Who are the highest-paid NHL players? A ranking of how much hockey stars make

Isak Rosen laced up for exactly 120 professional hockey games by his 20th birthday, and has added quite a few since. The main reasons he has been so successful against larger and stronger competition are his phenomenal skating and his ability to make good decisions at a very high speed. Rosen has the defensive effort and technique to be a solid two-way winger in the NHL one day, which has served him well in the AHL so far, where he’s been one of the league’s best young players for the past two seasons.

Ranking the 10 best NHL players in 2024 Stanley Cup Final, including Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Matthew Tkachuk

• Frank Nazar is a great center prospect who was drafted 13th overall in the 2022 NHL Draft despite being 5-foot-9.
• It’s not just that he can walk in, square up, and wire pucks past the league’s best like it’s nothing.
• After his time in Buffalo came to an end, his fresh start with the Golden Knights has been very promising.
• This feels like the right level of competition for him right now, challenging enough that he’s not going to score two points each night but manageable enough for him to be one of the best players on his team.
• And if it is more solid in the DZ, I feel much more comfortable about the goaltending situation.
• He has a strong physical presence, and over each of the past five seasons, has earned votes for the Norris Trophy.
• Gauthier has great size, skating, and has the effort and ability to become a great defensive forward.

He can jump up in the rush to provide offense, he can find breakout passes into the neutral zone, and he is exceptional with his stick defensively, either breaking up plays or blocking passing lanes. Forsling has four goals and 11 points in these playoffs, more than both Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour, two of his teammates considered to be extra offensive-minded. The Finnish center played an integral part in Florida’s run to the Stanley Cup Final, leading all players in faceoff wins. His 78 points in 68 games in the regular season marked the third consecutive point-per-game season and fourth in the last five. Marner has always been dynamic on offense, but over the last couple of seasons, the winger has developed into a legitimate defensive threat. For the first time in his career, the Maple Leafs star was a finalist for the Selke, finishing third in voting behind Patrice Bergeron and Nico Hischier.

Moritz Seider, Detroit Red Wings

Young, speedy, and skilled winger Jesper Bratt has had three fantastic seasons in a row now and has proven himself to be a top offensive option for the Devils. With a healthy forward group for the Devils, Bratt will have better players surrounding him all season, and could very well hit the 90-point mark, or even higher this season. Mark Scheifele is an all-offense player who can challenge for 30 goals and 70+ points in most seasons. He is the cornerstone of the forward group for the Winnipeg Jets, and as the team’s weakest position is center, he is thrown into a lot of situations.

Matthew Savoie, C, Edmonton Oilers

He is a very intelligent offensive player and can make these great reads and plays at full speed. Catton was phenomenal for Team Canada at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup a year ago as well where he scored 10 points in just five games while captaining Canada to the gold medal. I think his offensive versatility and his potential while attacking off the rush will make him an excellent addition for the Kraken.

Alex Ovechkin, LW, Washington Capitals

Östlund is also a skilled puck handler with the speed and agility to make plays happen both on and off the puck. He works hard in all phases of the game and could become a great middle-six center if all goes well in his development. After being selected 10th overall in the 2022 CHL Import Draft by the Vancouver Giants, Samuel Honzek has done nothing but impress in his two seasons in North America.

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Hyman has turned himself into a net-front menace, and that hasn’t changed in the playoffs, no matter how hard other teams have tried to neutralize him. Hyman leads all playoff performers with 14 goals, and the Panthers better have an answer for him in the low slot, especially when Edmonton is on the man advantage. Sergei Bobrovsky really thrived throughout the Panthers’ series win against the Rangers. Bobrosvsky yielded two or fewer goals in five of his six starts in that series and compiled a 2.00 goals-against-average even after surrendering five goals in Game 3 against New York. According to Money Puck, Bobrovsky has registered a .960 save percentage when facing unblocked shots throughout the postseason.

Joe Pavelski, C, Dallas Stars

His performance in the playoffs en route to the Stanley Cup wasn’t as dominant, but with 10 goals, he certainly didn’t disappear. He was on Hart, Selke and Lady Byng ballots this year, and has earned votes for them in previous years, except for the Hart. A very disappointing year by Tage Thompson’s standards didn’t stop voters by much on this one. After posting 47 goals and 94 points two seasons ago, Thompson, along with most of the other Sabres players, took a big step back in production.

• With 27 goals in each of his past two seasons, there is still a lot of hope that he will bounce back to his 40-goal self, and there is a good chance he does.
• Minten’s first WHL season after being drafted was a great showcase for his shot and his compete level, with Minten becoming a very important forechecker and defensive forward for the Kamloops Blazers.
• It’s a tough blow for Minnesota’s roster, which was looking pretty darn good with Pitlick but now will look less good, but still solid.
• As the team pushed closer to making the playoffs for the first time in seven seasons, Larkin was injured and the team fell apart in his absence.
• The tall UMass Lowell product has been a workhorse for years, and it was no different last year, leading the league in starts while finishing third in Vezina voting.
• If there was an award for the best defensive defenseman, Slavin would likely take the cake.
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Prospects #70-61

He was drafted to be a two-way center with a strong shot and he’s not far from being just that in the NHL. Minten’s first WHL season after being drafted was a great showcase for his shot and his compete level, with Minten becoming a very important forechecker and defensive forward for the Kamloops Blazers. Luneau made the opening night lineup for the Ducks last year but bounced between the NHL and AHL before heading to Sweden for the World Juniors where he was sidelined with an infection in his knee that ended his season.

Goals Against Average

With major changes looming over the Leafs’ roster, Rielly is one of the few that can be marked safe. He has a good contract, plays important minutes, and has a strong presence in the game. Forward James Hagens topped off the rankings at No. 1, followed by forwards Ryan Leonard at No. 2 and Gabe Perreault at No. 3. Hockey season comes back into full swing, and there are already a ton of fun storylines to follow this year.

Kevin Fiala, LW, Los Angeles Kings

• The Panthers’ defense will certainly have their hands full in the Stanley Cup Final considering that they have to slow down Connor McDavid and company.
• Of course, offense comes a bit easier with the Oilers, but it is his defense that has been the biggest stand-out part of his game.
• The Dallas goaltender wasted no time adjusting to the NHL level when he made the jump from the NCAA in 2020.
• The 6’4” Latvian goaltender has the skill and athleticism to prove he belongs in the NHL.
• Nick Suzuki had one of the best offensive seasons by a Montreal Canadiens player since 2000, and not only was he producing at a great rate, but he is also an excellent defensive center.
• After a 67-point campaign last year, it will be intriguing to see how Marchand produces without his longtime center, Patrice Bergeron.

He is an effective scorer, and despite having a slow start to the season, he caught up quickly and finished with over a point per game. His physicality, leadership, and playoff performances have launched him up the list over the past two years and he has become one of the most impactful players in the league. One of the best defensemen in the league, Roma Josi continues to score a significant amount of goals and points every season.

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And if it is more solid in the DZ, I feel much more comfortable about the goaltending situation. I never like not having a proven commodity, but there are real reasons for optimism for both Cameron Korpi and Logan Stein. Hard to imagine at least one of them doesn’t succeed enough to at least give Michigan average goaltending. If they’re a solid defensive team and have a robust and deep offense, average goaltending should get this team into the NCAA Tournament.

He absolutely tore up the top junior league in Russia and was excellent in the second-tier professional league in Russia as well (VHL). Miroshnichenko made the move to North America last year, scoring roughly half a point-per-game in the AHL and skating in a handful of NHL games. He battles hard and shoots harder, making him an absolute menace in the offensive zone. While the effort isn’t as prominent on the defensive side of the game, there are not many players with Kucherov’s offensive capabilities. He was the lone reason the Lightning made the playoffs last season, and with some movement in the Lightning lineup, Kucherov could benefit from the moves made this offseason in Tampa Bay. Leon Draisaitl has five straight 100-point seasons excluding the shortened 56-game season.

As great as the Oilers are on offense, they do need to play some defense to win the Stanley Cup. Since joining Edmonton ahead of the 2023 trade deadline, Ekholm has provided some much needed stability on defense, and he has elevated his game in these playoffs. In his 321 minutes of ice time at five-on-five, the Oilers have controlled 57.2% of the expected goals and outscored opponents 19-11, per Natural Stat Trick. Those numbers are even more eye-popping when you consider Ekholm is tasked with slowing down the opposition’s top forwards. It’s probably safe to assume that Sam Reinhart and Carter Verhaeghe will get a heavy dose of Ekholm in this series. Artyom Levshunov has an incredibly exciting toolkit as a big, right-handed defender who skates incredibly well.

• After winning his second Art Ross Trophy, Nikita Kucherov is well deserving of a spot this high on the list.
• Sandin Pellikka had a great showing for Sweden at the World Juniors in his draft year, improving his draft stock considerably.
• Wallinder was one of the best young players in Sweden last season and has made the switch to North America this year with the Grand Rapids Griffins.
• He uses his speed and skill to blow by defenders in the neutral zone and pressure in-zone defenders who struggle to anticipate his next move.
• He transitioned from center to the wing as he got older, but he still plays a strong defensive game and has good offensive numbers.
• It won’t be a huge surprise if Barkov makes his presence known at many points during the series.
• Mukhamadullin joined the San Jose Barracuda in the AHL last year and has been an excellent two-way player, one who looks more than capable of cracking the Sharks’ lineup very soon.

• He is the heartbeat of the forward group on the Rangers and provides leadership on and off the ice.
• He missed 22 games last year with injury, but still managed to finish top-10 in defensemen scoring (66 points) and one of only two blue liners to put up a point-per-game (1.10).
• Hunter Brzustewicz is an offensive defender who skates incredibly well and has a lot to give offensively.

His offensive game is impressive for a defender of his size and his skating makes him even more intriguing as an NHL prospect. Yakemchuk has a rocket of a shot, scoring 19 goals last season, something that makes him a true goal scoring threat from the point. He challenges opposing players one-on-one like a forward, constantly setting himself up for these incredible dekes. The problem is, he doesn’t succeed 100% of the time and can put himself in tough positions to recover defensively.

He is the best player they have, one of the longest-tenured players with the Utah/Coyotes team, and provides great leadership. Keller has been scoring nearly a point per game over three seasons, during which time the Coyotes have struggled a lot. He has proven himself as one of the top-scoring wingers in the league and is starting to get recognition for it. They lost last year’s #2 goalscorer Ryan Kirwan to the transfer portal (ASU), and #3 goalscorer Jacques Bouquot graduated. PSU rolls over Aiden Fink, Matt DiMarsico, and Reese Laubach, all of whom were freshmen last year and they seem like a solid group to build a team around.

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Rutger McGroarty is in an exciting position after being traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins. After clearly wanting out of Winnipeg, he becomes the best prospect and rookie for the Penguins by a mile. But there will be a lot of high expectations on a young player who is expected to slot into the Penguins’ top six. He shines in the offensive zone with his goal-scoring and playmaking ability, being able to handle the puck with the likes of his elite teammates. Look for him to have a lot of opportunities this season, as Pittsburgh will be in an interesting position not only this season but for years to come.

Updated hourly, with analysis, commentary and features from hundreds writers worldwide, our articles are read over 5 million times every month. The Minnesota Wild have clearly identified Faber as their top defenseman, and moving forward they will be happy to have him there and build around him. Faber was acquired by the Wild in a trade that sent Fiala to the Kings, and since then, Faber’s development has been fantastic. While the Senators try to leave their rebuilding years, the defense has been one of the biggest issues of the roster.

I was eager to see how Matthew Wood would adjust to the college game after he dominated the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) two years ago, leading the league in goals and points as a 16-year-old. His freshman results were extremely positive with Wood being one of the top rookie point scorers and one of the top scorers on his team despite being the youngest player in all of men’s NCAA hockey during his draft year. He could use a bit more speed (who couldn’t), https://gambibet.org/ but he has shown that his timing and puck protection skills are strong enough for him to succeed in college. The Seattle Kraken are putting in work trying to build a high-end prospect pool from scratch, and drafting Jani Nyman in the second round of the 2022 Draft was a big step in the right direction. Nyman is a big Finnish winger with the size and strength to compete against men in Liiga (the top Finnish pro league) without looking out of place.

After ranking sixth last year, Victor Hedman tumbled down the list to No. 23 this year. Hedman’s Tampa Bay Lightning teammate Andrei Vasilevskiy also tumbled out of the top 10, checking in at No. 19 after placing seventh last year. Founded in 2009, The Hockey Writers is a premier destination for news and information on everything hockey.

He’s a top-three goaltender in the league, coming off a season where he posted a 2.34 GAA, .934 SV% and a 38.7 goals saved above expected. He looked like an absolute star in the KHL last year, once again being loaned to HK Sochi, one of the league’s bottom teams. I expected he would land a well-deserved top-six spot with SKA St. Petersburg next season, but the Flyers managed to get him signed and Michkov will make his NHL debut much sooner than expected. He’s a serious contender for the Calder Trophy next year, especially if the Flyers put him in a position to succeed.

What I’ve seen from him this year is a natural progression of him getting bigger and stronger, allowing him to dominate the WHL. It’s not just his improved finishing that makes him exciting, it’s his strength, speed, and motor. Columbus already has Adam Fantilli as their 1C of the future, and adding Lindstrom who could conceivably fill the 2C spot will be a huge answer for the team’s future.

I do think he’s a solid defender when he’s properly engaged, cutting off passes and angling opponents toward the boards. Parekh is a remarkable talent, with Quinn Hughes-like offensive upside if things go well, but the defensive end is in need of some real work. He’s talented enough and looked strong enough defensively in the Memorial Cup  that I think he’ll figure it out in the NHL though, if given enough time. Shane Wright’s biggest obstacle since being drafted has been the NHL/CHL agreement but he was granted an exception last year so he could compete in the AHL despite not being officially eligible.

Goyette reads opposing defenses very well which allows him to attack in a wide variety of ways. He can charge through soft spots, deke through defenders to make space, or draw tons of attention before passing to a teammate who is wide open. Goyette was one of the best players in the OHL last season and I think he has a chance to be an excellent pro player next season with the Firebirds in the AHL.