NHL Rank: Predicting the best players for 2022-23, from 100 to 51
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ESPN staff
The top 100 NHL players for the 2022-23 season are difficult to rank, given the incredible depth of talent at almost every position.
To create our annual ranking of the NHL’s top 100 players, we asked an ESPN panel of more than 50 hockey experts to rate players based on how good they will be in the 2022-23 season compared to their peers.
The Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche were tied for the most players in the top 100 with six, along with the New York Rangers, Tampa Bay Lightning and the Vancouver Canucks. Only three teams failed to place a player in the top 100 — and the Arizona Coyotes are not one of the three.
Emphasis was placed solely on expectations for the upcoming season and predicting potential greatness, rather than past performance, career résumé or positional value. Hence, long-term injuries to players, such as the season-ending surgery for Robin Lehner of the Vegas Golden Knights, were taken into consideration.
There may be no greater indication of the NHL’s depth than the fact that the center position — the source of the league’s star power for decades — accounted for only seven spots in the top 20. Centers do encompass four slots in the top seven players, however.
Today we reveal Nos. 51 through 100 on the list. Tune in to “The Point” on Tuesday night for a reveal of the top players, which will be available online Wednesday morning.
2021-22 rank: NR
Age: 31
Eight straight seasons of more than 20 goals is what makes Kane one of the league’s more consistent wingers. –Ryan S. Clark
2021-22 rank: 56
Age: 24
Chychrun is a high-end talent with great defensive details and offensive upside — when he’s healthy. Injuries have defined the blueliner’s past 12 months but shouldn’t distract from what he can offer at full strength. –Kristen Shilton
2021-22 rank: NR
Age: 28
San Jose believes the dynamic Hertl will be their top-line center of the present — and future. He’s a skilled scorer, deft playmaker and can elevate teammates, all of which the Sharks need to see more of amid a slow start to this season. –Kristen Shilton
2021-22 rank: 95
Age: 28
Chicago went all-in on signing the talented Jones last offseason because of his potential to perform in all three phases. Jones is a strong passer, executes clean breakouts, and he throws his frame along the boards, all elements of a solidly well-rounded skater. –Kristen Shilton
2021-22 rank: 97
Age: 27
The Canucks’ captain is a versatile cog in the system, excellent on draws and handles a matchup role well. Horvat just had a career-best 31-goal season, and he will be channeling that offensive energy into this contract year. –Kristen Shilton
2021-22 rank: 35
Age: 32
Pietrangelo hit the 80-game mark for the first time in four seasons and gave a sense of stability at a time of questions for the Golden Knights. –Ryan S. Clark
2021-22 rank: 89
Age: 25
Chabot has a relentless motor, and he brings everything you’d want to the Senators’ blue-line group. Ottawa’s anchor regularly logs massive minutes while excelling in every on-ice scenario, proving that where Chabot goes, so go the Sens. –Kristen Shilton
2021-22 rank: NR
Age: 35
The diminutive Norwegian was 13th among all right wings with a 0.85 points per game average over the past two seasons. –Greg Wyshynski
2021-22 rank: 36
Age: 35
Letang had a career-best 68 points while averaging nearly 26 minutes en route finishing in the top 10 in Norris voting for the third time in four seasons. –Ryan S. Clark
2021-22 rank: 37
Age: 35
Several items led to the Kings’ resurgence, and Kopitar was among them by leading the team in scoring while playing in every situation. –Ryan S. Clark
2021-22 rank: 69
Age: 34
Giroux may no longer be the point-per-game player he was in his prime, but the 34-year-old remains a steady playmaking presence. –Greg Wyshynski
2021-22 rank: 57
Age: 26
Nylander has matured into more than just a scoring threat. He’s willing to battle for pucks, create takeaways and breaks out quickly. He also has the wheels to wield a strong transition game. –Kristen Shilton
2021-22 rank: NR
Age: 23
His regular-season efforts showed he can serve in a tandem, but the playoffs showed Oettinger has everything needed to be a No. 1 goaltender. –Ryan S. Clark
2021-22 rank: NR
Age: 24
Buffalo’s big center had a big breakout year that’s turned him into an emerging face of the franchise. Thompson’s got elite scoring ability, a killer shot and, as the Sabres discovered last season, the versatility to play important minutes down the middle. –Kristen Shilton
2021-22 rank: NR
Age: 26
The Swedish sniper broke through in last season’s 35-goal turn. Kempe’s upping the ante already this year — three goals in three games — thanks to great chemistry with Anze Kopitar. –Kristen Shilton
2021-22 rank: NR
Age: 20
Stutzle is already a power-play force for the Senators (26 of his 58 points last season). With Claude Giroux and Alex DeBrincat added to the Ottawa forward group, his even strength output should increase. –Greg Wyshynski
2021-22 rank: 94
Age: 28
His puck-moving ability made a difference in Florida, and it is why Calgary looks like it has another weapon on its blue line. –Ryan S. Clark
2021-22 rank: NR
Age: 27
Tristan Jarry silenced critics of his disastrous 2021 postseason by establishing himself as a consistent, effective starter for the Penguins last season. –Greg Wyshynski
2021-22 rank: NR
Age: 27
When Sorokin starts, the Islanders know what kind of effort they’re getting. He had a quality starts percentage of .713 over his first two NHL seasons. –Greg Wyshynski
2021-22 rank: NR
Age: 31
The Blueshirts got a Broadway-esque star turn from Kreider in his 52-goal effort a season ago. Surprising? Maybe, but the veteran forward has followed it up by averaging a point per game early in the 2022-23 season. –Kristen Shilton
2021-22 rank: 52
Age: 32
Tavares’ game has evolved beyond just goal scoring. The Leafs’ captain is a proven playmaker who hit a decade-high in assists (49) last season that complemented his more finely tuned, 200-foot performances. –Kristen Shilton
2021-22 rank: 73
Age: 28
The longtime backbone of Toronto’s defense does it all while leading by example. Rielly’s an elite skater and puck mover used in every situation, where he’s capable of generating offense without sacrificing defensive responsibilities. –Kristen Shilton
2021-22 rank: 51
Age: 26
When Ekblad’s healthy, he’s a defenseman worthy of being in the Norris Trophy conversation, especially given his playmaking abilities (42 assists last season). –Greg Wyshynski
2021-22 rank: NR
Age: 25
Terry’s 67-point season sets the expectation that he has found his footing within the Ducks’ long-term plans. –Ryan S. Clark
2021-22 rank: NR
Age: 27
Lindholm was an elite — if under-the-radar — two-way center before last season’s explosive 42-goal showing put him on the map. Former linemates Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk might be gone but Lindholm’s defensive savvy and scoring prowess continue to shine. –Kristen Shilton
2021-22 rank: 68
Age: 24
This season is Sergachev’s time to shine with Ryan McDonagh having been traded to Nashville. He’s the second best offensive defenseman on the Bolts behind Victor Hedman. –Greg Wyshynski
2021-22 rank: NR
Age: 28
Trouba is best known for thunderous hits, but he can chip in offensively at even strength too. –Greg Wyshynski
2021-22 rank: 38
Age: 32
Doughty getting injured last season was a big loss for the Kings given he was on pace to set a career high in points. –Ryan S. Clark
2021-22 rank: 27
Age: 29
For all the talk in Winnipeg, Scheifele can calm those concerns by turning in another 20-goal season with the idea he could also threaten to score 30. –Ryan S. Clark
2021-22 rank: 93
Age: 30
Tarasenko had one of the NHL’s best “remember me?” seasons, reigniting his star with a 3.9 points per 60 minutes average. –Greg Wyshynski
2021-22 rank: 67
Age: 25
Boeser is one of the better pure goal scorers on the Canucks, with 46 goals in 127 games over the past two seasons. –Greg Wyshynski
2021-22 rank: NR
Age: 28
Subtlety is Slavin’s game, yet the impact he has speaks rather loudly for the Hurricanes. –Ryan S. Clark
2021-22 rank: NR
Age: 22
Dahlin relishes playing big minutes on Buffalo’s top unit, where the 22-year-old has matured before the Sabres’ eyes. This season he’s adding more offense from the blue line already, too. –Kristen Shilton
2021-22 rank: NR
Age: 38
All he did was score a career-high 81 points, play a responsible game and have two-way consistency … in his late 30s. –Ryan S. Clark
2021-22 rank: 78
Age: 26
Ehlers is lethal in transition, making him a must-watch playmaker off the rush. That skill and vision planted Ehlers on Winnipeg’s top line. –Kristen Shilton
2021-22 rank: NR
Age: 27
He’s a two-way, 25-goal-scoring power forward who is 6-foot-4 and gives the Avs another dimension. –Ryan S. Clark
2021-22 rank: 53
Age: 32
While he never broke through to win the Norris, Carlson has been a consistent defenseman who banks points while running Ovechkin’s power play. –Greg Wyshynski
2021-22 rank: 34
Age: 29
Even with fewer games, Hamilton fell a goal shy of what would have been an eighth-straight season of more than 10 goals during his first year in New Jersey. –Ryan S. Clark
2021-22 rank: 90
Age: 27
Nurse has averaged over 25 minutes of ice time per game the past two seasons, being tasked with playing against top competition. –Greg Wyshynski
2021-22 rank: 43
Age: 29
Landeskog gives the Avalanche another 20-goal scorer who could possibly reach the 30-goal mark if not for injuries (he missed the start of the season with a lower-body injury). –Ryan S. Clark
2021-22 rank: NR
Age: 21
The video-game moves (and moves that end up in video games) made him instantly famous, but Zegras has the skills to remain an NHL offensive force. –Greg Wyshynski
2021-22 rank: NR
Age: 28
Look at his defensive and offensive metrics and you will see why Toews is so valued in Denver. –Ryan S. Clark
2021-22 rank: 59
Age: 23
Canucks’ bench boss Bruce Boudreau says Hughes passes the puck as well as anyone he has coached. High praise for the 23-year-old, who already is ably anchoring Vancouver’s backend. –Kristen Shilton
2021-22 rank: NR
Age: 26
Scoring 33 goals and 85 points did more than land Fiala a new contract. It places him under a spotlight as someone who could help make the Kings even more dangerous. –Ryan S. Clark
2021-22 rank: 79
Age: 28
An underrated offensive force. His chemistry with Sidney Crosby is already on display this season following a second 40-goal campaign in 2021-22. –Kristen Shilton
2021-22 rank: 47
Age: 31
One of the NHL’s top two-way centers. He’s had at least 50 points in nine straight seasons and won over 58% of his faceoffs in seven straight seasons. –Greg Wyshynski
2021-22 rank: NR
Age: 32
Kadri broke through to score 87 points and further raised already high expectations about doing the same now that he is with the Flames. –Ryan S. Clark
2021-22 rank: NR
Age: 29
Miller has become a top center option for the Canucks, who recently signed the big forward to a seven-year extension. His 32 goals and 99 points last season were both personal bests. –Kristen Shilton
2021-22 rank: NR
Age: 24
Speed and skill drive Kyrou’s impressive offensive game. St. Louis gave him an eight-year extension following last season’s career totals (27 goals, 75 points in 74 games), cementing Kyrou as a face of the franchise. –Kristen Shilton
2021-22 rank: 33
Age: 37
The 37-year-old Bergeron has remained so consistent, the last time he was not top 3 in Selke voting was more than a decade ago. –Ryan S. Clark
ST. LOUIS — First baseman Willson Contreras has been suspended for six games and fined an undisclosed amount for his tirade during the St. Louis Cardinals‘ 7-6 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday night.
Contreras has informed Major League Baseball he will appeal the suspension, which means it will not take effect immediately. He was in the lineup for Tuesday night’s game against the Pirates.
Contreras threw a bat that mistakenly hit Cardinals hitting coach Brant Brown and tossed bubble gum on the field after he was ejected. Manager Oliver Marmol also was tossed during an animated argument with the umpires after a called third strike in the seventh inning.
Contreras said he didn’t understand why he was thrown out of the game. He said he argued balls and strikes with plate umpire Derek Thomas but didn’t address a specific pitch and didn’t say anything disrespectful.
“Apparently, he heard something [he thought] I said. I did not say that,” Contreras said.
Crew chief Jordan Baker told a pool reporter that Contreras and Marmol were ejected for “saying vulgar stuff” to Thomas. Baker also said Contreras made contact with the plate umpire.
After Monday’s win, Marmol agreed with his player.
“We’ll have to dive into it to make sure what Willson’s saying is what happened,” he said at the time. “But I believe him.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Jorge Castillo
NEW YORK — The Mets are calling up top-tier pitching prospect Jonah Tong, manager Carlos Mendoza announced Tuesday, as the club continues to bolster its staff with young talent for the stretch run.
Mendoza said Tong will start against the Miami Marlins on Friday in his major league debut.
Tong pitched himself into the big league picture with arguably the best season for a pitcher in the minor leagues, going 10-5 with a 1.43 ERA in 113 ⅔ innings across 22 starts between Double-A and Triple-A this season. The 22-year-old right-hander was recently promoted to Triple-A Syracuse, where he tossed 11 ⅔ scoreless innings over two outings.
“I think it’s all about dominating the minors,” Mendoza said. “It’s hard to keep him there.”
The consistent dominance, in combination with debilitating underperformance from veterans in the Mets’ starting rotation, prompted president of baseball operations David Stearns, who preaches patience in player development, to make the call.
Tong was the No. 21 prospect in baseball in the latest rankings by ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel. The Canadian will join Nolan McLean, the team’s No. 2 prospect who soared through the upper minors and was called up to boost the Mets’ struggling rotation earlier this month.
“This is fast,” Stearns said. “There’s no question this is fast. He’s pushed us on this because of his performance. We think he’s ready for this. We also acknowledge that this has gone faster than any of us would have anticipated at the start of this year.”
The decision to summon Tong came one day after veteran right-hander Kodai Senga continued his recent struggles, logging just four innings against the Philadelphia Phillies on four days’ rest.
Senga has a 5.40 ERA and has not completed six innings in eight starts since coming off the injured list last month. Mendoza indicated the team prefers to give Senga an extra day of rest moving forward.
“I’m going to be honest: Performance matters,” Mendoza said about Senga. “We’re to a point now where we got to see performance. And that was a conversation with him. We need him because he’s an ace. We’ve seen it in the past, but we haven’t been able to get that consistency. So, yeah, maybe it’s the regular rest, the extra day, whatever that is. We’re getting to a point where like every game, we got to put our best guys out there.”
Entering Tuesday, the Mets are 2 ½ games ahead of the Cincinnati Reds for the final National League wild card spot.
The baby-faced Tong, a seventh-round pick out of high school in 2022, made a significant leap forward in his development in 2024, but he reported to spring training this year seemingly on a path for a 2026 major league debut — as evidenced by the Mets’ decision not to invite him to big league camp.
Mendoza said he met Tong while watching a minor league game on a back field in which Tong was the ball boy.
“When you’re in the minor leagues, you got to go through those duties,” Mendoza said. “And that day, he happened to be on the Triple-A bench, and he was the ball boy and I sat right next to him, and I had a brief conversation. Kind of introduced myself [to] kind of get to know him.
“Genuine, humble and you could just see the youth on his face. It was, I don’t know, 10 minutes that we sat there and watched the game while I was trying to get to know him a little bit.”
Tong, who represented the Mets at the Futures Game last month, leads all 196 qualified minor league pitchers in ERA, FIP (1.66), batting average against (.148) and strikeout rate (40.5%) this season. His 0.92 WHIP ranks second. He has compiled 179 strikeouts and allowed just two home runs.
He boasts a fastball in the mid-90s that touches 97 mph and has produced a whiff rate of 36.5% this season. This year, he added a changeup in the mid-80s that has emerged as his second-most used offering and improved his effectiveness against left-handed hitters. A curveball and slider complete his repertoire.
Slight for a pitcher — he’s listed at 6-foot-1, 180 pounds — with a smooth and deceptive over-the-top delivery, Tong has drawn comparisons to former Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum.
“What’s impressed us the most is the speed with which he’s expanded his arsenal in really effective ways,” Stearns said. “So, he’s added a changeup this year that’s been really good. And we’ve seen outings that have shown, I think, tremendous maturity on the mound — where something’s not working, he’s then able to switch an approach and go to the slider more, throw a few more curveballs, and allow himself to get through outings really successfully, even if he’s not following the exact plan that he thought he was going to follow when he went into the game.”
The Mets chose promoting Tong over Brandon Sproat, another highly regarded pitching prospect in Triple-A. Stearns explained the organization’s decision as a product of Tong’s excellence and the timing of the start, which will keep Tong, who last pitched on Saturday, on turn.
Sproat, 24, gave up seven runs across 3 ⅔ innings out of the bullpen for Syracuse on Saturday after recording a 2.05 ERA over his previous nine outings, all starts.
“Brandon’s done a tremendous job, and he’s probably had as good a second half of season as any pitcher in minor league baseball,” Stearns said. “He’s made some real adjustments. He’s pitched great.”
The Mets’ plan for Tong after Friday is unclear. While McLean has cemented himself in the club’s starting rotation after allowing just two runs over 12 ⅓ innings in his first two starts, Tong will join the Mets as their sixth starter.
Mendoza said he didn’t know if Tong would move to the bullpen following Friday’s start.
“We’re going turn by turn at this point,” Stearns said. “And it’s going to be a combination of what the matchups are, who we think match up well, how our guys are throwing, who needs rest, who doesn’t need rest. I think in September, we try not to plan too far ahead and we’re going to go turn by turn.”
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