The brand new NHL season is underway, and the MVP and Champion talk has already begun. While many want to see the Lightning go back-to-back-to-back, many teams and players can derail that.
While it is still early in the season, this post will look at the best players in the league, right, the NHL high rollers, if you will.
These are the players that can not only make or break their own team’s season but break the seasons of others.
Cale Makar
The Avalanche were one of the most dominant teams in the league last season, with many surprised they weren’t the ones lifting the Stanley Cup at the end of it all. One of their best young guns made their mark on the season as well.
In his first year as a professional, Cale Makar was named the Rookie of the Season and followed that up by being named in the 2021 First All-Star Team and coming second in the race for the James Norris Memorial Trophy.
David Pastrnak
David Pastrnak is widely regarded as the best player on the Boston Bruins team right now. While the Bruins had a somewhat disappointing 2020-21 season, considering they were division champions, Pastrnak shone the organization’s light.
Pastrnak was the third-highest scorer in the regular season, finishing up with 20 goals. He then went on to score 7 in the playoffs and provide eight assists. While the Bruins didn’t go all the way, Pastrnak has become the man to lead them to the Cup.
Nikita Kucherov
The Tampa Bay Lightning were the team to beat last season, and Nikita Kucherov was part of why they were so unstoppable. Incredibly, he didn’t even feature in the regular season, but it was his exploits in the playoffs that got him onto this list.
He played 23 games, scoring eight goals and assisting 24. He scored 32 points in total and is most definitely the reason we now call his team Champa Bay. However, he is now injured again, but if he comes back fit, who knows what damage he can cause on the ice.
Victor Hedman
Another Champa Bay player on the list is Victor Hedman. The Swedish defender has been a Tampa Bay player for the entirety of his NHL career, and his contributions on the ice have solidified him as a starter almost every game.
He played 54 games last season, scoring nine goals and assisting 36, scoring 45 points in total. His playoff run saw him achieve two goals with 16 assists. Considering how dominant this Tampa Bay team was last season, standing out from the crowd like Hedman has means you are something special.
Artemi Panarin
The Rangers didn’t have the best 2020-21 season. They finished fifth in the East, and with no playoffs, their season ended far earlier than they would have hoped. However, Artemi Panarin proved to be a massive asset for the New York franchise.
Even though his season was interrupted due to personal reasons and a back injury, Artemi still managed to get on the ice for 42 games, scoring 17 goals and assisting 41. If the Rangers are planning on reaching the playoffs this season, Artemi is the difference-maker they need.
Sidney Crosby
Sid the Kid and his division champion team, the Penguins, are certainly one of the teams that can knock Tampa Bay off their pedestal. Crosby has been a stalwart of the franchise since 2005 and is easily one of the pillars that hold this team up.
Last season, he ended with 24 goals and 38 assists, scoring 62 points in 55 games in the regular season. His playoff run was slightly disappointing, only scoring one goal and providing one assist in the six games he played. However, he’s Sid the Kid, the leading man at the Penguins; he can’t be perfect every time he steps on the ice.
Leon Draisaitl
The Edmonton Oilers haven’t quite reached the heights they once did back in the ’80s. However, Leon Draisaitl is proving to be a player who can change that. The German is in his seventh season with the team, finishing off last season with some of the best stats in the league.
He played 56 games, scoring 31 goals and assisting 53. He finished off with 84 points in total. Even though he didn’t quite get to the numbers he reached the season before, he has shown the consistency needed if the Oilers want another Stanley Cup.
Auston Matthews
Even though they are one of the most successful outfits in the league, besides a division championship last season, the Leafs aren’t the same team they once were. However, Auston Matthews is looking to change that.
He has only been in the league for a few seasons, but he has established himself as one of the deadliest men on the ice. He scored 41 goals last season, his highest ever, and assisted for 25. If he can put up those numbers again, the Maple Leafs will be a force to be reckoned with.
Nathan MacKinnon
Another Avalanche giant is Nathan McKinnon. The center has been with the Avalanche for the entirety of his NHL career and helped lead them to a division championship last season, holding off the Vegas Knights in the process.
McKinnon finished last season with 20 goals and 45 assists in the regular season. He played ten games in the playoffs, scoring eight and assisting for 7 in the process. The Avalanche will be one of the teams to beat this season, and McKinnon is part of the reason why.
Connor McDavid
There is no better player in hockey right now than Connor McDavid. The Oilers center has the awards and stats to back up his meteoric rise in the rankings, and he proves his ability each time he steps on the ice.
Last season he played 56 games, finishing with 33 goals and a career-high 72 assists. In the playoffs, he only had one goal and three assists in the four games played. McDavid doesn’t play hockey, he dominates it, and this season will be no different.
This is our pick of the NHL’s best players right now. Who would you add to this list?
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