NHL’s 10 Best Right Wingers for 2026-27: Preseason Update

While the top of the list hasn’t seen too much movement, there are some fresh names entering the top 10 right-wingers in the NHL. As the 2025-26 season comes out of the Olympic break, each of these players will look to continue dominating the league.

10. Martin Necas

Martin Necas has always displayed a great level of skill, but since joining the Colorado Avalanche and being an excellent fit alongside Nathan MacKinnon, Necas has been unstoppable. Last season with the Avalanche, Necas posted 100 points, followed by 13 more in as many playoff games.

Necas has great skating and playmaking ability, but his goal-scoring broke open last season. After having a career-high of just 28 goals, he smashed that by posting 38 goals, and was on pace for his forst 40-goal season.

9. Lucas Raymond

Lucas Raymond has been a pivotal factor for the Detroit Red Wings’ offense, scoring 156 points over his last two seasons and looking to continue his dominance this season. While he and Dylan Larkin made for a great duo, he has also shown that he can be the play-driver, and with the Larkin situation still working itself out, there isn’t a ton of concern that it will impact Raymond’s game dramatically.

Other THW Positional Rankings:

• Goalies
• Defensemen
• Centers
• Left Wingers
• Coaches

The Red Wings are hoping to take a step in the right direction, and a lot of that is built on the success Raymond has found. He is the driver of the offense for the team, plays hard every game, and even played very well at the Olympics for Team Sweden.

8. Sam Reinhart

Sam Reinhart has taken some huge steps in his development since joining the Florida Panthers, and with him challenging for another point-per-game season, he has become one of the top wingers in the league. One of the best special teams players, Reinhart is a threat on both the power play and penalty kill.

It isn’t just about the goal-scoring for Reinhart, though. He is one of the best defensive players in the league and is a huge part of the reason the Panthers won back-to-back Stanley Cups.

7. William Nylander

With the departure of Mitch Marner, many were looking to see how William Nylander would do in the undisputed top winger role. While the Toronto Maple Leafs didn’t have the season they hoped for in 2025-26, Nylander was their most productive player.

He has dealt with some injuries last season, but with 30 goals and 79 points in 65 games, he led the team by a wide margin, and even wider for points per game. He is the driving factor of the Leafs’ offense.

6. Clayton Keller

The Utah Mammoth have plenty of young talent coming through the system, but leading the way for the forward group is Clayton Keller. Not only is he the captain of the club, but he has also been around longer than almost everyone else on the team. He is a veteran on a young, exciting team and had a huge breakout season, scoring 90 points in 2024-25 and just coming up just shy with 88 points last season.

Keller has always been a reliable 60-point player at the very least, but his emergence as a top offensive player has been a huge stepping stone for the Mammoth as they look to get into the playoffs this season.

5. Matthew Tkachuk

A driving force and the heart of the Panthers, Matthew Tkachuk is one of the most valuable players in the entire league. Tkachuk has dealt with a lot of injuries recently, but he is always there when the team needs him to be.

It isn’t just about the score sheet with Tkachuk, though. The leadership, tenacity, physicality, and smart puck skills are just some of the assets Tkachuk has with his play that make him as valuable as he is. He will fight until his last breath over the puck and make sure that nobody can say anything negative about his work ethic.

4. Mikko Rantanen

The Dallas Stars are flooded with talent in their forward group, but Mikko Rantanen is a standout in that group. After being dealt from both the Colorado Avalanche and Carolina Hurricanes, he ended up with the Stars and never looked back.

Rantanen missed 15 games following an injury at the Olympics, and still finished third on the team in scoring. He was unstoppable last season, despite posting his lowest goal total since 2019.

3. David Pastrnak

David Pastrnak is one of the best players in the entire league, and the Boston Bruins’ newest captain doesn’t look to be slowing down any time soon. With four straight 100-point seasons and nearly 200 goals across that span, there aren’t many who can produce the way Pastrnak does.

2. Mitch Marner

Mitch Marner is, without a doubt, one of the best wingers in the game. Marner posted 80 points in his first year with the Vegas Golden Knights, which is lower than each of the last four seasons, but with more scoring by committee and his 29-point playoff run, he moved up the list.

Away from the puck, Marner is one of the best defensive wingers in the league. He has earned Selke Trophy votes in each of the last eight seasons and often gets into the Hart Trophy conversation. Now, with the Vegas Golden Knights, he was a strong candidate for the Conn Smythe Trophy.

1. Nikita Kucherov

What else is there to say about Nikita Kucherov at this point? The 33-year-old has been a top-five NHL player for several years and is seemingly getting better each year. Kucherov hit the 120-point mark last season for the fourth time in his career, which is tied with Connor McDavid for the most among active players.

There is no doubt that the perennial Hart Trophy and Art Ross candidate is the top right winger in the NHL, and there is a sizable gap between him and anybody else.