The Hockey News' Top 80 Players In The NHL: 20-11

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're revealing our choices in eight 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.

With that noted, here are our picks for players 20 through 11:

It was only five years ago that Matthews won the Hart Trophy as league MVP and his second of three Maurice 'Rocket' Richard Trophies as top goal-scorer. But injuries caused him to miss a combined 37 games in the past two seasons and his decreasing goal totals have knocked him down the list of the NHL's top stars.

Matthews has pronounced himself fully healthy for '26-27 so he has a chance to rebound, lead the Maple Leafs to playoff glory, and once again be the NHL's top goal-scorer. 

It hasn't mattered whether he's with the Colorado Avalanche or the Dallas Stars, Rantanen can produce offense among the best in the league. He's an eight-time 20-goal scorer, a six-time 30-goal scorer, and a six-time producer of at least 80 points.

Rantanen is as good a playmaker as he is a finisher, and he's a Stanley Cup. At 29, Rantanen is at the peak of his powers and has shown no signs of slowing down.

The 26-year-old Dahlin has been the Sabres' best player for years now, and last season he set a career-best total of 74 points. In his first post-season, Dahlin also produced 14 points in 13 games.

Dahlin does it all for the Sabres, and his challenge now is to make his regular-season success translate into a deep playoff run. He's a captain, a Norris Trophy finalist, and one of the premier blueliners on planet earth. Without him, the Sabres would be lost.

His exit from the Maple Leafs was messy, but there’s no denying Marner's sublime skills. The 29-year-old needed time to acclimate to the Golden Knights last season, but he still hit the 80-point plateau for the sixth time in his career. And in the 2026 playoffs, Marner was a beast, generating 19 assists and 29 points in 22 post-season games.

His vision, defensive acumen and positional awareness are first-rate, and Marner's drive and experience could eventually win him a Stanley Cup. He very nearly accomplished that goal last season.

Kaprizov arrived in the 2021-22 season and instantly asserted himself as a superstar for the Wild, posting 27 goals and 51 points in 55 games. The 29-year-old has produced at least 40 goals in four of his six NHL seasons.

He's also proved to be a terrific playoff performer last spring with 16 points in 11 games. Kaprizov's wheels give him an edge over opponents, and his finishing skills are as good as his playmaking talents. As his teammates develop around him, Kaprizov will rise higher in future versions of this list. 

It's a measure of Crosby's astonishing abilities that, even at age 38 last season, he still generate 74 points in 68 games. He's close to retirement and a no-brainer first ballot Hall of Famer, but he’s still making an impact.

The Penguins are transitioning into a new generation but with Crosby drinking from the fountain of youth, the Hall of Fame will have to wait. Crosby is arguably a top-five player of all-time, and the fact he's a top-15 player at nearly 40 years old is one of his most-impressive feats.

Few goalies in the salary cap era can boast one Stanley Cup win, let alone two. On top of two championships with the Lightning, Vasilevskiy has a Conn Smythe win as playoff MVP and two Vezina Trophies as top goalie in the regular season.

Vasilevskiy put up a stellar .912 save percentage and 2.31 GAA last season, and while the 32-year-old no longer is a spring chicken, he still has a ton to offer. Another Cup win would underscore his efforts as one of the greatest goalies in hockey history.

In seven NHL seasons, Suzuki has developed into a tremendous offensive talent with 476 points in 537 games. He put up career-bests in assists (72) and points (101).

As the Canadiens have been rounding into a true Cup threat, Suzuki has been leading the way, and the 27-year-old still may yet have a higher ceiling for his already-outstanding game.

While injuries plagued him through the early stages of his career, Eichel has been highly-reliable in the offense he produces. He's posted 708 points in 694 career games across 11 seasons and has been equally consistent in the playoffs, adding 65 points in 62 games.

He may not ever win the Art Ross Trophy as the league's top scorer, but he's a terrific contributor at both ends of the ice.

Barkov's body has betrayed him over the past few seasons but when he is healthy, the Panthers captain is one of the planet's most talented two-way centers. His two Stanley Cup championships are evidence of his heightened performance when games matter most.

The 31-year-old Barkov is a true needle-mover, and if he can stay healthy, he's got an opportunity to add to his already-superb legacy.

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