The Hockey News is turning 80 this year, and to celebrate our eight decades as the sport's pre-eminent publication, our digital editors and writers have ranked the NHL's top 80 NHL players as the 2026-27 regular season begins.

We've been revealing our choices in batches of 10 in reverse order. You may not agree with our choices, but that's part of the fun that comes with debating and discussing hockey's top league.

Let's break down our top 10:

It's unfortunate that Hellebuyck's trade demand has soured his reputation, but he's still the guy who delivered a gold medal at the 2026 Olympics for Team USA with one of the all-time great goaltending performances. He's also still the guy that managed to win the Vezina Trophy three times and add in a Hart Trophy win as well.

If Hellebuyck can bounce back after a sub-par 2025-26 campaign in which he posted an .895 save percentage, he's going to once again be known as the planet's best goaltender. 

Pastrnak has put together four straight seasons with at least 100 points, doing so while scoring 40 or more goals in five of the last six years. The new Bruins captain was at the peak of his powers in 2022-23 when he scored 61 times and put together 113 points.

Despite having a supporting cast in Boston that's changed quite a bit since then, he's still managed to be one of the top offensive producers in the NHL. He hasn't won any individual trophies, but Pastrnak doesn't need outside validation. He's Boston’s most important player, and he’s one of the game’s deadliest snipers.

Werenski has spent his NHL career on mostly sub-par Blue Jackets teams, and the 2025-26 season was no different. Werenski posted 22 goals and 81 points in 75 games last season and was rewarded with his first Norris Trophy for his efforts.

The 29-year-old's vision and craftiness are what set him apart as one of the game's greatest blueliners. He only has 29 games of Stanley Cup playoff experience under his belt, and playoff success will be his final frontier. But he's already among the top-tier group of defenders in the NHL.

He hasn't won a Cup, but Draisaitl has accomplished virtually everything a player could hope for. He's won a Hart Trophy, an Art Ross Trophy as top point-producer, and a Maurice 'Rocket' Richard Trophy as top goal-scorer.

The 30-year-old entered the 2026-27 season with a stunning 434 goals and 1,053 points in 855 career games, while also recording an outstanding 151 points in 102 playoff games. The Oilers can't ask Draisaitl for more than what he's delivered, but he may prove this season he should be higher on next year's list.

The 26-year-old Hughes has been superb for the Wild, posting 53 points in 48 games last season after coming over from the Vancouver Canucks. Since the 2019-20 season, no defenseman has dished out more assists than Hughes (416), and his offensive creativity cannot be matched by virtually any other defenseman.

Hughes may decide to leave the Wild to play with brothers Jack and Luke Hughes with the New Jersey Devils, but it doesn’t matter what team he's on, he can skate and make plays with the best of them. Hughes has one Norris on his resume, but nobody would be surprised if his trophy case fills up over the next few seasons.

It's been jaw-dropping to see Celebrini's impact in his first two NHL seasons. The 20-year-old had 63 points in his rookie season and he nearly doubled it with a 115-point campaign on a rebuilding Sharks team in 2025-26.

He was regarded as a high-end talent when the Sharks selected him with the first-overall pick in 2024, but his developmental timeline has accelerated beyond belief. So much so that he was second to only Connor McDavid in scoring among all skaters at the 2026 Olympics (10 points in six games) with Team Canada. The sky is truly the limit for Celebrini.

Kucherov is a three-time Art Ross winner, a two-time Hart winner and a two-time Cup winner. The 33-year-old has amassed at least 100 points in six of his past eight seasons, and his playoff numbers – 177 points in 159 career games – are equally outstanding.

Kucherov knows how to ratchet up his game in high-stakes circumstances, and the Lightning's two recent Cup wins wouldn't have happened if he wasn't powering them to championship glory. He's at the top of his game, and his 44-goal, 130-point campaign last season proves he's still got much to offer.

Being regarded as the NHL's best defenseman and now the league's soon-to-be highest-paid player are things that don't adversely affect the 27-year-old.

Makar is a cut above other blueliners, and his numerous individual awards - including a Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP and two Norris Trophies - as well as his Cup win with the Avalanche are all the evidence you need to acknowledge Makar as the world's best D-man.

The Avalanche have the planet's best defenseman in Makar, and they have one of the top forwards in MacKinnon. The 31-year-old has a slew of individual awards including the Hart Trophy and the 'Rocket' Richard, while producing produced at least 110 points in each of the past four seasons.

The talent around MacKinnon in Colorado ensures he'll be a monster to deal with. He might be No. 1 in the eyes of some, but we feel there's only one player who is better than him.

McDavid's resume makes it clear why we've picked him as hockey’s best player. The 29-year-old has six Art Ross Trophies, three Hart Trophies, a 'Rocket' Richard Trophy and a Conn Smythe despite the Oilers failing to win a Cup.

In 11 NHL seasons, McDavid failed to reach the 100-point plateau only two times – once in his first NHL season when he was injured and produced 48 points in 45 games, then when he missed 18 games and still produced 97 points in 2019-20. Suffice to say McDavid is still the cream of the crop, and he deserves the nod as the sport's top competitor.

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