It takes more than one elite player to win the Stanley Cup. The repeat champion Florida Panthers continue to prove that is true — and the results of the NHL Rank poll for the 2025-26 season bear that out.
We asked a panel of ESPN broadcasters, analysts, reporters and editors to rate players based on how good they will be this season compared with their peers. Emphasis was placed on their value for this coming season, which explains why players who are out injured (but expected to return) might be lower than if they were healthy now.
In the case of the Panthers, this put Matthew Tkachuk a bit lower than usual, while Aleksander Barkov (who is expected to miss the regular season, if not longer) did not make the cut in the top 100.
Nevertheless, the defending champs put six players in the top 100, which was behind only the Dallas Stars’ seven for most players to make the list.
As for individuals, Connor McDavid continued his reign as the top vote-getter, holding down the No. 1 spot again, as he did for 2024-25 and 2023-24 and 2022-22 and 2021-22 and … you get the idea.
Here’s the 1-100 list for 2025-26, featuring write-ups courtesy of ESPN reporters Ryan S. Clark, Kristen Shilton, Greg Wyshynski and editorial staff.
Simply put, McDavid is the best player on the planet, the best player of his generation, and could finish his career as one of the best to ever touch a puck. An eight-time 100-point scorer, McDavid has captained the Oilers to consecutive Stanley Cup Finals; this season, the objective is having Edmonton win its first title since 1990. — Clark
Many types of players are needed to win in the NHL. Among them, a puck-moving defenseman who can also be trusted to play heavy minutes in every scenario. Makar is just that, as the two-time Norris Trophy winner (given to the NHL’s best defenseman) is trusted to drive play in every scenario. — Clark
The Avalanche? Team Canada? It doesn’t matter. Any team that has MacKinnon is going to pose a serious threat to win on a nightly basis. His combination of control, power, speed and unpredictability has made him one of the best in the world. Like McDavid, he has a chance to win a gold medal and a Stanley Cup in the same season. Unlike McDavid, the Cup would be his second after the Avs’ win in 2022. — Clark
Since 2022-23, Draisaitl is second in goals scored (146) and goals per game (0.63). He is a dominating offensive star who long ago put to bed the notion that he was simply a product of his teammate, Connor McDavid. — Wyshynski
Kucherov led the NHL in points for a second consecutive season and for the third time since 2019. He can either score goals or create them for his teammates, which has been integral to the Lightning winning two titles during his time with the only club he has ever known. — Clark
Only four goalies in the NHL’s expansion era (since 1967) have won the Hart Trophy as league MVP; Hellebuyck joined the fraternity in 2025, taking his spot with Carey Price, Jose Theodore and Dominik Hasek. Can Hellebuyck join Hasek as the only goaltenders to pull off the feat two years in a row? — ESPN staff
Suggesting that Hughes can do everything asked of a contemporary defenseman isn’t an overstatement. The consistency he has shown in every scenario has made him one of the game’s best players, and someone who could be instrumental in the United States’ chase for a gold medal at the Olympics. — Clark
There aren’t many goal scorers who are as pure as Matthews, who possess the sort of shot every player covets. He has tallied 30-plus goals in every season of his career — despite injuries — and does it all for the Leafs as a standout 200-foot center. — Shilton
Talent has never been the question with Eichel. But last season, he unlocked aspects of his game that have made him one of the most complete centers in hockey. He’ll help push his team to capture its second title since 2023, while also helping the U.S. in its push for Olympic gold. — Clark
Could his first full season in Dallas be the one that sees the Stars win the Stanley Cup that has eluded them over the past few years? Rantanen left Colorado in the NHL’s biggest trade last season and then made his way back to the Central Division in a subsequent deal. But with a long-term pact in hand, he’ll be a key player for the Stars for the foreseeable future. — Clark
Pastrnak has scored over 40 goals in four consecutive seasons. Given his career total with the Bruins (391 entering this season), he could move all the way to third in franchise history if he notches another 40 goals in 2025-26. — Wyshynski
Some might have surmised that Vasilevskiy was heading into a decline based on 2023-24, when his save percentage dipped to .900 after seven straight seasons at .915 or higher. The 2024-25 campaign ended that talk, as he registered a .921 mark along with a 2.18 GAA and 38 wins. The “Big Cat” can still roar. — ESPN staff
The Panthers pulled off a unique feat last season, placing two players in the top two spots in Selke Trophy voting. Florida captain Aleksander Barkov — who won the award — is likely out until April (if not longer), meaning Reinhart and others will have to pick up the slack on both ends of the ice. The scoring part won’t be a problem, as Reinhart has 127 goals in the past three seasons combined. — ESPN staff
A one-time Vezina Trophy winner (for now), Shesterkin is easily the best player drafted at No. 118 in NHL history. If the Rangers fail to make the postseason again, it won’t be because of their superstar goaltender. — ESPN staff
Brady Tkachuk captained the Senators to their first Stanley Cup playoff berth since 2017. His goal scoring and physicality will be vital not only to Ottawa in the NHL, but also to Team USA in the 2026 Olympics. — Wyshynski
The 6-7 blueliner remains a dominant presence in both ends of the ice: 66 points in 79 games last season, while using physicality and his considerable wingspan to disrupt opponents in his own zone. — Wyshynski
Marner is the unique skater who dominates individually while also elevating literally any linemate he is paired with. A force on special teams — his penalty killing is particularly good — Marner is more likely to try setting up a goal than attempting to score one himself. And the Golden Knights are counting on his playmaking to carry them for years to come — Shilton
Part of the Stars’ legendary 2017 draft class (with Miro Heiskanen and Jake Oettinger), Robertson has 269 points in 246 games the past three regular seasons. His line with Roope Hintz and Mikko Rantanen will be one of the NHL’s most dangerous this season. — ESPN staff
The Michigan native removed any sense of uncertainty for next summer by signing a team-record $96 million contract extension on the eve of the season — then opened the campaign with a hat trick against the Stars. He’ll also be a key player for the U.S. in the Olympic Games. — ESPN staff
Father Time? Crosby has never heard of him, apparently. The Penguins captain is playing as well now as he has throughout a legendary career that kept Pittsburgh as a contender for nearly two decades. And Crosby shows no signs of wanting to slow down. — Shilton
Season No. 20 will be the last one in the NHL for Kopitar, by far the best hockey player ever from Slovenia — he has outscored second-place Jan Mursak 1,281-4 heading into this season. — ESPN staff
The Devils captain built another strong case for a Selke Trophy in 2024-25 and finished fourth in the voting, garnering 11 first-place votes. Another standout season could see him land in the finalists’ circle. — ESPN staff
The heart and soul of the Red Wings, Larkin turned heads with his excellent two-way play during the 4 Nations Face-Off. Can he lead the Red Wings back to the postseason? — ESPN staff
There are sitcoms that have episodes with lesser run time than Heiskanen averages in a game. He’s frequently in the discussion for the league’s best shutdown defenseman, and he’d receive even more acclaim if he had offensive numbers similar to some of his peers. — Clark
With Mitch Marner now plying his trade for the Golden Knights, the Leafs will need continued production out of the elite scorers who remain — and Nylander is certainly one of them, with 125 goals in the past three seasons combined. — ESPN staff
Forsberg was not immune to whatever plagued the Predators in 2024-25, as his 76 points was a steep decline from 94 the season prior. Will 2025-26 be a rebound for him personally and for his team? — ESPN staff
The top center on the Hurricanes, Aho is a point-per-game offensive player whose defensive play fits the Carolina tradition of two-way play. — Wyshynski
The greatest goal scorer in NHL history began the 2025-26 campaign with 897 career tallies. How many will he add to his total this season — and will it be his last in the NHL? — ESPN staff
One of the snubs left off the United States’ 4 Nations Face-Off roster, the 27-year-old Thompson has extra motivation to get off to a fast start to get his name on the list for the Olympics. Getting on a pace for 40-plus goals (as he has done twice in his young career) would be a good start. — ESPN staff
Part of the Stars’ “Finnish Mafia,” Hintz’s 200-foot game means that opponents have to construct their game plan around him. — ESPN staff
Point had always been a dangerous offensive player, but his goal scoring has exploded over the past three seasons (139 goals) while taking passes from former league MVP Nikita Kucherov on his wing. — Wyshynski
Jake Guentzel has earned the chance to skate with the greatest. He was Sidney Crosby’s linemate for eight seasons in Pittsburgh. Last season, his first with the Lightning, he scored a career-high 41 goals on a line with Nikita Kucherov. — Wyshynski
The man they call “Otter” has been everything the Stars wanted after they selected him 26th in the 2017 draft, including 151 wins in 253 career games and a 2.54 GAA. — ESPN staff
When Jack Hughes is in the lineup, he’s one of the most gifted playmakers in the NHL, averaging 1.13 points per game last season. The trick has been staying in the lineup, as Hughes has played over 70 games only once in the past four seasons with the Devils. — Wyshynski