NHL · 4 hours ago

NHL Power Rankings: The Top 15 Hockey Players Right Now Olympics Edition

Paul Connor

Host · Writer

15. Mikko Rantanen
- Team: Dallas Stars
- Position: Right Wing
- Age: 29
Mikko Rantanen’s first full season in Dallas has showcased his elite vision, providing the type of playmaking the Stars desperately needed. While his goal totals have dipped slightly from his Colorado days, Rantanen's ability to drive play and set up teammates has unlocked the full potential of a club that is among the favorites to hoist Lord Stanley.

2025-26 Stats: 54 GP | 20 G | 49 A | 69 P | +2

2026 Winter Olympics: Finland 1, Slovakia 4 (Feb. 11)

Next Game - Team Finland vs. Sweden | Friday | Feb 13
NHL Player Power Rankings
The 2025–26 NHL season is rolling, and the stars are shining. Here’s my take on the league's top 15 players right now!

Disclaimer: These rankings reflect performance so far this season. As a result, some elite players, such as Connor McDavid, may appear lower than their typical career standards or overall reputation.
1. Nikita Kucherov
- Team: Tampa Bay Lightning
- Position: Right Wing
- Age: 32
Nikita Kucherov vaults to the top spot this week thanks to a league-best 1.80 points per game average. Despite missing time earlier in the season, the future Hall of Famer has surged back into the Art Ross race, sitting just six points off the league lead while playing perhaps the most complete two-way game of his career.

2025-26 Stats: 50 GP | 29 G | 61 A | 90 P | +29

2026 Winter Olympics: Not participating (Russia banned).
2. Nathan MacKinnon
- Team: Colorado Avalanche
- Position: Center
- Age: 30
The current odds-on favorite for the Hart Trophy (-175), Nathan MacKinnon, is playing with a terrifying level of ferocity this season, turning every shift into a mismatch. MacKinnon hasn't just been productive; he has been overwhelming, posting a staggering +48 rating to go with his 40 goals, both tops in the NHL.

2025-26 Stats: 55 GP | 40 G | 53 A | 93 P | +48

2026 Winter Olympics: Next Game - Team Canada vs. Czechia | Thursday | Feb 12

Player Futures: +270 To Be Team Canada's Leading Goalscorer
3. Connor McDavid
- Team: Edmonton Oilers
- Position: Center
- Age: 29
It speaks volumes about Connor McDavid’s standard of excellence that a league-leading 96 points feels like "business as usual." While others are having career years, the Oilers captain is casually tracking for another 140-point campaign, remaining the offensive North Star that every other superstar is chasing.

2025-26 Stats: 58 GP | 34 G | 62 A | 96 P | +11

2026 Winter Olympics: Next Game - Team Canada vs. Czechia | Thursday | Feb 12

Player Futures: +430 To Be Team Canada's Leading Goalscorer
4. Macklin Celebrini
- Team: San Jose Sharks
- Position: Center
- Age: 19
At just 19 years old, Macklin Celebrini has skipped the learning curve entirely, establishing himself as a legitimate franchise center and revitalizing hockey in the Bay Area. Averaging a stellar 1.47 points per game, Celebrini isn't just surviving against the league's best veterans; he's outproducing them and making the Sharks a nightly threat. It's no wonder he was selected as a member of Team Canada for the upcoming Milan Olympics.

2025-26 Stats: 55 GP | 28 G | 53 A | 81 P | +10

2026 Winter Olympics: Next Game - Team Canada vs. Czechia | Thursday | Feb 12

Player Futures: +800 To Be Team Canada's Leading Goalscorer
5. Leon Draisaitl
- Team: Edmonton Oilers
- Position: Center/Wing
- Age: 30
Leon Draisaitl continues to be the league's most overqualified "second option," cruising toward his fifth straight 100-point season with a 1.45 points-per-game pace. His consistency remains the bedrock of the Oilers' attack, ensuring Edmonton boasts the most lethal one-two punch in the sport.

2025-26 Stats: 55 GP | 29 G | 51 A | 80 P | +12

2026 Winter Olympics: Next Game - Team Germany vs. Denmark | Friday | Feb 13
6. Mark Stone
- Team: Vegas Golden Knights
- Position: Right Wing
- Age: 33
When healthy, Mark Stone is undoubtedly one of the best players in the world. Stone's 1.43 points-per-game average is stellar, and his defensive stick work remains the gold standard for wingers in the modern era.

2025-26 Stats: 40 GP | 20 G | 37 A | 57 P | +17

2026 Winter Olympics: Next Game - Team Canada vs. Czechia | Thursday | Feb 12

Player Futures: +1600 To Be Team Canada's Leading Goalscorer
7. Zach Werenski
- Team: Columbus Blue Jackets
- Position: Defenseman
- Age: 28
Zach Werenski has reinvented the offensive ceiling for defensemen this year, scoring at a clip that currently makes him the favorite for the Norris Trophy (-120). Columbus has rallied off seven straight wins to climb into playoff contention, with Werenski registering at least one point in each of those contests, including three multi-point efforts.

2026 Winter Olympics: Next Game - Team USA vs. Latvia | Thursday | Feb 12

Player Futures: +3500 To Be Team USA's Leading Goalscorer

See if Zach Werenski makes our top 10 Team USA players.
8. Ilya Sorokin
- Team: New York Islanders
- Position: Goalie
- Age: 30
In an era where scoring is up, Ilya Sorokin is single-handedly stealing games for the Isles. Leading the league with six shutouts and dominating the high-danger save charts, Sorokin is the clear netminder to beat for the Vezina Trophy (-150).

2025-26 Stats: 34 GP | 19 W | 6 SO | 2.48 GAA | .915 SV%

2026 Winter Olympics: Not participating (Russia banned).
9. Cale Makar
- Team: Colorado Avalanche
- Position: Defenseman
- Age: 27
Cale Makar has settled into a rhythm of dominant efficiency, balancing his world-class transition game with suffocating defense. Makar's +28 rating is third-best on this list, proving that even when his scoring pace dips slightly below his own astronomical standards, he controls the game better than any other defenseman alive.

2025-26 Stats: 55 GP | 15 G | 42 A | 57 P | +28

2026 Winter Olympics: Next Game - Team Canada vs. Czechia | Thursday | Feb 12

Player Futures: +1700 To Be Team Canada's Leading Goalscorer
10. Andrei Vasilevskiy
- Team: Tampa Bay Lightning
- Position: Goalie
- Age: 31
Andrei Vasilevskiy is officially back to his Vezina-caliber best (+170), anchoring the first-place Lightning with a league-best 2.14 GAA while ranking second in wins (26). Simply put, "The Big Cat" has been a brick wall for Tampa Bay, providing the stability that makes the Bolts a terrifying playoff matchup.

2025-26 Stats: 36 GP | 26 W | 2 SO | 2.14 GAA | .918 SV%

2026 Winter Olympics: Not participating (Russia banned).
11. David Pastrnak
- Team: Boston Bruins
- Position: Right Wing
- Age: 29
David Pastrnak has unlocked a new layer of his game this season, trading some of his signature goal-scoring volume for elite playmaking. On pace to shatter his career high in assists, "Pasta" is driving the bus for the Bruins' offense, proving he can dissect defenses with his vision just as well as his shot.

2025-26 Stats: 52 GP | 22 G | 49 A | 71 P | +2

2026 Winter Olympics: Next Game - Team Czechia vs. Canada | Thursday | Feb 12
12. Quinn Hughes
- Team: Minnesota Wild
- Position: Defenseman
- Age: 26
The move to Minnesota has been seamless for Quinn Hughes, who has immediately taken ownership of the Wild's transition game. With 34 points in his first 26 games with his new club, Hughes has transformed the Wild's breakout and given them the true offensive quarterback they’ve needed for years.

2025-26 Stats: 52 GP | 5 G | 52 A | 57 P | -1

2026 Winter Olympics: Next Game - Team USA vs. Latvia | Thursday | Feb 12

Player Futures: +4000 To Be Team USA's Leading Goalscorer
13. Jack Eichel
- Team: Vegas Golden Knights
- Position: Center
- Age: 29
Easily playing the most complete, 200-foot hockey of his career, Jack Eichel is operating at a 100-point pace over a full season. He's the undeniable engine of a Vegas team that looks ready for another deep run.

2025-26 Stats: 49 GP | 20 G | 46 A | 66 P | +17

2026 Winter Olympics: Next Game - Team USA vs. Latvia | Thursday | Feb 12

Player Futures: +650 To Be Team USA's Leading Goalscorer
14. William Nylander
- Team: Toronto Maple Leafs
- Position: Right Wing
- Age: 29
Fresh off a seven-game absence due to a groin injury, William Nylander hasn't missed a beat, racking up four points in his last three games. His 1.30 points per game this season rank ninth in the NHL.

2025-26 Stats: 40 GP | 18 G | 34 A | 52 P | +2

2026 Winter Olympics: Sweden 5, Italy 2 (Feb. 11)

Next Game - Team Sweden vs. Finland | Friday | Feb 13

Player Futures: +500 To Be Team Sweden's Leading Goalscorer
15. Mikko Rantanen
- Team: Dallas Stars
- Position: Right Wing
- Age: 29
Mikko Rantanen’s first full season in Dallas has showcased his elite vision, providing the type of playmaking the Stars desperately needed. While his goal totals have dipped slightly from his Colorado days, Rantanen's ability to drive play and set up teammates has unlocked the full potential of a club that is among the favorites to hoist Lord Stanley.

2025-26 Stats: 54 GP | 20 G | 49 A | 69 P | +2

2026 Winter Olympics: Finland 1, Slovakia 4 (Feb. 11)

Next Game - Team Finland vs. Sweden | Friday | Feb 13
NHL Player Power Rankings
The 2025–26 NHL season is rolling, and the stars are shining. Here’s my take on the league's top 15 players right now!

Disclaimer: These rankings reflect performance so far this season. As a result, some elite players, such as Connor McDavid, may appear lower than their typical career standards or overall reputation.

NHL Power Rankings: The Top 15 Hockey Players Right Now Olympics Edition

BETTING NEWS

FUTURES

2026 World Cup Winner

2026 NCAAMB Winner

2026 UCL Winner

EDITOR'S PICKS

For the Best of SportsGrid, Grab the App

BETTING NEWS

FUTURES

Sports Betting

Sportsbook Promos

Social Casinos