The dog days of the NHL offseason have arrived, so let’s have some fun and begin our top 100 player rankings heading into the 2026-27 season. Our top 25 goaltenders will be done in a separate article!
It’s never easy to make these kinds of lists, especially when factoring in different positions. That being said, we’ve done our best to rank the top 100 based on a combination of past play and production, along with some slight forecasting of what we anticipate seeing next season.
Before we dive in, let’s start with players who just missed the cut, because there are plenty of other names who were in serious consideration.
Forwards: Drake Batherson, Jordan Kyrou, Matthew Knies, Vincent Trocheck, Sam Bennett, Nazem Kadri, Trevor Zegras, Nick Schmaltz, John Tavares, Steven Stamkos.
Defensemen: Noah Hanifin, Darren Raddysh, John Carlson, Thomas Chabot, Colton Parayko, Vince Dunn, Filip Hronek, JJ Moser.
And some young studs we believe could break out into true stardom very soon and become regulars on a list like this for years to come: Dylan Holloway, Luke Hughes, Ivan Demidov, Will Smith, Beckett Sennecke, Zach Benson, and Gavin McKenna.
Let the countdown begin!
100-91:
100. FLA: Aaron Ekblad
| Season | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | +/- | SOG | HITS | BLKS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | FLA | 72 | 4 | 22 | 26 | -5 | 97 | 84 | 103 |
| 2024-25 | FLA | 56 | 3 | 30 | 33 | +11 | 106 | 90 | 64 |
Two-time Stanley Cup champion Aaron Ekblad kicks off our list. The 2014 first overall pick has had a roller-coaster ride of a career, but he’s always found ways to be effective. Ekblad began as a more offensive defenseman, but in recent years has focused on a shutdown, physical role that made him a key cog in the Panthers’ back-to-back championships. He and Gustav Forsling will continue to be a pain to play against as Florida gets back to form next season.
99. UTA: MacKenzie Weegar
| Season | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | +/- | SOG | HITS | BLKS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | UTA/CGY | 79 | 4 | 24 | 28 | -33 | 154 | 167 | 173 |
| 2024-25 | CGY | 81 | 8 | 39 | 47 | +18 | 184 | 223 | 192 |
Following Ekblad is his former teammate, MacKenzie Weegar, now of the Utah Mammoth. We love what Weegar brings to the table as an all-around defenseman who fills up every stat on the sheet. Points, shots, hits, blocks, he does it all and can be used in any situation, whether it’s on the power play, penalty kill, or late in games. It was a mess for him in Calgary last season, but a fresh start in Utah should continue to give him new life moving forward.
98. WSH: Alex Tuch
| Season | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | +/- | SOG | HITS | BLKS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | BUF | 79 | 33 | 33 | 66 | +24 | 195 | 82 | 90 |
| 2024-25 | BUF | 82 | 36 | 31 | 67 | +16 | 196 | 73 | 113 |
This offseason’s top UFA forward and new Washington Capital Alex Tuch. After five great years in Buffalo, Tuch heads to the nation’s capital and joins one of the deepest forward groups in hockey. That should only benefit the 6-foot-4, 219-pound winger, who combines that size with tremendous speed and skill. He’s great at 5-on-5 and on the penalty kill. Surprisingly, the power play isn’t a huge area of strength for Tuch, though it doesn’t seem to matter that much.
97. CAR: Nikolaj Ehlers
| Season | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | +/- | SOG | HITS | BLKS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | CAR | 82 | 26 | 45 | 71 | +8 | 207 | 21 | 24 |
| 2024-25 | WPG | 69 | 24 | 39 | 63 | +14 | 174 | 38 | 33 |
Stanley Cup champion Nikolaj Ehlers. The decision to join the Carolina Hurricanes couldn’t have worked out any better for Ehlers, who racked up a career-high 71 points before producing at a point-per-game clip in the playoffs en route to winning it all. He’s always been so dynamic — speed, skill, hockey IQ — it’s just a matter of staying healthy and getting more opportunity. That all lined up in Carolina, and the fit already feels perfect.
96. UTA: Mikhail Sergachev
| Season | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | +/- | SOG | HITS | BLKS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | UTA | 78 | 10 | 49 | 59 | +2 | 159 | 38 | 125 |
| 2024-25 | UTA | 77 | 15 | 38 | 53 | -8 | 132 | 61 | 140 |
Onto another Mammoth defenseman in Mikhail Sergachev. Sergachev’s game has changed a bit since heading to Utah, but he’s proven very capable of adapting to a larger role with more responsibility. That’s shown with back-to-back seasons of 10-plus goals and 50-plus points. He understandably hasn’t been as physical since breaking his leg in 2024, though that’s not as necessary given how much he’s relied upon to provide offense and log big minutes.
95. DAL: Thomas Harley
| Season | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | +/- | SOG | HITS | BLKS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | DAL | 70 | 6 | 30 | 36 | +3 | 113 | 39 | 148 |
| 2024-25 | DAL | 78 | 16 | 34 | 50 | +32 | 171 | 33 | 110 |
Thomas Harley continues our bunch on the blue line at No. 95. The hockey world was high on Harley after back-to-back 47- and 50-point seasons, scoring 15-plus goals in each, and a strong performance after being thrust into the 4 Nations. Last season didn’t go as well, though he once again stepped up on the biggest stage while playing for Canada at the Olympics. He almost became a Columbus Blue Jacket this summer, so we’ll see how that affects him, if at all.
94. PHI: Travis Sanheim
| Season | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | +/- | SOG | HITS | BLKS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | PHI | 81 | 11 | 26 | 37 | +12 | 95 | 46 | 152 |
| 2024-25 | PHI | 82 | 8 | 22 | 30 | -6 | 139 | 84 | 170 |
Travis Sanheim has always been a good defenseman, but in recent years, he’s gotten to put that on display for the hockey world to see. Sanheim has stepped up and looked very good representing Canada at the Olympics, Four Nations, and World Championships, while also having a strong postseason for the Philadelphia Flyers. He was tasked with matching up against Sidney Crosby and the Penguins’ top line and did as good a job as you could ask for.
You’re doing something right if you’re getting under No. 87’s skin like this.
93. MTL: Juraj Slafkovsky
| Season | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | +/- | SOG | HITS | BLKS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | MTL | 82 | 30 | 43 | 73 | +9 | 180 | 105 | 78 |
| 2024-25 | MTL | 79 | 18 | 33 | 51 | +4 | 133 | 194 | 62 |
Juraj Slafkovsky’s development has been awesome so far. After looking totally lost as a rookie, Slafkovsky has taken major steps forward every year since, culminating in a 30-goal, 73-point 2025-26 campaign. He’s a true power forward who is a perfect complement to Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield on the Canadiens’ top line. Montreal taking him first overall in 2022 doesn’t look too bad now, does it?
92. CAR: Andrei Svechnikov
| Season | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | +/- | SOG | HITS | BLKS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | CAR | 79 | 31 | 39 | 70 | +1 | 203 | 148 | 16 |
| 2024-25 | CAR | 72 | 20 | 28 | 48 | -8 | 180 | 148 | 22 |
Another Stanley Cup champion, Andrei Svechnikov. He wasn’t necessarily a catalyst in the Hurricanes’ playoff run, but he’s an important piece of the puzzle and a premier power forward in the NHL. A 69-point season in 2021-22 had Svechnikov looking as if he was about to become a true star, and while injuries and inconsistent play at times haven’t allowed that to happen, he remains a productive top-line winger. Still only 26 years old, too.
91. MTL: Noah Dobson
| Season | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | +/- | SOG | HITS | BLKS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | MTL | 80 | 12 | 35 | 47 | +5 | 158 | 62 | 188 |
| 2024-25 | NYI | 71 | 10 | 29 | 39 | -16 | 196 | 57 | 126 |
An injury right before the playoffs put a damper on what was otherwise a pretty good first season as a Montreal Canadien for Noah Dobson. He tied for 12th among defensemen in even-strength points while taking a role on PP2 behind Lane Hutson. He’s a great puck mover who possesses a cannon of a shot from the point and can defend when he puts his mind to it. Dobson should only get better as he gets more comfortable with his new squad.
90-81:
90. SEA: Brandon Montour
| Season | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | +/- | SOG | HITS | BLKS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | SEA | 64 | 11 | 21 | 32 | -21 | 174 | 75 | 78 |
| 2024-25 | SEA | 81 | 18 | 23 | 41 | -22 | 231 | 84 | 100 |
Brandon Montour is one of our guys. We doubt very many people would include him in a top 100 list, but that’s not stopping us. Montour is a rover who can honestly do it all. He breaks the puck out with ease, gets up in the rush, quarterbacks the power play, has a shot that can beat goalies, and plays with a ton of jam. He loves to get under his opponents’ skin. One of the more underrated players in the game, in our opinion.
89. UTA: Logan Cooley
| Season | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | +/- | SOG | HITS | BLKS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | UTA | 54 | 24 | 19 | 43 | +3 | 102 | 54 | 27 |
| 2024-25 | UTA | 75 | 25 | 40 | 65 | +1 | 158 | 63 | 32 |
One of the few guys you could consider taking over Slafkovsky atop the 2022 draft class is Logan Cooley. This kid is immensely talented and just scratching the surface of his potential. Not many have the skill to do this.
An injury unfortunately put a halt to a blazing-hot start to his 2025-26 season, when he was clipping close to a point per game. His production should only continue to climb though. Don’t think Cooley is just a perimeter player either — he’s shown a willingness to battle and not back down from anyone.
88. CBJ: Adam Fantilli
| Season | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | +/- | SOG | HITS | BLKS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | CBJ | 82 | 24 | 35 | 59 | -13 | 214 | 139 | 51 |
| 2024-25 | CBJ | 82 | 31 | 23 | 54 | +4 | 191 | 113 | 56 |
Now onto the third-overall pick from the 2023 draft, Adam Fantilli. Like Cooley, Fantilli is one of the best young players in the game who’s just getting started. His offensive abilities — wicked release, speed, and playmaking — stand out, and he’s just starting to round into a solid two-way center as well. We love how hard Fantilli plays, using his size to lay the body and muck it up. He’s got future captain material in him.
87. NYR: Mika Zibanejad
| Season | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | +/- | SOG | HITS | BLKS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | NYR | 81 | 34 | 44 | 78 | -20 | 215 | 105 | 50 |
| 2024-25 | NYR | 82 | 20 | 42 | 62 | -22 | 183 | 44 | 46 |
Mika Zibanejad has drawn a lot of flak in recent years, so it was nice to see him bounce back offensively in 2025-26. The longtime New York Ranger may not be that true 1C anymore like he was in his prime, but he’s still a weapon on the man advantage, possessing one of the best one-timers in the league. He also proved this year that he hasn’t lost the ability to drive play. Zibanejad’s demise was overexaggerated. Still a 30-plus-goal, 70-plus-point player.
86. NYI: Bo Horvat
| Season | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | +/- | SOG | HITS | BLKS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | NYI | 68 | 31 | 26 | 57 | +8 | 226 | 51 | 38 |
| 2024-25 | NYI | 81 | 28 | 29 | 57 | -4 | 243 | 100 | 40 |
Moving over to Long Island, we’ve got Bo Horvat. You always know what you’re going to get from Horvat, and that’s a great thing. He’s responsible, reliable, and consistent — exactly what earned him a spot on Team Canada, where he had a very good showing. Along with his shot and faceoff prowess, Horvat has sneaky speed that can catch defenders off guard. He’s fit in perfectly on the Islanders as a plug-and-play 1C who can be used in all areas of the game.
85. FLA: Brad Marchand
| Season | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | +/- | SOG | HITS | BLKS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | FLA | 52 | 27 | 27 | 54 | -16 | 138 | 36 | 16 |
| 2024-25 | BOS/FLA | 71 | 23 | 28 | 51 | -7 | 194 | 81 | 34 |
Did you know Brad Marchand was on pace for 42 goals and 85 points over a full season last year? And he did it at age 37 with Barkov and Tkachuk out of the lineup. Marchand isn’t the perrenial top-five-to-10 winger he used to be, but a new opportunity in Florida has rejuvenated him. Barring a major fall-off, he should be in for another close-to-point-per-game campaign and likely another impactful postseason as the Panthers look to reclaim their crown.
84. WSH: Alex Ovechkin
| Season | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | +/- | SOG | HITS | BLKS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | WSH | 82 | 32 | 32 | 64 | -5 | 244 | 134 | 16 |
| 2024-25 | WSH | 65 | 44 | 29 | 73 | +15 | 237 | 110 | 13 |
The greatest goal scorer in NHL history, Alex Ovechkin, still deserves his respect.
We can’t lie, it wasn’t pretty at times last year, but Ovi still managed to score 32 goals despite a shockingly low PPG total of just five. That number should come back up in 2026-27, and the additions of Tuch and Kyrou only add more skill around him in Washington. Like Lionel Messi, he’ll glide around almost unnoticeable all game before ripping one into the back of the net.
83. PIT: Evgeni Malkin
| Season | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | +/- | SOG | HITS | BLKS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | PIT | 56 | 19 | 42 | 61 | +13 | 148 | 24 | 17 |
| 2024-25 | PIT | 68 | 16 | 34 | 50 | -24 | 125 | 32 | 48 |
Our run of veterans continues with Evgeni Malkin at No. 83. Geno bounced back to his usual point-per-game numbers in 2025-26, and a midseason move to the wing appeared to be just what the doctor ordered. While he’ll soon be 40, Malkin still possesses the elite skill and hockey IQ he’s always had. Not to mention, that signature gallop when he really gets moving out there. He and Sidney Crosby are still driving the bus in Pittsburgh all these years later.
82. DAL: Roope Hintz
| Season | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | +/- | SOG | HITS | BLKS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | DAL | 53 | 15 | 29 | 44 | +16 | 126 | 60 | 18 |
| 2024-25 | DAL | 76 | 28 | 39 | 67 | +18 | 160 | 53 | 46 |
How much of a difference would Roope Hintz have made in the Dallas Stars’ first-round series against the Minnesota Wild? His absence loomed large, especially as they struggled to score at even strength, something he certainly can do. You can’t teach Hintz’s combination of size, speed, and skill. His two-way play is just the cherry on top. As long as he’s healthy, he’s a very solid mid-to-low-end 1C in this league who doesn’t get talked about enough.
81. COL: Devon Toews
| Season | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | +/- | SOG | HITS | BLKS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | COL | 68 | 3 | 21 | 24 | +37 | 115 | 26 | 83 |
| 2024-25 | COL | 76 | 10 | 34 | 44 | +30 | 138 | 40 | 103 |
Devon Toews wraps up Nos. 90-81. Cale Makar’s steady defense partner remains just that in Colorado and for Team Canada. His offensive production was down last season, but that’s not his calling card anyway. Toews is a smooth-skating, shutdown defenseman whose stick is a puck magnet. The best plus-minus (+186) in the NHL by far over the last five seasons? Toews. Some don’t love the stat, but it’s telling when you consistently rank that highly in it.
Coming next: No’s 80-71.
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