Ranking the 10 best NHL players in 2024 Stanley Cup Final, including Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Matthew Tkachuk

He is one of the biggest bounce-back candidates moving forward and is very likely to move up the list. Through two seasons with the Edmonton Oilers, Mattias Ekholm has an outstanding 59 points and has a plus-minus rating of +72. Of course, offense comes a bit easier with the Oilers, but it is his defense that has been the biggest stand-out part of his game.

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Add to that his smooth skating, strong work ethic, and strong stick-work defensively and there’s a real chance for him to become an important defenseman for the Blackhawks down the line. There are still several things that need to be addressed before he reaches that level, mainly his hockey sense and decision making, but he’s already come a long way and I expect he’ll make it. Ever since scoring 30 goals as a rookie in the OHL, Colby Barlow has been on my radar as a pro-sized winger with a legit NHL-caliber shot.

• Logan Stankoven is a fearless competitor who is willing to make tough, physical plays and isn’t shy about throwing his body around either.
• He is a physical, smart, and strong defensive defenseman who can chip in with good offensive numbers.
• With a near-point-per-game pace over his three years with the club, he has become their first-line center and has been strong defensively.
• Like the other elite, young blue-liners who’ve lit up the league over the past few seasons, it took only one night under the bright lights of the NHL for the hockey world to see that Makar was something special.
• Sacha Boisvert is another in a growing line of Canadian prospects who opted for the USHL/NCAA route rather than playing in the CHL.
• Dmitri Simashev is a very intriguing prospect with the size/skating combo (6-foot-4) that is so coveted in the modern NHL.
• The Finnish center played an integral part in Florida’s run to the Stanley Cup Final, leading all players in faceoff wins.

NHL’s 10 Best Right Wingers for 2024-25

On top of that, he has a Norris Trophy, Conn Smythe Trophy, and has been a Norris Trophy finalist in each of the past four seasons. Sidney Crosby is without a doubt one of the greatest players in NHL history, and even at 37 years old, he is a top 10 player in the league. He has been consistently in the conversation for the Hart Trophy, Selke Strophy, and many other awards. His offense has barely fallen off over the past decade, and his defensive game has arguably gotten better. There is certainly an argument for him to be even higher on this list than number 10.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, C, Edmonton Oilers

He joined Sweden again for this past World Juniors as well, and was named the tournament’s top defender thanks to some timely goals in the knockout rounds. He is a force on offense but don’t let that fool you, he is a hard-working defender who makes a lot of stops despite his 5-foot-11 frame. The Buffalo Sabres were lucky enough to have three selections in the first round of the 2022 Draft, picks nine, 16, and 28.

Prospects #50-41

Three of those have been game-winners, which put him a tie for second in the league. Hyman is proving the regular season was no fluke, and he could end up a strong argument for the Conn Smythe. The Stars center can flat-out fly up and down the ice, making him one of the most exciting players to watch. He potted exactly 37 goals for the second consecutive season, and followed up a 78-point regular season with 24 playoff points in 19 contests.

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After winning his second Art Ross Trophy, Nikita Kucherov is well deserving of a spot this high on the list. Not only did he become the fifth player to ever score 100 assists in a season, he was the first winger to do it. On top of that, he led his team by a whopping 54 points, which was the biggest gap between the first and second player on a team in the league last season.

Ranking the 10 top NHL players in 2024 Stanley Cup Final

An elusive skater with incredible hands to match, Huston is the definition of a puck, moving defenseman with elite offensive abilities. Lane will wow many fans this season with his vision and skill for the Montréal Canadiens. Skinner can be somewhat volatile between the pipes, and that has led to questions about which version of him will show up against Florida. Through the first two rounds of the playoffs, Skinner turned in a .881 save percentage and 5.43 goals allowed above average, according to Natural Stat Trick.

Connor McDavid

• After an up and down draft year, Musty has silenced many doubts after he tore up the OHL last season.
• Cole Eiserman was the 2024 Draft’s premier goal scoring prospect, and he was by far the most polarizing player in the group.
• I would honestly venture that many of the opponent previews above are more detailed than what you can find from those programs’ own fanbases.
• Thankfully, his treatment and recovery have been going well and he returned to play the following season.
• Add to that his smooth skating, strong work ethic, and strong stick-work defensively and there’s a real chance for him to become an important defenseman for the Blackhawks down the line.
• However, I’m still a firm believer in Reinbacher’s projection as a high-end defender for the Montreal Canadiens.
• He has some work to do filling out his rather skinny 6-foot-3 frame, but there is some real promise in his offensive game.

The few freshmen in line to play on this team are touted players, a first round pick in Michael Hage, a late round pick/USNTDP guy in Christian Humphreys, and a possible first round pick in Dakoda Rhéaume-Mullen. Only Hunter Hady or Will Felicio could be in the lineup as a skater as an undrafted freshman. This is a more veteran team than what Michigan is used to and I think they will benefit from it.

• In its early form, field hockey was played on natural grass, but the heavy turf made the game slower.
• Roy is incredibly competitive, responsible defensively, and protects the puck extremely well.
• He also has no problem making his living around the net on the offensive end of the ice.
• The NHL has been whittled down from 32 teams to 16 that remain in the hunt for the Stanley Cup.
• In his final junior season, Beck scored at a higher rate than ever and was a strong play driver for the Saginaw Spirit throughout the regular season, OHL playoffs, and their Memorial Cup victory.
• Helenius’ two-way play against pros as a teenager has been very impressive, especially in transition where he is able to keep up with the pace of play both physically and mentally.
• He is in every conversation for the best defensemen in the league, and if he can take a bigger step offensively, he will have a great chance of winning the Norris Trophy over the next few years.
• In that two-year stretch, only two wingers in the league have managed to outscore Rantanen, and only one’s managed to rack up more goals than the Colorado stalwart.

Fantasy hockey rankings, picks, 2024 season simulation

Ivan Demidov is an incredibly talented offensive player, with great hands, a zippy shot, and some sneaky-good playmaking instincts. He spent last season in the MHL, Russia’s top junior league, where he was dominant as a 17-year-old rookie, scoring 64 points in 44 games (third most points in the league). Stankoven’s offensive skills have translated incredibly well to the pro game and the Dallas Stars are going to need to find a permanent spot for him in the lineup very soon.

Sam Reinhart I C I Florida Panthers

Not only has the Swede improved immensely on defense, but he hit 100 points last year, potting 39 goals and adding 63 assists. Shesterkin came back to Earth a bit after winning the Vezina in 2022, but the Rangers goaltender is one of the best in the crease. The Russian netminder posted a 2.48 GAA, a .916 SV% and 28.1 goals saved above expected. The Rangers rely probably too much on Shesterkin at times, but he has been a reliant backbone for their franchise since coming over from the KHL five years ago.

Ryan Leonard, LW/C, Washington Capitals

On top of the offense, Barzal is one of the best skaters in the league and puts in good work defensively as well. Not many would have been able to predict Gustav Forsling to make this kind of list even just a few years ago. From being a throw-in in a trade and being waived, to now in the Top 50 for the best players in the league is remarkable. Forsling is a great shut-down defenseman and was given a heavy workload in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs on the path to winning a Stanley Cup, and received eight third-place votes for the Conn Smythe.

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He was loaned to a different KHL club this year where he had to prove himself once again. Khusnutdinov joined the Wild for a stretch at the end of the season, playing his first 16 NHL games, scoring four points. Connor McDavid, known for his breathtaking speed and impeccable puck-handling abilities, remains a standout. His ability to change the course of a game single-handedly makes him one of the most electrifying players to watch. Nathan MacKinnon, with his powerful skating and scoring prowess, consistently shows why he is one of the league’s top forwards, leading his team with intensity and precision.

Hutson confident ‘better years’ ahead for Canadiens, young defense corps

The second half of Edmonton’s dynamic duo is a top-five player in the league himself, regarded as one of the premier passers and goal scorers in the NHL. The playoff edition of ESPN NHL Rank seeks to identify the top forwards, defensemen and goaltenders in the upcoming tournament. Dozens of voters participated, choosing one winner in a series of head-to-head voting matchups of the players on the 16 postseason qualifiers. Panarin hasn’t completely lived up to his monster contract, but that says more about his mega-deal rather than his production.

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Because the boring vets can be found on the waiver wire at any time unless you play in a 32-team league. Aleksander Barkov is arguably one of the Panthers’ biggest threats on both ends of the ice. After all, Barkov won the Selke Trophy this season as the best defensive forward in the NHL. As harassing as Barkov can be on the defensive end, he’s just as dangerous when he’s got the puck on his stick.

Matthew Tkachuk, LW, Panthers

There is still a lot of faith that he can bounce back after last season, and with his shooting and utilization of his size, there isn’t much reason to think 56 points is going to be a regular season for him. When he was drafted first overall, the offense was known to be his biggest asset, but his defensive play has become much stronger and he is now able to take control over a game at both ends of the ice. He is a bit of a hot-and-cold player with his offense, but over the course of a season, he has proven he can be relied upon for 50+ points regularly, he could even challenge the point-per-game mark soon. After a couple of dominant years in a row, Mika Zibanejad took a bit of a step back in his goal-scoring and point production last season.

One explanation is that Hastings’ coaching style is regarded as, shall we say, abrasive and perhaps players got tired of him as the year went along and those who didn’t fit his style exited in the offseason. That’s an explanation as to why they specifically lost players with NHL potential to the portal. Despite the strong goaltending from Augustine, MSU gave up 117 goals last season which was quite a few (way more than Minnesota, Wisconsin, or ND) and a lot of that was attributable to icing a very young D. Levshunov obviously exits but much of the defense returns and is a year more experienced in college hockey and could be ready to tighten things up.

Lightning’s Geekie suspended 1 preseason game

He is an effective scorer, and despite having a slow start to the season, he caught up quickly and finished with over a point per game. His physicality, leadership, and playoff performances have launched him up the list over the past two years and he has become one of the most impactful players in the league. One of the best defensemen in the league, Roma Josi continues to score a significant amount of goals and points every season.

He has all the talent and the résumé to prove he can have a breakout year and become a core piece of the Flames’ future. Throughout Florida’s Stanley Cup run in 2023, Matthew Tkachuk constantly rose to the occasion, and nothing has changed this time around. Tkachuk currently leads the Panthers in points (19) during the Stanley Cup Playoffs with five goals and a team-high 14 assists. The veteran forward has thrived on the power-play throughout the postseason with a team-high six power-play assists thus far. Tkachuk plays with an ample amount of physicality, and will likely do his best to get under the skin of the opposition. He also has no problem making his living around the net on the offensive end of the ice.

A hockey association was formed in the country in 1875, but dissolved after seven years; in 1886 the Hockey Association was created in England and worked to establish the first set of rules for the game. The content on this site is for entertainment purposes only and CBS Sports makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the information given or the outcome of any game or event. This site contains commercial content and CBS Sports may be compensated for the links provided on this site. The Toronto Maple Leafs surprised the hockey world when they selected Easton Cowan with the 28th pick in the 2023 Draft. He wasn’t seen as a first round candidate by many people, but he has already paid back the Leafs for their belief in him.

Zach Werenski is one of the more underrated defensemen in the NHL, and his play on the Columbus Blue Jackets, who have struggled a lot over the past few seasons, has been great. Stephen Halliday led OSU in scoring in each of the last two years and he has now signed a contract with the Ottawa Senators. His goals are second to only Verhaeghe on the Panthers, his 65 shots on goal trail just Tkachuk on the team, and his 9.9 expected goals rank second to Hyman out of all postseason players. Reinhart was the OT hero in Game 4 for the Panthers against the Rangers, showing an element of clutchness to his game. Sam Reinhart finished with 57 goals in the regular season, ensuring his payday this summer to be a massive one. The Panthers winger was a dominant scorer in the past, but he’s taken it to the next level in 2024.

It marked his sixth straight year topping the list, having overtaken Sidney Crosby in 2017 after the Penguins star had a seven-year run at No. 1. By his own standards, it was a bit of a down year last season in both goals and points, which is saying something of its own considering he was seventh in points and 14th in goals league-wide. In its early form, field hockey was played on natural grass, but the heavy turf made the game slower. Speed, technical skills and fun are the main characteristics of hockey—an exciting and dynamic sport that requires endurance and great coordination. A hockey match consists of four periods of 15 minutes for a total match time of 60 minutes. Hockey takes its name from the French word “hocquet”, meaning a shepherd’s crook in reference to the curved shape of a hockey stick.

As great as the Oilers are on offense, they do need to play some defense to win the Stanley Cup. Since joining Edmonton ahead of the 2023 trade deadline, Ekholm has provided some much needed stability on defense, and he has elevated his game in these playoffs. In his 321 minutes of ice time at five-on-five, the Oilers have controlled 57.2% of the expected goals and outscored opponents 19-11, per Natural Stat Trick. Those numbers are even more eye-popping when you consider Ekholm is tasked with slowing down the opposition’s top forwards. It’s probably safe to assume that Sam Reinhart and Carter Verhaeghe will get a heavy dose of Ekholm in this series. Artyom Levshunov has an incredibly exciting toolkit as a big, right-handed defender who skates incredibly well.

He absolutely tore up the top junior league in Russia and was excellent in the second-tier professional league in Russia as well (VHL). Miroshnichenko made the move to North America last year, scoring roughly half a point-per-game in the AHL and skating in a handful of NHL games. He battles hard and shoots harder, making him an absolute menace in the offensive zone. While the effort isn’t as prominent on the defensive side of the game, there are not many players with Kucherov’s offensive capabilities. He was the lone reason the Lightning made the playoffs last season, and with some movement in the Lightning lineup, Kucherov could benefit from the moves made this offseason in Tampa Bay. Leon Draisaitl has five straight 100-point seasons excluding the shortened 56-game season.

He can receive a contract extension on July 1, 2025, and he can become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2026. Either way, the three-time MVP will reap the benefits of being the NHL’s best player since he was drafted No. 1 overall in 2015. Florida claimed the defenseman off waivers in 2021 from Carolina, and he has since flourished into a legitimate top-pair defender. He quickly rose to the top of the Panthers’ blue line and is now one of the most underrated defensemen in the league. The Panthers captain trails only Tkachuk on the team in playoff points with 17 in as many games. His 164 faceoff wins rank third out of all skaters, and he’s winning 53.4 percent of his draws.

Hyman has turned himself into a net-front menace, and that hasn’t changed in the playoffs, no matter how hard other teams have tried to neutralize him. Hyman leads all playoff performers with 14 goals, and the Panthers better have an answer for him in the low slot, especially when Edmonton is on the man advantage. Sergei Bobrovsky really thrived throughout the Panthers’ series win against the Rangers. Bobrosvsky yielded two or fewer goals in five of his six starts in that series and compiled a 2.00 goals-against-average even after surrendering five goals in Game 3 against New York. According to Money Puck, Bobrovsky has registered a .960 save percentage when facing unblocked shots throughout the postseason.

His superb skating allows him to break down opposing defenses before making his move and charging to the middle or making a clever pass to an open teammate. Mateychuk’s production and confidence have only grown since his draft year and he’s been absolutely torching the WHL since then, and should find himself in the NHL next season with the Blue Jackets. Jett Luchanko is going to be a fan favorite in the NHL someday, with an impressive tenacity and work ethic. Luchanko has good skill with the puck and skates quite well, making him a dangerous player with the puck in transition. However, he’s always willing to give up some of the glory by making another pass and finding a better option if it’s there.

He has a great shot and playmaking vision but could use some work on his speed to help him separate from defenders on the rush. Nyman scored 26 goals and 43 points in 48 Liiga games last season and is making the jump to the AHL next year where I expect he’ll be a powerful force for the Coachella Valley Firebirds. Edstrom isn’t the flashiest player offensively, but he skates well for his size and wins tons of battles, clearing the way for his linemates to produce more offense. I expect he’ll earn time on both special teams units in the NHL, and has some top-six center potential if he continues to grow offensively like has over the past 18 months or so.

Previously he worked for NBC Sports on their national news desk reporting on breaking news for the NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL, in addition to covering the 2020 and 2022 Olympic Games. A graduate of Quinnipiac University, he spent time in college as a beat reporter covering the men’s ice hockey team. Part of the reason the Stars have materialized into legitimate Stanley Cup contenders in the Western Conference is due to Oettinger. The Dallas goaltender wasted no time adjusting to the NHL level when he made the jump from the NCAA in 2020. The 24-year-old is one of the most promising young goaltenders, coming off a season where he posted a 2.42 GAA and a .916 SV%. McDavid picked up all 20 first-place votes last season despite having finished second in Hart Trophy voting to Auston Matthews just a few months earlier.

However, he potted 36 goals yet again, marking the fourth time in the last five years the Hurricanes center posted at least 30 goals. His knack for finding the back of the net is paired with a solid defensive presence, making the Finn one of the league’s top centers. He posted 66 points in 67 games in the regular season before contributing 26 points in 20 games in his first playoff run, culminating in a Stanley Cup win. He looked like the franchise star the Golden Knights were expecting him to be when they traded for him two years ago. Similar to Heiskanen, McAvoy has always provided the Bruins with strong, two-way play on the blue line.

He is still a bit of a raw prospect at this point, which means there’s a lot of room for growth. Levshunov was a poor defender in the USHL when he first arrived, but finished that season as a strong two-way player. His first NCAA mirrored that closely, https://gambibet.org/login/ with an increased defensive responsibility as the year wore on. It looks like Levshunov is set to make the jump to the pros next season, and while his defensive game may not be great right off the bat, he’s shown himself to be a quick study.