Every NHL team’s best player for the 2020 season
Who is the best player on each NHL team?
It seems in every sport, we are always comparing and ranking players. Who is the best player in the league? Who is the best player at each position? This is also the case in the NHL.
These lists are always highly subjective and can never keep everyone happy because there is simply so much skill in every professional sport that it is very hard to say one superstar is without a doubt superior to another.
Today, I decided to expand on the conversation, and rank the best player on each team in the NHL. As it turns out, it is still highly debatable.
Pacific Division
Anaheim Ducks – John Gibson
Despite struggling the last few seasons, the Anaheim Ducks have one big thing going for them. That is that they have one of the best goalies in the league in John Gibson. The 26-year-old has been everything they hoped for and more when they selected him with the 39th overall pick at the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.
Gibson had a down year this season, posting a 3.00 goals-against average (GAA) and a .904 SV%, in large part due to playing in front of a weak Ducks lineup. His overall career numbers of a 2.53 GAA and a .918% save percentage truly show how good the American born goaltender is, and why he is regarded as one of the games best. One certainly hopes the Ducks will be able to turn things around while Gibson is still at the top of his game.
Arizona Coyotes – Oliver Ekman-Larsson
Oliver Ekman-Larsson’s career feels somewhat disappointing to this point, but to no fault of his own. The 28-year-old Swedish defenceman has been one of the better players on the back end in the entire league for years now, but has played in the playoffs just once due to being part of a weak Coyotes roster. Despite this, he has never complained to the media and continues to be a great captain.
Ekman-Larsson has never become as dominate of an offensive defenceman many expected, he has still been able to put up solid numbers while also playing a solid defensive game. This season saw him put up nine goals and 21 assists in 66 games. He will get the chance this summer to play in the postseason for the first time in eight years, thanks to NHL expanding this years playoffs from 16 teams to 24.
Calgary Flames – Matthew Tkachuk
For many years, Johnny Gaudreau held this title. However, Matthew Tkachuk has become without a doubt the most valuable member of this Flames team. Since making his rookie season in 2016-17, the 22-year-old has established himself as one of the most agitating players in the entire league. What makes it even more frustrating for opposing players and fans is that he is also highly skilled.
The 2018-19 season is the best season Tkachuk has had in the NHL to date, as he put up a career-high 34 goals and 77 points. Though his point totals were down slightly this season, his 61 points were still good enough to lead his team in scoring.
Edmonton Oilers – Connor McDavid
Despite German-born forward Leon Draisaitl winning the Art Ross Trophy with 110 points this season, there is still no doubt Connor McDavid is the Edmonton Oilers best player. In fact, not only is he the best player on the Oilers, but most would agree that he is the best player in the world.
His combination of blazing speed, matched with hands that can keep up with his foot speed, as well as his incredible hockey IQ, make him a threat every time he steps on the ice.
The 23-year-old had 34 goals and 97 points despite playing in just 64 games this season. Had the season not been canceled, he would’ve hit the 100-point mark for the fourth straight season. The scary thing is that, given his young age, he has likely not yet reached his full potential. McDavid has a chance to go down as one of the best to ever play the game.
Los Angeles Kings – Anze Kopitar
Not much has gone right for the Los Angeles Kings lately. It doesn’t seem very long ago that they won two Stanley Cups just two seasons apart, the final coming in 2014. The last few seasons, however, have been very disappointing, as they have many players who have seen their play fall off dramatically in Jonathan Quick, Jeff Carter, and even Drew Doughty.
One player who has not dropped off is Anze Kopitar. Even though he is past his prime age-wise at 32, the Slovenian centerman is as good as he ever has been, all while playing on a struggling team. This season was yet another impressive one, as he posted 62 points in 70 games, and continued his strong defensive play.
San Jose Sharks – Erik Karlsson
The Sharks were one of if not the hardest team to pick the top player for. For years it would have been Joe Thornton, but he has begun to slow down with age. There is also another great defenceman in Brent Burns, as well as the underrated Logan Couture. One reason this was so hard to pick is that the nearly the entire Sharks roster had horrible seasons, Erik Karlsson included.
In fact, Karlsson has struggled in both of his two seasons with the Sharks. While his numbers don’t look bad, it is clear watching that he has not been nearly as dominant as he was during his time with the Ottawa Senators.
However, due to the entire team having a down year, I believe Karlsson can bounce back in a big way. If he is able to rediscover his game, he is not only the best defenceman on the Sharks, but likely in the league.
Vancouver Canucks – Elias Pettersson
Despite going fifth-overall at the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, Elias Pettersson wasn’t very well known to many fans when he made his NHL debut last season. That changed in a hurry, as the Swedish sensation put up 28 goals and 66 points in just 71 games. This incredible rookie season made him a fairly easy pick for the Calder Trophy.
This season saw Pettersson post very similar numbers, with 27 goals and 66 points in 68 games. Though he didn’t lead the team in scoring this year as he did last, you won’t find anyone that will argue he isn’t the team’s best player. Given that he is just 21-years-old and has yet to put on much weight yet, it’s scary to think just how good he will be in a few years.
Vegas Golden Knights – Mark Stone
It’s not often in hockey that anyone other than a center wins the Selke Trophy, but right-winger Mark Stone may soon have one of his own. The 28-year-old is not only incredible defensively but also puts up big numbers each season. This year was no different as he had 63 points in 65 games.
The former Ottawa Senator has been one of the bigger draft steals in recent memory, being selected in the sixth round (178) of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. He has been a fantastic addition to the stacked Golden Knights roster since being acquired at the trade deadline during the 2018-19 season.
Atlantic Division
Boston Bruins – Patrice Bergeron
The Boston Bruins are one of the best teams in the NHL, and it’s no surprise why when you look at their roster. They have superstar players in David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand who would easily be the best player on many other teams in the league, however not on their own because of the fact they play with Patrice Bergeron.
Bergeron, 34, seems to be getting even better with age. The four-time Selke Trophy winner put up a career-high 79 points last season despite playing in just 65 games. He was outstanding yet again this season with 31 goals and 56 points in just 61 games. He is arguably the best two way center in the game and will have a chance to lead the Bruins to a Stanley Cup Championship this summer, something they fell just one game shy of last year.
Buffalo Sabres – Jack Eichel
One of the only things the Sabres have done right in the last 10 years was selecting Jack Eichel with the second overall pick at the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. The 23-year-old has improved every season he has been in the league, and this one was no exception. With 78 points in 68 games prior to the NHL stoppage, he was on pace to destroy his career-high 82 points set the season prior.
The unfortunate thing for Eichel and his fans is that the Sabres management has failed to put together any type of supporting cast around the young forward. He has yet to play a single playoff game in his career and will not get to participate in this summers playoffs either despite the league changing the format from 16 teams to 24.
He has not been shy lately of voicing his growing frustration of the team’s lack of success, and they may be in danger of a trade request if they are not able to build a competent roster around him soon.
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Detroit Red Wings – Dylan Larkin
The 2019-20 season went as poorly as it possibly could have for the Detroit Red Wings. They had one of the worst regular seasons of all time, finishing with just 17 wins and 39 points in 71 games. Despite the lack of success, however, they do still have some highly skilled players, none better than Dylan Larkin.
Larkin, 23, was selected by the Red Wings in the first round (15th) of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft, and has proven to be an extremely successful pick. Last season, he posted a career-high 32 goals and 73 points in 71 games. Though this season saw a decline in his numbers, it is hard to blame him considering the players he was surrounded with. Expect a bounce-back season next year.
Florida Panthers – Alexander Barkov
The Florida Panthers are a lot like the Carolina Hurricanes in that they have many extremely talented players who are very underappreciated. Players such as Jonathan Huberdeau, Mike Hoffman, and Evgeny Dadonov have all put up high point totals the last few seasons yet rarely get mentioned. However, their best and arguably most underrated player is Aleksander Barkov.
The Finnish sensation, despite not getting much recognition, is highly regarded by other players as one of the league’s best two-way centers. The 2018-19 season was the best we have seen of Barkov to date, as he posted a career-high 35 goals and 96 points. The former second overall pick is still just 24-years-old, and will hopefully be able to become more appreciated as his career goes on.
Montreal Canadiens – Carey Price
Though his last few seasons haven’t been up to his normal standard, there is still little doubt that Carey Price is the Montreal Canadiens’ best player. It is hard to blame the 32-year-old for having down stats the past few seasons, as the team in front of him has struggled as a whole.
However, when you are the highest paid goalie in the NHL, you should be stealing games for your team on a nightly basis, something Price has been unable to do lately.
The one thing Price has going for him is that the Canadiens do have some good young talent and should improve soon. Although it is hard to say whether or not he is on the decline at this point in his career, it seems likely he still has a few more good seasons in him.
If Montreal is able to put a competitive team ahead of him soon, he may be able to take them on a big playoff run soon. After all, he is still viewed by many players in the league as the game’s best goaltender.
Ottawa Senators – Thomas Chabot
The Ottawa Senators were another team who struggled throughout the majority of the 2019-20 season. However, with some of the young talent they have in the organization, they should be able to turn things around soon.
Leading the charge of the young talent is defenseman Thomas Chabot. Finishing his third year with the team, he saw his point total decrease from 2018-19’s career-high 55, to just 39 this season.
Though his point production was somewhat disappointing, his overall play was not. Chabot was a workhorse for the Sens this season, averaging a league-high 26:00 minutes per game in ice time this season. Assuming the Senators are able to turn into a playoff team soon, it seems likely he could propel himself into Norris Trophy conversations in the upcoming years.
Tampa Bay Lightning – Nikita Kucherov
The Tampa Bay Lightning are considered by many to be the best team in the entire NHL. As a result, they have tons of star talent that could be on this list. Upfront they have Steven Stamkos, who is one of the leagues most feared goal scorers.
Then on the back end, they have Victor Hedman who seems to be in Norris Trophy contention every year, all while having Andrei Vaselivsky in the pipes, who is one of the best goaltenders in the world.
Despite all the talent on the team, Russian forward Nikita Kucherov is their best player. The 27-year-old put up his first 100-point season in 2017-18, but it was really in the 2018-19 season where he started getting consideration as one of the best in the world.
That season saw him put up an unfathomable 128 points. He will look to regroup in the playoffs this summer after a poor showing in last year’s postseason.
Toronto Maple Leafs – Auston Matthews
Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews entered 2016 NHL Entry Draft with a ton of hype, and has proven why. The 22-year-old has arguably the best release in the game of hockey, and fell just one goal shy of his first ever Rocket Richard Trophy this season. Though falling shy of the trophy is disappointing, his 47 goals and 80 points in 70 games played certainly isn’t.
As dominant as Matthews already is, he is only getting better. The Leafs have one of the best young cores in the league, large in part thanks to him. It wouldn’t be surprising to see them end their extremely long Stanley Cup drought sooner than later with Matthews leading the charge.
Central Division
Chicago Blackhawks – Patrick Kane
Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews deserves some consideration here, but there is little doubt that Patrick Kane is the most valuable player on this Hawks roster. The 31-year-old has been incredible since the moment he stepped into the NHL as an 18-year-old during the 2007-08 season. He is one of the most talented players in the game, and has proven himself on the worlds biggest stage many times, winning three Stanley Cups as well as a Conn Smythe Trophy.
At this point, it doesn’t appear Kane will be slowing down anytime soon. The future Hall-of-Famer was yet again having a fantastic season this year with 84 points in 70 games. Just last season, he set a new career-high in points with 110, which was the second time in his career he has hit the 100-point mark.
Colorado Avalanche – Nathan MacKinnon
It will come to the surprise of no one to see Nathan MacKinnon on this list. Despite a somewhat slow start to his career, he has improved in a massive way the past few seasons and is one of the truly elite forwards in the game. He appeared to be on his way to set new career highs this season prior to the league stoppage, as he had 35 goals and 93 points in just 69 games played.
The Avalanche are a very strong team and have a very bright future ahead of them with players such as Mackinnon, Mikko Rantanen, and Cale Makar. They will be a contender for years to come and it wouldn’t be surprising to see them win the Stanley Cup sooner than later.
Dallas Stars – Ben Bishop
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This pick may come as a surprise to some, but Ben Bishop has been an extremely underrated goalie in the league despite putting up numbers that would suggest he is one of the game’s best. This season, the Stars struggled big-time offensively. Their leading point scorer, Tyler Seguin, recorded just 50 points in 69 games. Despite that, they still finished the season in third place in the Central Division.
This was mainly due to the outstanding play of Bishop. The 33-year-old posted a 2.50 goals-against average (GAA) and a .920 save percentage. He was even better last season, where he put up a 1.96 GAA and a .934 SV%. To this point in his career, he has not captured a Vezina Trophy, but has been in the running many times. If he plays the way he’s capable of this summer, the Stars have a chance to go on big run.
Minnesota Wild – Ryan Suter
Ryan Suter doesn’t get talked about for being a top tier defenceman like he used to, even though he is still very good. In fact, with how little he gets talked about nowadays, you could argue he has become underrated. The 35-year-old averaged a ridiculous 24:38 minutes in ice time per game this year and posted very solid numbers with eight goals and 40 assists in 69 games.
It seems that ever since he joined the Wild, he hasn’t gotten nearly the same hype as he did when he was a member of the Nashville Predators. It is unfortunate because he has been dominant for the majority of his 1,142 regular-season games. There is no doubt the Wild have struggled at times this season due to their age, but Suter has nothing to do with those problems.
Nashville Predators – Roman Josi
There wouldn’t be many teams in the entire NHL that Nashville Predators defenceman Roman Josi wouldn’t be the best player on. The 30-year-old Switzerland native has been one of if not the best defenceman in the entire NHL over the past three seasons. Despite this, he does not yet have a Norris Trophy to his name, but that may change soon.
The Predators captain had an outstanding 2019-20 season, with 16 goals and 65 points in 69 games. He also finished third in the entire league in ice time per game with 25:47. Despite the heavy minutes, he continued to dominate every time he was on the ice.
Though he may lose out on the Norris Trophy again this season because of an incredible year from Washinton Capitals defenceman John Carlson, he will without a doubt be one of the three nominees and will likely continue to be so for seasons to come.
St. Louis Blues – Ryan O’Reilly
The St. Louis Blues were able to win their first-ever Stanley Cup Championship last season, in large part thanks to the play of Ryan O’Reilly. In what was his first season with the Blues, O’Reilly was absolutely dominant, putting up 23 points in 26 playoff games and winning the Conn Smythe Trophy as a result.
O’Reilly was stolen by the Blues from the Buffalo Sabres during the 2018 offseason, and has been incredible since the moment he joined his new team. This season was much of the same as the 29-year-old posted 61 points in 71 games.
The Blues have other high-end players in Vladimir Tarasenko and Alex Pietrangelo, but O’Reilly’s two-way play was the biggest reason they were able to win a Stanley Cup.
Winnipeg Jets – Mark Scheifele
The Winnipeg Jets have an extremely talented forward group, which includes Blake Wheeler, Patrik Laine, Kyle Connor, and Nikolaj Ehlers. But the best of them all is Mark Scheifele. The 27-year-old has been a part of the Jets organization since being selected 7th overall in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, and he certainly has not disappointed.
Last season saw Scheifele put up a career-high 38 goals and 84 points. Although the goal total from last year’s season wasn’t likely to be reached, he did have a chance to set a new career-high in points as he finished this season with 73 points in 71 games. What could have been a disastrous season in Winnipeg due to the loss of many defensemen ended up going just fine thanks in large part to Scheifele.
Metropolitan Division
Carolina Hurricanes – Sebastian Aho
This was one of the tougher ones to do on this list, as the Hurricanes have one of the most underrated rosters in the entire NHL. On the back end, they have Jaccob Slavin, who never seems to get talked about.
They also have Dougie Hamilton, who was putting up a Norris Trophy type season before being injured. They have some very gifted talent upfront as well in players like Teuvo Teravainen and Andrei Svechnikov.
None of those players, however, are quite as important to the Hurricanes team as Finnish forward Sebastian Aho. Like all the players listed above, Aho never seems to get talked about nearly as much as he should.
The 22-year-old is turning into one of the games elite players and was having another great season this year with a career-high 38 goals in just 68 games. He also set a career-high in points the season prior with 83. Considering his age, he is likely to only keep getting better and will be able to keep the Canes competitive for years to come.
Columbus Blue Jackets – Seth Jones
After a tough offseason where they lost three top-end players in Artemi Panarin, Matt Duchene, and Sergei Bobrovsky, many expected the Columbus Blue Jackets to struggle this season.
However, due to many players stepping up, they have been able to compete all season long despite many injuries and are going to be competing in this summers playoffs as a result. None of these players have stepped up more than defenceman Seth Jones.
Jones, 25, has become one of the best NHL defensemen in the league. This season has been one of the most impressive of his career. He is averaging a monstrous 25:17 minutes of ice time per game. He has also put up six goals and 30 points in just 56 games.
The veteran of 524 regular-season games only appears to be getting better and will likely be one of the game’s top defensemen for a long time to come.
New Jersey Devils – Nico Hischier
The New Jersey Devils were likely the most disappointing team in the 2019-20 season. After some offseason moves that saw them bring in P.K. Subban from Nashville, as well as highly touted KHL forward Nikita Gusev, many thought they would be back in the playoffs that season.
That turned out to be very incorrect, as they did not even make the playoffs with the extended 24-team format. The fact that Nico Hischier is currently the team’s best player may have a lot to do with that.
Let me be clear, this is not meant to be a knock to Hischier. The 2017 first overall pick has been fairly solid over his first three NHL seasons. However, his career-high is just 52 points, which is not something you would hope for in your team’s best player. Prior to the season, this answer would’ve been Taylor Hall followed by Subban, but Hall ended up being traded while Subban had by far and away the worst season of his career.
New York Islanders – Mat Barzal
Since breaking into the league in 2017-18, Mat Barzal has got the attention of fans all across the league. After being drafted 15th overall in the 2015 draft, he spent two more seasons in the WHL before sticking with the Islanders for good. The now 23-year-old burst onto the scene that next season with a career-high 85-point rookie season, which won him the Calder Trophy.
Though he hasn’t hit that point total in his two seasons since then, that doesn’t mean he’s disappointed. Barzal is highly regarded as one of the most skilled players in the NHL and has incredible vision, proven by his 63 assists in his rookie season.
His best skill, however, is his speed, which was on full display when he defeated Connor McDavid and all other participating players in the NHL fastest skater competition this year.
New York Rangers – Artemi Panarin
Everyone expected Russian forward Artemi Panarin to be good for the New York Rangers after they signed him to a seven-year, $81.5 million contract during the 2019 offseason. They likely never expected him to be as good as he has however.
The 28-year-old is in the Hart Trophy conversation for the first time in his career after putting up a career-high 32 goals and 95 points despite playing in just 69 games.
Though this contract may become a bit of a problem in the later years, the Rangers still clearly made the right decision in making him the leagues highest paid winger. With the Rangers now in the playoffs thanks to the new format, they have a chance to be a dark horse and go on a deep run, thanks in large part to Panarin.
Philadelphia Flyers – Claude Giroux
It was a bit of a disappointing season for Philadelphia Flyers captain Claude Giroux, who was able to muster up just 53 points. Regardless of the down year, there is no doubt that the long time Flyers captain is the team’s best player. The 12-year NHL veteran has had a spectacular career to this point, posting 815 points over 889 regular-season games.
The one knock against Giroux has been his inability to take the Flyers on many deep playoff runs. However, his numbers in the postseason are also very strong, with 65 points in 69 games. Considering how well the Flyers were playing prior to the league stoppage, they may be able to do some damage in the playoffs this summer. If Giroux was able to lead the team to a Stanley Cup Championship, he would put himself in the conversation for one of the best Flyers of all time.
Pittsburgh Penguins – Sidney Crosby
If McDavid isn’t the best player in the world, Sidney Crosby is. The longtime Penguins captain has already had one of the best NHL careers of all-time and is still going strong at 32-years-old.
Crosby is most known for his offensive talent, and rightfully so as he has won numerous trophies over the course of his career. However, his defensive play is also spectacular and is a big reason why he is one of the best to ever do it.
Crosby was forced to miss a large chunk of this season due to a hernia surgery. In the 41 games he was able to play in, he was the same old Sid, posting 47 points. Of course, the Penguins have another superstar in Evgeni Malkin who would be many other team’s top player, but he seems to have no problems riding shotgun to Crosby.
Washington Capitals – Alex Ovechkin
Another one of the no brainers on this list, there is no doubt that Alexander Ovechkin is the Washington Capitals’ best player. He is arguably the greatest goal scorer in NHL history and still has a chance at beating Wayne Gretzky’s career-best goals. It is hard to believe that he is already 34-years-old, however, he is still producing at an elite level.
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Ovechkin just captured his ninth Rocket Richard Trophy this season, tying Boston Bruins forward David Pastrnak for a league-leading 48 goals, which he did in just 68 games. He and his teammates will look to bring home a second Stanley Cup to Washington this summer.