The Edmonton Oilers, led by Connor McDavid, finally got their shot at the Stanley Cup after a nearly 20-year drought, but despite an historic comeback from a 3-0 deficit, it was the Florida Panthers who walked away NHL champions. That Stanley Cup Final was studded with stars on both sides of the rink. McDavid was joined by the likes of Leon Draisaitl and Stuart Skinner between the pipes, while Florida boasted a fierce attack powered by Sam Reinhart, Matthew Tkachuk and Aleksander Barkov.
And that’s just two of the league’s 32 clubs. There’s no shortage of incredible talent in the NHL, from sharpshooting wingers to impenetrable goaltenders. Here’s a look at some of the top NHL players right now and some of the most promising NHL rookies to watch during the 2024-2025 season.
And of course, watch all the games on NHL CENTER ICE.
Top NHL Players in 2024
Let’s take a look at the best of the best this NHL season.
Connor McDavid: Edmonton Oilers
It’s tough to think of any other active NHL player who could top a list of the best NHL players in the 2024-25 season than Connor McDavid, Edmonton’s lightning-quick scoring protege. McDavid’s all-time scoring titles record is near the top of the charts alongside the likes of legends like Gordie Howe and Mario Lemieux. Only the “Great One,” Wayne Gretzky himself won more. Thanks to his efforts, Edmonton has been hoarding stat leader titles for the better part of the last decade.
Will this be the year that McDavid finally gets to hoist the Stanley Cup, a moment that has eluded him thus far, despite his career success and being just a single goal away from a league title last season?
Nathan MacKinnon: Colorado Avalanche
Nathan MacKinnon is the lynchpin center of the Colorado Avalanche’s attack, and he’s coming off of his most successful season yet. MacKinnon is as well-rounded a player as they come, and he’s a threat anywhere on the ice.
While he doesn’t quite surmount McDavid for the top spot on this list, he does have the hardware that McDavid has yet to earn: He led the Av’s to a 2022 Stanley Cup championship. He also took home MVP honors in the Hart Memorial Trophy and the Ted Lindsay Award last season.
Auston Matthews: Toronto Maple Leafs
There are only two things in professional ice hockey that hold equal importance above all else: scoring goals and preventing your opponent from doing the same. The Toronto Maple Leafs’ Auston Matthews has the former on lock: He’s easily the league’s top goal scorer, logging 69 by the end of the 2023-2024 season.
Matthews’ scoring prowess and uniquely balanced skill set has also netted him the league’s most lucrative contract at $13.2 million annually.
Cale Makar: Colorado Avalanche
Injuries limited Cale Makar in the 2022-23, but he’s still easily the best NHL defenseman on the ice. He reached 300-career points last season, making him the second-fastest of all time to do that. He’s also won the Norris Trophy and the Conn Smythe Trophy and is regularly compared to Boston Bruins legend Bobby Orr.
EA Sports also chose Makar as its NHL 24 video game cover athlete.
Matthew Tkachuk: Florida Panthers
After finding success with the Calgary Flames from 2016 until 2022, Matthew Tkachuk leapt over to the Florida Panthers, joining their high-powered offense and helping catapult the team to a Stanley Cup Final appearance in 2023 and a Stanley Cup Championship in 2024.
Tkachuk is a tough, imposing and physical player with a knock for getting under his opponents’ skin to tilt the balance in the Cats’ favor. He’s easily one of the league’s best forwards.
Alexsander Barkov: Florida Panthers
Speaking of the Panthers, Tkachuk’s teammate, Alexsander Barkov, is another force in the NHL. A talented two-way center who shuts down opposing players with ease. A Selkie Award winner, he’s without a doubt one of the best defensive centers in the league. He was the runner-up for the Conn Smythe Trophy, edged out only by Connor McDavid.
Barkov, Tkachuk and crew will certainly be candidates for a third Stanley Cup Final appearance in as many years.
Nikita Kucherov: Tampa Bay Lightning
No one racked up more points last season than Nikita Kucherov, the Lightning’s star winger. With a whopping 144 points over 44 goals and 100 assists (yes, you read that right.) Kucherov was the engine behind Tampa’s offense during their back-to-back Stanley Cup-winning seasons in 2020 and 2021.
Artemi Panarin: New York Rangers
The Rangers’ elite left winger Artemi Panarin was the fourth-highest scoring player in the league last season, behind only Nikita Kucherov, Nathan MacKinnon and Connor McDavid. Panarin is a scoring artist, renowned for his outside-the-box thinking and precision in both shooting and passing. He’s been a regular feature of All-Star Game rosters since he joined the league with Chicago.
Igor Shesterkin: New York Rangers
Igor Shesterkin is in a league of his own as far as goalies go. Following in the footsteps of the legendary Henrik Lundqvist, Shesterkin quickly established himself as a fortress between the pipes for the Rangers. He’s a cool under pressure and lightning fast with elite lateral footwork. Shesterkin has been a driving force in the Rangers’ repeat playoff runs year after year.
Between Shesterkin, Panarin and the rest of the Rangers, expect another deep run this season, if not a Stanley Cup for New York.
Sidney Crosby: Pittsburgh Penguins
“Sid the Kid” has been a fixture on the Penguins’ starting line up since he was drafted by the team first overall way back in 2005. He’s been a force of nature ever since and is widely considered one of the greatest NHL players to ever play the game. He’s 37 now and still at the top of his game—in fact, rather than fading, he only seems to have gotten even better with age.
Quinn Hughes: Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks captain Quinn Hughes is more than a points machine, even though he made headlines in 2022-23 as the fastest defenseman in league history to record 200 assists (263 career games). The Vancouver Canucks appreciate Hughes’ two-way game, exceptional speed, leadership qualities and uncanny knack for fishing the puck out of the defensive zone and creating opportunities.
Hughes was a major reason why the Canucks hung out around the top of the leader board for much of the 2023-24 regular season.
Leon Draisaitl: Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton doesn’t boast just one of the best forwards in the game on their top lines: They’ve also got Leon Draisaitl, their massive German forward with a hulking physique, razor-sharp hockey IQ and monstrously powerful shot. He was seventh in overall points last season, making Edmonton, Toronto and Colorado the only teams to have two players in the top 10 for scoring.
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