capitals

GP G A PPP CF %
23 8 18 7 50.3

Alex Ovechkin grabs headlines on a regular basis, but it's definitely time to pay attention to his fellow Russian. Kuznetsov has emerged as one of the best young players in the league, putting up ridiculous numbers despite playing on the Capitals' second line.

Kuznetsov is showing he can pass with the best of them, and his plus-14 rating is tops in the league. He's graced the Capitals with secondary scoring they've never had in the past.

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