Ranking the Top 20 NHL Players for the 2025-26 Season
Paul Connor
Host · Writer
The 2025-26 NHL regular season is in its very early stages. See who made our list of the league’s top 20 players in what should be another exciting campaign.
20. William Nylander
Position: Right Wing | Team: Toronto Maple Leafs | Age: 29
Key Notes:
– Scored a career-high 45 goals last season, his third straight 40+ goal campaign.
– Over the last three seasons, his 125 goals are tied for seventh in the NHL during that span.
– Has played all 82 games in each of the last three years.
19. Matthew Tkachuk
Position: Left Wing | Team: Florida Panthers | Age: 27
Key Notes
– Since arriving in Florida in 2022-23, Tkachuk has helped the Panthers reach three consecutive Stanley Cup Finals, winning twice.
– One of only 11 players in NHL history with three straight 20-point playoff seasons.
– Is the only player with 300+ PTS and 300+ PIM over the last four seasons.
Injury Note: Tkachuk (groin) is expected to be out until December after undergoing surgery in August.
18. Zach Werenski
Position: Defenseman | Team: Columbus Blue Jackets | Age: 28
Key Notes:
– Record a career-high 82 points last season (23 G, 59 A), the second-most among defenseman.
– Led all players in TOI/Game last season (26:45).
– His 271 career assists are the most in Blue Jackets’ history.
17. Brayden Point
Position: Center | Team: Tampa Bay Lightning | Age: 29
Key Notes:
– Has scored 40+ goals in each of the last three seasons, including a 51-goal campaign in 2022-23.
– Ranked second in the league last year in power play goals (16).
– Proven playoff performer with 89 points in 92 career postseason games.
16. Mitch Marner
Position: Right Wing | Team: Vegas Golden Knights | Age: 28
Key Notes:
– Ranked fifth in league scoring last season with a career-high 102 points (27 G, 75 A)
– Has racked up 383 points in 302 games over the last three seasons.
15. Andrei Vasilevskiy
Position: Goaltender | Team: Tampa Bay Lightning | Age: 31
Key Notes:
– Posted a career-best 2.18 GAA last season en route to being named a Vezina Trophy finalist for the fifth time.
– One of only three goalies in NHL history to win 30+ games in eight consecutive seasons, alongside Hall of Famers Martin Brodeur and Patrick Roy.
Note: All stats and information in this article are courtesy of NHL.com and NHL Network.
14. Jack Eichel
Position: Center | Team: Vegas Golden Knights | Age: 28
Key Notes:
– Ranked eighth in scoring last season with a career-high 94 points (28 G, 66 A) in 77 games. He also notched career-highs in power play points (34) and +/- (33).
– Has tallied 228 points in 207 games over the last three seasons (1.10 PTS/G).
13. Mikko Rantanen
Position: Right Wing | Team: Dallas Stars | Age: 28
Key Notes:
– Was top 15 in scoring last season (88 points) despite playing for three teams (Avalanche, Hurricanes, and Stars).
– Recorded 22 points in 18 games during last year’s playoffs.
– Since 2018, his 123 playoff points are the fourth-most during that span.
– Set an NHL record last postseason by recording a point in 13 consecutive team goals.
12. Kirill Kaprizov
Position: Left Wing | Team: Minnesota Wild | Age: 28
Key Notes:
– Was the NHL’s point leader through the first two months of last season (38 points in 23 games) before missing substantial time with a lower-body injury.
– Has scored 25+ goals in each of his first five seasons, including three 40+ goal campaigns.
– Has tallied 13 goals in 18 playoff games over the last three seasons.
11. David Pastrnak
Position: Right Wing | Team: Boston Bruins | Age: 29
Key Notes:
– Recorded his third straight 100+ point campaign (106) last season.
– Since 2021-22, his 191 goals are the third most in the league, behind Auston Matthews and Leon Draisaitl.
– His 69 points from Jan. 1 to the end of the 2024-25 season were the most in the NHL during that span.
10. Connor Hellebuyck
Position: Goaltender | Team: Winnipeg Jets | Age: 32
Key Notes:
– Won both the Hart Trophy and Vezina Trophy last season, becoming just the eighth goalie to do so.
– Has won the Vezina Trophy in each of the last two seasons.
– Has been a true workhorse, starting 60+ games in each of the last four years.
9. Quinn Hughes
Position: Defenseman | Team: Vancouver Canucks | Age: 25
Key Notes:
– Notched 76 points (16 G, 60 A) in 68 games last season — 1.12 points per game tied the highest mark of his seven-year career.
– Has recorded 60+ assists in each of the last four seasons, the first defenseman to do so since Hall of Famer Ray Bourque notched five straight from 1989-94.
– Holds the record for most career assists by a defenseman in franchise history (350).
8. Sidney Crosby
Position: Center | Team: Pittsburgh Penguins | Age: 38
Key Notes:
– Has averaged a point per game for an NHL-record 20 consecutive seasons.
– Ranks 9th all-time in career points (1,687).
– Will tie Steve Yzerman for the longest-tenured captain in NHL history (19 seasons).
7. Aleksander Barkov
Position: Center | Team: Florida Panthers | Age: 30
Key Notes:
– Captained the Panthers to their second consecutive Stanley Cup championship last season.
– One of only six players in NHL history to win 3+ Selke Trophies, including each of the past two seasons.
– Has recorded a faceoff win percentage of 53.0%+ in each of the last eight years.
Note: Barkov is expected to miss the entire regular season after undergoing knee surgery for an injury suffered in practice.
6. Auston Matthews
Position: Center | Team: Toronto Maple Leafs | Age: 28
Key Notes:
– Since entering the NHL in 2016-17, Matthews’s 401 goals are the most in the NHL during that span.
– Has scored 30+ goals in each of his first nine seasons, including two 60+ goal campaigns.
– One of only two players in Maple Leafs history with 400+ goals, joining Mats Sundin.
5. Nikita Kucherov
Position: Right Wing | Team: Tampa Bay Lightning | Age: 32
Key Notes:
– Won Art Ross Trophy in each of the last two seasons.
– Only winger in NHL history with four consecutive 80+ assist seasons.
– Only player in Lightning franchise history with multiple 100+ point seasons (5).
4. Cale Makar
Position: Defenseman | Team: Colorado Avalanche | Age: 26
Key Notes:
– Won second career Norris Trophy last season (has been named a finalist for the award five straight years).
– Scored career-high 30 goals last season — first D-man to score 30+goals in a season since Mike Green in 2008-09.
– Third all-time in points per game by a defenseman in playoff history, behind Hall of Famers Bobby Orr and Paul Coffey.
3. Leon Draisaitl
Position: Center/Winger | Team: Edmonton Oilers | Age: 29
Key Notes:
– Reigning Rocket Richard Trophy winner with 52 goals, his fourth career 50+ goal campaign and third in the past four years.
– Has recorded 100+ points in each of the last four seasons.
– Since 2014-15, his 162 power play points rank second in the NHL behind Alex Ovechkin (175).
2. Nathan MacKinnon
Position: Center | Team: Colorado Avalanche | Age: 30
Key Notes:
– Tied for the league lead with 84 assists last season.
– Has recorded 110+ points in each of the last three seasons.
– Led all players with four goals in the 4 Nations Face-Off en route to being named the Tournament’s MVP.
1. Connor McDavid
Position: Center | Team: Edmonton Oilers | Age: 28
Key Notes:
– Has tallied at least 100 points in each of the past five seasons, reaching 123 or more in three of them.
– 3x Hart Trophy winner
– 1.52 career points per game is the third-highest in league history.
– Fourth fastest player to reach 1000 career points (659 games).
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