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ESPN staff
The apical 100 NHL players for the 2022-23 play are hard to rank, fixed the unthinkable extent of endowment astatine astir each position.
To make our yearly ranking of the NHL's apical 100 players, we asked an ESPN sheet of much than 50 hockey experts to complaint players based connected however bully they volition beryllium successful the 2022-23 play compared to their peers.
The Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche were tied for the astir players successful the apical 100 with six, on with the New York Rangers, Tampa Bay Lightning and the Vancouver Canucks. Only 3 teams failed to spot a subordinate successful the apical 100 -- and the Arizona Coyotes are not 1 of the three.
Emphasis was placed solely connected expectations for the upcoming play and predicting imaginable greatness, alternatively than past performance, vocation résumé oregon positional value. Hence, semipermanent injuries to players, specified arsenic the season-ending country for Robin Lehner of the Vegas Golden Knights, were taken into consideration.
There whitethorn beryllium nary greater denotation of the NHL's extent than the information that the halfway presumption -- the root of the league's prima powerfulness for decades -- accounted for lone 7 spots successful the apical 20. Centers bash encompass 4 slots successful the apical 7 players, however.
Today we uncover Nos. 51 done 100 connected the list. Tune successful to "The Point" connected Tuesday nighttime for a uncover of the apical players, which volition beryllium disposable online Wednesday morning.
100. Evander Kane, LW, Edmonton Oilers
2021-22 rank: NR
Age: 31
Eight consecutive seasons of much than 20 goals is what makes Kane 1 of the league's much accordant wingers. --Ryan S. Clark
99. Jakob Chychrun, D, Arizona Coyotes
2021-22 rank: 56
Age: 24
Chychrun is simply a high-end endowment with large antiaircraft details and violative upside -- erstwhile he's healthy. Injuries person defined the blueliner's past 12 months but shouldn't distract from what helium tin connection astatine afloat strength. --Kristen Shilton
98. Tomas Hertl, C, San Jose Sharks
2021-22 rank: NR
Age: 28
San Jose believes the dynamic Hertl volition beryllium their top-line halfway of the contiguous -- and future. He's a skilled scorer, deft playmaker and tin elevate teammates, each of which the Sharks request to spot much of amid a dilatory commencement to this season. --Kristen Shilton
97. Seth Jones, D, Chicago Blackhawks
2021-22 rank: 95
Age: 28
Chicago went all-in connected signing the talented Jones past offseason due to the fact that of his imaginable to execute successful each 3 phases. Jones is simply a beardown passer, executes cleanable breakouts, and helium throws his framework on the boards, each elements of a solidly well-rounded skater. --Kristen Shilton
96. Bo Horvat, C, Vancouver Canucks
2021-22 rank: 97
Age: 27
The Canucks' skipper is simply a versatile cog successful the system, fantabulous connected draws and handles a matchup relation well. Horvat conscionable had a career-best 31-goal season, and helium volition beryllium channeling that violative vigor into this declaration year. --Kristen Shilton
95. Alex Pietrangelo, D, Vegas Golden Knights
2021-22 rank: 35
Age: 32
Pietrangelo deed the 80-game people for the archetypal clip successful 4 seasons and gave a consciousness of stableness astatine a clip of questions for the Golden Knights. --Ryan S. Clark
94. Thomas Chabot, D, Ottawa Senators
2021-22 rank: 89
Age: 25
Chabot has a relentless motor, and helium brings everything you'd privation to the Senators' blue-line group. Ottawa's anchor regularly logs monolithic minutes portion excelling successful each on-ice scenario, proving that wherever Chabot goes, truthful spell the Sens. --Kristen Shilton
93. Mats Zuccarello, RW, Minnesota Wild
2021-22 rank: NR
Age: 35
The diminutive Norwegian was 13th among each close wings with a 0.85 points per crippled mean implicit the past 2 seasons. --Greg Wyshynski
92. Kris Letang, D, Pittsburgh Penguins
2021-22 rank: 36
Age: 35
Letang had a career-best 68 points portion averaging astir 26 minutes en way finishing successful the apical 10 successful Norris voting for the 3rd clip successful 4 seasons. --Ryan S. Clark
91. Anze Kopitar, C, Los Angeles Kings
2021-22 rank: 37
Age: 35
Several items led to the Kings' resurgence, and Kopitar was among them by starring the squad successful scoring portion playing successful each situation. --Ryan S. Clark
90. Claude Giroux, C, Ottawa Senators
2021-22 rank: 69
Age: 34
Giroux whitethorn nary longer beryllium the point-per-game subordinate helium was successful his prime, but the 34-year-old remains a dependable playmaking presence. --Greg Wyshynski
89. William Nylander, RW, Toronto Maple Leafs
2021-22 rank: 57
Age: 26
Nylander has matured into much than conscionable a scoring threat. He's consenting to conflict for pucks, make takeaways and breaks retired quickly. He besides has the wheels to wield a beardown modulation game. --Kristen Shilton
88. Jake Oettinger, G, Dallas Stars
2021-22 rank: NR
Age: 23
His regular-season efforts showed helium tin service successful a tandem, but the playoffs showed Oettinger has everything needed to beryllium a No. 1 goaltender. --Ryan S. Clark
87. Tage Thompson, C, Buffalo Sabres
2021-22 rank: NR
Age: 24
Buffalo's large halfway had a large breakout twelvemonth that's turned him into an emerging look of the franchise. Thompson's got elite scoring ability, a slayer changeable and, arsenic the Sabres discovered past season, the versatility to play important minutes down the middle. --Kristen Shilton
86. Adrian Kempe, C, Los Angeles Kings
2021-22 rank: NR
Age: 26
The Swedish sniper broke done successful past season's 35-goal turn. Kempe's upping the ante already this twelvemonth -- 3 goals successful 3 games -- acknowledgment to large chemistry with Anze Kopitar. --Kristen Shilton
85. Tim Stutzle, LW, Ottawa Senators
2021-22 rank: NR
Age: 20
Stutzle is already a power-play unit for the Senators (26 of his 58 points past season). With Claude Giroux and Alex DeBrincat added to the Ottawa guardant group, his adjacent spot output should increase. --Greg Wyshynski
84. MacKenzie Weegar, D, Calgary Flames
2021-22 rank: 94
Age: 28
His puck-moving quality made a quality successful Florida, and it is wherefore Calgary looks similar it has different limb connected its bluish line. --Ryan S. Clark
83. Tristan Jarry, G, Pittsburgh Penguins
2021-22 rank: NR
Age: 27
Tristan Jarry silenced critics of his disastrous 2021 postseason by establishing himself arsenic a consistent, effectual starter for the Penguins past season. --Greg Wyshynski
82. Ilya Sorokin, G, New York Islanders
2021-22 rank: NR
Age: 27
When Sorokin starts, the Islanders cognize what benignant of effort they're getting. He had a prime starts percent of .713 implicit his archetypal 2 NHL seasons. --Greg Wyshynski
81. Chris Kreider, LW, New York Rangers
2021-22 rank: NR
Age: 31
The Blueshirts got a Broadway-esque prima crook from Kreider successful his 52-goal effort a play ago. Surprising? Maybe, but the seasoned guardant has followed it up by averaging a constituent per crippled aboriginal successful the 2022-23 season. --Kristen Shilton
80. John Tavares, C, Toronto Maple Leafs
2021-22 rank: 52
Age: 32
Tavares' crippled has evolved beyond conscionable extremity scoring. The Leafs' skipper is simply a proven playmaker who deed a decade-high successful assists (49) past play that complemented his much finely tuned, 200-foot performances. --Kristen Shilton
79. Morgan Rielly, D, Toronto Maple Leafs
2021-22 rank: 73
Age: 28
The longtime backbone of Toronto's defence does it each portion starring by example. Rielly's an elite skater and puck mover utilized successful each situation, wherever he's susceptible of generating discourtesy without sacrificing antiaircraft responsibilities. --Kristen Shilton
78. Aaron Ekblad, D, Florida Panthers
2021-22 rank: 51
Age: 26
When Ekblad's healthy, he's a defenseman worthy of being successful the Norris Trophy conversation, particularly fixed his playmaking abilities (42 assists past season). --Greg Wyshynski
77. Troy Terry, C, Anaheim Ducks
2021-22 rank: NR
Age: 25
Terry's 67-point play sets the anticipation that helium has recovered his footing wrong the Ducks' semipermanent plans. --Ryan S. Clark
76. Elias Lindholm, C, Calgary Flames
2021-22 rank: NR
Age: 27
Lindholm was an elite -- if under-the-radar -- two-way halfway earlier past season's explosive 42-goal showing enactment him connected the map. Former linemates Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk mightiness beryllium gone but Lindholm's antiaircraft savvy and scoring prowess proceed to shine. --Kristen Shilton
75. Mikhail Sergachev, D, Tampa Bay Lightning
2021-22 rank: 68
Age: 24
This play is Sergachev's clip to radiance with Ryan McDonagh having been traded to Nashville. He's the 2nd champion violative defenseman connected the Bolts down Victor Hedman. --Greg Wyshynski
74. Jacob Trouba, D, New York Rangers
2021-22 rank: NR
Age: 28
Trouba is champion known for thunderous hits, but helium tin spot successful offensively astatine adjacent spot too. --Greg Wyshynski
73. Drew Doughty, D, Los Angeles Kings
2021-22 rank: 38
Age: 32
Doughty getting injured past play was a large nonaccomplishment for the Kings fixed helium was connected gait to acceptable a vocation precocious successful points. --Ryan S. Clark
72. Mark Scheifele, C, Winnipeg Jets
2021-22 rank: 27
Age: 29
For each the speech successful Winnipeg, Scheifele tin calm those concerns by turning successful different 20-goal play with the thought helium could besides endanger to people 30. --Ryan S. Clark
71. Vladimir Tarasenko, RW, St. Louis Blues
2021-22 rank: 93
Age: 30
Tarasenko had 1 of the NHL's champion "remember me?" seasons, reigniting his prima with a 3.9 points per 60 minutes average. --Greg Wyshynski
70. Brock Boeser, RW, Vancouver Canucks
2021-22 rank: 67
Age: 25
Boeser is 1 of the amended axenic extremity scorers connected the Canucks, with 46 goals successful 127 games implicit the past 2 seasons. --Greg Wyshynski
69. Jaccob Slavin, D, Carolina Hurricanes
2021-22 rank: NR
Age: 28
Subtlety is Slavin's game, yet the interaction helium has speaks alternatively loudly for the Hurricanes. --Ryan S. Clark
68. Rasmus Dahlin, D, Buffalo Sabres
2021-22 rank: NR
Age: 22
Dahlin relishes playing large minutes connected Buffalo's apical unit, wherever the 22-year-old has matured earlier the Sabres' eyes. This play he's adding much discourtesy from the bluish enactment already, too. --Kristen Shilton
67. Joe Pavelski, C, Dallas Stars
2021-22 rank: NR
Age: 38
All helium did was people a career-high 81 points, play a liable crippled and person two-way consistency ... successful his precocious 30s. --Ryan S. Clark
66. Nikolaj Ehlers, LW, Winnipeg Jets
2021-22 rank: 78
Age: 26
Ehlers is lethal successful transition, making him a must-watch playmaker disconnected the rush. That accomplishment and imaginativeness planted Ehlers connected Winnipeg's apical line. --Kristen Shilton
65. Valeri Nichushkin, RW, Colorado Avalanche
2021-22 rank: NR
Age: 27
He's a two-way, 25-goal-scoring powerfulness guardant who is 6-foot-4 and gives the Avs different dimension. --Ryan S. Clark
64. John Carlson, D, Washington Capitals
2021-22 rank: 53
Age: 32
While helium ne'er broke done to triumph the Norris, Carlson has been a accordant defenseman who banks points portion moving Ovechkin's powerfulness play. --Greg Wyshynski
63. Dougie Hamilton, D, New Jersey Devils
2021-22 rank: 34
Age: 29
Even with less games, Hamilton fell a extremity shy of what would person been an eighth-straight play of much than 10 goals during his archetypal twelvemonth successful New Jersey. --Ryan S. Clark
62. Darnell Nurse, D, Edmonton Oilers
2021-22 rank: 90
Age: 27
Nurse has averaged implicit 25 minutes of crystal clip per crippled the past 2 seasons, being tasked with playing against apical competition. --Greg Wyshynski
61. Gabriel Landeskog, LW, Colorado Avalanche
2021-22 rank: 43
Age: 29
Landeskog gives the Avalanche different 20-goal scorer who could perchance scope the 30-goal people if not for injuries (he missed the commencement of the play with a lower-body injury). --Ryan S. Clark
60. Trevor Zegras, C, Anaheim Ducks
2021-22 rank: NR
Age: 21
The video-game moves (and moves that extremity up successful video games) made him instantly famous, but Zegras has the skills to stay an NHL violative force. --Greg Wyshynski
59. Devon Toews, D, Colorado Avalanche
2021-22 rank: NR
Age: 28
Look astatine his antiaircraft and violative metrics and you volition spot wherefore Toews is truthful valued successful Denver. --Ryan S. Clark
58. Quinn Hughes, D, Vancouver Canucks
2021-22 rank: 59
Age: 23
Canucks' seat brag Bruce Boudreau says Hughes passes the puck arsenic good arsenic anyone helium has coached. High praise for the 23-year-old, who already is ably anchoring Vancouver's backend. --Kristen Shilton
57. Kevin Fiala, LW, Los Angeles Kings
2021-22 rank: NR
Age: 26
Scoring 33 goals and 85 points did much than onshore Fiala a caller contract. It places him nether a spotlight arsenic idiosyncratic who could assistance marque the Kings adjacent much dangerous. --Ryan S. Clark
56. Jake Guentzel, LW, Pittsburgh Penguins
2021-22 rank: 79
Age: 28
An underrated violative force. His chemistry with Sidney Crosby is already connected show this play pursuing a 2nd 40-goal run successful 2021-22. --Kristen Shilton
55. Ryan O'Reilly, C, St. Louis Blues
2021-22 rank: 47
Age: 31
One of the NHL's apical two-way centers. He's had astatine slightest 50 points successful 9 consecutive seasons and won implicit 58% of his faceoffs successful 7 consecutive seasons. --Greg Wyshynski
54. Nazem Kadri, C, Calgary Flames
2021-22 rank: NR
Age: 32
Kadri broke done to people 87 points and further raised already precocious expectations astir doing the aforesaid present that helium is with the Flames. --Ryan S. Clark
53. J.T. Miller, C, Vancouver Canucks
2021-22 rank: NR
Age: 29
Miller has go a apical halfway enactment for the Canucks, who precocious signed the large guardant to a seven-year extension. His 32 goals and 99 points past play were some idiosyncratic bests. --Kristen Shilton
52. Jordan Kyrou, C, St. Louis Blues
2021-22 rank: NR
Age: 24
Speed and accomplishment thrust Kyrou's awesome violative game. St. Louis gave him an eight-year hold pursuing past season's vocation totals (27 goals, 75 points successful 74 games), cementing Kyrou arsenic a look of the franchise. --Kristen Shilton
51. Patrice Bergeron, C, Boston Bruins
2021-22 rank: 33
Age: 37
The 37-year-old Bergeron has remained truthful consistent, the past clip helium was not apical 3 successful Selke voting was much than a decennary ago. --Ryan S. Clark
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