*This article was originally written by Eugene Helfrick
The first unit people look to on any roster is the forward unit. Before every game, the broadcast looks at those four forward lines as if they are the most important for victory (sometimes they are). That’s what we’re looking at today, the best forward groups in the NHL.
Ranking forward units of course is one of the more difficult tasks because of how many skaters must be evaluated and how many ways a great forward group impacts the game. One team will have a group that can run up the score on anyone, making it easy to think they will be the best in the league. Another team will be ranked higher because the scoring might not be overwhelming but they defend, forecheck, and do anything necessary to win games.
How These Rankings Came Together
Preseason rankings are difficult because there are a lot of projections, notably with the skaters who signed with new teams. It’s why a lot of factors go into the rankings.
Related: The Best NHL Forwards Ever: A Lineup For the Ages
The star power or core players at the top play a big role but of course, they are not the entire forward unit and can’t do it all. It’s why depth skaters who step up are also pivotal as they can be the reason one forward unit overpowers another in a given game. Then there are the big additions and subtractions from the past season and looking at how they impact the team.
Then there are the stats. For any skater mentioned, their goals and assists from last season will be noted. Now some may wonder why not combine the two and just note the player’s point total instead of splitting goals and assists, the simple reason is that points don’t tell the full story. Say two skaters have 50 points but one has 10 goals and 40 assists while the other has 40 goals and 10 assists, we’re looking at two completely different players here.
Since the rankings are long enough as it is let’s dive right in.
32 – Washington Capitals
Key Skaters: LW Alexander Ovechkin, LW Andrew Mangiapane, C Pierre-Luc Dubois, C Dylan Strome, RW Tom Wilson
Notable Offseason Additions: C Pierre-Luc Dubois
Notable Offseason Losses: Evgeny Kuznetsov (2024 Trade Deadline), Nickolas Backstrom (Retirement), TJ Oshie (LTIR)
Positions of Strength: Left Wing
Positions of Weakness: Third-Line Center, Fourth-Line Center & Right Wing
The Washington Capitals are in a weird spot in general. They made the playoff last season but barely and are far from Cup contention. Yet, they still look to make a push for a playoff spot. Enter Pierre-Luc Dubois, who was acquired this offseason and will play for his third team in as many seasons. The bet is that he will either help out Alexander Ovechkin on the top line or add scoring depth as a second-line center.
Related: Wayne Gretzky, Alex Ovechkin and the Goalies They Scored On
The problem is that aside from Ovechkin and his chase for the all-time goalscoring record, there isn’t a lot to look forward to. There’s a big drop in offensive production after the top line and the Capitals need more youth in their lineup to prepare for the inevitable decline of Ovechkin and Tom Wilson. Unless the front office is willing to add young forwards or aggressively alter the roster, this forward unit will remain at the bottom of the league.
31 – San Jose Sharks
Key Skaters: C Macklin Celibrini, C/LW William Eklund, C Will Smith, LW Logan Couture, W Tyler Toffoli, RW Fabian Zetterlund
Notable Offseason Additions: W Tyler Toffoli, LW Alex Wennberg, LW Barclay Goodrow, RW Ty Dellandrea
Notable Offseason Losses: Tomas Hertl (2024 Trade Deadline)
Positions of Strength: Left Wing, Top-Six Center
Positions of Weakness: Bottom-Six
The San Jose Sharks are starting to add young talent to the roster and with that comes optimism. Will Smith and Macklin Celibrini look to impact the roster this season and they join William Eklund as some of the top prospects on the NHL team. The Sharks are still at least a season away from looking competitive but things are starting to come together and the veteran additions of Tyler Toffoli, Alex Wennberg, and Barclay Goodrow (welcome back!) will help the cause. This team already did the teardown and now, they are starting to build things back up. Is this forward unit good now? No. Will they be good down the road? Yes.
30 – Columbus Blue Jackets
Key Skaters: C Boone Jenner, C Adam Fantilli
Notable Offseason Additions: C Sean Monahan
Notable Offseason Losses: LW Johnny Gaudreau, W Patrik Laine C/LW Alex Texier, C Jack Roslovic (2024 Trade Deadline),
Positions of Strength: Top-Line, Top-Six Center
Positions of Weakness: Bottom-Six
The Johnny Gaudreau passing is an unimaginable tragedy and something that affects the entire hockey community. It will take a greater toll on the Columbus Blue Jackets both on and off the ice. He was their best player and a forward unit that wasn’t great has only gotten worse this offseason.
Patrik Laine, who was traded late in the offseason after months of trade talks, also doesn’t help the cause either. The Blue Jackets have some good pieces in place but after the handful of forwards, there’s a big drop. Boone Jenner is still the motor of this team and Adam Fantilli is a star in the making. After that, the Blue Jackets aren’t getting much from their forwards. They are in a rebuild so the team needs to mature and the kids need to get their ice time before things improve. With Don Waddell as the new GM and Dean Evason being hired as the head coach, the hope is that can happen eventually.
29 – Philadelphia Flyers
Key Skaters: W Travis Konecny, RW Matvei Michkov, W Owen Tippett, LW Joel Farabee
Notable Offseason Additions: N/A
Notable Offseason Losses: RW Cam Atkinson
Positions of Strength: Right Wing, Top-Six Left Wing
Positions of Weakness: Center, Bottom Six
The Philadelphia Flyers looked impressive at the beginning of last season before things fell apart down the stretch. With a new season on the horizon, they have a wild card in Matvei Michkov who can change the dynamics of the forward group if he’s an elite prospect. Otherwise, expect this team, which is still retooling, to have some issues. Outside of Travis Konecny, who scored 33 goals and 35 assists last season, plus wingers Joel Farabee and Owen Tippett, who combined for 50 goals and 53 assists, the unit looks poised to struggle. The Flyers particularly are weak up the middle and it might make this season a rough one.
28 – Calgary Flames
Key Skaters: LW Jonathan Huberdeau, C Nazem Kadri, LW Yegor Sharangovich
Notable Offseason Additions: RW Anthony Mantha, LW Andrei Kuzmenko (2024 Trade Deadline)
Notable Offseason Losses: Elias Lindholm (2024 Trade Deadline)
Positions of Strength: Left Wing
Positions of Weakness: Center, Right Wing
The Calgary Flames are retooling after trading every veteran on the team who doesn’t have a long-term contract attached to them. It was a difficult process, especially when they had to part with top-line center Elias Lindholm, but they are starting to form a young forward group that has a lot of promise. Sure, it all starts with veterans Jonathan Huberdeau, Nazem Kadri, and Mikael Backlund but they also have some good young players leading the way as well including Yegor Sharangovich and Andrei Kuzmenko.
The Flames still have a lot of question marks throughout the forward unit with noticeable voids at the center position and on the right wing. However, the core pieces are in place to help this team compete in the future. If general manager (GM) Craig Conroy can continue to add youth to the lineup and fill out the forward unit, they will be a force to be reckoned with.
27 – St. Louis Blues
Key Skaters: C Robert Thomas, C/RW Jordan Kyrou, W Pavel Buchnevich, C Brayden Schenn
Notable Offseason Additions: C/LW Alex Texier, W Mathieu Joseph, C/LW Dylan Holloway
Notable Offseason Losses: RW Kevin Hayes
Positions of Strength: Top-Line
Positions of Weakness: Second Line Left Wing, Bottom-Six
The St. Louis Blues are in a tough spot as they might be staring at an inevitable rebuild. This forward unit is one of the reasons why. There aren’t a lot of reliable skaters outside of the top six and their core is good but far from great. Robert Thomas, Jordan Kyrou, and Pavel Buchnevich scored 84 goals and 132 assists last season which is good enough to lead the top six but it won’t bail out an entire forward unit. Jake Neighbors is a promising young skater as well but otherwise, there isn’t a good youthful presence on the way. In an aggressive move, they acquired Dylan Holloway as they signed the RFA, and his offer wasn’t matched yet while he’s a good young skater, he doesn’t move the needle. So, this season could be a telling one for the Blues.
26 – Chicago Blackhawks
Key Skaters: C Connor Bedard, RW Philipp Kurashev, LW Taylor Hall, C Lukas Reichel, LW Tyler Bertuzzi, W Teuvo Teravainen
Notable Offseason Additions: LW Tyler Bertuzzi, W Teuvo Teravainen, W Ilya Mikheyev
Notable Offseason Losses: N/A
Positions of Strength: Right Wing, Top-Six Center, Top-Six Left Wing
Positions of Weakness: Bottom-Six
The Chicago Blackhawks went crazy this offseason by signing a lot of veteran forwards including Tyler Bertuzzi, Teuvo Teravainen, Ilya Mikheyev, Pat Maroon, and Craig Smith. The question is if this will pay off or backfire. They have Connor Bedard, the generational talent, to lead the way and they are starting to surround him with veterans who can provide an immediate impact. With a lot of moving parts, it will take time for things to settle but if the young skaters along with Bedard, specifically, Philipp Kurashev, Lukas Reichel, and prospect Frank Nazar continue to develop, this forward unit could take a big step. It wouldn’t surprise anyone if this group led the Blackhawks to the playoffs.
25 – New York Islanders
Key Skaters: RW Mathew Barzal, C Bo Horvat, C Brock Nelson, RW Kyle Palmieri
Notable Offseason Additions: LW Anthony Duclair
Notable Offseason Losses: N/A
Positions of Strength: Top-Six Center, Top-Six Right Wing
Positions of Weakness: Bottom-Six, Left Wing
The New York Islanders needed the Anthony Duclair addition. Signing him adds much-needed offense to the left wing to go along with the Mathew Barzal and Bo Horvat connection. This is a top-heavy forward unit with most of the scoring coming from four forwards while there’s a drop in production after that. Barzal, Horvat, Brock Nelson, and Kyle Palmieri scored 120 goals and 141 assists, the rest of the team scored 125 goals and 269 assists so to say they could use Duclair might be an understatement. While the fourth line has a strong defensive presence, it’s an otherwise weak link along with the aging and declining skaters that are throughout the roster.
24 – Vegas Golden Knights
Key Skaters: C Jack Eichel, RW Mark Stone, C/LW Tomas Hertl, C William Karlsson
Notable Offseason Additions: RW Alexander Holtz, W Victor Olofsson
Notable Offseason Losses: C Jonathan Marchessault, C Chandler Stephenson
Positions of Strength: Center, Right Wing, Bottom-Six
Positions of Weakness: Middle-Six Left Wing
The Vegas Golden Knights lost a lot of firepower this summer. Jonathan Marchessault was part of the original roster in 2017-18 and was their top skater last season with 42 goals and 27 assists. Chandler Stephenson was one of their best two-way players, often centering the second line. The Golden Knights still have plenty of star power with Jack Eichel and Mark Stone leading the way, they have depth, especially up the middle, but they’ll have a tough time replacing two integral skaters from the 2023 Cup-winning team.
23 – Montreal Canadiens
Key Skaters: LW Juraj Slafkovsky, C Nick Suzuki, RW Cole Caufield, C Kirby Dach
Notable Offseason Additions: W Patrik Laine
Notable Offseason Losses: Sean Monahan (2024 Trade Deadline)
Positions of Strength: Top-Six
Positions of Weakness: Bottom-Six
The youth movement is taking place and the Montreal Canadiens have a lot of great young stars in their top six. Juraj Slafkovsky, who went number one overall in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, scored 20 goals and 30 assists last season and at 20 years old, he’s a star in the making. Cole Caufield scored 28 goals and 37 assists last season and provides a burst on the wing while Nick Suzuki centers the top line. Kirby Dach is returning from injury and it’s questionable if he’ll return to form but otherwise, this top-six is dynamite, especially with the late-summer acquisition of Laine providing a spark to the top-six wing position. The bottom six is where they need to improve and it’s what holds this forward unit back. However, with the continued youth movement, expect the prospect pool to add depth to the forward unit by the end of the season.
22 – Boston Bruins
Key Skaters: RW David Pastrnak, C Elias Lindholm, LW Brad Marchand, C Charlie Coyle
Notable Offseason Additions: C Elias Lindholm
Notable Offseason Losses: W Jake DeBrusk
Positions of Strength: Top-Six
Positions of Weakness: Bottom-Six
The Boston Bruins surprised a lot of people last season as the forward unit looked great even without Patrice Bergeron in the middle of it. David Pastrnak and Brad Machard still carried them and Charlie Coyle filled the top-line center void with 25 goals, 35 assists, and 1.6 defensive point shares. Even with Coyle stepping up, the Bruins found their center of the future by signing Elias Lindholm this offseason. The depth remains an issue with this team but the star power, to a point, will make up for it.
21 – Tampa Bay Lightning
Key Skaters: RW Nikita Kucherov, C Brayden Point, LW Jake Guentzel, LW Brandon Hagel
Notable Offseason Additions: RW Cam Atkinson, W Conor Sheary
Notable Offseason Losses: C/LW Steven Stamkos, W Tanner Jeannot
Positions of Strength: Top-Six, Left Wing
Positions of Weakness: Bottom-Six Center, Bottom-Six Right Wing
A new era in Tampa, Florida begins. For the first time since the 2007-08 season, the Tampa Bay Lightning will see what their forward unit can do without Steven Stamkos. To fill the void, they acquired Jake Guentzel who is one of the more complete forwards in the game and will certainly play well alongside Nikita Kucherov, who with 44 goals and 100 assists last season, was a Hart Trophy Finalist. The top six is still great but the depth, which nearly cost the Lightning a playoff spot in the past, remains an issue. The hope is that Conor Sheary, Luke Glendening, and Zemgus Girgensons can change that.
20 – Anaheim Ducks
Key Skaters: C Troy Terry, C/RW Leo Carlsson, C/LW Cutter Gauthier, C Trevor Zegras, C Mason McTavish
Notable Offseason Additions: N/A
Notable Offseason Losses: Adam Henrique (2024 Trade Deadline)
Positions of Strength: Center
Positions of Weakness: Wing
Related: Predicting the Ducks’ Next 100-Point Getter
The Anaheim Ducks have an interesting mix of young skaters who are still developing and veterans noticeably on the decline. The combination isn’t a recipe for success but the young core is good enough to make anyone think otherwise. The X-Factor is Cutter Gauthier, who was acquired last season and has the upside to make this forward unit dynamic, especially if he complements Troy Terry’s game well. However, the forward unit, as promising as it is, isn’t there yet and has issues on the right and left wing holding it back.
19 – Colorado Avalanche
Key Skaters: C Nathan MacKinnon, RW Mikko Rantanen, LW Artturi Kehkonen, C Casey Middlestadt
Notable Offseason Additions: C Casey Middlestadt (2024 Trade Deadline)
Notable Offseason Losses: Valeri Nischusken (On the roster but currently in the players assistance program)
Positions of Strength: Top-Line
Positions of Weakness: Bottom-Six
The Colorado Avalanche have a forward unit with a lot of glaring weaknesses. It didn’t matter last season because Nathan MacKinnon bailed them out on his way to winning the Hart Trophy. The top-heavy roster will be put to the test again this season with MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen leading the forwards but the rest of the lineup struggling to produce. Losing Valeri Nischusken during the playoffs was a tough blow and his uncertainty heading into the season doesn’t do the Avalanche any favors. The good news is that this team can lean on Casey Middlestadt, Artturi Kehkonen, and Jonathan Drouin, who will be playing bigger roles and will make the forward unit a talented one outside of the top line.
18 – Pittsburgh Penguins
Key Skaters: C Sidney Crosby, C Evgeni Malkin, W Bryan Rust
Notable Offseason Additions: RW Kevin Hayes, C Cody Glass, LW Anthony Beauvillier, W Michael Bunting (2024 Trade Deadline)
Notable Offseason Losses: C/LW Jake Guentzel (2024 Trade Deadline)
Positions of Strength: Top-Six Center
Positions of Weakness: Second-Line Wing, Bottom-Six
Replacing Guentzel will be a tough task as the Pittsburgh Penguins will look to find his production elsewhere. They are opting for quantity over quality, adding a lot of depth skaters including Michael Bunting, Kevin Hayes, and Cody Glass, to fill the Guentzel void. The big-picture issue with the Penguins remains. They have an aging forward unit and instead of rebuilding, they keep pushing the chips into the middle of the table. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin will give them a chance to win on any given night but in the long run, the question marks elsewhere remain problematic.
17 – Seattle Kraken
Key Skaters: C/LW Jared McCann, C Chandler Stephenson, RW Jordan Eberle, C Matthew Beniers
Notable Offseason Additions: C Chandler Stephenson
Notable Offseason Losses: Alex Wennberg (2024 Trade Deadline)
Positions of Strength: Center, Top-Six
Positions of Weakness: Bottom Six Wing, Fourth-Line Center
The issue the Seattle Kraken had since their inaugural season in 2021-22 was they never had the stars to compete in their division and notably lacked elite skaters in the top six. That’s no longer an issue with the Stephenson addition as he’ll slide into the top-line center role. Suddenly, a forward unit with plenty of depth will have a potent top line as well with Stephenson and Jordan Eberle leading the way. If Matthew Beniers and Shane Wright, the top two forward prospects, become regulars and hit their stride, this group can become something special.
16 – Winnipeg Jets
Key Skaters: LW Kyle Connor, LW Nikolaj Ehlers, C Mark Scheifele, C Gabriel Vilardi
Notable Offseason Additions: N/A
Notable Offseason Losses: N/A
Positions of Strength: Left Wing, Top-Six Center
Positions of Weakness: Bottom-Six Center
The Winnipeg Jets are a team led by their defense. It shows based on how the forward unit looks. Kyle Connor, Nikolaj Ehlers, and Mark Scheifele add plenty to the offense, with 84 goals and 110 assists last season while Gabriel Vilardi is a great top-six addition. The third line is also shaping up to be a good one with Adam Lowry and Alex Iaffalo adding a depth scoring presence. However, add it all up and the Jets have a good but not great forward unit. Thay have a group that can get this team in the playoffs but not one that can put them over the top, something the 2023 and 2024 First Round exits have shown firsthand.
15 – Arizona Coyotes
Key Skaters: W Clayton Keller, W Nick Schmaltz, W Lawson Crouse, C Logan Cooley, LW Matias Maccelli
Notable Offseason Additions: N/A
Notable Offseason Losses: N/A
Positions of Strength: Wing
Positions of Weakness: Center
The off-ice drama stole all the headlines but the on-ice team was starting to form a special group, notably with a lot of great young skaters throughout the forward unit. This team might be one of the few with great prospects on every line. Clayton Keller is a star who goes unnoticed but scored 33 goals and 43 assists last season while Logan Cooley impressed in his first season in the NHL. Sure, they struggled up the middle but there’s enough skill elsewhere to make up for it.
14 – Los Angeles Kings
Key Skaters: C Quinton Byfield, C Anze Kopitar, C/W Kevin Fiala, C/W Adrian Kempe, C Phillip Danault
Notable Offseason Additions: W Tanner Jeannot, C/LW Warren Foegele
Notable Offseason Losses: C Pierre-Luc Dubois, LW Victor Arvidsson
Positions of Strength: Top-Six Center, Top-Six Right Wing
Positions of Weakness: Bottom-Six Right Wing, Fourth-Line
One bad trade truly changed the outlook of this forward unit. The Dubois addition and subsequent extension forced the Los Angeles Kings to give up two valuable forwards for a high-priced center who struggled to the point where they had to trade him after only one season. That trade sets back an otherwise well-built forward unit that has some great players leading them. The Kings have Quinton Byfield, Kevin Fiala, and Anze Kopitar fueling the offense but there’s a big drop after that. It puts a lot of pressure on Tanner Jeannot and Warren Foegele to round out the forward unit.
13 – Buffalo Sabres
Key Skaters: C Tage Thompson, C/RW Alex Tuch, C Dylan Cozens
Notable Offseason Additions: C Ryan McLeod, LW Sam Lafferty
Notable Offseason Losses: C/LW Jeff Skinner, RW Kyle Okposo, C Casey Middlestadt
Positions of Strength: Center, Top-Six Right Wing
Positions of Weakness: Left Wing, Bottom-Six
The past two seasons have been a case in point that this forward unit’s success goes hand-in-hand with Tage Thompson. When he gets going, this group is hard to stop as the 2022-23 season showed. When he’s struggling or injured, everything falls apart. The Sabres have some skaters to build around but not enough to build a contender yet. The McLeod addition helps but there isn’t a lot of depth and unless Jack Quinn steps up, the top six isn’t all that great either.
12 – Detroit Red Wings
Key Skaters: W Alex DeBrincat, C Dylan Larkin, LW Lucas Raymond
Notable Offseason Additions: W Vladimir Tarasenko
Notable Offseason Losses: LW David Perron, W Daniel Sprong
Positions of Strength: Top-Six
Positions of Weakness: Bottom-Six
The Detroit Red Wings, despite a promising rebuild and one of the top prospect pools, have a surprisingly underwhelming forward unit. Dylan Larkin, Lucas Raymond, and Alex DeBrincat are all good but not the stars who can compensate for the issues on this roster elsewhere. Then this team is betting on Patrick Kane, who is in his mid-30s, to turn back the clock while Vladimir Tarasenko will be tasked with forming a strong connection on the second line with J.T. Compher. Then the depth is an issue. The Red Wings enter this season with a playoff-or-bust mentality and the trio of Larkin, Raymond, and DeBrincat will make them competitive but if the bottom-six struggles, this team will be in trouble throughout the season.
11 – Nashville Predators
Key Skaters: LW Filip Forsberg, C Ryan O’Reilly, C/LW Steven Stamkos, W Jonathan Marchessault
Notable Offseason Additions: C/LW Steven Stamkos, W Jonathan Marchessault
Notable Offseason Losses: Yakov Trenin, Cody Glass
Positions of Strength: Top-Six Wing
Positions of Weakness: Middle-Six Center, Bottom Six
The Nashville Predators were the big spenders this summer. They signed Stamkos and Marchessault to add to a top six that already has Filip Forsberg, Ryan O’Reilly, and Gustav Nyquist. Suddenly, the forward unit is one of the best in the game and the Predators are built to compete with the best teams in the Western Conference.
It’s unclear where the offense will come from outside the top six (although Thomas Novak is coming off a season where he scored 18 goals and 27 assists). Likewise, the Predators have to make sure Stamkos is still effective at 34 and finds a strong connection with new teammates. Aside from that, this forward unit looks complete with a group that can play great across the board.
10 – Minnesota Wild
Key Skaters: LW Kirill Kaprizov, W Mats Zuccarello, C Joel Eriksson Ek, W Matt Boldy
Notable Offseason Additions: C/LW Yakov Trenin
Notable Offseason Losses: N/A
Positions of Strength: Top-Six Center, Right Wing
Positions of Weakness: Bottom-Six
Last season was a bump in the road for the Minnesota Wild as they never recovered from a slow start. This forward unit is tough to stop, especially when Kirill Kaprizov gets going. Kaprizov can singlehandedly take over games with his speed and shot from the wing that has made him a 40-goal scorer in each of the last three seasons. The Wild hope the depth comes together but if the firepower holds up from the top two lines, look for this forward unit to be one of the better ones in the NHL.
9 – Ottawa Senators
Key Skaters: LW Brady Tkachuk, C/LW Tim Stutzle, C/W Claude Giroux
Notable Offseason Additions: W David Perron, W Michael Amadio
Notable Offseason Losses: W Vladimir Tarasenko, RW Mathieu Joseph
Positions of Strength: Top-Six, Left-Wing
Positions of Weakness: Fourth-Line
Is the talent there to make this forward unit great? Absolutely! Will all the players mesh together and form strong chemistry? That’s a different story. The Ottawa Senators are hoping a lot goes right to make this forward unit great. They need Joshua Norris to return to form, something he failed to do last season as he recorded from a shoulder injury. They need Shane Pinto to step up and become the dynamic middle-six center he was supposed to be last season. They need Ridly Greig to emerge as a top-six skater. That’s a lot of what-ifs for a Senators team that is looking to snap one of the longest active playoff droughts in the league.
The Senators have one of the best forward units if the stars align. Brady Tkachuk and Tim Stutzle will dominate while Claude Giroux, Drake Batherson, and David Perron become constant contributors. However, if a few things down work out, this forward group will once again struggle as it did last season, one where everything went wrong. It’s unlikely they will flop again but don’t expect everything to go their way either. Instead, expect a middle ground with the Senators where the unit is good but not elite.
8 – Toronto Maple Leafs
Key Skaters: C Auston Matthews, RW Mitch Marner, W William Nylander, C John Tavares
Notable Offseason Additions: N/A
Notable Offseason Losses: W Tyler Bertuzzi
Positions of Strength: Top-Six, Center, Fourth-Line
Positions of Weakness: Middle-Six Left Wing
The Toronto Maple Leafs made a big change behind the bench, firing head coach Sheldon Keefe and hiring Craig Berube, but the forward unit mostly remains the same. It’s not a bad thing. This team is one of the best in the league led by a remarkable core. Auston Matthews is one of the game’s best scorers with 69 goals last season and 368 in his career while Mitch Marner is one of the best passers. William Nylander does it all and John Tavares, even in a decreased role and on the decline, is still playing at a high level.
The downside to a great core is that with all the salary cap space invested in those four skaters, the from office has little room to work with (although that might change in the 2025 offseason if Marner and Tavares aren’t re-signed). The good news is that the Maple Leafs have some valuable contributors on the fourth line, notably, David Kampf and Ryan Reeves. They still lack a middle six winger who can put the offense over the top in the playoffs but they can always address that need at the trade deadline.
7 – New York Rangers
Key Skaters: LW Artemi Panarin, C Mika Zibanejad, LW Chris Kreider, C Vincent Trochek
Notable Offseason Additions: RW Reilly Smith
Notable Offseason Losses: N/A
Positions of Strength: Top-Six, Fourth-Line
Positions of Weakness: Third-Line Wing
The New York Rangers have a forward unit with minimal question marks and it explains why this team won the Presidents’ Trophy last season. The top six have plenty of firepower with Artemi Panarin and Chris Kreider leading the way while the fourth line has a great defensive and forechecking presence (plus, Matt Rempe is around to drop the gloves whenever needed). They also saw Alexis Lafreniere come onto the scene last season and prove that he’s a reliable top-six winger for seasons to come. The only question mark is where the depth scoring might come from but it’s a minimal issue that only surfaces in the playoffs.
Related: Ottawa Senators: Revisiting the Mika Zibanejad Trade
6 – Vancouver Canucks
Key Skaters: C J.T. Miller, C Elias Pettersson, RW Brock Boeser, W Conor Garland
Notable Offseason Additions: W Jake DeBrusk, W Daniel Sprong
Notable Offseason Losses: N/A
Positions of Strength: Center, Right Wing
Positions of Weakness: Left Wing
The Vancouver Canucks took everyone by surprise last season with how well their forwards played. They won’t sneak up on anyone this season but they have a great group that looks to pick up where it left off. J.T. Miller, Elias Pettersson, and Brock Boeser come to mind as they look to build off of scoring 111 goals and 154 assists but the depth is what puts them over the top. On top of that, the Canucks added Jake DeBrusk and Daniel Sprong to go along with Conor Garland and Pius Suter in the middle of the unit. They might need extra scoring on the wing down the road but it’s a minor issue for a group that otherwise looks ready to lead this team to the Cup.
5 – New Jersey Devils
Key Skaters: C Jack Hughes, C Nico Hischier, W Jesper Bratt, RW Timo Meier
Notable Offseason Additions: RW Stefan Neosen, W Tomas Tatar
Notable Offseason Losses: Tyler Toffoli (2024 Trade Deadline)
Positions of Strength: Center, Left Wing
Positions of Weakness: Bottom-Six Right Wing
A lot went wrong last season for the New Jersey Devils and with the young core that is in place, they look to be great for a long time. Jack Hughes must stay healthy for an 82-game season but he looks to lead a fast and skilled forward group with Jesper Bratt feeding off his explosive play while Timo Meier finishes scoring chances on the wing. Hughes, Bratt, and Meier lead an exciting offense but it’s not just the top-end talent that makes them elite, this team has plenty of depth as well.
Erik Haula is a valuable middle-six center who plays well on both ends of the ice. Ondrej Palat also plays well all over the forward unit. The offseason additions add talent to the wings and round out a great forward unit. All in all, this is a group that can and will lead the Devils back to the top of the Metropolitan Division.
4 – Edmonton Oilers
Key Skaters: C Connor McDavid, C Leon Draisaitl, W Zach Hyman, W Ryan Nugent-Hopkins
Notable Offseason Additions: C/LW Jeff Skinner, RW Viktor Arvidsson
Notable Offseason Losses: C Ryan McLeod, C/LW Dylan Holloway
Positions of Strength: Top-Six
Positions of Weakness: Bottom-Six
The Edmonton Oilers have two of the best skaters in the game with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl fueling the offense. However, as last season showed, this forward unit is more than just McDavid and Draisaitl. Zach Hyman emerged as one of the game’s best scorers with 54 goals and 16 goals in the playoff run. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins continues to create offense in the top six even as one of the veterans on this team. Better yet, the Oilers added some value on the wings in the offseason, acquiring Jeff Skinner and Viktor Arvidsson. Yes, depth is a question mark but their third and fourth-line skaters have proven to be great defensively and with the star players accounting for most of the scoring, a lack of scoring depth doesn’t matter much.
3 – Carolina Hurricanes
Key Skaters: C/W Sebastian Aho, RW Seth Jarvis, C/RW Martin Necas, W Andrei Svechnikov
Notable Offseason Additions: Jack Roslovic, William Carrier
Notable Offseason Losses: W Teuvo Teravainen, RW Stefan Noesen
Positions of Strength: Top-Line, Top-Six Center, Fourth-Line
Positions of Weakness: Third-Line
Seth Jarvis is a restricted free agent (RFA) at the time of this typing. That’s a problem that the Carolina Hurricanes must resolve. Otherwise, this forward group has all the pieces in place to be dominant this season. Sebastian Aho and Jarvis are two of the best forwards in the game and Andrei Svechnikov complements the two perfectly. It also helps that Martin Necas is back as he can play all over the top six and contribute in multiple ways. While the depth doesn’t provide a lot of offense, they make up for it with their defensive play, notably with Jordan Staal leading the way as a veteran two-way center. The defense gets a lot of the attention but the forward unit is also one of the best in the league.
2 – Florida Panthers
Key Skaters: LW Matthew Tkachuk, C Aleksander Barkov, C/RW Sam Reinhart, C/LW Carter Verhaeghe, C/LW Sam Bennett
Notable Offseason Additions: LW Jesper Boqvist
Notable Offseason Losses: N/A
Positions of Strength: Top-Six, Third-Line
Positions of Weakness: Bottom-Six Right Wing
It’s hard to find any issues with the Florida Panthers forward unit, understandably so. They are the reigning Stanley Cup champions and essentially returned the same group that got them over the hump. Matthew Tkachuk changed the dynamics of this team with 66 goals and 131 assists in two seasons to go along with 17 goals and 29 assists in the playoffs. Aleksander Barkov is arguably the best two-way center in the NHL, a certainly the best defensively. Sam Reinhart emerged as an elite scorer with 57 goals last season while Carter Verheaghe continues to generate offense at a high level.
On top of that, the Panthers have plenty of depth skaters who play well both on the offensive end of the ice and defensively from Evan Rodrigues to Antol Lundell. It wouldn’t surprise anyone if this group is the reason the Panthers are once again near the top of the Atlantic Division and making a deep playoff run.
1 – Dallas Stars
Key Skaters: LW Jason Robertson, C Wyatt Johnston, C/LW Roope Hintz, C/RW Matt Duchene
Notable Offseason Additions: N/A
Notable Offseason Losses: C Joe Pavelski, RW Ty Dellandrea
Positions of Strength: Right Wing, Left Wing, Top-Six Center
Positions of Weakness: Bottom-Six Center
The Dallas Stars lost Joe Pavelski, who was a motor for the forward unit and the team as a whole. Other than that, they have all the pieces in place to have a remarkable season with great players across the board. The Stars are a super team and credit goes to GM Jim Nill for constructing a roster with the right combination of star power, veteran presence, and youth with the forward unit being the showcase for his work.
Jason Robertson is a complete forward who can win in multiple ways. Wyatt Johnston is one of the best young scorers in the NHL as he scored 32 goals during the season and 10 goals in the playoffs and heads into the new season at only 21 years old. Robertson and Johnston are just two of the many great skaters on this forward unit, one that includes Matt Duchene turning back the clock, Mason Marchment playing his best hockey, and Logan Stankoven looking like the next young forward in the pipeline.
It’s hard to see the Stars beating their mark last season where they had eight 20-goal scorers. That said, the offense can come from anywhere and throughout this season, the forward unit looks to dominate on a nightly basis. The Stars are a super team poised to finish near the top of the Western Conference and the forward are the main reason why.
What Do You Think?
Once the 2024-25 season begins, these rankings are sure to age poorly. That’s how these things work. So, now is the time to look at a specific team and point out why they are too low or too high on the rankings. There are a lot of teams that are bunched up in the middle and the smallest differences separate them so things are easily subject to be scrutinized.
Do you think your team is ranked fairly? Let us know in the comments section below!
Statistics were obtained from Hockey Reference and lineups from PuckPedia.
