NHL Top Players: Nos. 10-1

NHL Network is getting ready for this season by ranking the top 50 players in the League. Researchers, producers and on-air personalities compiled the list, and players 10-1 were revealed Sunday in the ninth of a nine-part series. Here is the list:

10. Mikko Rantanen, F, Colorado Avalanche

Rantanen was third in the NHL with 55 goals and eighth with 105 points in 82 games last season, each an NHL career best. He also had 50 assists, making him the fourth Avalanche/Quebec Nordiques player with a 50/50 season (Joe Sakic, Michel Goulet, Jacques Richard). It's the most goals any player has scored for the franchise since Goulet had 55 for the Nordiques in 1984-85. The 26-year-old played wing and center, averaging 22:15 of ice time, his highest total in eight NHL seasons. Rantanen led Colorado during the Stanley Cup playoffs with 10 points (seven goals, three assists) in seven games.

"He has 55 goals, 50 assists, and how do you defend that?" NHL Network analyst Mike Rupp said. "Because he can move the puck really well. ... This guy is a weapon, and he is always going to be overshadowed on this team because he's got two players (Cale Makar, Nathan MacKinnon) that might be better than him."

9. Sidney Crosby, F, Pittsburgh Penguins

Crosby led the Penguins with 93 points (33 goals, 60 assists) in 82 games last season, the 11th time he scored at least 30 goals and the 12th time he had at least 84 points. Crosby also led Pittsburgh with nine game-winning goals while averaging 20:09 of ice time per game. The 36-year-old led the NHL in face-offs (1,846) and was second in face-off wins (978) behind Patrice Bergeron of the Boston Bruins (1,043). Crosby, who has won the Stanley Cup three times (2009, 2016, 2017), leads active skaters in points (1,502) and assists (952) and is second in goals (550), behind Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals (822).

"He knows how to win, he knows how to contribute in all facets of the game," Rupp said. "And that's what makes him so valuable. … He can influence a game in other ways too. It's not just about the points for Sidney Crosby. … He's 36 … and he's still over a point per game. … He ain't going away anytime soon. If he wants to continue to play for three, five years, he's shown us no reason why he can't do it."

8. Nikita Kucherov, F, Tampa Bay Lightning

Kucherov tied for third in the NHL with 113 points (30 goals, 83 assists) in 82 games. He had the second-most assists and points in a season by a Lightning player, behind the 87 assists and 128 points he had in 2018-19. He was fourth in the NHL with 50 power-play points, a Tampa Bay single-season record. The 30-year-old right wing reached 100 points for the third time in the past six seasons, the third-most in that span behind Connor McDavid (five) and Leon Draisaitl (four), and his 495 points are fifth among all players during that stretch despite a hip injury keeping him out of the 2020-21 regular season.

"As skilled as anyone," NHL analyst Mike Johnson said. "The passing and the shooting. I'm glad you mentioned the shot because we focus so much on that vision, on the ability to set up other players, his teammates, for all those assists. But his shot is absolutely a laser. He can absolutely rip it. Only does it sometimes, when he has to."

7. Auston Matthews, F, Toronto Maple Leafs

Matthews scored 40 goals for the fourth straight season and the fifth time in his seven NHL seasons. The 26-year-old has scored 299 goals since entering the NHL in 2016-17, more than any player. Matthews had 85 points, eight-game winning goals, 13 power-play goals and an NHL career-high plus-31 rating in 74 games last season. He averaged 20:17 of ice time and his 68 takeaways were ninth among NHL forwards.

"I think he is the most natural goal scorer in the NHL, and has been for a number of years now," Rupp said. "And what I mean by that is he doesn't rely or need -- and there's nothing wrong with that -- he doesn't need deflection goals, he doesn't need ugly bounces. He can just flat out beat you with his shot. … He had an off year with 40 goals. That kind of shows where he's at."

6. Matthew Tkachuk, F, Florida Panthers

In his first season with the Panthers, Tkachuk tied for sixth in the NHL with 109 points (40 goals, 69 assists) in 79 games and was third in voting for the Hart Trophy as NHL most valuable player. He was even better in the playoffs, setting Panthers records for goals (11), assists (13) and points (24) in 20 games to help Florida reach the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 1996. The 25-year-old left wing scored four game-winning goals in the postseason, including the series-clinching goal in the final seconds of the third period of Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final against the Carolina Hurricanes.

"Kind of forced a trade (from the Calgary Flames), got the big contract (with Florida)," Johnson said. "A lot of players would have a hard time dealing with that kind of pressure. And he goes in there and starts playing fantastic. … And then you think, what is he going to do in the playoffs. … Then he goes in the playoffs and puts on a show for the ages … just sort of willing his team, the underdog Florida Panthers, all the way to the Stanley Cup Final."

5. David Pastrnak, F, Boston Bruins

Pastrnak was second in the NHL with 61 goals and tied for third with 113 points in 82 games for the Bruins, who set NHL records for wins (65) and points (135) in a season. It was the sixth time in the past seven seasons Pastrnak has scored at least 34 goals, something accomplished by one other active NHL player (Auston Matthews, seven). He led the NHL in shots on goal (407), finished second in voting for the Hart Trophy and was the right wing on the NHL First All-Star Team. The 27-year-old was the second player to score 60 goals in a season for the Bruins, joining Phil Esposito (four times), and the first since Esposito scored 61 in 1974-75. It also was the most points by a Boston player since Adam Oates had 142 in 1992-93. Pastrnak was just as productive during the playoffs, scoring five goals in seven games.

"Just various ways that he can hurt you," Rupp said. "You fire the puck 400 times, you're going to garner some attention. What are you going to do with that attention? Are you going to still fire that and shoot it in the shin pads? No. Let's create for some others here. … He's a very intellectual player as well in finding offense, and he competes."

4. Cale Makar, D, Colorado Avalanche

Though Makar fell short of winning the Norris Trophy for the second consecutive season, he had 66 points (17 goals, 49 assists) in 60 games and averaged 1.10 points per game, second among defensemen behind Erik Karlsson (1.23). Makar became the first Avalanche skater to lead the NHL in average ice time (26:23) since it became an official statistic in 1996-97, and his six game-winning goals tied Josh Morrissey of the Winnipeg Jets for second at the position. Makar got his 200th point in his 195th NHL game to become the fastest defenseman in NHL history to reach the mark, surpassing Sergei Zubov (207 games). The 24-year-old won the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2022 when he had 29 points (eight goals, 21 assists) in 20 games, the fourth-highest total for a defenseman in a single playoff season.

"If there's ever someone who could maybe rise up and challenge Connor McDavid (for best player in the NHL), Cale Maker would have a great case of that," Johnson said. "… More than a point a game as a defenseman in his career and we're well into his career. … That's the sort of production he brings every single year."

3. Leon Draisaitl, F, Edmonton Oilers

Draisaitl was second in the NHL with 128 points (52 goals, 76 assists), the fifth straight season he's been in the top four in scoring. The 27-year-old led the NHL with 32 power-play goals, was second with 62 power-play points (McDavid, 71) and scored 11 game-winning goals (tied with McDavid for second to Pastrnak's 13). He won 54.9 percent of his face-offs and was fourth among forwards with an average ice time of 21:44 per game. He tied Vegas Golden Knights forward Jonathan Marchessault for the playoff lead in goals (13) despite playing 12 games, 10 fewer than Marchessault.

"The 50/50 club, I love it. And this guy's pretty much in his sleep every year going to be in the 50/50 club," Rupp said. "He does that so often. … He can do it all different ways. In the players poll every year, or the last number of years, have said that he is the best passer in the NHL. … [The Oilers] know on that power play, all they have to do is get it over to him and he's going to find it."

2. Nathan MacKinnon, F, Colorado Avalanche

MacKinnon set NHL career highs across the board with 42 goals, 69 assists and 111 points in 71 games last season, the first time he had more than 99 points in his 10 NHL seasons. The 28-year-old was fifth in points and second among forwards in ice time per game (22:19). He led Colorado forwards with a plus-29 rating, his 366 shots on goal were second in the NHL and set an Avalanche/Nordiques single-season record, and he tied Rantanen for the Colorado lead with nine game-winning goals. During the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs, MacKinnon tied Oilers forward Evander Kane for the NHL lead with 13 goals to help the Avalanche win the Stanley Cup for the first time since 2001. MacKinnon is third in points (553) among NHL players since the 2017-18 season.

"He can do it all offensively," Johnson said. "We all celebrate the galloping dashes through the neutral zone where he gets turning over, but also in the offensive zone, stop and starts … he might be, amongst all these great players, the best combination of skill and power where he can kind of skate through you, skate over you, or he can stop and skate and stick handle around you."

1. Connor McDavid, F, Edmonton Oilers

McDavid won the Art Ross Trophy for leading the NHL in scoring for the third straight season with 153 points (64 goals, 89 assists) in 82 games, the most since Mario Lemieux had 161 for the Penguins in 1995-96. McDavid also won the Rocket Richard Trophy as the League's leading goal-scorer, and he also led the NHL in 89 assists. He's the fifth player in NHL history to outright lead all three categories in one season (Wayne Gretzky, Phil Esposito, Gordie Howe, Howie Morenz), and the first since Gretzky in 1986-87. The 26-year-old led the NHL in power-play points and ice time per game among forwards (22:23). McDavid has 850 points since entering the NHL in 2015-16, 115 more than Draisaitl (735), who is second and has played 32 more games.

"I think if you asked the players who is the best player, it would also be unanimous, and there would be a consensus and say obviously it's Connor McDavid," Johnson said. "He's doing stuff that I didn't think could be done anymore. ... He's just approaching names that are the very greatest in the history of the game."