

John Carlson, WashingtonĤ4 may seem a bit low for a defenseman who scored at above a point-per-game pace last season, but it is a justified position. However, Gaudreau is still a top offensive presence and is more than good enough to have a bounce-back year on an excellent Flames team. With 58 points and a -10 rating in 70 games last season, many Flames fans were disappointed with their franchise center. Johnny Gaudreau, CalgaryĪfter exploding for 99 points in the 2018-19 season where the Flames won the Western conference, Gaudreau has cooled off dramatically. However, with only one goal in his last 25 playoff games, he is kept lower on this list due to his underwhelming postseason performances as of late. While he is exiting his prime and is not the player he once was, him and Sean Couturier still create an excellent one-two center punch. Claude Giroux, PhiladelphiaĬlaude Giroux has been the captain of a solid Flyers team for years, and is one of the best players of this generation. His creativity with the puck and ice vision should only lead you to believe he’s going to get better over time and develop into a star, as he is just 20 years of age. In his 2019-20 campaign and second career season, Svechnikov notched 24 goals and 61 points in 68 games.

Andrei Svechnikov, CarolinaĪndrei Svechnikov, who brought the iconic Michigan move into the NHL, has found his game last season in a big way. Last season wasn’t at par with his expectations going in, keeping him slightly lower on the list.

While he doesn’t have the offensive skill or production of Mikko Rantanen or Nathan MacKinnon, Landeskog is the final piece of the puzzle as he is an excellent leader, two-way player, and playmaker. Landeskog, the captain of a loaded Colorado team, is a key component in their first line. The young defender will only get better and better, and should be much higher on this list in a year or two. Provorov is consistent on both sides of the ice, from shutting down opposing plays to beginning a rush and setting up in the offensive zone. Ivan Provorov has become a solid #1 defenseman in Philadelphia, and is the anchor of their defensive unit. Injury concerns aside, Hall is still a top offensive presence wherever he lands, and we can expect a vast increase in offensive production from Taylor Hall this year playing alongside Jack Eichel. The 2018 Hart trophy winner hasn’t exactly been in an ideal position the past few seasons, bouncing from Edmonton, to New Jersey, Arizona, and now Buffalo. Click here for our analytical ranking of NHL goalies. Lastly, we should note that goaltenders were excluded from this list, as it is extremely difficult to compare goalies with particular skaters in the league as their roles are so vastly different. I polled my fellow writers and contributors, and that formed our list. In a collaborative effort, we did the same here at Drive4Five. With that being said, many different hockey-affiliated websites and social media accounts have came out with lists stating their picks for the Top 50 players in the NHL. We can’t believe we’re saying this, but the NHL season is just under a month away.
