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.
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.