Top 5 NHL Players in 2026 (Mid-Season Power Rankings)

Rankings shift week to week, but more than 60 games into the 2025-26 season, the picture is getting clearer. This is a mid-season snapshot of the best NHL players right now based on stats up to March 25, 2026, overall impact, and performances in high-leverage moments. Some names have held these spots for years. Others are forcing their way in now.

Nikita Kucherov 

Tampa Bay Lightning right winger Nikita Kucherov leads the NHL in points this season, having recorded 40 goals, 80 assists, and 120 points in 66 games. He hit 1,000 career points on October 25, 2025, becoming the 101st player in history to reach that mark.

Main Strength: Elite playmaking vision, paired with patience and puck control that breaks defences apart.

Connor McDavid

Edmonton Oilers centre Connor McDavid, widely regarded as one of the best NHL players of all time, sits just behind Kucherov in points with 118 in 72 games (40 goals and 78 assists). NHL EDGE tracking shows he tops all skaters with 126 speed bursts above 22 mph this season. The Canadian centre also earned Olympic MVP honours at Milan-Cortina 2026, posting 13 points in six games. 

Main Strength: Playmaking speed that no other player in hockey can match.

Nathan MacKinnon

Colorado Avalanche centre Nathan MacKinnon has recorded 46 goals, 69 assists, and 115 points in 69 games, good for a 1.68 points-per-game rate. He leads all players in goals and carries a 57 plus-minus, the best in hockey, followed by Kucherov’s 45. 

Colorado’s 19-1-6 start through 26 games – just one regulation loss – was historically dominant. It ranks behind only the 1979-80 Philadelphia Flyers’ 37-game stretch with one regulation defeat, and MacKinnon was the driving force behind it. He’s a leading contender for both the Rocket Richard and Hart trophies.

Main Strength: Complete two-way play with the highest goal-scoring rate in the league.

Cale Makar

Colorado Avalanche defenceman Cale Makar has recorded 20 goals, 51 assists, and 71 points in 70 games while averaging 24:57 of ice time per night. A two-time Norris Trophy winner, he’s in the middle of one of the tightest defencemen races in years, alongside Evan Bouchard. Makar sits just nine points behind, with two games in hand.

His skating, vision, and shot create a profile more typical of a forward, and his +32 rating confirms his defensive impact remains strong. He also earned an Olympic All-Star Team spot at Milan-Cortina.

Main Strength: Offensive production from the blue line that no other defenceman can replicate.

Leon Draisaitl

Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl has registered 35 goals, 62 assists, and 97 points in 65 games. His 16 power-play goals rank third in the league, and his 56.94% faceoff win rate makes him one of the most complete centres in the league today. There are games where Edmonton’s offence runs through Draisaitl instead of McDavid, and the results hold up either way.

Main Strength: Lethal finishing combined with elite faceoff work and power-play production.

Honourable Mentions

1. David Pastrnak (Boston, RW) has recorded 28 goals, 59 assists, and 87 points in 66 games. On January 10, he registered six assists in a 10-2 win over the Rangers, tying a franchise record held by Bobby Orr and Ken Hodge.
2. Matthew Tkachuk (Florida, LW) has played just 23 games (9G, 14A) after missing five months with a lower-body injury. A two-time Stanley Cup champion and Olympic gold medalist with Team USA, his absence is due to health rather than performance.
3. Auston Matthews (Toronto Maple Leafs, C) has notched 27 goals, 26 assists, and 53 points in 60 games, his lowest pace since his rookie year. A lower-body injury on November 11 cost him five games, disrupting his rhythm. Still, he passed Mats Sundin as the Maple Leafs’ all-time leading goal-scorer this season and captained Team USA at the Olympics. A down year for Matthews is still a strong year for most forwards.
4. Jack Hughes (New Jersey, C) has recorded 20 goals, 37 assists, and 57 points in 49 games. He also scored the overtime goal that won Olympic gold for Team USA at Milan-Cortina.
5. Kirill Kaprizov (Minnesota, LW) has picked up 38 goals, 42 assists, and 80 points in 70 games. When healthy, he remains one of the league’s most dangerous wingers, capable of changing a game with his finishing, creativity, and intensity. 

Young Stars Trending Upward

1. Macklin Celebrini (San Jose, C, 19) has recorded 35 goals, 61 assists, and 96 points in 69 games, fifth in the entire NHL. He’s become the fastest San Jose player to reach 50 points in a season.
2. Matthew Schaefer (NY Islanders, D, 18) is the Calder Trophy favourite listed at -4000 odds, with 22 goals, 29 assists, and 51 points in 71 games. He became the youngest player in NHL history to score a regular-season overtime goal.
3. Beckett Sennecke (Anaheim, RW, 20) has registered 21 goals, 34 assists, and 55 points in 71 games, fuelling Anaheim’s first playoff push since 2018.
4. Ivan Demidov (Montreal, RW, 20) has 54 points in 70 games (39 assists and 15 goals). He’s adapted to the NHL far quicker than most young wingers, and that’s what makes his season so impressive.

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