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ESPN staff
This week, we unveiled the 2022-23 edition of NHL Rank, a predictive list of the top 100 players for the upcoming season. It was voted on by more than 50 members of our hockey family here at ESPN — but that doesn’t mean that we got everything exactly right.
To keep the debate rolling, we asked a select few of our voters to chime in on some of the biggest questions: Who was the biggest snub? Who was too high on the list? Which player outside the top 100 will make it next season? And where will presumptive No. 1 overall draft pick Connor Bedard land on next year’s edition?
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Who was the biggest snub outside the top 100?
Ryan S. Clark, NHL reporter: Shea Theodore has been a consistent player over the past four seasons. He scored at least 10 goals in three of his past four campaigns while logging more than 22 minutes per game in that same amount of time. Just look at what he did in 2022-23: a career high in goals (14), points (52) and average ice time (23:08), while chipping in with five game-winning goals.
Victoria Matiash, NHL analyst: Marc-Andre Fleury won the Vezina Trophy approximately 16 months ago. He lost only two of 11 contests after joining the Wild at last March’s trade deadline. Before then, he kept the not-good Blackhawks competitive most nights — a team that won only six of 19 games after his departure. Sure, it’s been a while, but three Stanley Cups! The start of 2022-23 has hardly been a delight for the future Hall of Famer, but let’s give him (and the Wild) a minute.
Kristen Shilton, NHL reporter: Jonathan Marchessault just had one of the best seasons of his career (at age 31) and led the Golden Knights in scoring with 30 goals and 66 points in 76 games. He’s a reliable top-six presence who can consistently perform anywhere in the lineup, from center to either wing. Marchessault might not be at his peak — and maybe “snub” is too strong a word for where he fell — but there is a case for him to earn more recognition than he’s getting.
Greg Wyshynski, NHL reporter: Nick Suzuki led the Montreal Canadiens in scoring last season, and the 22-year-old is already putting up numbers early in the 2022-23 campaign. Obviously, it’s difficult to jump into the NHL’s top 100 when the center depth is that star-studded and deep. But based on his play under Marty St. Louis and the way he’s clicked with Cole Caufield, he’s not going to be behind 31 other centers this season.
Who is too low on the list?
Clark: Jaccob Slavin. His defensive metrics are among the best you will find in the league. Especially for someone who plays that many minutes and can be trusted in nearly every situation imaginable. He does all this while being a low-risk liability because he has fewer than 20 penalty minutes throughout the season. If Slavin were averaging at least 60 points a season, he would receive more attention.
Matiash: Only two players — Auston Matthews and Leon Draisaitl — scored more goals in the NHL than Chris Kreider (52) last season. The underrated two-way competitor plays smart, and he plays hard, game in and out. Kreider deserves a slot in the top 60, easily.
Shilton: Elias Lindholm. The Flames’ top center was among the best at his position in a 42-goal, point-per-game effort last season. Yes, Lindholm benefited from linemates like Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk. But on his own, Lindholm is a dangerous two-way player at 5-on-5 who also features on Calgary’s top power-play and penalty-kill units. He’s impressive all around.
Wyshynski: Aaron Ekblad is a couple of unfortunate injuries away from having been a Norris Trophy finalist. The Panthers defenseman skates well, moves the puck, logs minutes and hasn’t come close to hitting his ceiling. While it’s worth wondering what his game looks like without MacKenzie Weegar at his side, Ekblad should be higher than 78th overall.
Who is too high on the list?
Clark: Filip Forsberg, at No. 27. He’s certainly a top-100 player. But a debate could be had about how he compares to fellow left wingers such as Kyle Connor, Alex DeBrincat, Johnny Gaudreau, Jason Robertson and Brady Tkachuk.
Matiash: I adore Valeri Nichushkin (No. 65) as a player and feel pleased that he’s found a home in (and hit pay dirt with) Colorado. But there are a few players below him whom I would catapult past the Avalanche power forward. Vladimir Tarasenko, for one.
Shilton: Moritz Seider (No. 38) won the Calder Trophy last season as Detroit’s breakout star for a reason. He had a terrific freshman season and will only attract more attention — and responsibility — in this second campaign. But Seider being not only among the top-50, but top-40, current players? That’s quite a mantle to hold, especially looking at the quality of players under him.
Wyshynski: Brady Tkachuk seems a little too close to the top 30 for me. I think he’s a solid forward whose offensive consistency was rewarded with his first 30-goal campaign last season. But I don’t think he defends well enough yet for 31st overall. He’s a shade lower than the eighth-best left wing that the voters have him here.
Name a player outside the top 100 who could move way up the rankings next season.
Clark: Suzuki is an intriguing candidate, for sure. He had a strong finish to the end of the regular season with 10 goals and 28 points over the final two months. The start he has had this season in such a short window creates the belief he could be on the rise. Furthermore, he has received more time on the penalty kill to show he can be trusted throughout the game.
Matiash: Both Lucas Raymond and Cole Caufield will be comfortable members of the top 75 this time next year.
Shilton: Caufield could be on pace for a banner season. He stormed out of the gate for Montreal at a point-per-game pace and shows no signs of slowing. Playing for Marty St. Louis agrees with Caufield (he tallied 25 goals in 41 games since St. Louis took over in February), and that synergy could propel Caufield to some lofty heights.
Wyshynski: Matt Boldy burst onto the scene with the Minnesota Wild last season with 39 points in 47 games. I’ve got no qualms with leaving him off this ranking based on that sample size, but his early returns indicate the offensive roll will continue in Year 2. If that happens, and he continues to play solidly in his own zone, it’ll be difficult to keep him out of the top 100.
Predict the top 5 for 2025-26.
Clark: Connor McDavid, Cale Makar, Igor Shesterkin, Nathan MacKinnon, Auston Matthews
Matiash: Connor McDavid, Kirill Kaprizov, Cale Makar, Auston Matthews, Jack Hughes
Shilton: Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews, Cale Makar, Igor Shesterkin, Kirill Kaprizov
Wyshynski: Connor McDavid, Cale Makar, Auston Matthews, Leon Draisaitl, Igor Shesterkin
Where will Connor Bedard rank on next year’s list — before playing an NHL game?
Clark: That hinges upon what he does this season and if he goes No. 1. And if he does, how does that compare to former No. 1 picks entering the league? Bedard is averaging 1.82 points per game. Connor McDavid averaged 2.55 points his last season in the OHL. Auston Matthews averaged 1.28 points playing professionally in Switzerland but was averaging 2.58 points in his final U.S. National Team Development Program season. Jack Hughes was at 2.16 points per game across all NTDP competitions, while Alexis Lafreniere hit 2.15 in the QMJHL. It appears Bedard would have to be in that range in order to present an argument about him being a top-100 player this early.
Matiash: I want to see where he lands before making such a prognostication. Team, role, supporting cast will all help determine how much success we can even predict for Bedard ahead of Year 1. Ask me again after the draft lottery.
Shilton: There’s a case for Bedard clocking in somewhere near No. 100 if he’s got another 100-plus-point season on deck in the Western Hockey League and is taken first overall in the draft. Anything is possible in a poll like this!
Wyshynski: As this list is a projection for the upcoming season, and since Bedard will enter the 2023-24 season as the odds-on favorite to win the Calder Trophy, he’ll crack the top 100. How high he ranks will depend on where he’s drafted: Is Bedard feeding passes to Tomas Hertl, Johnny Gaudreau or Juraj Slafkovsky? Or is he skating out at Arizona State University looking for Lawson Crouse?