To start the 2024-25 season, THW put lists together of the top 10 players for each position, as well as coaches. It goes without saying that it is a very tough list to do given how subjective it is, but nevertheless, we are here to do it once again.
Other THW Positional Rankings:
As you will see, there are names on this list that have changed due to some centermen playing exceptionally through the first half of the season, while others have struggled. With that said, here are the current top 10 centermen in the NHL as of the preseason for 2024-25.
10. J.T. Miller
There has been a huge turnaround for J.T. Miller in his career. At one point, he was looked at as a fairly good scoring center who was horrible defensively, but under Rick Tocchet, his game has become very well-rounded. He has hit over a point-per-game in each of the last three seasons, including two 99+ seasons.
Ever since joining the Vancouver Canucks ahead of the 2018-19 season, J.T. Miller has gone from a nice complimentary piece to a legitimate star. As good as he’s been in recent years, however, he has been an entirely different beast in 2023-24, and is expected to continue that into 2024-25.
Last season, Miler posted 37 goals and 103 points, earning Hart Trophy votes, as well as for the Selke Trophy.
9. Jack Hughes
It’s hard to believe there were many who questioned the eight-year, $64 million deal the New Jersey Devils gave Jack Hughes. It was fair to be hesitant at the time, as he hadn’t shown much to that point early in his career and was instead paid for his potential. Sometimes that pays off for teams, other times not so much. For the Devils, it worked better than even they could have imagined, as they now have one of the best bargain deals in the entire league.
Over the past three seasons, Hughes has quickly turned into one of the top players in the game, and he is still just 22 years old. Injuries have slowed his production down a bit, but when healthy, Hughes is a phenomenal young star. Last season, Hughes posted 74 points in just 62 games. At the start of the season, Hughes was scoring two points per game for the first chunk of the season before going down with an injury. With the Devils looking much better heading into this year, the sky is the limit for Hughes.
8. Sebastian Aho
The Carolina Hurricanes are consistently challenging for the top spot in the Metropolitan Division, and Sebastian Aho is a huge reason as to why. Last season, the now 27-year-old star had played some of the best hockey of his career with 36 goals and 89 points in 78 games.
Related: It’s Time to Call Hurricanes’ Sebastian Aho a Superstar
Not only has Aho broken out into an excellent point-producing forward, but his defensive play is among the best in the league. With Selke Trophy votes in each of the past four seasons, that is a huge reason as to why he is so valuable.
7. Brayden Point
Another underrated center in the league is Brayden Point. He has emerged into a 40+ goal and 90+ point center on the Lightning since taking over the top-line role from Steven Stamkos. Not only can he produce, but he has also received votes for the Lady Byng and Selke Trophies throughout his young career. Point’s emergence has allowed the Lightning to extend their window of contention, and he has become one of the most important players on the team and is irreplaceable.
6. Sidney Crosby
Sidney Crosby is without a doubt one of the greatest players in NHL history, and even at 37 years old, he is a top 10 player in the league. He has been consistently in the conversation for the Hart Trophy, Selke Strophy, and many other awards. His offense has barely fallen off over the past decade, and his defensive game has arguably gotten better.
With a 42-goal season in 2023-24, as well at 94 points, Crosby’s extremely well-rounded game has led to the Penguins continuing to push for the playoffs, and that all rides on his ability to lead the way.
5. Aleksander Barkov
Aleksander Barkov has taken over as the top two-way center in the NHL now that Patrice Bergeron has retired, and on top of that, has found strong offensive consistency over the past three seasons. During the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Barkov had some of the toughest matchups possible and did an excellent job shutting down the top players on all of the teams he faced on the path to winning the Stanley Cup. If it hadn’t been for McDavid’s outrageous scoring pace, Barkov would have won the Conn Smythe Trophy as he received second-place votes on 15 out of the 17 ballots.
4. Leon Draisaitl
When ranking the league’s best centers simply on talent, Leon Draisaitl is a top-three option in the NHL. Draisaitl has posted over 100 points in five of the last six seasons, with the only exception being the shortened 56-game season, where he was on pace for an impressive 123 points.
Not only does Draisaitl perform well in the regular season, but his playoff performances have been among the best in league history with 108 points in just 74 career playoff games.
3. Auston Matthews
It is undeniable at this point that Auston Matthews is the game’s best goal-scorer. In a down season by his standards in 2022-23 he still managed to pot 40. Now, back to 100% health, he had led the league by a wide margin last season, scoring 69 goals in 81 games.
Not only is Matthews a perennial Hart Trophy finalist, but he has entered the conversation for the Selke Trophy and his defensive efforts are being recognized.
2. Nathan MacKinnon
One thing Nathan MacKinnon hasn’t done much of since entering the league is win personal hardware. While he won the Calder Trophy in 2013-14 and Lady Byng in 2019-20, it’s rare for players of his caliber to finish their career without at least on Art Ross and Hart Trophy, and you can bet that it was weighing on him.
Related: MacKinnon’s Latest Awards Help Cement His Place in the Hall of Fame
MacKinnon finished the 2023-24 season just four points behind Nikita Kucherov for the Art Ross, scoring 140 points, which would win the trophy in nearly any other season. On top of that, MacKinnon won the Hart Trophy and Ted Lindsay Memorial as the most valuable player, as well as the best player as voted upon by the fans.
1. Connor McDavid
Connor McDavid is undoubtedly the best player in the NHL. With his game-breaking play every night, McDavid pulls himself closer and closer to the top of the list of all-time greats with each game he plays. At just 27 years old, he is still getting better each season.
Heading into the 2024-25 season, McDavid is going to look to continue his dominant play from the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs and further extend the gap between him and everybody else in the NHL. It is one of the rarest feats in NHL history for a forward on the losing team of the Stanley Cup Final to win the Conn Smythe Trophy, but McDavid did so with little competition.
