We agreed that, yeah, he probably would have. But instead, he stayed in the West, since that\u2019s apparently where all the brightest stars have to be.<\/p>\n
It&x27;s weird that 16 of these 17 players are all from the same conference, right?<\/p>\n
[image or embed]<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Sean McIndoe (@downgoesbrown.bsky.social<\/a>) December 23, 2025 at 8:12 PM<\/a><\/p>\n So today, let\u2019s take a look at 10 candidates for that crown of \u201cBest player (in a conference that doesn\u2019t have any of the best players).\u201d Surely we can find somebody who\u2019ll at least crack the NHL\u2019s overall top five, right?<\/p>\n Well, let\u2019s find out. In no particular order, here are my top-10 candidates for \u201cBest in the East\u201d honors.<\/p>\n Auston Matthews<\/p>\n The case for: He\u2019s the most recent Eastern Conference player to win the Hart Trophy, taking it in 2022. He\u2019s won the goal-scoring title three times and has been a Selke finalist for his work in his own end. For most of his career, he\u2019s been right there with McDavid and MacKinnon in the \u201cbest player\u201d debate \u2014 just one year ago, they were the only three players in the 1A category of our player tiers<\/a>.<\/p>\n The case against: That ranking came a year and a half ago, and it feels like a lot has changed with Matthews\u2019 game since then. To put it bluntly, he\u2019s just not a superstar anymore. He\u2019s still very good, in all three zones. But something\u2019s missing, and the results in Toronto make that clear.<\/p>\n His decline has been one of the season\u2019s bigger mysteries, and James and Dom took a crack at solving it<\/a> a few days ago. Whether it\u2019s age or injury or coaching or something else or (most likely) a combination of all of the above, Matthews doesn\u2019t pop off the page like he once did.<\/p>\n Bottom line: Two years ago, we wouldn\u2019t have even needed to have this discussion. But for now at least, Matthews isn\u2019t that guy anymore.<\/p>\n Aleksander Barkov<\/p>\n The case for: He\u2019s the best two-way player in hockey. He\u2019s been better than a point-per-game player for five straight years and has won three Selkes over that time. And that\u2019s just during the regular season; once the playoffs arrive, he\u2019s the best and most important player on a team that\u2019s been to three Finals and won two Stanley Cup titles.<\/p>\n Put it this way: If you had one game to play for everything you owned, a healthy Barkov is absolutely in the mix with MacKinnon and McDavid as far as players you\u2019d want to build your roster around.<\/p>\n The case against: It\u2019s that \u201chealthy\u201d qualifier that stands out, because it obviously doesn\u2019t apply this year. With Barkov out for most, if not all, of the regular season, it might feel weird to count him among the league\u2019s best. And as much as you hate to say it, we can\u2019t be completely sure what he\u2019ll look like when he eventually returns from major surgery on the wrong side of 30.<\/p>\n Bottom line: Finger crossed, Barkov will be back to his old self soon enough. Until then, I\u2019m not sure what it says about the conference if he\u2019s still in the running for best player honors.<\/p>\n Sidney Crosby<\/p>\n The case for: He\u2019s the most decorated and admired player of his generation, arguably still the face of the league even two decades into a stellar career. And he\u2019s still pretty darn good, on pace to deliver yet another point-per-game season.<\/p>\n The case against: He hasn\u2019t had a top-five Hart season since 2021 and hasn\u2019t been a postseason All-Star since 2019. If we\u2019re doing a \u201cmost famous\u201d or \u201cmost legendary\u201d list, then absolutely, Crosby is right near the top. But as far as the best players in the league for a game you\u2019re playing right now, his time has passed.<\/p>\n Bottom line: You could make a similar argument for Alexander Ovechkin \u2014 great player, still good, no longer in the conversation to be the best.<\/p>\n \n Nikita Kucherov won the Art Ross scoring trophy in both of the last two seasons. (Nathan Ray Seebeck \/ Imagn Images)<\/p>\n Nikita Kucherov<\/p>\n The case for: He\u2019s won each of the last two scoring titles and is on his way to another productive season. Mix in a Hart, two Lindsays and two Cups, and he\u2019s certainly got the resume. Since the start of the 2023-24 season, only MacKinnon has more points, and it\u2019s close. (Kucherov is just seven points back.)<\/p>\n The case against: His offensive numbers are excellent, but he\u2019s a one-way winger who doesn\u2019t do much in his own end. And at 32, his numbers so far this year have declined a little. He\u2019s great right now, but we\u2019ve probably already seen his peak, and you wouldn\u2019t necessarily take it over what MacKinnon or McDavid can do today.<\/p>\n Bottom line: This is our best candidate yet.<\/p>\n Rasmus Dahlin<\/p>\n The case for: He\u2019s the best player on the Sabres and they\u2019re the best team in the league<\/a>, so you do the math. At 25, Dahlin is right in his prime and may be the best offensive defenseman in the conference right now. And unlike other players on our list, he\u2019s not purely a one-way guy. It took a few years, as is often the case with defensemen, but Dahlin has emerged as a worthy No. 1 pick.<\/p>\n The case against: You could run a survey that was exclusively Sabres fans, Team Sweden coaches and Dahlin\u2019s immediate family, and you still might not find anyone who thinks he\u2019s as good as Hughes or Makar. That doesn\u2019t mean he can\u2019t be in the running for the East\u2019s top player, but if he is, it just kind of proves our larger point.<\/p>\n Bottom line: He\u2019d go higher than you think if the entire league were redrafted today, but \u201cbest\u201d seems to be a bit much.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s stay on the blue line for a bit.<\/p>\n Moritz Seider<\/p>\n The case for: While he hasn\u2019t won a Norris like Makar and Hughes, Seider may be the closest comparison the East has to offer. He\u2019s having a great season for a first-place team, and at just 24 years old, still has plenty of room to grow. As Dom pointed out in 16 stats<\/a>, Seider is arguably having the best season of any defenseman in the league right now.<\/p>\n The case against: Not only has he never won a Norris, but he\u2019s never so much as received a vote. We can argue about where Seider would fit in among other young Eastern blueliners such as Jake Sanderson or even past Norris winner Adam Fox, but he\u2019s not in the Hughes\/Makar class yet, or even all that close.<\/p>\n Bottom line: Seider\u2019s trajectory might be pointing in this direction, but for right now, this one feels a little early.<\/p>\n And speaking of young defensemen \u2026<\/p>\n Matthew Schaefer<\/p>\n The case for: He\u2019s obviously nowhere near the best player right now. But we did mention Celebrini, Carlsson and Bedard as further evidence of the West\u2019s domination, so we should probably flag the one kid in the East who\u2019s right there with them. This year\u2019s No. 1 pick might even have his sights on Makar and Hughes in another year or two.<\/p>\n The case against: He\u2019s 18. We can pump the brakes just a little bit.<\/p>\n Bottom line: For now, he\u2019s got to stay with Celebrini and friends at the kiddie table. But check back in a few years.<\/p>\n \n With back-to-back-to-back 100-point seasons under his belt, David Pastrnak\u2019s ability to produce is impressive. (Maddie Meyer \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n David Pastrnak<\/p>\n The case for: He\u2019s one of the game\u2019s greatest goal scorers, with both a Rocket Richard and a 61-goal season on his resume (in different years). With three straight 100-point seasons, he\u2019s emerged as one of the league\u2019s most consistent offensive threats and is one of the few guys whose production seems immune to his own team\u2019s performance. When the Bruins were smashing the all-time points record, Pastrnak was unstoppable. When they were nearly finishing dead last, he was unstoppable then, too.<\/p>\n![\"Tampa](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/USATSI_27742001-scaled.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"David](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/GettyImages-2247219210-scaled.jpg\")
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