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What are the tiers for the best active players?

jalapenoWithAnH

jalapenoWithAnH

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Mar 25, 2025
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How would you differentiate good players from each other using tiers?

For me I'd say:

Generational +
  • McDavid
Generational
  • MacKinnon
  • Kucherov
  • Draisaitl
  • Makar
Superstar +
  • Kaprizov
  • Pastrnak
  • Q. Hughes
Superstar
  • Rantanen
  • Matthews
  • Marner
  • Crosby

Franchise
  • Panarin
  • Nylander
  • Barkov
  • M. Tkachuk
  • Eichel
  • Connor
  • Heiskanen
  • Slavin
  • J. Hughes
 
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Austerlitz said:
I think that's actually pretty good. I'd probably bump Matthews and Barkov up one level each, though.
Click to expand...
I would agree one tier above would be more suitable for Matthews' skills but in this case I'm considering playoff performance also. And being a sub ppg player over a 9 year period, especially considering the level of teammates he has there to help him, just doesn't cut it in my opinion when it's about the most important games.

But yeah you could make the case that Barkov would be suited for superstar-tier also. For me what tipped the scale was comparing offensive outputs between superstar players vs. Barkov but yeah I guess it could go either way.
 
Dickie Dunn said:
Superstar + and superstar are indistinguishable from each other for me. I’m a homer for Kaprizov but is he a tier higher than Rantanen, Matthews,….I’m not sure.
Click to expand...

My rationale here for superstar+ was that these players make players around them better and can perform at an elite level despite average level teammates. Kaprizov, Pastrnak and Q. Hughes have shown that can do just that.

Rantanen clearly has played on a superstar+ level in the playoffs but I think we need to see a bit more from him to see how he looks outside of Colorado in a longer span of time.

Matthews and Marner have had the luxury of elite teammates unlike Kaprizov etc. But still they underperformed for the past 9 years in the playoffs so thats why I think they are tier below even though their skill ceiling is higher.
 
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jalapenoWithAnH said:
How would you differentiate good players from each other using tiers?

For me I'd say:

Generational +
  • McDavid
Generational
  • MacKinnon
  • Kucherov
  • Draisaitl
  • Makar
Superstar +
  • Kaprizov
  • Pastrnak
  • Q. Hughes
Superstar
  • Rantanen
  • Matthews
  • Marner
  • Crosby

Franchise
  • Panarin
  • Nylander
  • Barkov
  • M. Tkachuk
  • Eichel
  • Connor
  • Heiskanen
  • Slavin
  • J. Hughes
Click to expand...
Matthews/Marner bumped down a tier, otherwise pretty good.
 
WiLBoY said:
what is this based on, year 2025? As Crosby is rated way too low if this is talking about overall
Click to expand...
Yeah it's 2025.

I would put Crosby at atleast Generational when considering overall careers.

Not sure if he'd made gen+. All time generational+ might be:

Lemieux
Gretzky
Orr
McDavid
 
I'm starting to wonder if I wouldn't take MacKinnon over McDavid. It's close but I think the main difference between the two is the hype they had coming out of the draft.
 
Forward Tiers
Best:
1. Mcdavid

A+ Tier
2. Mackinnon
3. Kucherov
4. Draisaitl

A Tier
5. Matthews
6. Kaprizov
7. Barkov

A- Tier
8. Rantanen
9. Pastrnak
10. Crosby
11. Panarin
12. Eichel
13. Nylander
14. Connor
15. Marner
16. J. Hughes
17. M. Tkachuk
18. Aho

B+ Tier
18. Point
19. Reinhart
20. Miller
21. Stone
22. Stutzle
23. Thomas
24. Pettersson
25. N. Suzuki
26. Keller
27. Hagel
28. Bratt
29. Konecny
30. Scheifele
31. Guentzel
32. Strome
33. Ovechkin
34. Robertson
35. Necas

This would be my top 35 forwards

-----------------------

Top 20 Defenseman Tiers:

Best:
1. Cale Makar

A+ Tier
2. Q. Hughes
3. Hedman

A Tier
4. Heiskanen
5. Fox
6. Werenski
7. Morrissey
8. Josi
9. Dahlin
10. Toews
11. Theodore
12. Mcavoy

A- Tier
13. Slavin
14. Forsling
15. Sanderson
16. Bouchard
17. Doughty
18. Carlson
19. Hutson
20. Pietrangelo

------

Goalies

Best:
1. Hellebuyck

A+ Tier
2. Vasilevskiy
3. Shesterkin

A Tier
4. Sorokin
5. Saros
6. Ullmark
7. Oettinger
8. Bobrovsky

A- Tier
9. Kuemper
10. Thompson
11. Swayman
12. Stolarz
13. Markstrom
14. Gibson
15. Demko
16. Andersen
17. Hill
18. Binnington
19. Gustavsson
20. D'accord
21. Lukkonen
 
Last edited:
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Austerlitz said:
I think that's actually pretty good. I'd probably bump Matthews and Barkov up one level each, though.
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Based on current season going into the next one it's not bad but even though I love Rants people are perhaps confusing his playoff run from regular season guy here a bit?

Also Quinn Hughes has been every bit as good as Makar the last 2 years, missing a small amount of games doesn't mean seperate tiers.
 
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wetcoast said:
Based on current season going into the next one it's not bad but even though I love Rants people are perhaps confusing his playoff run from regular season guy here a bit?
Click to expand...

Well with Rants we have to factor in the fact that he was traded twice within a season and those games he played with Carolina and Dallas during regular season have to be considered adjustment periods in my mind.

He is still in his prime and a big chunk of his prime he has been a top 5 player in terms of point production. So even if we shouldn't make conclusions based on small sample sizes in Carolina and Dallas I'd still say that his playoff run is closer his actual level in Colorado than those games he played during regular season with Carolina and Dallas. Although it's I'd have to point out that Rantanen had the second most points in Dallas during the time he played there in regular season. He also lead the team in high danger scoring chances for that time period.

I'm basing my tiers a bit on a list of top 20 players of 2020s ranked by ppg totals (regular season and playoffs). Current playoffs not included:

nhltop_20ppg.jpg
 
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jalapenoWithAnH said:
Well with Rants we have to factor in the fact that he was traded twice within a season and those games he played with Carolina and Dallas during regular season have to be considered adjustment periods in my mind.

He is still in his prime and a big chunk of his prime he has been a top 5 player in terms of point production. So even if we shouldn't make conclusions based on small sample sizes in Carolina and Dallas I'd still say that his playoff run is closer his actual level in Colorado than those games he played during regular season with Carolina and Dallas. Although it's I'd have to point out that Rantanen had the second most points in Dallas during the time he played there in regular season. He also lead the team in high danger scoring chances for that time period.

I'm basing my tiers a bit on a list of top 20 players of 2020s ranked by ppg totals (regular season and playoffs). Current playoffs not included:

View attachment 1037993
Click to expand...
That's fair but I like to look at this stuff as throw everyone in the pool redraft for a single season no salary cap no starting teams and in that case Rants is too high.
 
Mitch nylander said:
Forward Tiers
Best:
1. Mcdavid

A+ Tier
2. Mackinnon
3. Kucherov
4. Draisaitl

A Tier
5. Matthews
6. Kaprizov
7. Barkov

A- Tier
8. Rantanen
9. Pastrnak
10. Crosby
11. Panarin
12. Eichel
13. Nylander
14. Connor
15. Marner
16. J. Hughes
17. M. Tkachuk
18. Aho

B+ Tier
18. Point
19. Reinhart
20. Miller
21. Stone
22. Stutzle
23. Thomas
24. Pettersson
25. N. Suzuki
26. Keller
27. Hagel
28. Bratt
29. Konecny
30. Scheifele
31. Guentzel
32. Strome
33. Ovechkin
34. Robertson
35. Necas

This would be my top 35 forwards

-----------------------

Top 20 Defenseman Tiers:

Best:
1. Cale Makar

A+ Tier
2. Q. Hughes
3. Hedman

A Tier
4. Heiskanen
5. Fox
6. Werenski
7. Morrissey
8. Josi
9. Dahlin
10. Toews
11. Theodore
12. Mcavoy

A- Tier
13. Slavin
14. Forsling
15. Sanderson
16. Bouchard
17. Doughty
18. Carlson
19. Hutson
20. Pietrangelo

------

Goalies

Best:
1. Hellebuyck

A+ Tier
2. Vasilevskiy
3. Shesterkin

A Tier
4. Sorokin
5. Saros
6. Ullmark
7. Oettinger
8. Bobrovsky

A- Tier
9. Kuemper
10. Thompson
11. Swayman
12. Stolarz
13. Markstrom
14. Gibson
15. Demko
16. Andersen
17. Hill
18. Binnington
19. Gustavsson
20. D'accord
21. Lukkonen
Click to expand...
I think Makar is the best, but he and Hughes are on the same tier This season. I also think Matthews is around ninth factoring his regular season and playoffs.
 
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