Top-10 Centers - Midseason Edition

On every game day this season, THN Fantasy will highlight players and goalies for fantasy managers to stream or roster for the rest of the season. The recommended players and goalies can be used in standard fantasy leagues or for daily fantasy games.

1. Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche:
Our preseason list had MacKinnon ranked second behind Connor McDavid. His hot start to the season, building off his 111 and 140-point efforts the prior two seasons, move him to the top of the list. MacKinnon is up to a league-leading 87 points, four clear of Leon Draisaitl, who is leading the pack in goals with 40. He has added 26 power-play points, 227 shots and a plus-19 rating through 57 appearances, but that doesn’t tell the full story, as he has put the Avalanche on his back at times, willing the team to victories. MacKinnon is suiting up for Team Canada in the 4 Nations Face-Off.

2. Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oilers:
The next two players are interchangeable, Draisaitl and McDavid, McDavid and Draisaitl, you pick your position and order. Draisaitl has at least 105 points in each of his last full seasons. Meeting that figure should not be a problem this season, as Draisaitl's at 83 points through 55 appearances, four points back of MacKinnon for the league lead with two games in hand. Draisaitl has added 187 shots on net and a plus-27 rating. One item to keep in mind, as a positive or negative, depending on your view, unlike many of the league's top players, the German superstar will get two weeks of rest since his country is not involved in the 4 Nations Face-Off.

3. Connor McDavid. Edmonton Oilers:
McDavid, ranked first this off-season, has “slipped” to third. The use of that term is all relative but had to argue that MacKinnon and Draisaitl have each been a little better than McDavid. He came into the break with 22 goals, 49 assists, 23 power-play points, 155 shots on net, 29 PIM, 29 hits and a plus-10 rating across 49 appearances. Good numbers, but a tick behind the top two, though he has played at least six fewer games than each, which should mean a rise in production down the stretch.

4. Mark Scheifele, Winnipeg Jets
Arguments can easily be made for several players at this spot. I am going with Scheifele, who is on pace for a career-best season and is a big reason why the Jets lead the Central Division and Western Conference. Scheifele is up to 31 goals and 32 helpers this season, on pace for 40+ of each in the same season for the first time in his career. He's added 123 shots on net, 44 hits, 44 blocked shots, 41 PIM and a plus-5 rating through 56 appearances. Scheifele has scored at least 60 points every season from the 2015-16 campaign forward.

5. Jack Eichel, Vegas Golden Knights
Eichel has morphed into a true top line center. While his goal-scoring may be down slightly, with just 19 in 55 games, he has made up for that slight decline in lamplighters with 50 assists. One key to his drop in markers is due to Eichel shot production per game being way off from in the past, as he has focus on playmaking and his 200-foot game, If Eichel can find a way to marry his prior and current worlds, a big stretch run could be in the offering.

6. Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs:
Matthews has been limited to just 40 games due to a pair of injuries. In addition, his goal production is way off this season, driven by a sharp decline in his shooting percentage and shots per contest. All this is true, yet Matthews was named captain of Team USA in the 4 Nations Face-off. In what be viewed as a down year, Matthews still has 20 goals and 25 assists in 40 contests and headed into the break on a little bit of a roll.

7. Jack Hughes, New Jersey Devils:
Hughes finished just shy of the century mark with 99 points (43 goals, 56 assists) in 2022-23, and might have hit that mark if injuries, a yearly problem for Hughes, didn’t cost him 20 contests last year. He has largely remained healthy this season, notching 24 goals and 41 assists in 57 contests. With Nico Hischier sidelined, Hughes will be relied upon even more by New Jersey, who sit third in the Metro Division. He headed into the break failing to earn at least one point in only one game over his last eight outings.

8. Brayden Point, Tampa Bay Lighting
When you think of top centers, many times, Point ends up forgotten, despite elite production. Doing so would be a major oversight, Point, who notched at least 90 points each of the last two seasons, is up to 31 goals, 58 points (23 with the man advantage), 129 shots on net and a plus-5 rating through 50 appearances. His fine play has aided Brandon Hagel have a big season and he rightfully is playing Team Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off.

9. Aleksander Barkov, Florida Panthers:
Barkov missed eight games in October and a pair in December or his numbers would certainly look a lot more impressive. As I wrote in the preseason top 10, Barkov isn’t a massive scorer, as he is a better real-life rather than fantasy player. Don’t let that fool you, as Barkov has been a point-per-game producer for four straight seasons following a 23-goal, 80-point showing in 73 appearances in 2023-24. He entered the break on a six-game points streak, moving his season totals to 14 goals and 38 assists in 50 games while winning close to 60 per cent of his draws.

10. Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins.
Yes, you are not reading wrong, Sid the Kid is number ten. Others may be more deserving of this spot, yet Crosby just continues to defy Father Time despite playing on a so-so Pittsburgh team. Crosby, despite missing the last two Penguins’ contests, suited up Wednesday for Team Canada on their top line. He finished the “first half” strong, racking up five goals and five assists in his previous eight outings, upping his totals to 17 and 41 in 55 contests, albeit with a minus-15 rating.

Honorable Mention:
Dylan Strome, Washington Capitals
Sebastian Aho, Carolina Hurricanes
Tim Stutzle, Ottawa Senators,
Dylan Larkin, Detroit Red Wings
Macklin Celebrini, San Jose Sharks

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