Earlier this week the NHL Network released their ranking of the top fifty players in the NHL. Let’s take a closer look at their top ten picks.

#1 Connor McDavid

I’m sure it doesn’t come as a surprise to anyone to see the Edmonton Oilers’ Connor McDavid at the top of this list. Coming off of an impressive 123 point season and incredible post season run, it’s hard to argue that McDavid is one of the best players in the NHL, if not the best. Going into this season his biggest challenges will likely be putting up another 120+ point season, and leading his team back to the Western Conference Finals.

#2 Cale Makar

The young Stanley Cup champion was one of the top three players favorited for the Hart Trophy this season. Should this underdog take home the Hart Trophy, he would be the first defensemen to win since Chris Pronger in 2000.

#3 Auston Matthews

Coming off of a sixty goal season, Matthews is one of the most talented forwards in the league. He is another top contender for the Hart Trophy this year, having won the trophy last season. Matthews’ biggest challenge this season will be leading the Maple Leafs to the Stanley Cup Finals, a truly ambitious goal.

#4 Nathan Mackinnon

Mackinnon is fresh off a Stanley Cup win and led the league in playoff goals. Now, after signing an 8 year extension with the Colorado Avalanche, he was just made the highest paid player in NHL history.

#5 Leon Draisaitl

Draisaitl put up an impressive 110 points last season and is known for winning the Hart Trophy and the Ted Lindsey Award in 2020. He was the first German-born player to receive the Hart Trophy, and looks to continue his dominance alongside McDavid on the Oilers.

#6 Andrei Vasilevskiy

The Tampa Bay goalie is one of the most talented and feared in the league. He was awarded the Vezina Trophy in 2018 and the Conn Smythe Trophy in the 2021 playoffs. Vasilevskiy has led the league in wins for five consecutive seasons (2017-2022), and has started off the 2022-23 season with a 0.923 save percentage.

#7 Sidney Crosby

As an established veteran player and three-time Stanley Cup winner, Crosby is undoubtedly one of the NHL’s greatest players of all time. Entering his 18th season with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Crosby has officially broken Mario Lemieux’s longevity record with the team (Lemieux played 17 seasons with the Penguins). This is a remarkable feat as he continues to be a force for a good Pittsburgh team.

#8 Victor Hedman

Tampa Bay defenseman Victor Hedman is considered one of the best defensemen in the league. He won the James-Norris Memorial Trophy in 2018 and the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2020.

#9 Aleksander Barkov

Captain of the Florida Panthers, Barkov is widely considered to be one of the best defensive forwards in the league. After signing with the Panthers in 2013, Barkov became the youngest player since the 1967 NHL expansion to score a goal. In 2021, he was awarded the Frank J. Selke Trophy.

#10 Alex Ovechkin

Captain of the Washington Capitals, Ovechkin led his team to winning the 2018 Stanley Cup, the franchise’s first ever. One of the greatest goal-scorers in NHL history, Ovechkin is currently at 780 goals, which puts him 114 goals away from surpassing the NHL record of 894 goals (currently held by Wayne Gretzky). The Great Eight continues to prove, even at his age, that he is still a force to be reckoned with.