© Codie McLachlan/Getty Images

Winning important face-offs, leading rushes up the ice, and setting up teammates are the hallmarks of an elite center. NHL Network producers and analysts on Wednesday revealed their list of the top 20 centers in the League right now in the third of a nine-part series. Here is the list:

20. Nico Hischier, New Jersey Devils

Hischier, who was selected as the No. 1 pick in the 2017 NHL Draft, holds the record for being the Switzerland-born player drafted highest in NHL history. The captain of New Jersey accrued 67 points (27 goals, 40 assists) in 71 regular-season games and 39 points (14 goals, 25 assists) in 35 games post the 2024 NHL All-Star Game, with an average ice time of 20:36. In his career of 452 regular-season games, the 25-year-old player has accumulated 353 points (136 goals, 217 assists).

19. Mika Zibanejad, New York Rangers

Zibanejad is one of the first six players selected for the Sweden team that will participate in the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off against the United States, Canada, and Finland from February 12-20. He contributed 72 points (26 goals, 46 assists) in 81 games, as well as 16 points (three goals, 13 assists) in 16 Stanley Cup Playoff games. This helped the Rangers progress to the Eastern Conference Final, where they lost to the Florida Panthers in six games. The 31-year-old player has achieved at least 20 goals in nine out of the past ten seasons.

18. Robert Thomas, St. Louis Blues

Last season, Thomas achieved the highest goals (26), assists (60), points (86), and games (82) in his NHL career, and was recognized as an NHL All-Star for the first time. The 25-year-old ranks fourth among his 2017 draft class with 315 NHL points, trailing Elias Pettersson (412), Hischier (353), and Cale Makar (336).

17. Tim Stutzle, Ottawa Senators

Although Stutzle’s goal total fell from 39 in 2022-23 to 18 last season, and his point total decreased from 90 to 70, he achieved a career-high of 52 assists in 75 NHL games, maintaining an average of almost a point per game (0.93). The 22-year-old also had to contend with injuries and additional responsibilities due to injuries to center Josh Norris and Shane Pinto’s absence for the first 41 games due to involvement in sports betting activities. Despite these challenges, Stutzle, the No. 3 pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, leads his draft class with 91 goals, 156 assists, and 247 points.

16. Nick Suzuki, Montreal Canadiens

The captain of the Canadiens achieved NHL career highs last season with 33 goals, 44 assists, and 77 points in 82 games. He accomplished his 100th NHL career goal 17 seconds into an overtime 4-3 victory against the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena on March 5. This 25-year-old player has accumulated 286 points, consisting of 108 goals and 178 assists, over 373 regular-season games.

15. Dylan Larkin, Detroit Red Wings

The captain of the Red Wings set a personal record in the NHL with 33 goals and 36 assists in 68 games last season. This marked the fourth time in his career that he netted at least 30 goals. The 28-year-old player, for the first time in his nine-year NHL career, averaged more than a point per game (1.01). He achieved his 200th NHL goal on Jan. 27 and reached his 500th point on April 11.

14. Roope Hintz, Dallas Stars

Since joining the Stars in the 2018-19 season, Hintz has shown consistent performance. Last season, he scored 65 points (30 goals, 35 assists) in 80 games, following his previous seasons’ points of 72 and 75. However, his production was hampered by injuries during Dallas’ journey to the Western Conference Final, where they were defeated by the Edmonton Oilers in six games. During this period, he managed to score eight points (two goals, six assists) in 15 games.

13. Connor Bedard, Chicago Blackhawks

The winner of the 2024 Calder Trophy was the leading scorer among rookies and the Blackhawks, with 22 goals, 39 assists, and 61 points, despite missing 14 games due to injury. Bedard, who is now 19, became the second youngest player in NHL history, at 18 years and 276 days, to finish as the outright or joint leader in all three categories. The only player to achieve this at a younger age was Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche, who did it at 18 years and 224 days in the 2013-14 season.

12. Sebastian Aho, Carolina Hurricanes

Aho was among the initial six players selected to represent Finland at the 4 Nations Face-Off. He set a personal record in the NHL with 89 points, comprising 36 goals and 53 assists, in 78 games the previous season. This marked the third occasion he had topped the Hurricanes’ charts in goals, assists, and points. At 27 years old, he scored 12 points, including four goals and eight assists, in 11 playoff games. This achievement placed him alongside Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux as the third player in NHL history to at least equal his team’s scoring lead in each of his first six postseasons.

11. J.T. Miller, Vancouver Canucks

Miller recently completed his first 100-point season in the NHL, with a total of 103 points consisting of 37 goals and 66 assists. He is the sixth player in the past 40 years, and the second last season following Artemi Panarin, to achieve his first 100-point season at the age of 31 or older. Other players who have achieved this include Erik Karlsson in 2022-23, Steven Stamkos in 2021-22, Martin St. Louis in 2006-07, and Daniel Alfredsson in 2005-06. Miller contributed significantly to the Canucks’ success, helping them win 50 games and reach the playoffs for the second time since the 2014-15 season. In the 13 postseason games, he scored 12 points comprising three goals and nine assists. In each of the last three seasons, he has consistently scored at least 32 goals and 82 points.

10. Elias Pettersson, Vancouver Canucks

On March 2, 2024, Pettersson inked an eight-year deal with the Canucks to avoid becoming a restricted free agent. He achieved 89 points, which included 34 goals and 55 assists, and for the first time in his NHL career, he won over half of his face-offs (50.8 percent). Pettersson set a personal record with 10 game-winning goals, which not only led his team but also saw him tie with Daniel Sedin for the third-most in a season in Canucks’ history. He also set a new personal best with 125 hits, surpassing the total he had accumulated in his three previous seasons. The 25-year-old has maintained a consistent record of scoring at least 32 goals for three consecutive seasons.

9. Jack Hughes, New Jersey Devils

Hughes, who missed 20 games due to an injury, still managed to accumulate 74 points (27 goals, 47 assists). He underwent shoulder surgery on April 10 and is anticipated to be fit for the training camp. The first pick of the 2019 NHL Draft, Hughes topped the Devils with 1.19 points per game and 31 power-play points. He also led New Jersey forwards in average ice time (20:58). At 23 years old, he reached his career’s peak in the 2022-23 season, scoring 43 goals, making 56 assists, and earning 99 points in 78 games.

8. Jack Eichel, Vegas Golden Knights

Eichel was among the initial six players selected to represent the United States at the 4 Nations Face-Off. He amassed 68 points, consisting of 31 goals and 37 assists, in 63 games the previous season. Additionally, he garnered seven points, including three goals and four assists, in seven playoff games. At 27 years old, Eichel emerged as a Stanley Cup champion in 2023, topping the playoff scoring chart with 26 points – six goals and 20 assists. This was the third-highest score in NHL history for a player on his debut postseason trip.

7. Brayden Point, Tampa Bay Lightning

Point had a successful season, scoring 90 points (46 goals, 44 assists) in 81 games, following a season where his 51 goals were the highest in Tampa Bay and fifth highest in the NHL. The 28-year-old has consistently scored 20 or more goals for seven consecutive seasons, with over 40 goals in three of those. Point has accumulated 87 points (42 goals, 45 assists) in 87 playoff games and has been a part of two Cup-winning teams with the Lightning in 2020 and 2021.

6. Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins

The Penguins captain, aged 37, has been selected for Canada’s 4 Nations Face-off team roster. Crosby, in his 19th NHL season, emerged as Pittsburgh’s leading scorer with 94 points, comprising 42 goals and 52 assists, from 82 games, which includes 30 points (10 goals, 20 assists) from the last 18 games. He shares a record with Gretzky for the most seasons (19) with a minimum of one point per game in the history of the NHL. Crosby, a three-time Stanley Cup champion (2009, 2016, 2017) and a two-time recipient of the Conn Smythe Trophy (2016, 2017), also boasts wins of the Art Ross Trophy, Hart Trophy, and “Rocket” Richard Trophy twice each, the Ted Lindsay Award three times, and was recognized as one of the NHL’s 100 greatest players during the League’s Centennial celebration in 2017.

5. Aleksander Barkov, Florida Panthers

Barkov made history as the first Finland-born captain to secure a Stanley Cup victory in the NHL, playing a pivotal role in the Panthers’ 2-1 win over the Oilers in Game 7 of the 2024 Final. This marked the Panthers’ first ever NHL championship. Throughout the series, Barkov contributed five points (two goals, three assists) and accumulated 22 points (eight goals, 14 assists) in the 24 playoff games. In the regular season, the 28-year-old scored 80 points (23 goals, 57 assists) in 73 games. He was also among the first six players to be selected for Finland’s team in the 4 Nations Face-Off.

4. Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oilers

Last season, Draisaitl ranked seventh in the NHL with his 106 points (41 goals, 65 assists) from 81 regular-season games, and he scored 31 points (10 goals, 21 assists) in 25 playoff games. The 28-year-old, who was the No. 3 pick in the 2014 NHL Draft, has achieved an impressive career total of 850 points (347 goals, 503 assists) in 719 regular-season games and 108 points (41 goals, 67 assists) in 74 playoff games. Since the 2018-19 season, Draisaitl has scored the second highest number of goals (254) in the NHL, just behind Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs (272). He also holds the second position in terms of points (726), tying with his teammate Connor McDavid (726).

3. Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs

The 26-year-old player scored a total of 69 goals last season, making him the first player since Lemieux in the 1995-96 season to score that many goals in a single season. Matthews, who had 60 goals in the 2021-22 season, is only the ninth player in NHL history to have at least two 60-goal seasons. He joins the elite group of Mike Bossy, Gretzky, Phil Esposito, Lemieux, Brett Hull, Pavel Bure, Jari Kurri, and Steve Yzerman. Since being the No. 1 pick in the 2016 NHL Draft, Matthews has been leading the NHL in goals and is currently listed on the United States’ roster for the 4 Nations Face-Off.

2. Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche

The winner of the Hart Trophy, given to the NHL’s most valuable player, ended up second in the NHL with a total score of 140 points, involving 51 goals and 89 assists in 82 games. This player was also the recipient of the Ted Lindsay Award, a recognition given by the NHL Players’ Association to the most exceptional player. MacKinnon, the player in question, is set to represent Canada in the 4 Nations Face-off. Last season, he achieved a home point streak in 35 games, scoring 77 points with 29 goals and 48 assists. This achievement is only second to Gretzky’s 40 with the Los Angeles Kings in 1988-89, making it the second-longest in NHL history. At 28 years old, MacKinnon was part of the Avalanche team that won the Stanley Cup in 2022.

1. Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers

McDavid finished third in Hart voting behind MacKinnon and Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov. The Oilers captain was third in the NHL with 132 points in 76 games last season and finished the 2024 playoffs with 42 points (eight goals, 34 assists) in 25 games; only Gretzky and Lemieux had more in one postseason. He became the sixth player on the losing team of the Final to win the Conn Smythe Trophy, and the first skater since Reggie Leach with the Philadelphia Flyers in 1976. The 27-year-old who was the No. 1 pick in the 2015 NHL Draft leads the League in points (982 in 645 games) since entering the League and was named to Canada’s 4 Nations Face-Off roster.