Any conversation about the best NHL players quickly branches in a few directions — are we talking about the best players right now, the best of all time, or the best Canadian-born players? This guide breaks down all of those angles, since “best” means something a little different depending on which question you’re actually asking.
A quick note before diving in: rankings like these are inherently a matter of opinion and debate among hockey fans and analysts, and different outlets and experts will order these lists differently. What follows reflects commonly cited consensus picks rather than one single, official ranking.
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Best NHL Players Right Now
Heading through the 2026 season, a handful of players consistently separate themselves from the rest of the league through scoring dominance, two-way impact, or sheer consistency:
- Connor McDavid (Edmonton Oilers) — widely regarded as the league’s most dominant offensive talent, combining elite speed, playmaking, and finishing.
- Nathan MacKinnon (Colorado Avalanche) — a perennial scoring-race contender and one of the most explosive skaters in the league.
- Nikita Kucherov (Tampa Bay Lightning) — among the league’s top pure scorers, known for elite vision and power-play production.
- Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins) — still performing at an elite two-way level well into his 30s, and widely viewed as one of the best all-around players in the league.
- Auston Matthews (Toronto Maple Leafs) — one of the NHL’s most prolific goal scorers, and the engine of Toronto’s offence.
- Sebastian Aho (Carolina Hurricanes) — an underrated, do-everything forward who contributes at an elite level in nearly every situation.
- David Pastrnak (Boston Bruins) — a consistent 100-point-level scorer and one of the most complete wingers in the league.
- Connor Hellebuyck (Winnipeg Jets) — regarded as the NHL’s top goaltender, with multiple major awards to his name.
This kind of “right now” list is naturally the most fluid of the bunch — it shifts from season to season as players peak, decline, or get injured, so it’s worth treating as a snapshot rather than a permanent ranking.
Top 10 Best NHL Players of All Time
Ranking players across different eras of hockey is one of the most debated exercises in the sport, since equipment, rules, competition level, and even rink dimensions have changed dramatically over the decades. That said, a handful of names appear on virtually every credible all-time list:
- Wayne Gretzky — “The Great One” holds the NHL’s all-time records for goals, assists, and points by such a wide margin that most fans consider the debate over the greatest player ever effectively settled.
- Bobby Orr — redefined the defenceman position, combining elite offence with generational skating ability.
- Gordie Howe — a rare combination of scoring touch, physicality, and remarkable longevity, playing into his 50s.
- Mario Lemieux — arguably the most naturally gifted scorer in league history, with a career that would likely have produced even gaudier numbers without significant injuries and illness.
- Sidney Crosby — a generational two-way player and multiple-time Stanley Cup champion whose consistency across two decades keeps him firmly in the all-time conversation.
- Maurice “Rocket” Richard — the first player to score 50 goals in 50 games, and a foundational figure in hockey history.
- Mark Messier — one of the greatest leaders and clutch performers the game has seen, with championships across two different franchises.
- Jean Béliveau — a dominant, graceful centre and longtime Montreal Canadiens captain during one of the most successful eras in franchise history.
- Alexander Ovechkin — the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer, known for one of the most feared shots in league history.
- Patrick Roy — widely considered one of the two or three greatest goaltenders ever, revolutionizing goaltending technique along the way.
Best Canadian NHL Players
Given hockey’s roots in Canada, it’s no surprise that many of the sport’s greatest players — both historically and today — were born there:
- Wayne Gretzky (Brantford, Ontario) — the sport’s most decorated player, by nearly any statistical measure.
- Mario Lemieux (Montreal, Quebec) — one of the most talented pure scorers the game has ever produced.
- Gordie Howe (Floral, Saskatchewan) — a defining figure of the sport’s mid-century era.
- Mark Messier (Edmonton, Alberta) — one of the most accomplished captains and leaders in league history.
- Sidney Crosby (Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia) — the face of the sport for most of the 2000s and 2010s, and still an elite performer today.
- Connor McDavid (Richmond Hill, Ontario) — the clear standard-bearer among current Canadian-born players, and among the very best players in the world today.
- Nathan MacKinnon (Halifax, Nova Scotia) — a Stanley Cup champion and one of the most dynamic offensive players of his generation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are the best NHL players right now?
Names like Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, Nikita Kucherov, and Sidney Crosby are commonly cited among the very best players in the league today.
Who is considered the best NHL player of all time?
Wayne Gretzky is the near-universal pick, based on his all-time records in goals, assists, and points.
Who are the best Canadian NHL players?
Historically, names like Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, Gordie Howe, and Mark Messier lead the conversation, while Connor McDavid is widely viewed as the top Canadian-born player in today’s game.
Wrapping Up
“Best NHL players” isn’t really one question — it depends on whether you’re asking about this season, the sport’s full history, or Canadian-born talent specifically. Across every version of the question, a few names — McDavid, Gretzky, Crosby — keep showing up, which says a lot about just how rare that level of sustained excellence really is.
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