He missed most of his freshman season at the University of Michigan due to injury, but had an excellent sophomore year last season and is set to go pro this Fall. Sam Rinzel was drafted 25th overall by the Blackhawks back in 2022, largely for the massive potential he brings to the table. As a 6-foot-4, right-shot defender, Rinzel has the basic tools that all NHL teams look for.

Daniil But, LW/C, Utah Hockey Club

With many awards finalists and proven playoff performers in the mix this spring, who comes out on top? We start with a player who scored more goals this season than anyone in the past 30 years. The Robin to McDavid’s Batman, Draisaitl is a world-class talent who would be the best player on 30 other teams. The German center finished with 52 goals and a career-high 128 points last season, giving him now three years with at least 50 goals and four seasons with at least 100 points. Draisaitl is regarded as the best passer in the league, and rightfully so with his slick dishing ability.

Jonathan Marchessault, LW, Vegas Golden Knights

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.

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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 https://gambibet.org/ 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.

• He can receive a contract extension on July 1, 2025, and he can become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2026.
• There is no denying that the Wild have become immensely more fun to watch since Kaprizov came over from Russia.
• Sam Reinhart might be Florida’s most dangerous offensive option to put the puck in the net.
• One big reason the Oilers have gotten over the playoff hump this season is that the cast around McDavid and Draisaitl is shouldering more of the burden.
• He led the league in goals, assists, and points as a 17-year-old and he’s got a wicked shot and the speed to be an absolute terror in transition.
• He brings great offensive skills and has some of the best possession metrics on his team last season.
• His size advantage is part of what makes him a nearly immovable object in the WHL, but he also has great hands, a strong shot, and really good puck protection instincts.
• Over the last three years, Stamkos has been one of the top point producers and had drug his team into battle every night.

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The Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers both have plenty of star power, and those marquee names will go toe-to-toe for hockey’s ultimate prize. Back during the Oilers’ dynasty in the 1980s, those Wayne Gretzky clubs had the great Paul Coffey. There’s a clear path for Celebrini to become an excellent first-line center in the NHL and the San Jose Sharks are counting the days until he can show what he’s made of at their training camp in a few short days.

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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.

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Matthews earned a majority of the second-place votes last year to finish ahead of Cale Makar, who was the top defenceman at No. 3. Matthews, though, is likely to see a slide down the list after finishing with 40 goals and 85 points in 76 games last season. With his game-breaking play every night, McDavid pulls himself closer and closer to the top of the list of all-time greats with each game he plays. The thing keeping him below the rest of the players ahead of him is likely the team success aspect. Matthews hasn’t found success in the playoffs yet, while three of the four ahead of him have won the Stanley Cup and the other one was the Conn Smythe winner on a losing team.

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He’s also a wizard in the faceoff dot, clicking at just under 50 percent, but the Edmonton forward owns the second-most faceoff wins in the 2024 postseason. That’s not to knock his offensive skillset at all, as the Senators captain exploded for 35 goals and 83 points last season. He’s a pain to play against, which is what makes the big-bodied Tkachuk so effective.

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He’s headed to the University of North Dakota this Fall, a program that has a long track record of developing solid NHL talent. Grizzled veteran scorers who are more consistent and don’t make the mistakes that 18/19-year-old future NHLers do is a very valid way to win in college hockey. The Badgers were an excellent goal prevention outfit this season and that’s what you have to have alongside that forward corps.

Roope Hintz, F, Dallas Stars

Brandt Clarke boasts some of the best offensive smarts and decision-making with the puck as a defenseman in the world. Selected eighth overall in 2021, Clarke can take control of a shift or lead a rush chance whenever he’s on the ice with his skating and speed. He’s great at identifying the open lanes and attacking with force to take advantage of an opportunity.

Lucas Raymond, Detroit Red Wings

Had Timo Meier been able to stay healthy, he would have kept his good momentum going and had been able to raise his point totals and finish around points. On top of being a reliable 60-point player, Meier also brings physicality and defensive responsibility. He can complement the top centers on the Devils very well, and back to the physicality, is one of the only top players to bring a good amount of hits to the table. Age catches up to players, and with Evgeni Malkin being 38 years old, 67 points is still quite impressive. Last season, he posted the lowest points-per-game pace of his career and has noticeably slowed down from the player he once was, but he is still a great second-line center. Morgan Rielly had a strong offensive season with the Toronto Maple Leafs, and while he isn’t known for his shut-down abilities, he was fine on the defensive side.

Artemi Panarin, LW, New York Rangers

• His 10 goals are tied for second out of all skaters, and his 14 power-play points rank first.
• Perreault was one of the most creative and intelligent players in the 2023 Draft and he is great at weaving his way out of trouble when defenders collapse around him, either with a pass or his lightning-quick hands.
• Matthews hasn’t found success in the playoffs yet, while three of the four ahead of him have won the Stanley Cup and the other one was the Conn Smythe winner on a losing team.
• Axel Sandin Pellikka is a right-handed offensive defenseman who has been an offensive leader in the SHL as a teenager.
• Now, entering the final year of his contract, all eyes will be on whether the Avs and the veteran Finn can agree on a deal that keeps him in Denver long-term.
• 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.

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.

Calum Ritchie has great puck skills and sometimes it looks like he’s glued the puck to his stick while carving through defenders or when he’s on a breakaway. His tools make him very well suited as a center at the next level with good size, a coveted right-handed shot, good defensive habits (kills penalties quite well), and solid faceoff results. He has the tools to be a top-6 forward, but his offensive game will need to continue to grow if he wants to reach that level of play in the NHL. Ritchie missed pieces of the past two seasons with injuries, but his play down the stretch in the OHL last season was phenomenal. Despite missing nearly all of his draft-1 season to injury, Michael Hage has established himself as a high end prospect, and was drafted 21st overall. He has a really well-rounded tool kit as a 6-foot-1 center who skates well, has excellent skill with the puck and can create chances at will in the USHL.

Adam Jiricek is very engaged physically, and has a penchant for taking big point shots. Jiricek produces a ton of chances on offense from the blueline, readily activating into play to support his teammates and keep the puck moving. Unfortunately, his excitement to join the play offensively means that he takes a lot of risks, leaving himself in really poor positions to recover defensively if things don’t go according to plan. Jiricek is really great at scanning the play off puck and he persists through pressure quite well so I think he will be able to cut down on the over-the-top risks in time. I like him as a two-way defensive prospect and his right-handed shot and 6-foot-2 frame will help him out on draft day. Hunter Brzustewicz is an offensive defender who skates incredibly well and has a lot to give offensively.

• He’s an excellent skater who doesn’t quit on the play which helps him win a lot of puck battles and races to pucks.
• Chernyshov plays a very direct style, charging the net frequently whether he has the puck or not.
• He absolutely torched the MHL this year (2 points per game) and scored 28 points in 17 playoff games.
• Pair him with your best playmaking center and watch him do the hardest thing there is in hockey, score goals.

• Draisaitl trails only McDavid for the most points in the playoffs with 28 in 18 games.
• He has always been among the most productive wingers around the league, but took a huge step this season scoring 49 goals and shattering his career-high of 31 goals before that.
• Sebastian Aho has quietly crept his way into the superstar-caliber player conversation.
• On a team that specializes in team defense, having a defenseman reach the 70-point mark is quite impressive.
• Slavin is such an underrated defenseman, and should arguably be higher on this list.
• Liam Öhgren is a “jack of all trades, master of none” type of player who will excel in the NHL one day as a complementary winger.
• He will automatically become one of the Philadelphia Flyers’ best players, and it won’t even be close.
• Smith had a phenomenal season in the NCAA last year, and is set to join a San Jose Sharks team in great need of high end talent.

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.

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His performance in the playoffs en route to the Stanley Cup wasn’t as dominant, but with 10 goals, he certainly didn’t disappear. He was on Hart, Selke and Lady Byng ballots this year, and has earned votes for them in previous years, except for the Hart. A very disappointing year by Tage Thompson’s standards didn’t stop voters by much on this one. After posting 47 goals and 94 points two seasons ago, Thompson, along with most of the other Sabres players, took a big step back in production.

Roope Hintz, C, Stars

Luchanko reads plays really well and has that knack for timing and finding openings in defensive coverage that is difficult to teach. He doesn’t really have any offensive traits that pop at this point so I don’t know that he’ll end up all that high in the Flyers’ lineup, but he has the motor to be an valuable piece someday very soon. Felix Unger Sörum is already looking like a year out from the 2023 Draft where he was taken late in the second round by the Carolina Hurricanes. Unger Sörum is an excellent playmaker, regularly feathering passes to teammates through traffic.

The Winnipeg goaltender was in trade rumors this offseason after the two sides could not come together to a contract extension, but he’s still their starting goaltender entering this year. The tall UMass Lowell product has been a workhorse for years, and it was no different last year, leading the league in starts while finishing third in Vezina voting. The days of being a perennial MVP candidate may be in the rearview mirror, but the Great 8 is still as entertaining as ever at age 38. He lit the lamp 42 times last season, passing Wayne Gretzky for the most 40-goal season in NHL history with 13. After moving into second on the all-time goal list last year, Ovechkin remains on the hunt for Gretzky’s record. Aho’s rise among the NHL elite took a bit of a bump last year, as he regressed from 81 points to 67.

After ranking sixth last year, Victor Hedman tumbled down the list to No. 23 this year. Hedman’s Tampa Bay Lightning teammate Andrei Vasilevskiy also tumbled out of the top 10, checking in at No. 19 after placing seventh last year. Founded in 2009, The Hockey Writers is a premier destination for news and information on everything hockey.