The Hockey News' Top 80 Players In The NHL: 40-31

The Hockey News is celebrating our 80th year as the sport’s top publication, and our editorial staff have ranked the NHL's top 80 NHL players as the league’s 2026-27 regular season begins.

To keep readers discussing and debating our top-80 list, we're parceling out the rankings, in reverse order, in eight groups of 10 players. You may not agree with our choices, but that's part of the fun that comes with debating and discussing hockey's top league. 

The reveal process for this ranking started with players 80-through-71. After that, players 70 through 61 are at this link; picks 60-through-51 are here; and players 50 through 41 are here.

Let's take a look at which players kick off our top 40.

Carlsson shocked the NHL when he signed an offer sheet with the Philadelphia Flyers, temporarily making him the league's highest-paid player. But the 21-year-old's inflated salary shouldn’t take away from Carlsson’s sublime on-ice skills with the Ducks.

Carlsson posted career-highs in goals (29), assists (38), and points (67), making a 22-point jump from his 2024-25 season. As his Anaheim teammates grow their individual games, Carlsson's competitive ceiling is going to rise significantly, and the Ducks will certainly be satisfied with the money they're paying him. 

The 28-year-old Thompson hadn't played Stanley Cup playoff hockey until last spring, but that was about the Sabres' futility, not Thompson’s ability to carry them to the post-season.

He had a terrific 2025-26, posting 40 goals – the third time in the past four seasons he's got to the 40-goal plateau – and Thompson's 81 points in 81 games marked the second time in the past four years he’s been a point-per-game player.

Thompson is in his prime, and as Buffalo pushes to go on deeper playoff runs, Thompson is crucial to their chances of winning a championship.

Johnston didn't have a lot of hype after he was drafted 23rd in 2021, but after putting up 24 goals and 41 points in his rookie season, the 23-year-old has blossomed into a phenomenal contributor.

In the past three years, Johnston has generated a combined 110 goals – including 45 goals last season – and 222 points in 246 regular-season games. Johnston has evolved into one of the Stars' most important components, and if he'll likely be in consideration to represent Team Canada at the World Cup of Hockey and the next Olympics.  

It didn't take long for Stutzle to earn a spot in the Senators' core, but after a couple seasons where his numbers dropped from his career-best year of 39 goals and 90 points in 2022-23, he rebounded with a 34-goal, 83-point campaign last season.

At age 24, Stutzle has barely scratched the surface of what he's capable of. He also had an excellent Olympics this year, posting four goals and six points in five games for Germany. His vision and creativity are what separates him from most NHLers, and Stutzle's star is still rising. 

In 961 regular-season games prior to this season, Scheifele has produced 907 points. In 2025-26, the 33-year-old posted career-high in assists (67) and points (103). He's been a heart-and-soul member of the Jets and a proud community member for Winnipeg.

In 53 career playoff games, Scheifele has put up 26 goals and 49 points. He's been a star for the grand majority of his 14 NHL seasons, and if Scheifele can deliver a championship to Manitoba, they might just put up a statue of him.

Heiskanen hasn't yet won a Norris Trophy as the NHL's top defenseman, but his value to the Stars has been sky-high. That was evident all the way back in his second NHL season, when he generated 26 points in 27 playoff games in 2019-20.

The 27-year-old plays with poise and maturity beyond his years, and he also was a key reason why Finland won a bronze medal at the 2026 Olympics, posting three assists and five points in six games. Heiskanen may not be the league's best D-man, but few blueliners are better.

Sanderson has been bringing his game along slowly, and although he didn't have new career-best numbers last season, his 40-assist, 54-point season last year is especially impressive given he played in only 67 games.

The 24-year-old still has ample room to grow his game and elevate Ottawa to the upper echelons of the league. He has only nine games of playoff experience, but as that number improves, so will Sanderson's impact.

When the Blackhawks selected Bedard with the first-overall pick in 2023, he was projected as a generational player, and nothing that's followed would suggest that isn't still the case. Bedard won the Calder Trophy as the NHL's top rookie in 2024, and in his first three seasons, the 21-year-old's goals, assists and points totals have improved every year.

Bedard did miss 13 games last season, but he still produced career-best totals in goals (30), assists (45), and points (75). He's starting this season sidelined by injury, but Bedard is still tracking to be one of the most impactful forwards for the next decade or more.

Since he made his NHL debut in 2016, Connor has been one of the game's most potent scorers. In eight of nine full NHL seasons, the 29-year-old has scored at least 31 goals – and the one season he didn't reach that plateau was in 2020-21, when he had 26 goals in 56 games.

In the past two seasons, Connor has generated a combined 80 goals and 189 points in 164 games. And in 58 playoff games, Connor has produced 49 points. He's more than delivered on his potential as a key member of the Jets.

Necas was an important member of the Carolina Hurricanes for over five years before he was traded to the Avalanche in 2025. Since then, the 27-year-old has ratcheted up his game, posting career-highs in goals (38), assists (62), and points (100) last season.

Necas also had his best post-season performance with Colorado, producing 12 assists and 13 points in 13 games. He's fortunate to be on a stacked Avs squad, but Necas is doing more than what’s asked of him, and as the Avalanche try to push through the playoffs, Necas will be a major driver of their success. 

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