Jason Chen breaks down the top 10 fantasy hockey centers to target in your drafts for the upcoming 2026-27 NHL season.
With the 2026-27 NHL season right around the corner, The Hockey News is counting down the top 10 fantasy players at each position. Today's focus is at the center position.
For the most part, there’s no debate who rules at the top: Connor McDavid, who secured his sixth Art Ross last season.
In past seasons, either Nathan MacKinnon or Leon Draisaitl have traditionally followed him, but Macklin Celebrini now joins the conversation. The young San Jose Sharks center slots in at No. 3 due to his MVP-caliber performance last season and massive potential.
The rest of the list of up for debate. Center is the deepest position in fantasy even though there are twice as many wingers, because the league's best offensive players happen to disproportionally play up the middle. There’s a ton of variety, from elite scorers such as Jack Hughes to more well-rounded contributors such as Tage Thompson.
Players are ranked by the position they played the most often last season while considering traditional fantasy scoring categories, including goals, assists, power-play points, shots on goal, penalty minutes, blocks, and hits.
Top 10 Centers
Tier 1
1. Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers
It took McDavid until mid-December to take the lead in scoring, but he never gave it back to Nathan MacKinnon and remains the No. 1 player in fantasy hockey. Over the past 10 seasons, McDavid is the only player to amass over 1,000 points and the only forward to average over 22 minutes of ice time per game.
2. Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche
MacKinnon’s blistering start with 70 points in his first 39 games faded down the stretch, but he still finished third in scoring and led the league in shots for the third straight season. No forward drives offense with more explosiveness and aggression than MacKinnon, and an early playoff exit will provide extra fuel to one of the league’s most motivated players.
3. Macklin Celebrini, San Jose Sharks
If there is one player who has yet to win an Art Ross who could do it in 2026-27, Celebrini is that guy. Or kid, I should say. The 20-year-old enters the season with huge expectations; the improvement in his point-per-game production from his rookie season (0.90 to 1.40) was a bigger jump than McDavid’s (1.07 to 1.22), and Celebrini finished fourth in Hart Trophy voting.
4. Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oilers
What the four-time 50-goal scorer lacks in volume – which is crucial in fantasy – is made up for in ruthless efficiency, with a career 18.6 shooting percentage. Had Draisaitl managed to stay healthy last season, he would’ve been the only player other than McDavid to have an active streak of at least five consecutive 100-point seasons.
Tier 2
5. Jack Eichel, Vegas Golden Knights
It’s a fair question to ask if Eichel could’ve scored 100 points if he gave up some of his much-improved two-way play in favor of more offense.
The Golden Knights are stacked with elite talent in a weak Pacific Division, and after missing big chunks of the season due to injuries earlier in his career, Eichel has managed to play at least 74 games in back-to-back campaigns.
6. Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs
Matthews scored fewer goals in the past two years (60) than his standout 69-goal season in 2023-24, and his fantasy value is further hurt by his declining shot volume on a weaker roster.
Nevertheless, no one has scored more goals than Matthews (428) since he entered the NHL, and in fantasy leagues that value goals, he still possesses the most elite potential in that category among all centers.
7. Tage Thompson, Buffalo Sabres
Thompson has scored at least 40 goals three times in his past four seasons, and ranks sixth in goals and tied-29th in points among all players during that time. With the Sabres on an upward trajectory, we may not have seen the best of Thompson yet.
His career production has been dwarfed by some of his 2016 draft mates due to a shoulder injury that cost him an entire season early in his career during a crucial time for development.
8. Jack Hughes, New Jersey Devils
Hughes’ talent is absolutely tantalizing. Since his breakout 99-point season in 2022-23, Hughes ranks sixth in points per game, but he is also tied-340th (!) in games played and has not suited up for more than 62 games in each of his past three seasons.
It’s a double-edged sword for Hughes, who’s most effective being aggressive and playing at high speeds, but also leaves him prone to collisions and potential injury to his troublesome shoulder.
Tier 3
9. Nick Suzuki, Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens captain takes the second-last spot after a brilliant 2025-26 season, being just one of eight players to score 100 points.
The reality is there a lot of candidates who have a shot at being the best of Tier 3, including: Connor Bedard, whose fantasy value in the upcoming season will be discounted due to a shoulder injury that will very likely force him to miss the start the season; Leo Carlsson, who could take a huge leap in his fourth season; Wyatt Johnston, who scored 45 goals last season; and the ageless Sidney Crosby.
10. Aleksander Barkov, Florida Panthers
Barkov is the epitome of a player whose dominance doesn't necessarily translate to fantasy value – the kind who sacrifices stats for world-class two-way play. He has been on pace to score 100 points just once in his career – 88 points in 67 games in 2021-22 – but at a bare minimum he’ll be a point-per game player with room for more on a stacked roster.
Honorable Mentions: Sebastian Aho, Carolina Hurricanes; Leo Carlsson, Anaheim Ducks; Connor Bedard, Chicago Blackhawks; Tim Stutzle, Ottawa Senators; Mark Scheifele, Winnipeg Jets; Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins; Wyatt Johnston, Dallas Stars
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