NHL Rank: Counting down the top 100 players for 2024-25
Hockey is the ultimate team sport, and just because a team has the greatest player in the world doesn’t guarantee it will win a championship. Of course, if a team has two of the top players in the world, it can come awfully close, as the Edmonton Oilers showed last season in getting to one win short of a Stanley Cup.
Spoiler alert: Connor McDavid topped our ranking of the top 100 NHL players for 2024-25, just as he did for 2023-24 and 2022-22 and 2021-22 and … you get it. But where does Leon Draisaitl rank? And what about Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk from the Florida Panthers squad that beat the Oilers in the Cup Final?
We asked a panel of more than 50 ESPN broadcasters, analysts, reporters and editors to rate players based on how good they will be in the 2024-25 season compared with their peers. Emphasis was placed on their value for this coming season, which explains why players who are currently out injured (but are expected to return) might be lower than if they were completely healthy.
Write-ups are courtesy of ESPN reporters Ryan S. Clark, Kristen Shilton, Greg Wyshynski and editorial staff.
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2023-24 rank: 65
Age: 32
One of the veterans brought in to help the rebuild along, Toffoli finished 2023-24 with 33 goals split between the Devils and Jets. — ESPN staff
2023-24 rank: 99
Age: 33
While the Predators’ additions of Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault got all the attention this summer, O’Reilly might be even more vital to their climb to a higher echelon of Cup contenders. An elite two-way center. — ESPN staff
2023-24 rank: 52
Age: 30
Connor Bedard‘s rookie season was a tough one for the Blackhawks in the standings, but Jones’ underlying numbers weren’t horrible in a relative sense. Will the 30-year-old remain on the roster during the rebuild, or be traded for picks and prospects at the deadline? — ESPN staff
2023-24 rank: 43
Age: 30
Lindholm’s breakout 53-point campaign in 2022-23 was followed by a step back in 2023-24 (26 points). Which direction will the 30-year-old Swede head this season? — ESPN staff
2023-24 rank: 79
Age: 30
One of the NHL’s premier defensive defensemen — and literally its “most gentlemanly” in 2023-24, as he was awarded the Lady Byng Trophy. His play will be even more critical this season, as the Hurricanes lost multiple blueliners to free agency this summer. — ESPN staff
2023-24 rank: 89
Age: 25
The 25-year-old’s ascendancy continued in 2023-24, eclipsing a point-per-game pace for the first time (86 in 82). Thomas will continue to be vital as the Blues push for a playoff return. — ESPN staff
2023-24 rank: NA
Age: 28
Dunn missed a chunk of the 2023-24 season — perhaps part of the reason the Kraken missed the playoffs. The 28-year-old is still improving and will continue to play a key role on even strength and on the power play. — ESPN staff
2023-24 rank: 53
Age: 26
A devastating leg injury kept Sergachev out for months last season, but an offseason trade to Utah was perhaps more jarring. He’ll be a critical component of how far the UHC goes in its inaugural campaign. — ESPN staff
2023-24 rank: NA
Age: 21
After a rookie campaign for which he was a Calder Trophy finalist, Hughes made the cover of EA Sports NHL 25 with brothers Quinn and Jack. He’ll play a key role in the Devils’ short- and long-term aspirations. — ESPN staff
2023-24 rank: 84
Age: 34
One of the more reliable blueliners in the Western Conference, the 34-year-old continues to play at a high level, scoring 33 points and averaging 23:33 of ice time per game last season. — ESPN staff
2023-24 rank: NA
Age: 28
If the Panthers made a poster of their “bad boys” from the 2024 playoff run, Bennett would be prominently featured — and might be Public Enemy No. 1 in Boston. — ESPN staff
2023-24 rank: NA
Age: 38
As his 19th NHL season begins, Malkin is just a bit off his dominant production pace of earlier in his career. But he remains a force at even strength and on the power play for a Penguins team that is hoping for one last epic playoff run with the current core of veterans. — ESPN staff
2023-24 rank: 66
Age: 26
DeBrincat is a dynamic, scoring winger, the author of two-straight 27-goal campaigns. Can he get back to the 40-goal level he reached twice earlier in his career? — ESPN staff
2023-24 rank: NA
Age: 27
A late bloomer, Ingram backstopped a scrappy Coyotes team last season. As with the rest of the team, Ingram’s stats took a hit after rumors of their relocation circulated. Now in Utah, expect him to serve as a solid backstop for UHC’s playoff contention this season. — ESPN staff
2023-24 rank: NA
Age: 22
The fourth overall pick in the 2020 draft, Raymond has proved up to that pedigree, playing an increasingly important role for Detroit. And he’ll be doing it for a while longer, having signed an eight-year, $64.6 million contract this offseason. — ESPN staff
2023-24 rank: NA
Age: 28
Kempe’s rise has been a slow and steady one, and the 28-year-old was close to a point-per-game pace in 2023-24 (75 in 77 games). He’s a key player as the Kings push to get beyond the first round of the playoffs this season. — ESPN staff
2023-24 rank: NA
Age: 30
The “other guy” in the trade that swapped Matthew Tkachuk for Jonathan Huberdeau in 2022, Weegar has emerged as a dynamic player in his own right. That includes a 52-point 2023-24 season for a Calgary team in flux. — ESPN staff
2023-24 rank: 97
Age: 36
Bobrovsky might be off of his Vezina Trophy-winning peak, but the veteran proved that he can still come up clutch in the playoffs. Now with his name engraved on the Stanley Cup, the legend of “Playoff Bob” continues to grow. — ESPN staff
2023-24 rank: 75
Age: 30
Much more than just Cale Makar‘s sidekick, Toews has proved to be a critical part of the Avs’ success in recent seasons, playing both special teams along with his considerable even-strength minutes. — ESPN staff
2023-24 rank: 93
Age: 34
He’s not the point-per-game player he once was, but the veteran center remains a key contributor on even strength and the power play for Toronto. — ESPN staff
2023-24 rank: NA
Age: 23
Last season — and particularly the playoffs — put the NHL on notice that the No. 1 pick from 2020 is everything the Rangers saw in him at that draft position. Watch out. — ESPN staff
2023-24 rank: 81
Age: 26
Although the Devils as a team took a significant step back last season, Bratt continued to produce: His 83 points were a career high, and the 26-year-old’s ascension to the next level of stardom may be just getting started. — ESPN staff
2023-24 rank: NA
Age: 32
Hyman exploded for 54 goals in 2023-24, skating on a line with Connor McDavid and playing a key role on the Oilers’ power play as well. Does he hit the 50-goal mark again this season? — ESPN staff
2023-24 rank: 100
Age: 30
Hertl being traded from San Jose to Vegas on deadline day last season was one of the most shocking swaps in recent history. How high can he climb now that he’s back on a contender? — ESPN staff
2023-24 rank: 68
Age: 31
Ranking 19th in the NHL in scoring the past three seasons in total, Nugent-Hopkins is the longest-tenured member of an Oilers team that many believe is the best bet to win the Stanley Cup this spring. — ESPN staff
2023-24 rank: 87
Age: 30
After bouncing around a few teams earlier in his career, Montour broke out the past two seasons with the Panthers. The 30-year-old parlayed that into a seven-year, $50 million deal with the Kraken, a team that hopes he can get them back into the playoff mix. — ESPN staff
2023-24 rank: 64
Age: 27
If it’s possible for a defenseman to score a quiet 57 points in 70 games, that’s precisely what Werenski did in 2023-24. The No. 8 pick from 2015 continues to be one of the more reliable defensemen in the league when healthy. — ESPN staff
2023-24 rank: 47
Age: 31
Ullmark is in a very different place than one year ago at this time, no longer part of a goaltending battery with Jeremy Swayman in Boston. Can he shine in a new situation? — ESPN staff
2023-24 rank: NA
Age: 34
After a long-rumored trade finally came to fruition in June, Markstrom takes over a dangerous Devils team that needed a significant goaltending boost. Can he recapture his past Vezina Trophy-caliber form? — ESPN staff
2023-24 rank: 21
Age: 22
After 90 points in 2022-23, Stutzle looked poised for superstardom. Unfortunately, a 17.1% shooting percentage proved unsustainable, and the goals dried up, going from 39 to 18 last season. In which direction will he go in 2024-25? — ESPN staff
2023-24 rank: 59
Age: 33
The Golden Knights walked away from Marchessault, who had starred with the team since it entered the league. The feisty forward takes his talents to Nashville, who hopes that his 42-goal season wasn’t a contract year aberration. — Wyshynski
2023-24 rank: 42
Age: 31
Zibanejad has helped power the Rangers’ potent power play, with 32 goals and 38 assists on the man advantage over the past two seasons. — Wyshynski
2023-24 rank: 58
Age: 28
A big body with a ton of skill, Meier is expected to play a critical role in the Devils’ turnaround this season. — Wyshynski
2023-24 rank: NA
Age: 33
Kreider is a rare talent in the NHL: a power forward with blazing speed who is extremely good around the opponents’ net while also being an excellent penalty killer. — Wyshynski
2023-24 rank: NA
Age: 21
The Stars keep developing homegrown talent. That includes Johnston, who has been a crucial contributor as they seek a third straight conference finals appearance. — Clark
2023-24 rank: NA
Age: 29
Verhaeghe is one of the NHL’s most productive forwards in the regular season who becomes one of league’s most clutch performers in the postseason, to the tune of 53 points in 61 career playoff games with the Panthers. — Wyshynski
2023-24 rank: 44
Age: 26
Don’t let the injury-impacted 2023-24 season fool you: Thompson is still that guy who popped for 47 goals and 47 assists two years ago for the Sabres. — Wyshynski
2023-24 rank: 31
Age: 25
Hischier has established himself as one of the league’s best defensive centers, and he has plenty of offensive upside in the middle for the Devils. — Wyshynski
2023-24 rank: 37
Age: 39
Ovechkin needs 42 goals to break Wayne Gretzky’s all-time scoring record. He has lost a step and didn’t look like himself at all in the postseason, but give him the puck and space to shoot, and watch the “Russian Machine” operate. — Wyshynski
2023-24 rank: 62
Age: 29
Considered one of the better two-way centers in the NHL, Lindholm should thrive playing alongside David Pastrnak after signing with the Bruins in the offseason. — Wyshynski
2023-24 rank: 30
Age: 29
Sorokin had his worst season statistically in 2023-24, which still put him well above league average in save percentage (.908). When he’s on, few goaltenders can match his ability to take over games. — Wyshynski
2023-24 rank: 78
Age: 23
Detroit handed Seider a rich contract extension after having emerged as their next franchise defenseman in his first three NHL seasons. — Wyshynski
2023-24 rank: 69
Age: 27
Connor is never going to contend for the Selke Trophy, but so what? The guy fills the net every season, including having the 12th highest goals per game rate in the NHL last season (min. 60 games). — Wyshynski
2023-24 rank: 72
Age: 31
While his goal-scoring took a tumble last season, Scheifele has been a consistent top-line offensive force for the Jets over the past 14 seasons. — Wyshynski
2023-24 rank: NA
Age: 28
Forsling’s fellow NHLers are apt to call him the league’s most underrated player, and for good reason. It’s hard to fully appreciate everything Forsling brings to Florida’s top pairing, from his 5-on-5 execution to penalty killing excellence. — Shilton
2023-24 rank: 45
Age: 37
A two-time Selke Trophy winner, Kopitar continues to be a two-way metronome for a Kings roster that’s looking to get out of the first round for the first time in a decade. — Clark
2023-24 rank: 49
Age: 31
Hamilton’s value was underscored by how much the Devils missed him last season due to injury, as the smooth-skating and deft-passing defenseman is a calming presence. — Wyshynski
2023-24 rank: NA
Age: 22
Faber played like he was a 10-year veteran during his rookie NHL season, posting 47 points and acting as a steadying presence for the Wild defense corps. — Wyshynski
2023-24 rank: 80
Age: 28
Before the injury last season, Demko was one of the serious favorites for the Vezina Trophy as his performances led the Canucks to finishing with more than 100 points. — Clark
2023-24 rank: 82
Age: 27
It was never a question of if Boeser could score, but what it would look like if he was healthy for a full season. The result was his first 40-goal campaign. — Clark
2023-24 rank: 55
Age: 26
Now that Keller & Co. have swapped Tempe for Salt Lake City, there’s a thought that they could possibly challenge for a playoff spot in their first season. — Clark
2023-24 rank: 54
Age: 28
Larkin tallied three straight 30-goal seasons as the Red Wings’ top center, including 33 goals in 68 games last season. — Wyshynski
2023-24 rank: 35
Age: 36
Marchand’s first season playing without Patrice Bergeron saw him wear the “C” with pride, and continue to post big offensive numbers for the Bruins. — Wyshynski
2023-24 rank: NA
Age: 25
Another new face in the Top 100, Swayman’s performances last season showed he could be a No. 1 goaltender who could also get paid like one, too. — Clark
2023-24 rank: NA
Age: 24
Dobson is no longer the best offensive defenseman no one’s talking about, as his 70-point season caught the attention of the rest of the NHL. — Wyshynski
2023-24 rank: 88
Age: 19
Labeled as the NHL’s next great superstar, Bedard used his rookie year to lead the Blackhawks in goals, assists and points while winning the Calder Trophy as the league’s top rookie. — Clark
2023-24 rank: NA
Age: 24
Everything he did during his breakout last season — finishing with 82 regular-season points and 32 playoff points — drove Bouchard to make his Top 100 debut. — Clark
2023-24 rank: 63
Age: 29
Morrissey showed that his offensive breakthrough in 2022-23 wasn’t an aberration, tallying 69 points in 81 games last season with the Jets. — Wyshynski
2023-24 rank: 91
Age: 27
Barzal’s dynamic offensive game produced his first point-per-game season since winning rookie of the year in 2017-18. — Wyshynski
2023-24 rank: 25
Age: 26
McAvoy is another example of why teams continue to seek defensemen who can do everything — with the reality that a strong offensive season in 2024-25 could give him a good shot at his first Norris Trophy. — Clark
2023-24 rank: 33
Age: 34
Few players have more to prove than Stamkos, whom the Lightning didn’t re-sign despite a 40-goal season and his place as a franchise icon. — Wyshynski
2023-24 rank: 36
Age: 27
Hintz is one of those two-way centers who has shown over the past few years that he can create and score goals just as effectively as he can prevent them. — Clark
2023-24 rank: 13
Age: 26
Fox won the Norris Trophy in 2020-21 and has finished in the top five for the award in four of his five compete NHL seasons. — Wyshynski
2023-24 rank: 26
Age: 24
A 20-goal scorer last season, the new Sabres captain is looking to take his individual success and parlay it into the Sabres ending a 13-year playoff drought. — Clark
2023-24 rank: 51
Age: 29
Saros was rewarded with a new eight-year contract as the Predators’ franchise goalie, having led the NHL in games played for three straight seasons. — Wyshynski
2023-24 rank: 12
Age: 25
Creativity and confidence are what drives Robertson’s scoring attack — and it’s a successful one. The Stars’ playmaker is a threat all over the ice and constantly finds new ways to pump in pucks. — Shilton
2023-24 rank: 50
Age: 30
As if having the best mustache in the NHL weren’t enough, Forsberg is coming off his best offensive season, with a career-high 48 goals. — Wyshynski
2023-24 rank: 34
Age: 25
At 6-5, Oettinger is the prototypical size for an NHL goaltender. He has 30 or more wins in three straight seasons, continuing to make the Stars a legitimate Stanley Cup challenger. — Clark
2023-24 rank: 40
Age: 28
There’s versatility to Nylander’s game — it’s what drives his dynamic scoring prowess and why the Leafs are determined to see the always-exciting winger succeed at center, too. — Shilton
2023-24 rank: 14
Age: 31
The reigning two-time Vezina Trophy winner entered the 2024-25 season just 25 wins shy of becoming just the seventh American goalie to reach 300 career victories. — Clark
2023-24 rank: NA
Age: 28
Reinhart’s days flying under the radar are long gone after a 57-goal season that catapulted him to upper-echelon status among NHL scorers — and he’s not looking to go anywhere. — Shilton
2023-24 rank: 38
Age: 32
Stone is as steady as they come, and that’s a real superpower. Dependable scorer, responsible defensively and not afraid to go in the corners. Basically, the total package. — Shilton
2023-24 rank: 95
Age: 31
Coming to Vancouver has seen Miller go from a top-nine option to a trusted forward in a leading role. He’s coming off the first 100-point season in his career as the Canucks look to build on last season’s division title. — Clark
2023-24 rank: 57
Age: 30
As more teams shift to using goaltending tandems, the seven-time 30-game winner continues to be one of the few netminders who can be trusted to play more than 60 games in a season. — Clark
2023-24 rank: 28
Age: 28
The Rangers’ unequivocal backbone is their Vezina Trophy-winning goaltender, whose elite performances — particularly in the postseason — showcase the best of his quick instincts and exceptional lateral movement in the crease. — Shilton
2023-24 rank: 19
Age: 25
There’s a brilliant balance of physicality and skill in Tkachuk’s repertoire, not to mention a passion that’s revealed nightly in his energetic — and sometimes crushing — interactions with opponents. — Shilton
2023-24 rank: 16
Age: 25
A wizard with the puck and solid in his own end, Pettersson is looking to get back to the 100-point mark he broke through two seasons ago for the Canucks. — Wyshynski
2023-24 rank: 18
Age: 33
A six-time Norris Trophy finalist, the hulking generational defenseman takes over as captain of a Lightning roster that’s now entering a new era with Steven Stamkos in Nashville. — Clark
2023-24 rank: 29
Age: 25
Heiskanen’s profile continues to ascend, with two straight seasons of more than 50 points for a Stars team that will mount as serious a Stanley Cup challenge as any in the West. — Clark
2023-24 rank: 24
Age: 28
It is said that hanging with high-end talent is a talent in itself. Point has thrived next to Nikita Kucherov in Tampa Bay, and now he has Jake Guentzel on his wing this season. — Wyshynski
2023-24 rank: 27
Age: 34
Being a No. 1 defensemen in the NHL means being adaptable to any situation. Josi is just that as the 2020 Norris Trophy winner has consistently proved he can be asked to play a crucial part in 5-on-5, power-play and short-handed situations. — Clark
2023-24 rank: 22
Age: 27
Aho’s nickname has evolved over the years, going from “Sea Bass” to just “Fishy” these days. What hasn’t changed is Aho as one of the best two-way centers in the NHL, with three straight 30-goal campaigns. — Wyshynski
2023-24 rank: 71
Age: 30
Guentzel’s three consecutive 30-plus goal seasons are no fluke, coming from one of the most preeminent net-front scorers in the league. It’s little wonder Tampa Bay went all-in on adding that potency to their lineup. — Shilton
2023-24 rank: 17
Age: 27
“Kirill the Thrill” has the sixth-most goals in the NHL since 2021-22 (133), topping the 40-goal mark in three straight seasons for the Wild. — Wyshynski
2023-24 rank: 9
Age: 28
Vegas’ top-line center can put on a playmaking masterclass for the Golden Knights while wielding a sharply evolved two-way game. And Eichel elevates everyone around him in the process, too. — Shilton
2023-24 rank: 4
Age: 23
Long considered to be one of the game’s next great superstars, the middle brother of the Hughes trio has shown he’s more than capable of being a top-line center. An injury-riddled 2023-24 campaign saw him finish with 27 goals and 74 points in 62 games. A healthy Hughes could get the Devils back into the playoffs after a one-year hiatus. — Clark
2023-24 rank: 20
Age: 27
Marner’s reputation as one of the NHL’s premier playmakers has been well earned. But the Leafs’ top-line winger is a powerful goal-scoring threat, too, with four consecutive 20-plus goal campaigns under his belt. — Shilton
2023-24 rank: 23
Age: 37
At 37 years old, Crosby is still a dominant offensive force, with 42 goals last season, doing all he can to pry open the Penguins’ Cup contention window. — Wyshynski
2023-24 rank: 60
Age: 25
The past 12 months saw Hughes command more attention, and with good reason. He went from being named captain of the Canucks to helping them come within a win of reaching the Western Conference finals. And for all his contributions, Hughes won the Norris Trophy. This was a big summer for him personally, as he and his two brothers, Luke and Jack, are the NHL 25 cover athletes. — Clark
2023-24 rank: 10
Age: 28
When Pasta cooks, goals happen. The Bruins winger is second in the NHL in goals over the past four seasons, including 47 goals and 110 points last season. — Wyshynski
2023-24 rank: 15
Age: 29
For years, Barkov was the easy answer to the question of “Who is the NHL’s most underrated player?” As the Panthers have risen to national prominence, it’s allowed more people to see what makes the two-way center one of the game’s most complete players, one who captained the team to the Stanley Cup in 2024. — Clark
2023-24 rank: 6
Age: 29
Draisaitl is constantly finding ways to elevate his own game — and that lifts everyone around him. Equal parts playmaker (with five 100-plus-point efforts in the past six seasons) and goal scorer (he’s good for 40-plus most seasons), Draisaitl is a uniquely elite talent. — Shilton
2023-24 rank: 7
Age: 28
Having Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar simply isn’t enough for the Avs. Rantanen is a 6-4 winger who has authored five seasons of more than 30 goals, and as many seasons of more than 50 assists. As of now, he’s also the clear top player on the 2025 NHL free agency list. — Clark
2023-24 rank: 32
Age: 32
It’s one thing to hit career highs in goals (49) and points (120) like Panarin did last season. But to reach those milestones at 32 — and in his ninth NHL season? Panarin seems to be getting better with age. — Shilton
2023-24 rank: 5
Age: 27
Matthews is already a three-time Rocket Richard Trophy winner as the league’s top goal scorer, and continues to improve as one of the league’s dominant two-way centers. He has long been setting a high standard in Toronto on multiple levels — and now there’s a “C” on his sweater to prove it — Shilton
2023-24 rank: 11
Age: 26
The talented, tenacious and always entertaining Tkachuk is a true individual. He’s an elite-level pest for the Panthers, balancing hard-nosed hockey with prolific offensive ability — Shilton
2023-24 rank: 2
Age: 25
Young, puck-moving defensemen have become a necessity in today’s NHL. Players such as Makar, who won the Norris Trophy as the league’s top defenseman in 2022, are why. His ability to control a game in 5-on-5 situations and the power play have become pivotal to the Avs’ ability to control games since he made his debut back in 2018. — Clark
2023-24 rank: 3
Age: 29
The reigning Hart Trophy winner as the league’s most valuable player is looking to build on what was his strongest individual campaign. MacKinnon’s ability to use his size, speed and strength not only makes him one of the NHL’s biggest threats, but one that could help his team win its second Stanley Cup since 2022. — Clark
2023-24 rank: 8
Age: 31
Kucherov rewrote the Lightning record book last season with a career-best 144 points, becoming the fifth player in NHL history to tally 100 assists in a season. From a point-production standpoint over the past decade, only one player has done it better than Kucherov. — Wyshynski
2023-24 rank: 1
Age: 27
The best hockey player in the world was one win away from a singular achievement in sports history as he carried the Oilers back from a 3-0 deficit in the Stanley Cup Final. Statistically, no one can touch him: McDavid is more than 120 points clear of the next-highest scorer over the past 10 seasons. It’s just a matter of time before that mastery manifests into a championship. — Wyshynski
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Kristen Shilton
Boos rained down at the final horn in Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena on Wednesday night as the Maple Leafs moved closer to extending their 57-year Stanley Cup drought with a 6-1 blowout loss to the Panthers.
Fans even threw their jerseys on the ice as Toronto saw its 2-0 series lead turn into a 3-2 deficit. But coach Craig Berube wants his players to get out of their heads for now.
“That last game was overthinking and not playing hockey,” he said. “Right now, [players] need to stick together tonight as a team and take a breath. Stop thinking about the game. Relax. We’ll get thinking about the game when it matters.”
To get back to Toronto for a Game 7, the Leafs will have to win in Florida, but they likely won’t have starting goaltender Anthony Stolarz. He has been sidelined since Game 1 of the series with an undisclosed injury. He resumed skating over the weekend and was on the ice for a 30-minute workout on Thursday, but Berube doubted Stolarz would join the Leafs in Florida for Game 6.
That leaves his replacement Joseph Woll, who gave up five goals on 25 shots Wednesday.
Players met after the game to break down what went wrong, and Berube had a team meeting planned for Thursday after the Leafs landed back in Fort Lauderdale.
“A loss is a loss,” Berube said. “If we [had] lost 2-1 [on Wednesday] and it was a close game, would it really matter today? We got beat. I’ve been in this situation before. We’re all going to be down and dejected, but we can’t be. We have to regroup.”
That includes the Leafs’ top skaters. Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander have failed to score against Florida.
In Game 5, the Panthers repeatedly stymied Toronto’s rush attempts and pounded them with a smothering forecheck that left the Leafs reeling offensively.
Meanwhile, Florida peppered Woll until defenseman Aaron Ekblad broke through with the game’s first goal late in the first period. Toronto’s own mistakes — including a Dmitry Kulikov shot beating Woll off the stick of Leafs’ forward Scott Laughton and a baffling turnover by Marner in his own zone to set up a Jesper Boqvist strike — led to a three-goal second period. After AJ Greer made it 5-1 Florida with his first-ever playoff goal, Woll was gone in favor of Matt Murray.
“[It was] very disappointing,” said Morgan Rielly. “But at the end of the day, whether we lost the way we lost last night or we lost in overtime, whatever it is, we’re still in a position where we’re ready to fight. We have to go down there [to Florida] and play our best game. We can’t dwell on all sorts of [other] things.”
The Leafs were in control of the series against Florida early on, collecting wins in Games 1 and 2 and mounting multi-goal leads in Game 3. It was late in that outing though when Florida flipped the switch — and they haven’t looked back. The Panthers rallied in the second period of Game 3 to score three goals and take their first lead of the night. Rielly’s goal at the midway point of the third period tied the game and forced overtime, but Brad Marchand scored the game-winner for Florida.
That Rielly marker would stand as Toronto’s last goal on Sergei Bobrovsky for nearly six periods of hockey. Toronto was shutout 2-0 by the Panthers in Game 4 and were dangerously close to being blanked again if not for Nick Robertson’s marker late in Game 5.
Bobrovsky struggled to open the series against the Leafs, allowing nine goals in the first two games for an .820 SV%, but he has slammed the door since late in that Game 3 win. He has turned aside 54 of 55 shots through Games 4 and 5 for a .982 SV%.
Robertson’s goal did little for the fans.
“It’s tough,” said Rielly. “But [fans] have the right to do what they want to do. We need to improve and play better. We expect to have a team that’s going to go out and win and compete. When that doesn’t happen, everyone is upset.”
Rielly is the longest-tenured member of the Leafs and has experienced the many highs and lows Toronto has endured trying to exorcise past playoff demons. Brandon Carlo — acquired at the March trade deadline — is newer to Toronto’s history but shared Rielly’s view that, despite the emphatic fan response to their poor performance, it’s not something that should linger.
“In a game like that, you don’t want to overthink those things too much,” said Carlo of the extracurriculars. “It is a passionate fanbase … there’s going to be ups and downs for sure, but from the standpoint of playoff series in the past, I’ve been in these situations myself. Had bad games in the playoffs; it’s not just subject to this group by any means. I think that needs to be taken into account, too.”
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Greg Wyshynski
DALLAS — Before he became the most dominant player in the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs, Mikko Rantanen wasn’t exactly himself.
“I think this year has been such a whirlwind for him that it took him some time to get comfortable with us,” Dallas defenseman Brendan Smith said.
In his four previous NHL seasons with the Colorado Avalanche, Rantanen was fifth among all players in goals (163) and seventh in points per game (1.27). He was well on his way to hitting his marks again this season, with 25 goals and a 1.31 points-per-game average with the Avalanche.
But then, 49 games into his season, his world crumbled.
Rantanen was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes on Jan. 24 as part of a three-team trade. After 13 unremarkable games — and his stated intention not to sign an extension with Carolina before unrestricted free agency — Rantanen was traded a second time to the Dallas Stars before the March 7 NHL trade deadline, signing an eight-year extension with the team to finally stop the carousel from spinning.
He was under his career averages in 20 regular-season games with Dallas (five goals, 0.90 points per game). His postseason started quietly, with one assist through four games against his old teammates from Colorado in the first round.
The questions swirled around him from fans and media: Was this performance worth $96 million through 2032-33 with a full no-movement clause? Could Rantanen put up elite numbers without Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar, who fueled them in Colorado? Would he live up to his reputation as a playoff hero, having been fourth in postseason points (62 in 48 games) since 2020?
Who was Mikko Rantanen?
“When you think about his journey this year, he’s been through a lot,” Dallas coach Pete DeBoer said. “There’s been a lot written about him. There’s been a lot said about him. There’s been a lot of doubters out there, based on the situations he’s been in and how it’s looked at different points.”
His teammates watched Rantanen struggle to find his groove.
“It’s an interesting profession where you can be great, but then you get put in a different situation, and all of a sudden you’re trying to figure out comradery, where you fit, all these little things,” Smith said. “I’m not sure if it really fit with Carolina. And then with us, he was still trying to work and find out where he fit.”
And now?
“Now, he looks comfortable,” Smith said, with a laugh.
Since Game 5 against the Avalanche, Rantanen has 18 points in seven games — five of them Dallas victories, as they’ve pushed the Winnipeg Jets to the brink of elimination with a 3-1 lead in their second-round series, seeking a third straight trip to the Western Conference finals.
“I’m trying to stay in the moment. I’m happy to help the team and try to keep doing that as much as I can, both ends of the ice,” Rantanen said. “But even keel after wins and good games.”
Rantanen led all scorers in the postseason with 19 points in 11 games after Tuesday night. He’s the first player in NHL history with five three-point games through a team’s first 10 playoff games in a single postseason. He set another NHL record by either scoring or assisting on 13 consecutive goals by his team. At one point, Rantanen had factored into 15 of 16 goals for Dallas.
“He’s just getting started. He’s just warming up here,” DeBoer said after the Stars’ Game 3 win against Winnipeg. “I think he’s on a mission.”
THE 2015 NHL DRAFT class was absurdly loaded.
The Avalanche watched players like Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel, Mitch Marner, Noah Hanifin, Zach Werenski and Timo Meier come off the board before landing Rantanen, an 18-year-old winger playing against men in Finland’s SM-liiga.
Over the next 10 seasons, Rantanen would become the second-highest goal scorer from that draft class (294) behind McDavid (361), the three-time MVP and five-time scoring champion. His chemistry with MacKinnon helped both of them achieve offensive dominance. In his back-to-back 100-point seasons with the Avalanche in 2022-23 and 2023-24, around 75% of Rantanen’s total ice time was spent with MacKinnon.
“He helped grow this organization into a Stanley Cup winner and a contender every single season. He’s a big reason why,” MacKinnon said.
In Colorado’s 2022 Stanley Cup-winning run, Rantanen had 25 points in 20 games.
Rantanen signed a six-year extension in 2019 with a robust average annual value of $9.25 million. MacKinnon eclipsed that with his 2022 extension that carried a $12.6 million AAV. As Rantanen crept closer to unrestricted free agency in Summer 2025, there were two questions swirling around the Avalanche: How much would he ask for and what would it mean for their salary structure, both in what MacKinnon was making but also in what Makar will make when his contract is up in 2027?
Rantanen was optimistic something would work out this season to keep him with the Avalanche.
“It was a weird situation overall. Negotiations were going on with Colorado. Six weeks before the deadline, we were negotiating,” he recalled. “I felt at that time that I needed to go talk to the front office, face to face. I told them I’ll be flexible. That I want to play here for a long time.
“Then a couple days later, they traded me. So that was emotional.”
The Hurricanes sent forward Martin Necas, at the time their leading scorer, to Colorado in a package for Rantanen. When the Hurricanes reached out before the trade to explore a sign-and-trade with Rantanen, he told them his focus was on staying in Colorado.
“They still did the trade. That was their decision,” he said.
He described his first couple of days with Carolina as “shocking.” Rantanen claims he joined the Hurricanes with an open mind. But after a couple of weeks with the team, Rantanen didn’t feel like it was home. That included “where I fit in the playing style,” as he adapted to coach Rod Brind’amour and his team structure.
Rantanen has refuted speculation that he arrived in Raleigh with a trade list in hand. He also said reports that it was “a family decision” not to sign long-term to stay in Raleigh weren’t accurate. “It was a hockey decision at the end of the day and nothing else,” he said.
Rantanen provided Carolina GM Eric Tulsky with a short list of trade destinations, if they didn’t want him as a free-agent rental who left for nothing in the summer.
Dallas GM Jim Nill said the Hurricanes began making exploratory calls about two weeks before the trade deadline.
“We were one of the teams they called to see if there was interest, and then with about a week to 10 days before the trade deadline, we said, ‘You know what? Let’s look at it,’ but still not thinking that was the direction we were going to go,” he said.
Eventually, that was the direction they went in, sending promising young forward Logan Stankoven and four draft picks to the Hurricanes to land Rantanen.
As much as things had shifted dramatically for Rantanen, they suddenly shifted for the Stars as well.
“It definitely changes things when you have a guy like that, a star player. It changes the identity of your team,” DeBoer said.
“I think we’ve been built around four lines and waves of pressure and work. Probably more like a Carolina-type identity. I think when you add a player like that, you have to take on a little bit of a different identity,” the coach said. “You have to coach your team a little bit differently. You have to get him out there more. So I think that’s the challenge is to integrate him and build around that without losing what’s made us successful here.”
Rantanen’s postseason dominance is directly linked to him finally feeling at ease in Dallas.
Finally being with his people helped.
BEFORE GAME 4 against the Winnipeg Jets, the Stars’ social media feed published a photo of five players with the caption, “For the first time, our new Finnish Mafia is at full strength.”
For the first time, our new Finnish Mafia is at full strength. 🇫🇮 pic.twitter.com/dv1t5nfJfM
— X – Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) May 14, 2025
Rantanen (born in Nousiainen) stood smiling between forward Roope Hintz (Tampere) and defenseman Miro Heiskanen (Espoo). On the other side of that trio were center Mikael Granlund (Oulu) and defenseman Esa Lindell (Vantaa).
That 3-1 win marked the first game in which all five Dallas Finns were playing in the same game. Heiskanen was lost to a knee injury before Granlund was acquired from the San Jose Sharks in February, and Rantanen arrived at the deadline. Along with goalie Jake Oettinger, the Finns were the difference: Granlund had a hat trick in the win, with assists going to Rantanen and a returning Heiskanen, who hoped the Finnish 5 could play as a unit at some point.
“We’ll see if they put us together there,” Heiskanen said. “That would be nice. Maybe next game.”
Rantanen played the majority of his time with Hintz after coming over from Carolina, but played only 6:55 with Granlund at 5-on-5 in the regular season. That changed in the playoffs, where 65% of Rantanen’s even-strength ice time has been spent with Granlund as his center.
“It’s great to be on the same side, for sure,” Granlund said. “We all can see what he’s doing out there right now. He’s such a great player, and he’s playing at a really high level.”
The line of Hintz, Rantanen and Granlund is plus-3 in goal differential, and has an on-ice shooting percentage of 15.4%.
Smith said the Stars players were waiting for DeBoer to unite the Finns.
“We we were talking about it for a couple weeks: Put the Finns together and let them deal with it,” Smith said. “Let them get angry at each other, let them be happy with each other, let them deal with the situation. And finally Pete did it. And, like I said, Mikko now looks comfortable.”
1:15
Mikael Granlund completes first career playoff hat trick
Mikael Granlund scores three goals for the Stars in Game 4 vs. the Jets.
That line is one factor behind Rantanen’s record-setting scoring pace in the playoffs. The Stars’ power play is another, where he has two goals and four assists for a unit clicking at a 32.4% conversion rate.
Winnipeg coach Scott Arniel said defending Rantanen has gotten tougher with that line clicking.
“He maybe doesn’t get enough credit for how well he does make plays and that line is certainly dangerous,” he said. “He’s a big man and he had the puck a lot. Again, the biggest thing is time and space. I know that you hear that a lot in hockey, but at the end of the day, the more he holds onto [the puck], the more he’s comfortable, the harder it is to deny what he’s trying to do next.”
What Rantanen is trying to do next is complete the mission.
Continue his push for the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP, an award for which he’s currently the favorite. Shatter the conference finals ceiling the Stars bumped up against in the last two postseasons. Lift the Stanley Cup again, this time without MacKinnon lending a hand. Prove that the Stars’ investment in him is a sound one. Make Colorado regret trading him, if that hadn’t already been communicated when Rantanen went Beast Mode — or is that Moose Mode? — in eliminating the Avs in the first round.
“Somehow the deal should have probably gotten done in Colorado. It didn’t. So he’s like, ‘I’m trying to prove that I’m elite world class,'” Smith said.
“If you want to say he’s a mission, I can understand that. Look all the way around the room. Everybody’s got something that they want to prove to everybody and prove about themselves. Right now, [Mikko is] trying to prove that, ‘Hey, I’m worth it.'”
The second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs has reached the point where elimination games will be played every night. Thursday night, it’s an elimination doubleheader.
First up are the Washington Capitals, down 3-1 and hosting the Carolina Hurricanes (7 p.m. ET, TNT). In the nightcap, the Winnipeg Jets are in a similar scenario, down 3-1 at home hosting the Dallas Stars (9:30 p.m. ET, TNT).
Will either team force a Game 6?
Read on for game previews with statistical insights from ESPN Research, a recap of what went down in Wednesday’s games and the three stars of Wednesday from Arda Öcal.
Matchup notes
Carolina Hurricanes at Washington Capitals
Game 5 | 7 p.m. ET | TNT
Leading 3-1 heading into this game, the Hurricanes are -4000 to win the series, per ESPN BET, while the Caps are +1300. The Canes have the third-shortest odds to win the Cup (+325), while the Caps have the longest (+7500).
The Canes are 8-0 in best-of-seven series in which they held a 3-1 lead; in Stanley Cup playoff history at large, teams that hold a 3-1 lead have gone on to win 91% of the time.
Carolina’s Frederik Andersen had a 21-save shutout in Game 3, then didn’t allow a goal until the third period of Game 4. His shutout streak ended at 123:24, which was fifth longest in Whalers/Hurricanes franchise history.
Seth Jarvis‘ goal to make it 2-0 Hurricanes in Game 4 was the 16th of his postseason career, the most in franchise history for a player before his 24th birthday.
Alex Ovechkin has been somewhat quiet this round for Washington, but his power-play goal in Game 4 earned him higher positioning on two all-time lists. He now has 77 career postseason goals, putting him 12th all time (breaking a tie with Mario Lemieux), and his 31 career power-play goals are now alone in fifth place all-time (breaking a tie with Nicklas Lidstrom and Joe Pavelski).
Dallas Stars at Winnipeg Jets
Game 5 | 9:30 p.m. ET | TNT
Following their Game 4 win, the Stars’ odds to win the series shifted to -1200, while the Jets’ are now +600. Dallas’ Cup-winning odds shifted to +275, while Winnipeg’s are now +4000.
In franchise history, the Stars have gone 13-1 in best-of-seven series when leading 3-1. Their lone series loss came as the Minnesota North Stars against the Detroit Red Wings in 1992.
Mikael Granlund‘s hat trick in the Stars’ Game 4 win included two power-play goals. That made him the second player in North Stars/Stars history with two power-play goals as part of a hat trick — Dino Ciccarelli accomplished the feat in 1982.
Dallas’ Mikko Rantanen continues to dominate the postseason. He’s atop the leaderboard for points (19) and goals (nine), and has the shortest odds to win the Conn Smythe as playoff MVP (+375).
With the Stars’ Game 4 win, Jake Oettinger became the third goaltender in North Stars/Stars franchise history to win five straight home games to begin a postseason, joining Ed Belfour (six straight in 2000, five in 1999) and Cesare Maniago (five in 1968).
The Jets will be glad to play at home again. They have gone 0-5 on the road this postseason, and have been outscored 25-8.
Kyle Connor enters Game 5 one goal behind Paul Stastny (2018) for second on the single-postseason franchise goal-scoring leaderboard, with five. Mark Scheifele (14, in 2018) appears safe at No. 1 unless the Jets can rally to make the conference finals.
Öcal’s three stars from Wednesday
1. Panthers defensemen
In addition to keeping the Maple Leafs at bay until it was too late it didn’t really matter, three Cats defensemen scored goals in Game 5, tying franchise record for most in a single playoff game.
Kapanen scored the series-clinching goal in OT against the Golden Knights — and was +4000 to do it, per ESPN BET. Fans of junior hockey will remember he also scored the golden goal in the 2016 IIHF world junior championship against Russia.
3. Florida scores by committee
An amazing 14 Panthers had one or more points in this game, which is the most in a single game in franchise history — 12 Panthers had a point in Game 3 of this series.
Wednesday’s recaps
Florida Panthers 6, Toronto Maple Leafs 1
FLA leads 3-2 | Game 6 Friday
While this series had previously been close, Game 5 was a one-sided affair. The Panthers were successfully keeping the Leafs from generating much offense, while also knocking on the offensive door themselves repeatedly. Aaron Ekblad finally broke the seal at 14:38 of the first after sustained pressure in the Toronto zone, and it was off to the races after that. Dmitry Kulikov, Jesper Boqvist and Niko Mikkola added goals in the second period, with A.J. Greer and Sam Bennett joining the party in the third. It was the first goal of the postseason for Kulikov, Boqvist, Mikkola and Greer. Nicholas Robertson would add a tally for the Leafs with just over a minute remaining, but that was far too little, far too late. The Panthers can put an end to this series at home in Game 6. Full recap.
0:26
Sam Bennett slots home a 6th goal for Panthers
Sam Bennett stuns the Toronto crowd with the Panthers’ sixth goal vs. the Maple Leafs.
Edmonton Oilers 1, Vegas Golden Knights 0 (OT
EDM wins 4-1, faces DAL or WPG next
Throughout this series, the Oilers’ depth has shown up to help the scoring burden on the top stars; the same cannot be said for the Golden Knights’ depth — and Vegas’ stars didn’t have the greatest series either. For the second straight game, no Vegas player could solve Stuart Skinner in the Edmonton cage, which meant that the Oilers needed just one goal to take the W. It took 67:19 of playing time to find that goal, but Kasperi Kapanen scored the opportunistic game- and series-winning tally. It was the second career overtime game-winning goal for Kapanen (his first was in 2017, with the Maple Leafs). The Oilers are on to the Western Conference finals for the second straight year, and will take on the winner of the Dallas Stars–Winnipeg Jets series. Full recap.
0:53
Oilers call series after Kasperi Kapanen scores OT winner
Kasperi Kapanen somehow gets his stick on the puck last on a scramble in overtime as the Oilers clinch the series vs. the Golden Knights.
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