The Montreal Canadiens rebuild is well on its way after the team made a giant leap forward last season.

Montreal snagged the last wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference with a 40-31-11 record, securing their first playoff berth since 2021.

Leading the charge was captain Nick Suzuki, who led the team in scoring with 30 goals and 89 points last year and makes his first appearance on TSN’s Top 50 player rankings at No. 25.

Suzuki was acquired along with forward Tomas Tatar and a draft pick in a blockbuster trade with the Vegas Golden Knights that saw former team captain Max Pacioretty go the other way in 2018.

Since then the 26-year-old has been steadily becoming one of the top two-way centres in the NHL and has become more confident in a leadership role since being named captain prior to the 2022-23 campaign.

“I’m definitely a lot more comfortable and confident in the role compared to two, three years ago,” Suzuki told reporters at the start of training camp on Sept. 11. “Growing as a person and a leader in our group has been fun.”

Suzuki and the Canadiens are looking to take the next step forward in not just becoming a playoff team, but a Stanley Cup contender. The team acquired highly regarded defenceman Noah Dobson from the New York Islanders prior to the draft and promising young winger Zack Bolduc from the St. Louis Blues.

Combine that with getting a full rookie campaign from phenom Ivan Demidov and reigning Calder Trophy winner Lane Hutson’s sophomore season, the Canadiens have high expectations for the 2025-26 season.

“We’ve got a lot of things to build off of,“ said Suzuki. “We still have a lot to learn, but I think the lessons that we got last year were really important for our group, and to experience all those big games.”

30. Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay Lightning

2024-25 Ranking: 24

Coming in at No. 30 is Hedman, who continues to be a key cog in the Lightning’s success. The 6-foot-7 stalwart defenceman was named captain after Steven Stamkos’ departure to the Nashville Predators prior to last season and recorded 15 goals and 66 points in 79 games.

Hedman led the Lightning to second place in the Atlantic Division with a 47-27-8 record, securing home-ice in the first round of the playoffs. He added three assists in five playoff games while averaging 24:32 of ice times before his team was eliminated by the Florida Panthers in the first round.

The 34-year-old captained Sweden at the 4-Nations Face-Off last season and was named as one of his nation’s first six roster players for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.

29. Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay Lightning

2024-25 Ranking: 42

After an injury plagued 2023-24 campaign, Vasilevskiy rockets back up the rankings to No. 29.

The 31-year-old netminder entered last season fully rested and healthy and responded by going 38-20-5 with a .921 save percentage and 2.18 goals-against average. He finished second in Vezina Trophy voting to Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck.

Vasilevskiy struggled in the playoffs, allowing 16 goals in five games to the Panthers as the Lightning were eliminated in the first round.

28. Brandon Hagel, Tampa Bay Lightning

2024-25 Ranking: N/A

Hagel makes his first appearance in the rankings at No. 28 after a career year in Tampa Bay. The 27-year-old forward finished second in team scoring with 35 goals and 90 points in 82 games to go along with a plus-33 rating.

The 6-foot-2 winger was limited in the playoffs after he was suspended for Game 4 of the Lightning’s first-round series against the Panthers for interference on Panthers’ captain Aleksander Barkov. He then missed Game 5 due to an undisclosed injury.

Hagel did not record a point in three playoff games as the Lightning fell to the Panthers in the first round.

The Saskatoon, Sask., native represented Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off, recording an assist as his country claimed first-place. He is a candidate to represent Canada once again at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.

27. Rasmus Dahlin, Buffalo Sabres

2024-25 Ranking: 36

At No. 27 in the rankings, Dahlin continues to have personal success in the NHL even if his team has not.

The Sabres’ captain finished second on the team in scoring with 17 goals and 68 points in 73 games last season to go along with a plus-11 rating. His play was highly regarded around the NHL, finishing sixth in Norris Trophy voting.

Dahlin’s main objective is to help Buffalo end a 14-year playoff drought this season.

The 6-foot-3 defenceman participated in the 4 Nations Face-Off for Sweden and has been cemented as one of his country’s first six roster players for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.

26. Artemi Panarin, New York Rangers

2024-25 Ranking: 9

Artemi Panarin Artemi Panarin New York Rangers

Panarin comes in at 26, tumbling down the rankings after the Rangers missed the playoffs a year after winning the Presidents’ Trophy.

The 33-year-old led the Rangers in scoring last season with 37 goals and 89 points, but his totals were a far cry from the 49 goals and 120 points recorded during the 2023-24 campaign.

Panarin is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent after the 2025-26 campaign.

25: Nick Suzuki, Montreal Canadiens

2024-25 Ranking: N/A

Suzuki makes his first appearance on the rankings at No. 25 as the Canadiens made their first foray into the Stanley Cup playoffs in four seasons.

The 26-year-old centre had a career-high 30 goals and 89 points in 82 games last season to lead the Canadiens in scoring. He added two goals and five playoff games before his team fell to the Washington Capitals in the first round.

Suzuki was invited to Canada’s Olympic orientation camp in August and will be a candidate to play for his country at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.

24. Miro Heiskanen, Dallas Stars

2024-25 Ranking: 25

Coming in at No. 24 is Heiskanen, who drops a spot after being limited to 50 games last season.

The 26-year-old blueliner recorded five goals and 25 points in 50 games but missed the last 32 games of the regular season and the first round of the playoffs after undergoing knee surgery.

Heiskanen returned for Game 4 of the second round against the Winnipeg Jets and helped his team reach their third consecutive Western Conference Final. He recorded a goal and four points in eight playoff games before his team was eliminated by the Edmonton Oilers.

The native of Finland was originally named to the 4 Nations Face-Off roster but couldn’t participate due to his injury. He was named as one of his country’s first six roster players for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.

23. Igor Shesterkin, New York Rangers

2024-25 Ranking: 17

Shesterkin comes in at No. 23 after a down year by his standards.

The 29-year-old entered last season with drama surrounding his contract, which was eventually settled when the Rangers made him the highest paid goaltender in NHL history with an eight-year, $92 million deal with an annual cap hit of $11.5 million in December.

Shesterkin appeared in a career-high 61 games, going 27-29-5 with a 2.86 GAA and .905 save percentage as the Rangers missed the playoffs for the first time since the shortened 2021 campaign.

22. Kyle Connor, Winnipeg Jets

2024-25 Ranking: 47

Kyle Connor Kyle Connor Winnipeg Jets

Connor makes a huge jump in the rankings, coming in at No. 22. The Winnipeg Jets won the Presidents’ Trophy last season with a 56-22-4 record and Connor was a big reason why.

The 28-year-old winger had a career season, registering 41 goals and 97 points in 82 games, leading the team in points. He added five goals and 17 points in 13 playoff games before the Jets were eliminated by the Stars in the second round.

Connor comes into this season on the final year of his contract as the two sides continue to negotiate on the possibility of a long-term extension.

The Shelby Township, Mich., native represented the United States in their second-place finish at the 4 Nations Face-Off and is a candidate to join the team at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.

21. Matthew Tkachuk, Florida Panthers

2024-25 Ranking: 13

At No 21, Tkachuk is one of the most recognizable faces of the NHL in the United States right now.

The 6-foot-2 winger is the heart and soul of the Panthers and has helped the team to back-to-back Stanley Cup titles and three consecutive Stanley Cup Final appearances.

Tkachuk had 22 goals and 57 points in 52 games last season as he sustained a lower-body injury while represented the United States at the 4 Nations Face-Off. He returned in the playoffs to record eight goals and 23 points in 23 games, en route to a Stanley Cup title.

The 27-year-old had surgery in the off-season to deal with a sports hernia and torn adductor muscle and will be sidelined into December.

Despite the injury, Tkachuk was one of the United States’ first six roster players named for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.

Recapping TSN Top 50 Players Nos. 40-31

TSN’s Top 50 NHL Players – 40-31: How high is Macklin Celebrini’s ceiling? The second 10 names on TSN’s annual list of Top 50 NHL players are out, and among them is 19-year old Macklin Celebrini, but how high could the young star’s ceiling be? Frankie Corrado and Martin Biron join Gino Reda to debate this and more.

Related Stories