{"id":198931,"date":"2025-10-09T01:31:14","date_gmt":"2025-10-09T01:31:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/198931\/"},"modified":"2025-10-09T01:31:14","modified_gmt":"2025-10-09T01:31:14","slug":"every-nhl-teams-forwards-ranked-lightning-golden-knights-top-the-2025-26-list","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/198931\/","title":{"rendered":"Every NHL team\u2019s forwards ranked: Lightning, Golden Knights top the 2025-26 list"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Athletic has live coverage of Canadiens vs. Maple Leafs.<\/a><\/p>\n

Yesterday, we ranked the defenses of every NHL team<\/a>. Today, we turn our attention to the forwards.<\/p>\n

Part of the challenge with analyzing all 32 groups of centers and wingers is figuring out what to prioritize. If a team has a lone superstar up front but not much support around him, is that better or worse than a team without a franchise face that nonetheless has key contributors on the second and third lines?<\/p>\n

And how much do you prioritize evaluating goal production and offensive ability over considering two-way play, especially in cases where a team does only one of those things well?<\/p>\n

This is the first time we\u2019ve ranked forwards, so a few caveats with this list.<\/p>\n

First, line combinations are obviously fluid, so we attempted to use the latest available as of our publishing deadline.<\/p>\n

Second, injuries are a big factor, so we tried to account for how long a player will be out in determining how it will impact their team\u2019s ranking.<\/p>\n

And three, this is based entirely on the 2025-26 season, so a team heavy on prospects with upside wasn\u2019t given an edge.<\/p>\n

Tier 1: Best in classTampa Bay Lightning<\/p>\n

Jake Guentzel \u2013 Brayden Point \u2013 Nikita Kucherov
Brandon Hagel \u2013 Anthony Cirelli \u2013 Gage Goncalves
Oliver Bjorkstrand \u2013 Yanni Gourde \u2013 Mitchell Chaffee
Zemgus Girgensons \u2013 Jack Finley \u2013 Pontus Holmberg<\/p>\n

Extras: Nick Paul (IR), Conor Geekie, Curtis Douglas<\/p>\n

While the other Florida team appropriately gets plenty of credit for its deep forward cast, a run of injuries there allows the Lightning to sneak into top spot of this season\u2019s rankings.<\/p>\n

Part of what elevates this group is that they\u2019re both offensively and defensively excellent, ranking second in both categories by our model and boasting four elite scorers (Kucherov, Guentzel, Hagel and Point) complemented by a regular Selke candidate in Cirelli.<\/p>\n

A full season with deadline adds Gourde and Bjorkstrand \u2014 the latter of whom was a nearly 60-point player in Seattle \u2014 on the third line will give them better depth than a year ago once Paul is healthy, which is impressive given the team led the NHL in scoring and placed second in goal differential without them for much of the 2024-25 season.<\/p>\n

The only real flag with this group is that they\u2019re starting to get a little older, overall, and their last Cup win is now four years in the rearview. But a step forward for Geekie could inject some more youth into the top nine, and Goncalves and Finley add a little more under-25 upside, too. If the Panthers falter, this is a team to watch in the East.<\/p>\n

Vegas Golden Knights<\/p>\n

Ivan Barbashev \u2013 Jack Eichel \u2013 Mitch Marner
Reilly Smith \u2013 William Karlsson \u2013 Mark Stone
Brandon Saad \u2013 Tomas Hertl \u2013 Pavel Dorofeyev
Brett Howden \u2013 Colton Sissons \u2013 Keegan Kolesar<\/p>\n

Extra: Cole Reinhardt, Alexander Holtz<\/p>\n

Vegas\u2019 forward group is ridiculously stacked from top to bottom. Eichel and Marner both finished among the NHL\u2019s top 10 in scoring last year \u2014 they should form a deadly duo, giving the Golden Knights one of the best first lines in the league.<\/p>\n

Between Eichel, Karlsson, Hertl and Sissons, Vegas has arguably the NHL\u2019s best center depth. Stone is still an elite player when healthy, and what a luxury it is to have Dorofeyev, who led Vegas with 35 goals, currently penciled in on the third line.<\/p>\n

Even Vegas\u2019 fourth line is high-end \u2014 Howden scored 23 goals last year, Sissons would be a 3C on many teams, and Kolesar is a heavy, physical winger coming off a 30-point campaign.<\/p>\n

Dallas Stars<\/p>\n

Sam Steel \u2013 Roope Hintz \u2013 Mikko Rantanen
Jason Robertson \u2013 Wyatt Johnston \u2013 Mavrik Bourque
Colin Blackwell \u2013 Matt Duchene \u2013 Tyler Seguin
Adam Erne \u2013 Radek Faksa \u2013 Nathan Bastian<\/p>\n

Extras: Jamie Benn (IR), Justin Hryckowian, Oskar Back<\/p>\n

Dallas was already icing one of hockey\u2019s deepest top-nine forward groups over the last couple of years. Now, with Rantanen in the fold for his first full season, they finally have a superstar who can singlehandedly take games over, too. Rantanen started slow in Dallas, but he erupted in the playoffs with nine goals and 22 points in 18 games.<\/p>\n

Add Robertson, Johnston (who should take another step this year), and Hintz to the fold and you\u2019ve got four high-end first-line caliber players. And that doesn\u2019t even include Matt Duchene, who\u2019s coming off an 82-point season.<\/p>\n

The Stars lost some valuable secondary forwards in Mikael Granlund, Mason Marchment, and Evgenii Dadanov, but a healthy Tyler Seguin \u2014 he missed all but 20 regular-season games \u2014 should be a huge difference-maker in the middle six and Bourque, who is a year removed from leading the AHL in points, should break out with a consistent top-nine opportunity, too.<\/p>\n

Too many of Dallas\u2019 forwards went quiet in last year\u2019s playoffs \u2014 Rantanen and Hintz were the only forwards to score 0.6 points-per-game during last year\u2019s run, despite nine of their forwards producing at that rate or better in the regular season \u2014 but we\u2019re betting that they\u2019ll figure things out in the postseason.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\n How can a forward group topped by Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid fall outside Tier 1? (Steph Chambers \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Tier 2: Above-averageEdmonton Oilers<\/p>\n

Leon Draisaitl \u2013 Connor McDavid \u2013 Trent Frederic
Andrew Mangiapane \u2013 Ryan Nugent-Hopkins \u2013 Matt Savoie
Vasily Podkolzin \u2013 Noah Philp \u2013 Kasperi Kapanen
Isaac Howard \u2013 Adam Henrique \u2013 David Tomasek<\/p>\n

Extras: Zach Hyman (IR), Mattias Janmark, Curtis Lazar, James Hamblin<\/p>\n

It feels strange to slot a forward group with McDavid and Draisaitl outside of Tier 1.<\/p>\n

McDavid is the best player in the league, and Draisaitl, on the back of an impressive two-way glow-up, was the 2024-25 Hart Trophy runner-up. Those two are a cheat code in the playoffs \u2014 forget taking over games, these two can take over entire series. That, coupled with some timely bottom-six scoring, allowed them to comfortably eliminate Vegas and Dallas (for a second consecutive year) in the playoffs, two deeper teams on paper.<\/p>\n

However, it was abundantly clear in the Stanley Cup Final that the Oilers, without Hyman because of injury, simply didn\u2019t have enough high-end top-nine drivers to help McDavid and Draisaitl, especially compared to the Panthers\u2019 embarrassment of riches.<\/p>\n

Since then, Edmonton\u2019s forward depth has only gotten worse, with Corey Perry, Connor Brown, and Evander Kane departing this offseason, and Mangiapane the only established top-nine replacement.<\/p>\n

With McDavid and Draisaitl loaded together because of Hyman\u2019s injury, you can see how lackluster the middle six looks on paper. Yes, there\u2019s some upside if Savoie, Howard, and SHL scoring leader Tomasek break out. But there are way too many question marks outside of the McDavid, Draisaitl, Hyman, and RNH foursome to justify having them in Tier 1.<\/p>\n

Carolina Hurricanes<\/p>\n

Nikolaj Ehlers \u2013 Sebastian Aho \u2013 Seth Jarvis
Andrei Svechnikov \u2013 Logan Stankoven \u2013 Jackson Blake
Jordan Martinook \u2013 Jordan Staal \u2013 William Carrier
Taylor Hall \u2013 Jesperi Kotkaniemi \u2013 Eric Robinson<\/p>\n

Extra: Mark Jankowski<\/p>\n

With Mikko Rantanen saying \u201cthanks but no thanks\u201d to life in Raleigh, the Canes are once again a team with an incredibly deep forward cast but without a true superstar No. 1 option.<\/p>\n

That said, Jarvis is on his way to getting there, after back-to-back 30-goal seasons and with a very impressive two-way game at just 23 years old.<\/p>\n

You add in Ehlers as a UFA and what\u2019s likely to be further growth from youngsters Stankoven and Blake, and this group should be able to produce more than last season\u2019s 3.24 goals per game (ninth overall).<\/p>\n

The fact that Staal, Hall and Kotkaniemi are likely their eighth, ninth and 10th most impactful forwards, respectively, says it all: Few cap-era teams can match that down the lineup.<\/p>\n

Colorado Avalanche<\/p>\n

Artturi Lehkonen \u2013 Nathan MacKinnon \u2013 Martin Necas
Gabriel Landeskog \u2013 Brock Nelson \u2013 Valeri Nichushkin
Ross Colton \u2013 Jack Drury \u2013 Victor Olofsson
Joel Kiviranta \u2013 Parker Kelly \u2013 Gavin Brindley<\/p>\n

Extras: Logan O\u2019Connor (IR), Nikita Prishchepov, Ivan Ivan<\/p>\n

In terms of pure talent, this is a deadly top six on paper, even without Rantanen.<\/p>\n

MacKinnon is an undisputed top-five player and may be the best forward in the league not named McDavid. Necas is coming off a career-best 83-point season in which he and MacKinnon controlled a dominant 65 percent of expected goals and outscored opponents 16-9 over nearly 300 five-on-five minutes together. Landeskog is back, and Nichushkin, Lehkonen and Nelson are great pieces to round out the top two lines.<\/p>\n

There are still some question marks, though.<\/p>\n

Nichushkin\u2019s availability has been a problem \u2014 he hasn\u2019t hit 55 games played in three consecutive years and abruptly left the team in both the 2023 and 2024 playoffs. Necas can be a streaky player and has historically underperformed in the playoffs (35 points in 66 career games). We know Landeskog will be a difference-maker, but he turns 33 in November and hasn\u2019t played a regular-season game since 2021-22 \u2014 will he still be a top-line caliber driver?<\/p>\n

Colorado\u2019s bottom six should be respectable once O\u2019Connor returns, but it isn\u2019t as deep as some of the other teams ahead of them.<\/p>\n

Florida Panthers<\/p>\n

Carter Verhaeghe \u2013 Sam Bennett \u2013 Sam Reinhart
Eetu Luostarinen \u2013 Anton Lundell \u2013 Brad Marchand
Jesper Boqvist \u2013 Evan Rodrigues \u2013 Mackie Samoskevich
Jonah Gadjovich \u2013 Luke Kunin \u2013 A.J. Greer<\/p>\n

Extras: Matthew Tkachuk (LTIR), Aleksander Barkov (LTIR), Tomas Nosek, Cole Schwindt<\/p>\n

This is a tough one to evaluate with Barkov out for, potentially, the entire season and with Tkachuk sidelined for close to half of it. It\u2019ll be interesting to see how the two-time champs compensate, with the third line getting a chance to become the second to start.<\/p>\n

That said, Reinhart is more than capable of being a contender\u2019s top forward, and Tkachuk (when healthy) and Verhaeghe are a very dangerous 2-3.<\/p>\n

Another step from both Lundell, who only just turned 24, and Samkoskevich (22) would go a long way to filling the gap. Rodrigues may also have more to give, as he\u2019s flashed 50-point potential in the past.<\/p>\n

Still, we have a hard time putting this group of 12 above the other contenders here, even with their playoff pedigree. But maybe GM Bill Zito finds a way to add using Barkov\u2019s cap space?<\/p>\n

Toronto Maple Leafs<\/p>\n

Matthew Knies \u2013 Auston Matthews \u2013 Matias Maccelli
Bobby McMann \u2013 John Tavares \u2013 William Nylander
Steven Lorentz \u2013 Nicolas Roy \u2013 Calle Jarnkrok
Dakota Joshua \u2013 Max Domi \u2013 Nicholas Robertson<\/p>\n

Extras: Scott Laughton (IR), Sammy Blais, Easton Cowan, David Kampf<\/p>\n

With \u201cYou Know Who\u201d off to Vegas, the big two questions will be 1) can this group replace his offensive contributions with better depth and 2) will Matthews be healthy enough to pile up 60 goals and get Hart votes again?<\/p>\n

The emergence of Knies into a top-line and PP1 beast at just 22 last year gives this forward group a new-look Core Four (or is it Key Three). But the biggest shift will be getting more goals from a bottom-six group that includes more legitimate 40-ish points threats in Roy, Maccelli, Laughton and Cowan.<\/p>\n

The Leafs have enough quality pieces here that they should still be a top offensive team<\/a>; where they could take a step back as a forward group is by simply not being as strong defensively, as bigger top-six minutes for Domi and McMann aren\u2019t ideal from that perspective.<\/p>\n

Los Angeles Kings<\/p>\n

Andrei Kuzmenko \u2013 Anze Kopitar \u2013 Adrian Kempe
Kevin Fiala \u2013 Quinton Byfield \u2013 Alex Laferriere
Warren Foegele \u2013 Phillip Danault \u2013 Trevor Moore
Jeff Malott \u2013 Alex Turcotte \u2013 Joel Armia<\/p>\n

Extras: Corey Perry (IR), Samuel Helenius<\/p>\n

L.A.\u2019s forward group may not boast the most star power, but it\u2019s very deep, and the top six has underrated upside.<\/p>\n

The Kings\u2019 first line, led by Kempe and Kopitar, was above-average last year, with those two driving a plus-25 goal differential at five-on-five. Kuzmenko was a perfect fit for them as a deadline acquisition \u2014 that trio controlled 56 percent of scoring chances and outscored opponents by a whopping 16-5 margin.<\/p>\n

L.A. also found something special with Byfield and Fiala as a duo in the second half. Byfield scored 31 points in his last 32 games, while Fiala potted 19 goals in his final 33 games (a 47-goal pace); their underlying numbers were elite together. If that chemistry continues, Byfield will emerge as a star this season, and the Kings will have a true 1A\/1B situation with their top-two lines.<\/p>\n

L.A.\u2019s third line is one of the league\u2019s best on paper. Danault is still elite defensively, Foegele was top-20 in the NHL for five-on-five goals last year, and Moore is a year removed from a 31-goal campaign.<\/p>\n

New Jersey Devils<\/p>\n

Evgenii Dadonov \u2013 Jack Hughes \u2013 Jesper Bratt
Timo Meier \u2013 Nico Hischier \u2013 Dawson Mercer
Ondrej Palat \u2013 Cody Glass \u2013 Connor Brown
Paul Cotter \u2013 Luke Glendening \u2013 Arseny Gritsyuk<\/p>\n

Extras: Stefan Noesen (IR), Juho Lammikko (IR), Thomas Bordeleau<\/p>\n

Hughes, Hischier and Bratt are a terrific 1-2-3 punch, and Meier rounds out a top four that\u2019s one of the best in the league.<\/p>\n

The challenge for this group comes in terms of depth, as the Devils are outclassed in the middle of their forward group by the top-end contenders. New additions Dadonov and Brown offer some optimism, but New Jersey could really use a surprise showing from rookie Gritsyuk and a rebound to 50-point form from Mercer to give the big guns more help.<\/p>\n

Palat\u2019s bloated $6 million cap hit hurts right now, as this team is well-stocked on D and in net and could do some damage if the stars align this season.<\/p>\n

St. Louis Blues<\/p>\n

Pavel Buchnevich \u2013 Robert Thomas \u2013 Jimmy Snuggerud
Dylan Holloway \u2013 Brayden Schenn \u2013 Jordan Kyrou
Jake Neighbours \u2013 Pius Suter \u2013 Mathieu Joseph
Alexey Toropchenko \u2013 Nick Bjugstad \u2013 Alexandre Texier<\/p>\n

Extras: Oskar Sundqvist (IR) Nathan Walker, Dalibor Dvorsky<\/p>\n

St. Louis may not have the elite superstars that some of the league\u2019s top contenders boast, but this is a dynamic, talented, deep top-nine forward group. They were excellent under Jim Montgomery last year, and there are strong reasons to believe that momentum will continue.<\/p>\n

Thomas is one of the league\u2019s most underrated No. 1 centers. Holloway and Kyrou were electric together \u2014 they were the backbone for one of the league\u2019s best second lines, controlling more than 56 percent of scoring chances and 71 percent of goals.<\/p>\n

Snuggerud, who was among the top NCAA scorers last year, is a new arrival and could be a Calder Trophy candidate. Suter is a savvy middle-six pickup as well; he and Schenn are interchangeable. It speaks to the Blues\u2019 depth that they\u2019ll be able to roll Neighbours, who\u2019s coming off a 22-goal, 46-point season, and one of Schenn\/Suter as the foundation for their third line.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\n Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy make up half of a nasty 1-2-3-4 combo atop the Wild\u2019s depth chart up front. (Bailey Hillesheim \/ Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Tier 3: Middle of the packColumbus Blue Jackets<\/p>\n

Dmitri Voronkov \u2013 Sean Monahan \u2013 Kirill Marchenko
Boone Jenner \u2013 Adam Fantilli \u2013 Kent Johnson
Cole Sillinger \u2013 Charlie Coyle \u2013 Mathieu Olivier
Yegor Chinakhov \u2013 Isac Lundestrom \u2013 Miles Wood<\/p>\n

Extra: Zach Aston-Reese<\/p>\n

Quietly, this has become one of the most fun forward groups to watch in the league. Voronkov, Marchenko, Fantilli, Johnson, Sillinger and Chinakhov are all 25 and under and seemed to progress more and more as last year\u2019s charmed season went on.<\/p>\n

If that group can take another collective step, the Blue Jackets could really surprise. But what they need is a couple of players in that fivesome to become high-end, top-line-caliber contributors. As it stands, they\u2019re outgunned at the top by the best teams in the league, and some of the newcomers further down don\u2019t look like they\u2019re going to help the cause.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re taking a bit of a leap of faith having them this high \u2014 the model ranks Columbus\u2019 forward group all the way down in 22nd \u2014 but we\u2019re believers in the kids after what unfolded last year.<\/p>\n

Minnesota Wild<\/p>\n

Kirill Kaprizov \u2013 Marco Rossi \u2013 Matt Boldy
Marcus Foligno \u2013 Joel Eriksson Ek \u2013 Vladimir Tarasenko
Yakov Trenin \u2013 Ryan Hartman \u2013 Marcus Johansson
Danila Yurov \u2013 Nico Sturm \u2013 Liam Ohgren<\/p>\n

Extras: Mats Zuccarello (IR), Vincent Hinistroza<\/p>\n

Kaprizov, Boldy, Eriksson Ek and Rossi form a pretty nasty 1-2-3-4 combo to anchor a top-six. Kaprizov was in the MVP conversation before getting hurt last year; Boldy is an underrated game-breaker; Eriksson Ek can be a two-way, 60-point stud; and Rossi, despite a diminished role in the playoffs, is coming off a 60-point sophomore campaign.<\/p>\n

Right now, Minnesota\u2019s lineup appears a bit top-heavy, but when Zuccarello returns from injury, it\u2019ll allow Boldy to slide down to drive the second line, which is a huge weapon.<\/p>\n

The Wild\u2019s bottom-six is weak offensively, but they can hold their own because of their above-average defensive play, and there is some upside if Yurov and Ohgren, a pair of highly touted prospects, can take a step.<\/p>\n

Washington Capitals<\/p>\n

Alex Ovechkin \u2013 Dylan Strome \u2013 Aliaksei Protas
Connor McMichael\u00a0\u2013 Pierre-Luc Dubois \u2013 Tom Wilson
Anthony Beauvillier \u2013 Hendrix Lapierre \u2013 Ryan Leonard
Brandon Duhaime \u2013 Nic Dowd \u2013 Justin Sourdif<\/p>\n

Extras: Sonny Milano, Ivan Miroshnichenko<\/p>\n

The second best offensive team in the league built around a 40-year-old sniper is something. But how can you bet against Ovechkin, even if this could be his final NHL season?<\/p>\n

Washington had an incredibly charmed run last season en route to piling up 111 points in the standings. The big question is how many of the career years here are going to be repeated, and if the incoming youngsters like Leonard (and perhaps at some point Miroshnichenko) are immediate contributors.<\/p>\n

By the numbers, this is a cast that\u2019s slightly above average offensively and below average defensively, which adds up to a middle-of-the-pack ranking overall. Steps forward for Protas and McMichael were huge last year; they need that level again if they\u2019re going to continue to surprise the Eastern Conference\u2019s best.<\/p>\n

Winnipeg Jets<\/p>\n

Kyle Connor \u2013 Mark Scheifele \u2013 Gabriel Vilardi
Nikita Chibrikov \u2013 Jonathan Toews \u2013 Gustav Nyquist
Nino Niederreiter \u2013 Vladislav Namestnikov \u2013 Alex Iafallo
Tanner Pearson \u2013 Morgan Barron \u2013 Cole Koepke<\/p>\n

Extras: Cole Perfetti (IR), Adam Lowry (IR)<\/p>\n

Will the post-Nikolaj Ehlers Jets have enough top-six quality offensive drivers beyond their dynamic top-line?<\/p>\n

The Connor, Scheifele, Vilardi trio decisively won its first-line matchups and led the NHL\u2019s best power play last year. They\u2019ll do a lot of heavy lifting offensively again, but behind them, the second line \u2014 even when Perfetti returns from injury \u2014 looks vulnerable.<\/p>\n

Toews\u2019 NHL return to his hometown Jets is a wonderful story, but at 37, and having not played in two full years, it\u2019s highly unlikely that he can perform like a legitimate 2C. Perfetti would ideally take another step after a strong 50-point season, but his week-to-week injury is going to put him behind the eight ball.<\/p>\n

We like a lot of Winnipeg\u2019s bottom-six players \u2014 Lowry (when he returns from injury), Niederreiter, Iafallo, and Namestnikov are excellent, playoff-style defensive drivers \u2014 but the middle six is a little lacking in dynamic offensive pop.<\/p>\n

New York Rangers<\/p>\n

Will Cuylle \u2013 J.T. Miller \u2013 Mika Zibanejad
Artemi Panarin \u2013 Vincent Trocheck \u2013 Alexis Lafreni\u00e8re
Conor Sheary \u2013 Noah Laba \u2013 Taylor Raddysh
Adam Edstrom \u2013 Sam Carrick \u2013 Matt Rempe<\/p>\n

Extras: Juuso Parssinen, Jonny Brodzinski, Brett Berard<\/p>\n

Chris Kreider is gone, and the Rangers didn\u2019t airlift in any significant replacements up front. They\u2019re also not ready to trust the kids like Gabe Perreault, so it\u2019s mostly on the incumbents to improve.<\/p>\n

This was a team, however, that managed to score quite a bit last year, finishing 12th in goals per game, despite the carnage in the standings. A full season with new captain J.T. Miller should only help on that front, as he remains an elite producer, but the Rangers desperately need more from the likes of Lafreni\u00e8re and Zibanejad.<\/p>\n

The bottom six, as currently constructed, appears as though it\u2019s not going to give them a whole lot, which puts a lot of pressure on the top two lines to do pretty much everything offensively. And it\u2019s a group short on defensive acumen overall, aside from someone like Trocheck.<\/p>\n

Utah Mammoth<\/p>\n

Dylan Guenther \u2013 Logan Cooley \u2013 JJ Peterka
Clayton Keller \u2013 Barrett Hayton \u2013 Nick Schmaltz
Lawson Crouse \u2013 Jack McBain \u2013 Kailer Yamamoto
Michael Carcone \u2013 Kevin Stenlund \u2013 Brandon Tanev<\/p>\n

Extras: Alex Kerfoot (IR), Andrew Agozzino, Liam O\u2019Brien, Daniil But,\u00a0<\/p>\n

With Peterka arriving as a splashy new acquisition, the Mammoth\u2019s top-six forward group is overflowing with electrifying speed and skill.<\/p>\n

Keller is coming off a 90-point season. Cooley and Guenther could break out as point-per-game producers this year. Peterka racked up nearly 70 points last year. Schmaltz is a consistent bet for 60-plus points. And Hayton is an underrated two-way center.<\/p>\n

If Peterka fits and if Cooley and Guenther pop, Utah will have one of the more dangerous top-six groups in the Western Conference.<\/p>\n

With that said, we have some concerns about Utah\u2019s bottom six. The Mammoth were often starved for secondary offense last year. This is a mediocre supporting cast even if you assume Crouse bounces back to 20-goal form. If he doesn\u2019t rebound, the issues will only magnify.<\/p>\n

Ottawa Senators<\/p>\n

Brady Tkachuk \u2013 Tim St\u00fctzle \u2013 Claude Giroux
David Perron \u2013 Dylan Cozens \u2013 Fabian Zetterlund
Ridly Greig \u2013 Shane Pinto \u2013 Michael Amadio
Nick Cousins \u2013 Lars Eller \u2013 Kurtis MacDermid<\/p>\n

Extras: Drake Batherson (IR), Arthur Kaliyev<\/p>\n

Without any significant changes (sorry, Lars Eller), Ottawa is going to be hoping for growth from within from this group, although a full season with Cozens and Zetterlund could also pay dividends.<\/p>\n

The Senators\u2019 depth lines are fine for a playoff team, and Stutzle and Tkachuk are capable in the star roles, but this group could really use more from their second line in order to catch some of the better teams ahead of them.<\/p>\n

The big questions for the front office are how do they take that next step from the middle of the pack to contention, and do they have the horses to do that organically? It doesn\u2019t look like it, barring a big step from someone unexpected.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\n Elias Petterson is a massive X-factor for the Canucks\u2019 forwards this season. (Brett Holmes \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Tier 4: Below average, but with some potentialMontreal Canadiens<\/p>\n

Cole Caufield \u2013 Nick Suzuki \u2013 Juraj Slafkovsky
Alex Newhook \u2013 Oliver Kapanen \u2013 Ivan Demidov
Zachary Bolduc \u2013 Kirby Dach \u2013 Brendan Gallagher
Patrik Laine \u2013 Jake Evans \u2013 Josh Anderson<\/p>\n

Extra: Joe Veleno<\/p>\n

We heard all offseason about the Canadiens\u2019 search for another center, and you can see why looking at this depth chart. Another solid top-six forward would be a big boost, slotting Montreal\u2019s depth into better position.<\/p>\n

They\u2019ve added Demidov, which could be huge, and Bolduc will be an important new minute-eater, too, given that this team doesn\u2019t have a lot of defensive aces up front.<\/p>\n

Overall, however, Montreal is asking an awful lot of Suzuki and Caufield, even with the upgrades on the back end.<\/p>\n

Detroit Red Wings<\/p>\n

Emmitt Finnie \u2013 Dylan Larkin \u2013 Lucas Raymond
Alex DeBrincat \u2013 Marco Kasper \u2013 Patrick Kane
Michael Rasmussen \u2013 Andrew Copp \u2013 Mason Appleton
James van Riemsdyk \u2013 J.T. Compher \u2013 Jonatan Berggren<\/p>\n

Extras: Elmer Soderblom, Michael Brandsegg-Nyg\u00e5rd<\/p>\n

Another team looking for growth from within in order to take a step forward, as the additions (Appleton and JVR) were largely on the fringes.<\/p>\n

In that sense, Kasper might be the most important name here, as the 21-year-old\u2019s development into a second-line threat is absolutely vital this season. Whether Finnie or one of the organization\u2019s other young players can provide an additional boost remains to be seen, as the fruits of this prolonged rebuild start to filter in more.<\/p>\n

For now, they\u2019re leaning heavily on Raymond and Larkin and hoping for something unexpected to push them out of the mushy middle.<\/p>\n

Buffalo Sabres<\/p>\n

Zach Benson \u2013 Joshua Norris \u2013 Tage Thompson
Jason Zucker \u2013 Ryan McLeod \u2013 Alex Tuch
Jack Quinn \u2013 Jiri Kulich \u2013 Josh Doan
Beck Malenstyn \u2013 Peyton Krebs \u2013 Justin Danforth<\/p>\n

Extra: Jordan Greenway<\/p>\n

Our 90-point projection<\/a> for the hapless Sabres was more based on the strength of the defense over the offense, but there are some nice pieces here up front, too.<\/p>\n

Where Buffalo is particularly strong is in its forward depth, especially if young players like Benson, Kulich, Quinn, Doan and Krebs \u2014 all 24 and under \u2014 can elevate with more experience. Doan, in particular, is a sneakily important addition, as he becomes one of the Sabres\u2019 best defensive forwards and should have more to give offensively in more regular minutes than he saw in Utah.<\/p>\n

Buffalo was 10th in scoring a year ago, but will need some new heroes with J.J. Peterka\u2019s 27 goals out the door. There are plenty of candidates here, if fortune can finally shine on the Sabres for once.<\/p>\n

Vancouver Canucks<\/p>\n

Jake DeBrusk \u2013 Elias Pettersson \u2013 Brock Boeser
Arshdeep Bains \u2013 Filip Chytil \u2013 Conor Garland
Evander Kane \u2013 Braeden Cootes \u2013 Jonathan Lekkerim\u00e4ki
Drew O\u2019Connor \u2013 Aatu R\u00e4ty \u2013 Kiefer Sherwood<\/p>\n

Extras: Nils H\u00f6glander (IR), Teddy Blueger (day-to-day injury), Linus Karlsson<\/p>\n

Pettersson is the obvious X-factor here. If he returns to being a 90-point No. 1 center, then Vancouver\u2019s forward group should be fine enough to make the playoffs, provided that the team\u2019s goaltending and blue line perform somewhere in the high-end-to-elite range.<\/p>\n

But if Pettersson is the sub-60-point-pace center that he\u2019s been since the 2023-24 All-Star break, then Vancouver\u2019s offense could look a lot like last year, when not a single forward hit the 55-point mark.<\/p>\n

Vancouver\u2019s center depth is a weakness not only because of Pettersson\u2019s uncertainty but also because of Chytil\u2019s concussion history. The Canucks are one bad hit away from being forced to use one of Blueger, R\u00e4ty, or 18-year-old Cootes as their 2C, which would be problematic.<\/p>\n

DeBrusk, Boeser and Garland are decent wingers, and Lekkerim\u00e4ki has breakout potential after scoring more than half a goal per game in the AHL as a 20-year-old and standing out in this year\u2019s preseason. But there\u2019s a clear lack of true first-line-caliber drivers, even if Pettersson bounces back.<\/p>\n

Anaheim Ducks<\/p>\n

Chris Kreider \u2013 Leo Carlsson \u2013 Troy Terry
Cutter Gauthier \u2013 Mason McTavish \u2013 Mikael Granlund
Frank Vatrano \u2013 Ryan Strome \u2013 Alex Killorn
Ross Johnston \u2013 Ryan Poehling \u2013 Beckett Sennecke<\/p>\n

Extras: Sam Colangelo, Nikita Nesterenko<\/p>\n

This could be the year that Anaheim\u2019s young forwards take a massive step forward.<\/p>\n

The Ducks\u2019 young guns went on a tear down the stretch last year \u2014 Carlsson and McTavish were borderline point-per-game producers after the 4 Nations break and Gauthier was top-10 among all NHL players for five-on-five points in the final 27 games \u2014 and they should benefit enormously from the coaching change, as Greg Cronin\u2019s ultra-demanding defensive style stifled the group\u2019s offensive freedom and creativity.<\/p>\n

Kreider\u2019s elite net-front skill (along with the coaching change) should boost Anaheim\u2019s 32nd-ranked power play. A Vatrano-Strome-Killorn trio is a surprisingly solid third line, too.<\/p>\n

If everything breaks right, the Ducks could emerge as dark horses in the wild-card race, on the back of this up-and-coming forward group.<\/p>\n

However, we have to balance potential and promise with recent results, and we couldn\u2019t rate Anaheim\u2019s forwards higher than Tier 4 when the team didn\u2019t have a single 25-goal scorer last year.<\/p>\n

Philadelphia Flyers<\/p>\n

Owen Tippett \u2013 Trevor Zegras \u2013 Travis Konecny
Christian Dvorak \u2013 Sean Couturier \u2013 Matvei Michkov
Tyson Foerster \u2013 Noah Cates \u2013 Bobby Brink
Nicolas Deslauriers \u2013 Rodrigo Abols \u2013 Garnet Hathaway<\/p>\n

Extras: Nikita Grebenkin<\/p>\n

Trevor Zegras, first-line center, is quite a bet for this organization. But with middlemen in short supply and contention out of the question, taking a gamble on his talent for a low price makes a lot of sense.<\/p>\n

The Flyers were 24th in goal production a year ago, something that doesn\u2019t appear likely to change given this cast. But the group is also high on defensive acumen, something of which new coach Rick Tocchet is likely to take full advantage.<\/p>\n

Maybe Philadelphia wins a lot of 2-1 games thanks to heroics from Michkov and Konecny, but given the roster\u2019s other holes, the most likely outcome is another high pick and another step forward for a prospect pool that could use a few more high-end pieces<\/a>.<\/p>\n

New York Islanders<\/p>\n

Jonathan Drouin \u2013 Bo Horvat \u2013 Emil Heineman
Anders Lee \u2013 Mathew Barzal \u2013 Kyle Palmieri
Maxim Shabanov \u2013 Jean-Gabriel Pageau \u2013 Simon Holmstrom
Anthony Duclair \u2013 Casey Cizikas \u2013 Maxim Tsyplakov<\/p>\n

Extras: Calum Ritchie (IR), Pierre Engvall (IR), Marc Gatcomb, Kyle MacLean<\/p>\n

The Islanders had so many injuries last season, including Barzal playing just 30 games, that basing too much on those results feels foolish. This should be a group that can finish higher than 27th in goals per game, simply from bringing in Drouin, Heineman and Shabanov and losing not all that much up front.<\/p>\n

This is a group of 12 NHL-caliber forwards, but where they\u2019re overmatched by the teams above them is in that second-tier depth after Barzal and Horvat. Some of their forwards who will get big minutes are, frankly, just getting old, with Lee now 35 and a handful of others on the wrong side of 30.<\/p>\n

There are a couple of wild cards here, however, including Ritchie, whom they landed in the Brock Nelson trade. If nothing else, the Islanders should be more interesting to watch now, and not just because of the new kid on D they took first overall.<\/p>\n

San Jose Sharks<\/p>\n

Philipp Kurashev \u2013 Macklin Celebrini \u2013 Will Smith
William Eklund \u2013 Michael Misa \u2013 Tyler Toffoli
Jeff Skinner \u2013 Alexander Wennberg \u2013 Collin Graff
Barclay Goodrow \u2013 Adam Gaudette \u2013 Ty Dellandrea<\/p>\n

Extras: Ryan Reaves, Ethan Cardwell<\/p>\n

San Jose\u2019s top six could be a lot better than people expect this year.<\/p>\n

Celebrini is already a two-way star. Would anyone be surprised if he takes another step and establishes himself as a top-10 NHL center by the end of this season?<\/p>\n

Smith, who had 30 points in his last 34 games, should have a Logan Cooley-like sophomore breakout. Eklund, 22, is coming off a 58-point season, Toffoli scored 30 goals as a first-year Shark, and 18-year-old Michael Misa, who led the OHL with 134 points, could make some noise, too (assuming he sticks with the team)<\/p>\n

The Sharks\u2019 bottom-six is weak, and we should expect some overall ups and downs with such a young group. But the top two lines are loaded with dynamic, fun skill.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\n Sid the Old Kid could use some help. But with the Penguins rebuilding, is that for the best? (Justin Berl \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Tier 5: Rebuilding\/needs improvementPittsburgh Penguins<\/p>\n

Rickard Rakell \u2013 Sidney Crosby \u2013 Bryan Rust
Ville Koivunen \u2013 Evgeni Malkin \u2013 Anthony Mantha
Filip Hallander \u2013 Thomas Novak \u2013 Philip Tomasino
Connor Dewar \u2013 Blake Lizotte \u2013 Justin Brazeau<\/p>\n

Extras: Kevin Hayes (IR), Rutger McGroarty, Benjamin Kindel, Noel Acciari<\/p>\n

You can sort of see why there are all those stories about Crosby finding a new home.<\/p>\n

Sid The Old Kid singlehandedly elevates this group above the few teams behind them, but his few helpers (Rakell and Rust) provide Pittsburgh with a cromulent first-line option \u2013 at least until GM Kyle Dubas holds a pre-deadline firesale.<\/p>\n

Where things get shaky is just about everywhere else, as Malkin\u2019s game at 39 has dramatically fallen off, and the rest of the veterans are going to be underwater against most teams.<\/p>\n

The Penguins will need some help from unexpected sources like Koivunen, Hallander and McGroarty if they\u2019re going to be anything but a basement-dweller. Although, honestly, that would probably be for the best right now.<\/p>\n

Seattle Kraken<\/p>\n

Jared McCann \u2013 Matty Beniers \u2013 Jordan Eberle
Jaden Schwartz \u2013 Shane Wright \u2013 Eeli Tolvanen
Mason Marchment \u2013 Chandler Stephenson \u2013 Ryan Winterton
Tye Kartye \u2013 Frederick Gaudreau \u2013 Jani Nyman<\/p>\n

Extras: Kaapo Kakko (IR), Berkly Catton, Oscar Fisker Molgaard<\/p>\n

This Kraken forward group has a similar story to years past: A serious lack of star power, mixed in with above-average depth.<\/p>\n

Seattle\u2019s first line looks more like a second line, their second line looks more like a good third line, and the bottom-six is strong, but not enough to make up for the lack of offensive game-breakers. McCann is the only forward on this roster who\u2019s had a 55-point-or-better season over the last two years.<\/p>\n

There is an upside scenario where the Kraken could exceed expectations on the backs of their young talent\u00a0 Wright \u2014 could take another step after breaking out last year, Beniers and Kakko (when he returns from injury) had intriguing chemistry last year, and maybe Catton, the No. 8 pick in 2024, becomes an instant difference-maker.<\/p>\n

Overall, though, we feel pretty comfortable projecting that Seattle\u2019s forward group will be a weakness relative to the rest of the teams in the West.<\/p>\n

Calgary Flames<\/p>\n

Joel Farabee \u2013 Nazem Kadri \u2013 Adam Klapka
Matvei Gridin \u2013 Morgan Frost \u2013 Matt Coronato
Connor Zary \u2013 Mikael Backlund \u2013 Blake Coleman
Ryan Lomberg \u2013 Justin Kirkland \u2013 Yegor Sharangovich<\/p>\n

Extras: Jonathan Huberdeau (day-to-day), Samuel Honzek, Martin Pospisil<\/p>\n

The Flames have a scrappy, hardworking forward group that delivers responsible defensive hockey.<\/p>\n

All four lines can play; Zary, Backlund, and Coleman form an above-average third line, and it\u2019s a luxury having Sharangovich on the fourth line. But similar to Seattle, Calgary desperately lacks dynamic star power in the top six.<\/p>\n

Kadri and Huberdeau are coming off better-than-expected seasons; Coronato has 30-goal potential; and Gridin, 19, is an exciting piece of the future. But it\u2019s hard to see the Flames forward crew scoring more than they did last year, when they were bottom-five in the league in goals scored per game.<\/p>\n

Boston Bruins<\/p>\n

Morgan Geekie \u2013 Elias Lindholm \u2013 David Pastrnak
Pavel Zacha \u2013 Casey Mittelstadt \u2013 Viktor Arvidsson
Tanner Jeannot \u2013 Fraser Minten \u2013 Marat Khusnutdinov
Michael Eyssimont \u2013 Sean Kuraly \u2013 Mark Kastelic<\/p>\n

Extras: Matej Blumel, Matthew Poitras, John Beecher<\/p>\n

How the mighty have fallen. Yikes.<\/p>\n

We lamented above who Crosby had to play with, but pour one out here for Pastrnak, too, as he\u2019s perhaps further behind \u2014 even with Geekie\u2019s nice evolution into a 60-point threat. Lindholm and friends just haven\u2019t shown the ability to slot where the Bruins have them in the top six, which likely means another lean year on offense.<\/p>\n

This group is extremely grim further down the depth chart, with basically every player overmatched in the role they\u2019re in right now \u2014 barring something unexpected from one of the kids<\/p>\n

Is there any way Patrice Bergeron might want to make a comeback?<\/p>\n

Nashville Predators<\/p>\n

Filip Forsberg \u2013 Brady Martin \u2013 Ryan O\u2019Reilly
Steven Stamkos \u2013 Fedor Svechkov \u2013 Luke Evangelista
Michael Bunting \u2013 Erik Haula \u2013 Jonathan Marchessault
Cole Smith \u2013 Michael McCarron \u2013 Ozzy Wiesblatt<\/p>\n

Extras: Tyson Jost, Joakim Kemell, Matthew Wood, Zachary L\u2019Heureux<\/p>\n

Martin (or O\u2019Reilly), Svechkov and Haula are the NHL\u2019s least-established\/threatening 1-2-3 center punch. That\u2019s not meant to be a shot at Martin, the No. 5 pick from last summer\u2019s draft who we expect to eventually become a franchise pillar, or at Svechkov, who also has a bright future. It\u2019s likely just too early, however, to expect them to be bona fide top-six NHL centers.<\/p>\n

Nashville\u2019s veteran scorers underperformed last year in some part because they didn\u2019t have speedy, dynamic, playmaking centers who could transport pucks through the neutral zone and make dangerous passes to set them up. Unless Martin or Svechkov exceed all reasonable expectations, that\u2019s going to be a problem again.<\/p>\n

There is obviously still some talent within Nashville\u2019s forward ranks \u2014 Forsberg, Stamkos, O\u2019Reilly, and Marchessault are big-name players and Evangelista is a fun, young winger \u2014 but the pieces fit in pretty awkwardly and they\u2019re arguably less than the sum of their parts because of that.<\/p>\n

Chicago Blackhawks<\/p>\n

Andre Burakovsky \u2013 Connor Bedard \u2013 Ryan Donato
Tyler Bertuzzi \u2013 Frank Nazar \u2013 Teuvo Ter\u00e4v\u00e4inen
Ilya Mikheyev \u2013 Jason Dickinson \u2013 Colton Dach
Nick Foligno \u2013 Ryan Greene \u2013 Sam Lafferty<\/p>\n

Extras: Lukas Reichel, Landon Slaggert (IR), Joey Anderson (IR)<\/p>\n

Bedard is entering Year 3 and his projected wingers are Burakovsky, a sub-40-point producer, and Donato. It\u2019s flat-out unacceptable \u2014 neither one of them would be first-line wingers on any other team in the NHL.<\/p>\n

The good news is that Nazar should be primed for a monster breakout year, but he and Bedard are kind of on an island.<\/p>\n

Yes, Donato unexpectedly broke out with 31 goals last year and Ter\u00e4v\u00e4inen is a serviceable second-line forward, but this team is desperately short on true, high-end, top-six drivers. It also doesn\u2019t help, of course, that Bedard stagnated a bit as a sophomore last year.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Athletic has live coverage of Canadiens vs. Maple Leafs. Yesterday, we ranked the defenses of every NHL…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":198932,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[433],"tags":[766,740,741,49,762,48,748,756,758,755,757,742,453,747,763,761,743,760,749,750,751,448,744,752,753,764,768,82,759,745,746,765,452,767,754,449],"class_list":["post-198931","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nhl","tag-anaheim-ducks","tag-boston-bruins","tag-buffalo-sabres","tag-ca","tag-calgary-flames","tag-canada","tag-carolina-hurricanes","tag-chicago-blackhawks","tag-colorado-avalanche","tag-columbus-blue-jackets","tag-dallas-stars","tag-detroit-red-wings","tag-edmonton-oilers","tag-florida-panthers","tag-los-angeles-kings","tag-minnesota-wild","tag-montreal-canadiens","tag-nashville-predators","tag-new-jersey-devils","tag-new-york-islanders","tag-new-york-rangers","tag-nhl","tag-ottawa-senators","tag-philadelphia-flyers","tag-pittsburgh-penguins","tag-san-jose-sharks","tag-seattle-kraken","tag-sports","tag-st-louis-blues","tag-tampa-bay-lightning","tag-toronto-maple-leafs","tag-utah-mammoth","tag-vancouver-canucks","tag-vegas-golden-knights","tag-washington-capitals","tag-winnipeg-jets"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/198931","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=198931"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/198931\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/198932"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=198931"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=198931"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=198931"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}