TSN’s Top 50 NHL Players for 2024-25

[FriendlyGhost92]

This is uhh.... This is a list.

 

[FriendlyGhost92]

Demko not being in top 50 is wild. I would take Demko over Wyatt freaking Johnston when it comes to building a team.

I wouldn't, but that isn't really because of Demko's play. Demko himself has described his injury as "Unique", and according to Friedman, it's not a fixable injury and he has to learn to play through it.

That's not exactly encouraging, especially for a goalie. We don't even know if he'll be able to play at the NHL level again, let alone play in the NHL as an elite starting goalie.

 

[wetcoast]

I don't have Pasta or Hughes ahead of AM.

Yet you still have AM closer to 15 than 5 , who exactly is in your top 20 then?

Not absolute numbers but even in groups.

I get that. In a fantasy draft, Matthews would be a really good pick. I don't play fantasy hockey.

My example was for a hypothetical NHL throw everyone in the pool redraft not a fantasy one which was pretty clear in my statement.

I put lot of emphasis in a question like who is the best player (here it's top 50) as it's a hypothetical ranking of how they get drafted in a throw everyone in the poll for a one year league so each players team constraints or upticks gets equaled out and we are only looking at the players here not the teams.

No idea where you got a fantasy draft from that.

Again, it's not 10 whole spots to drop out of the top 10 because ignoring playoffs AM isn't sitting at #1. The trick is, if you've got a few guys that might be a hair behind AM for regular season play, but have significantly better playoff performances, you sort of combine the two and slot accordingly. Like Barkov, he's not so far behind in regular season offense that his 2 Selkes over the last 4 years (the window we're looking at lately) and last couple playoffs can't slide him ahead of Matthews. Fantasy hockey, yeah, you're taking Matthews 10 times out of 10. Taking the player to help your team win hockey games throughout the year and into early summer? Not such an easy choice.

I love Barkov but seriously is anyone taking him over AM right now?

 

[TT1]

no brainer top 4 is 1) McDavid 2) Makar 3/4) Mack / Kuch, the rest is debatable

 

[norrisnick]

Yet you still have AM closer to 15 than 5 , who exactly is in your top 20 then?

Not absolute numbers but even in groups.


My example was for a hypothetical NHL throw everyone in the pool redraft not a fantasy one which was pretty clear in my statement.


No idea where you got a fantasy draft from that.


I love Barkov but seriously is anyone taking him over AM right now?

There are no ifs, ands or buts that put McDavid, Kucherov, MacKinnon, Makar, and Draisaitl behind AM. They have pretty numbers in the regular season and have had truly dominant playoffs. So that's 6th at best. For my money, I'd also rather have Barkov, Rantanen, Fox, Q. Hughes, Shesterkin and depending on the mood M. Tkachuk. It's not hard to drop out of the top 10, which then, per mathematics, puts you closer to 15 than 5.

Florida, I imagine.

 

[Duke74]

Matthews and the rest of the Leafs deserve the criticism for underperforming come playoff time and only advancing past round 1 (once) so far.

The same Draisaitl that completely disappeared in the Stanley Cup Finals?

0 points in game #1 (Oilers lose 3-0)
0 points in game #2 (Oilers lose 4-1)
0 points in game #3 (Oilers lose 4-3)
2 assists in game #4 (Oilers win 8-1)
0 points in game #5 (Oilers win 5-3)
1 assist in game #6 (Oilers win 5-1)
0 points in game #7 (Oilers lose 2-1)

On the biggest stage of his hockey career, he was a complete no show. Same cannot be said for McDavid, MacKinnon and Kucherov.

Are you aware that he was playing with broken ribs at least one broken finger?

If he was healthy enough to play then he deserves criticism for producing nothing in the Stanley Cup finals. Players are injured all the time in the playoffs and especially once they reach the Cup Finals. Wasn't McDavid hampered by a pretty serious injury during the Finals (3 goals and 8 assists)?

TBH, he wasn't "healthy enough to play." I think it was foolish that he played in his condition, but there's this whole culture that promotes playing through injury, especially in the playoffs.

 

[Esq]

I doubt that Hronek ever gets top 50 and Necas might have a better chance but I doubt it as well.

Necas in his best year so far didn't even hit top 50 in scoring and he is going to be 26 in the new year.


This argument isn't really very strong as Stamkos was 43 (he wouldn't be on my list personally) but he had 81 points last year so how exactly does Ovi stack up?

Lots of guys going to put up points with Kucherov and Point.

 

[notDatsyuk]

Sure ranking players is basically the same although one is for right now and for prospects there is a projection element to it.



Well for starts only 16 teams make the playoffs and there are often fist round losers who play the eventual SC champions or teams close to it so how would one really rank half of the league then?

Furthermore the regular season gives us a larger and more even template to compare players on than the playoffs where the most opponents any players would see would be 4 different teams.


Absolutely and even after pointing this out the posters will ignore Pasta and keep focused on the Leafs players.

Sorry - I'm not sure whether you are agreeing with something I didn't say or arguing against something I didn't say.

To keep it very simple, all I said was that many posters select what stats to use based on the results they want.

 

[Crow]

7th-12th? Really?

Yeah all things considered he is probably 9th on my list. I would rather have the following skaters on my team. I don’t think I’d put a goalie above him. This isn’t my order exactly I just used the OP.

1. Connor McDavid
2. Nathan MacKinnon
3. Leon Draisaitl
4. Nikita Kucherov
5. Cale Makar
6. Quinn Hughes
7. Aleksander Barkov
8. Adam Fox

 

[wetcoast]

Lots of guys going to put up points with Kucherov and Point.

Funny that he was putting up points before either guy was drafted by TB eh?

BTW what was your case for Ovi?

 

[Faceboner]

Lists used to be exciting when they were released now everyone knows its to just get clicks and to get people talking and arguing

 

[crowi]

It's funny how some complain about Draisaitl's production in the finals when he had broken bones, then justify Matthews missing most of the 1st round for a tummy ache.

 

[TIGERCOOL]

It's funny how some complain about Draisaitl's production in the finals when he had broken bones, then justify Matthews missing most of the 1st round for a tummy ache.

"He suffered a hit in game four, where we couldn't rule out, and we don't know if it was a combination of the sickness, the hit, but he was presenting head injury issues, so we pulled him, and we weren't going to clear him until those things cleared, which they did on the morning, or the afternoon of game seven."

https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toron...ime-in-first-round-of-playoffs-against-bruins

Cant you do a second of research before posting? Or is it your intention to contribute nothing of value to the conversation?

 

[Joe n]

Yeah all things considered he is probably 9th on my list. I would rather have the following skaters on my team. I don’t think I’d put a goalie above him. This isn’t my order exactly I just used the OP.

1. Connor McDavid
2. Nathan MacKinnon
3. Leon Draisaitl
4. Nikita Kucherov
5. Cale Makar
6. Quinn Hughes
7. Aleksander Barkov
8. Adam Fox

Only 4 of these have won the cup which is the only thing that matters. The top 8 should all have won the Stanley Cup.

 

[wetcoast]

https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toron...ime-in-first-round-of-playoffs-against-bruins

Cant you do a second of research before posting? Or is it your intention to contribute nothing of value to the conversation?

It's sad that a couple of posters have gone after AM and draisaitl separately and totally disregarding their well being and health and even when it's pointed out they still double down on stupid takes.

 

[dgibb10]

Hyman far too high.
Fox far too low.
Heiskanen too low
Brady Tkachuk far too high.
Marchand needs to be off this list at this point in his career.
Bobrovsky should not be top 50.
Vasy should not be top 50 after the season he had

Guys I would include that are not on the list: Hischier, Slavin, Ekholm, Suzuki, Larkin, Bratt, Werenski, Toews, Stone

Guys I would take out that are on the list: Marchand, Hyman, Bob, Vasy, Barzal, Connor, Bedard, Wyatt, Stutzle,

Off the top of my head sorting by position I'd go 16 centers, 15 dman, 3 goalies, 16 wingers.

3 goalies are:
Helle, Shesty, Swayman (no bubble)

16 centers are (no order): Mcdavid, mackinnon, barkov, drai, matthews, hughes, pettersson, point, crosby, eichel, aho, hischier, suzuki, larkin, miller, thomas (Stutzle, Kopitar, Barzal bubble)

15 dman are (no order): Hughes, Makar, Hedman, Fox, heiskanen, Dobson, Josi, Slavin, Ekholm, Dahlin, Bouchard, McAvoy, Morrissey, Werenski, Toews (Doughty bubble,)

Top 16 wingers are (no order): Kuch, Panarin, Pasta, Rant, Nylander, Kaprizov, Reinhart, Forsberg, M Tkachuk, Marner, Stamkos, Robertson, Bratt, Stone, B Tkachuk. (hyman, Verhaeghe, boldy, connor bubble)

 

[Garbageyuk]

I see Leafs fans wasted no time with the preemptive sarcasm about Matthew’s ranking - that only proves they know it’s BS.

Matthews above Draisaitl, Kucherov, and Makar is asinine at this point in time; there’s just no rational for it, other than the need for TSN to placate their home market.

1. McDavid
2. MacKinnon
3. Kucherov
4. Makar
5. Draisaitl
6. Matthews

Until Matthews shows he can elevate his game when it counts, he’s below the others. Regular season goals are great, but when that’s all he brings to the table, it’s hard to rank him above any of the other guys.

 

[Regal]

no brainer top 4 is 1) McDavid 2) Makar 3/4) Mack / Kuch, the rest is debatable

Don’t see how Makar is a no brainer #2 when he was only better than MacKinnon in the ‘22 season.

 

[Voight]

I mean Matthews put up 69 goals AND was a Selke finalist. And not all of that was just Toronto bias. And centers are going to be more valued than wingers.

I don't think it's outrageous.

In the McDavid era, Kuch is the only other two time Art Ross winner. He also has two of the highest scoring seasons of the last 24 years.

 

[nbwingsfan]

After seeing just how important he was to the team, there’s a few players there I take Larkin over without a second thought

Overall a pretty decent list though