In a recent NHL player tier ranking by The Athletic, anonymous NHL executives and coaches critiqued the placement of the Toronto Maple Leafs' top stars.
As the 2026-27 NHL season nears, many different hockey media outlets have done different variations of player rankings. The Athletic released an NHL player tier ranking, listing some of the most notable names in the league.
From the Toronto Maple Leafs, five players made the cut. Those ranked were Auston Matthews, William Nylander, Matthew Knies, Darren Raddysh and John Tavares.
Every player on the list had an explanation attached to their profile, and most of the Leafs players included had quotes from anonymous NHL executives and coaches.
Matthews was ranked the highest among Maple Leafs representatives. He's slotted in the second tier, called "franchise," in group 'A,' down a full tier from his first-tier rank in the previous three years.
"Based off just last year, I think Auston is a little bit high," a coach said of where Matthews is listed in this ranking.
Toronto's captain scored 27 goals and 53 points in 60 regular-season games last season. That follows 33 goals and 78 points the season before.
"You can't argue anything other than he's an elite player," an executive said. "There's been a slight downward tick (to his game), not having Marner certainly hurt him. ... Matthews is in the right spot."
Nylander is next on the list. He's ranked in tier three, "all-star," in group A. The right winger was the Maple Leafs' leading scorer last season, with 30 goals and 79 points in 65 appearances.
"He's in the top five or so players in the league when he really plays his best," an executive said of Nylander. "His skating, edge work and ability to hold onto the puck is so freaking good. He's so good, and that's why you get so mad at him sometimes when you watch him."
Knies, Raddysh and Tavares all ranked in tier five, "support," in group B.
Knies, 23, continues to grow as a power forward and looks to turn into a star from a strong supporting cast member. He scored 23 goals and recorded a career-high 66 points in 79 games.
Raddysh was certainly a star for the Tampa Bay Lightning on the back end last season, with his 22 goals and 70 points. But from a league-wide perspective and an overview of his entire career, he'll still need to prove that 2025-26 wasn't a one-off.
"If you look at some of these other guys, it's not like they've done it very long either," an executive said of Raddysh. "I think Raddysh is in this blue tier (one tier above) all day."
Tavares is well into the back-nine of his NHL career. Turning 36 before the beginning of the regular season, it's tough to consider the veteran center a star on the grand scale of the NHL. He's still been solid for Toronto, registering a team-high 31 goals last year, totalling 71 points in 82 contests.
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