*This article was originally written by Eugene Helfrick
Unlike goaltenders and defensemen, the forwards are usually the heartbeat of every franchise. Whether scoring hundreds of points, backchecking hard enough to win awards, or winning important faceoffs to gain possession in the dying minutes of a game, there’s nothing forwards can’t do to help the team nightly.
Ultimately, this is one of the most controversial rankings since many may feel their team is unjustifiably ranked lower than they should be. Obviously, this could be true if there is a significant drop-off in point production from the top line to the bottom. Realistically, the top teams in the league get wins and advance in the playoffs thanks to contributions from everyone in the lineup, not just one or two players.
How These Rankings Came Together
Considering that nobody has played a game yet in 2023-24, we had to use statistics from 2022-23 and rank these skaters based on their age, points, and shots, which indicates their abilities to generate scoring chances. Furthermore, before anyone gets upset about why this was the chosen category to determine their rankings, this is how we came to this decision.
Realistically, every team runs a power play unit, but not everyone gets to play on the special teams, so how is it fair to rank every skater based on that statistic? Moreover, we can’t base team rankings on faceoff wins because not every forward takes draws. Finally, we couldn’t keep the plus/minus ratings as a determining factor due to how many points these players tend to rack up on special teams.
Related: The Best NHL Forwards Ever: A Lineup For the Ages
Ultimately, shots are critical to the game because if you don’t take shots, the puck will never be near the net, and there will be no scoring chances. Of course, people will think these rankings make no sense, but if you look at the statistics, some of the best offensive teams have the most shots, and vice versa for the bottom teams.
Overall, we used projected lineups available at DailyFaceoff.com as a guideline. Furthermore, many players changed teams during the offseason, so their statistics from 2022-23 apply to their new club’s totals, even though they were not part of the group last year. So, for example, when discussing the New Jersey Devils, their combined point totals jumped with the addition of Tyler Toffoli.
Considering these are just projections, there is no right or wrong answer, so if you disagree with our rankings, please let us know in the comments. Enjoy.
32 – Washington Capitals
| Skater | Pts | SH | Skater | Pts | SH | Skater | Pts | SH |
| Alex Ovechkin | 75 | 294 | Evgeny Kuznetsov | 55 | 172 | Tom Wilson | 22 | 82 |
| Sonny Milano | 33 | 80 | Nicklas Backstrom | 21 | 59 | T.J. Oshie | 35 | 126 |
| Joe Snively | 3 | 16 | Dylan Strome | 65 | 154 | Anthony Mantha | 27 | 119 |
| Aliaksei Protas | 15 | 83 | Nic Dowd | 25 | 62 | Nicolas Aube-Kubel | 12 | 67 |
| Max Pacioretty | 3 | 16 |
Average age: 26.4 / Total Points: 467 / Total Shots: 1706
The Washington Capitals are just five seasons removed from winning the Stanley Cup in 2018; however, the team hasn’t advanced out of the first round since and didn’t qualify for the playoffs last season. As the second-oldest group of forwards in the league, the team scored the fifth-fewest points last year while managing just the third-fewest shots.
Outside of Alex Oveckin’s chase of the goal record, the Capitals should consider getting younger and more productive. Ultimately, their window as a contender is almost shut, so the team needs to plan for the next generation when their captain decides to retire.
Related: Wayne Gretzky, Alex Ovechkin and the Goalies They Scored On
31 – Chicago Blackhawks
| Skater | Pts | SH | Skater | Pts | SH | Skater | Pts | SH |
| Taylor Hall | 36 | 150 | Connor Bedard | 0 | 0 | Lukas Reichel | 15 | 42 |
| Andreas Athanasiou | 40 | 175 | Tyler Johnson | 32 | 125 | Taylor Raddysh | 37 | 129 |
| Philipp Kurashev | 25 | 116 | Jason Dickinson | 30 | 114 | Colin Blackwell | 10 | 53 |
| Nick Foligno | 26 | 71 | Ryan Donato | 27 | 122 | Corey Perry | 25 | 116 |
| Cole Guttman | 6 | 26 | Mackenzie Entwistle | 10 | 50 | Boris Katchouk | 16 | 58 |
Average age: 27.8 / Total Points: 335 / Total Shots: 1357
After winning the NHL Draft Lottery and selecting generational star Connor Bedard with the top pick, the Chicago Blackhawks should see a slight improvement in the next rankings. Unfortunately, it will be another long season in the Windy City since the team employed the lowest-scoring forwards in the league. Although some personnel changes have occurred, these moves were not drastic enough to turn them into a contender for a playoff spot. Even with Bedard joining the ranks, the Blackhawks remain one of the older lineups.
30 – San Jose Sharks
| Skater | Pts | SH | Skater | Pts | SH | Skater | Pts | SH |
| Alex Barabanov | 47 | 120 | Tomas Hertl | 63 | 183 | Luke Kunin | 13 | 58 |
| Mike Hoffman | 34 | 148 | Logan Couture | 67 | 198 | Anthony Duclair | 9 | 43 |
| Filip Zadina | 7 | 51 | Mikael Grandlund | 41 | 121 | Fabian Zetterlund | 23 | 118 |
| Oskar Lindblom | 15 | 75 | Nico Sturm | 26 | 119 | Kevin Labanc | 33 | 129 |
| William Eklund | 3 | 18 | Givani Smith | 4 | 30 |
Average age: 27.3 / Total Points: 385 / Total Shots: 1411
After decades of being a serious contender in the Western Conference, the San Jose Sharks are in a complete rebuild. Once they traded away Timo Meier and Erik Karlsson, the only players left in the lineup with more than 50 points were Logan Couture and Tomas Hertl. The forwards remain one of the league’s lowest-scoring units (29th) and don’t create many scoring opportunities with the 27th-ranked shots on goal. Considering everyone knows the Sharks will continue to restructure their lineup for the future, it wouldn’t surprise anyone if they dropped down in future rankings.
29 – Nashville Predators
| Skater | Pts | SH | Skater | Pts | SH | Skater | Pts | SH |
| Filip Forsberg | 42 | 157 | Ryan O’Reilly | 30 | 102 | Gustav Nyquist | 27 | 102 |
| Denis Gurianov | 17 | 116 | Thomas Novak | 43 | 93 | Luke Evangelista | 15 | 54 |
| Juuso Parssinen | 25 | 49 | Cody Glass | 35 | 131 | Philip Tomasino | 18 | 54 |
| Kiefer Sherwood | 13 | 57 | Colton Sissons | 30 | 87 | Yakov Trenin | 24 | 140 |
| Mark Jankowski | 12 | 57 | Cole Smith | 17 | 84 |
Average age: 26.7 / Total Points: 348 / Total Shots: 1236
After failing to make the playoffs for the first time in nine seasons last year, the Nashville Predators altered their lineup this summer by acquiring players Ryan O’Reilly and Gustav Nyquist. Ultimately, the team suffered offensively, with Filip Forsberg only skating in 50 games, which is part of why the team missed the postseason by just a handful of points.
However, despite the additions, the Predators’ forwards took the least amount of shots last year, resulting in the second-lowest-scoring lineup in the league. Even though they were ranked much higher in the previous year’s ratings, it was a tough season in Nashville, which resulted in a drastic drop.
28 – New York Islanders
| Skater | Pts | SH | Skater | Pts | SH | Skater | Pts | SH |
| Oliver Wahlstrom | 16 | 70 | Bo Horvat | 70 | 229 | Mathew Barzal | 51 | 139 |
| Anders Lee | 50 | 214 | Brock Nelson | 75 | 222 | Kyle Palmieri | 33 | 122 |
| Pierre Engvall | 30 | 131 | Jean-Gabriel Pageau | 40 | 123 | Hudson Fasching | 19 | 61 |
| Matt Martin | 19 | 82 | Casey Cizikas | 21 | 111 | Cal Clutterbuck | 12 | 44 |
| Ross Johnston | 2 | 2 | Julien Gauthier | 14 | 53 | Karson Kuhlman | 7 | 48 |
Average age: 29.3 / Total Points: 459 / Total Shots: 1651
The New York Islanders didn’t participate that much in free agency this summer, just re-signing a handful of their players. Realistically, after appearing in the Eastern Conference Final in back-to-back years in 2020 and 2021, the team has stagnated and doesn’t have an influx of youth to carry the club into the future. Even though New York will have an entire season with Bo Horvat, some of their cornerstone players, like Matt Barzal and Anders Lee, need to produce more than 50 points, or it will be up to netminder Ilya Sorokin to carry this team back to the postseason.
27 – Philadelphia Flyers
| Skater | Pts | SH | Skater | Pts | SH | Skater | Pts | SH |
| Joel Farabee | 39 | 145 | Morgan Frost | 46 | 155 | Owen Tippett | 49 | 231 |
| Scott Laughton | 43 | 170 | Sean Couturier | 0 | 0 | Travis Konecy | 61 | 191 |
| Cam Atkinson | 0 | 0 | Noah Cates | 38 | 107 | Wade Allison | 15 | 89 |
| Nicolas Deslauriers | 12 | 70 | Ryan Poehling | 14 | 64 | Garnet Hathaway | 22 | 88 |
| Tyson Foerster | 7 | 15 | Tanner Laczynski | 4 | 23 |
Average age: 26.6 / Total Points: 350 / Total Shots: 1348
Considering how passionate fans are of the Philadelphia Flyers, they have to be disappointed with how the team continuously underperforms every season, watching their championship drought reach 48 years. After the 2022-23 season, the Flyers employed only one forward who scored over 50 points (Travis Konecny), which resulted in just 350 points from all forwards, ranking 30th overall. They don’t create many opportunities, with just 1,348 shots (29th). Thankfully, the team is under new management now, and these former players want to see the Flyers restored to their glory days.
26 – Boston Bruins
| Skater | Pts | SH | Skater | Pts | SH | Skater | Pts | SH |
| James van Riemsdyk | 29 | 119 | Pavel Zacha | 57 | 131 | David Pastrnak | 113 | 407 |
| Brad Marchand | 67 | 183 | Charlie Coyle | 45 | 139 | Jake DeBrusk | 50 | 191 |
| Jakub Lauko | 7 | 17 | Morgan Geekie | 28 | 81 | Trent Frederic | 31 | 120 |
| Milan Lucic | 19 | 73 | Jesper Boqvist | 21 | 67 | A.J. Greer | 12 | 66 |
| Patrick Brown | 12 | 60 |
Average age: 28.7 / Total Points: 491 / Total Shots: 1654
The Boston Bruins just recorded the greatest statistical regular season of all time; however, the team is entering a new era since Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci have retired. Of course, the unit employs 60-goal scorer David Pastrnak and 67-point scorer Brad Marchand, but the team desperately needs centers to complement these gifted wingers. Considering the Bruins have outstanding defensive players, the offense will be hard to come by in Boston this year since the team only got older in free agency.
25 – Calgary Flames
| Skater | Pts | SH | Skater | Pts | SH | Skater | Pts | SH |
| Jonathan Huberdeau | 55 | 126 | Elias Lindholm | 64 | 186 | Yegor Sharangovich | 30 | 131 |
| Dillion Dube | 45 | 151 | Nazem Kadri | 56 | 267 | Matt Coronato | 0 | 4 |
| Andrew Mangiapane | 43 | 182 | Mikael Backlund | 56 | 260 | Blake Coleman | 38 | 188 |
| Jakob Pelletier | 7 | 48 | Adam Ruzicka | 20 | 64 | Walker Duehr | 11 | 47 |
Average age: 26.9 / Total Points: 425 / Total Shots: 1654
The Calgary Flames were serious Stanley Cup contenders just two seasons ago. Despite losing key players in the preceding offseason, the team added Jonathan Huberdeau and Nazem Kadri to fill the gaps. However, the Flames struggled in 2022-23, playing in the most one-goal games and missing the playoffs by a couple of points.
Overall, the lineup lacks killer instinct, and it may show more this year after Tyler Toffoli left this summer. Although the team has a new head coach (Ryan Huska) and general manager (Craig Conroy), a handful of players like Elias Lindholm need bounceback years, or this may be the last season this group of forwards plays together.
Related: Flames Have 3 Short-Term Replacements for Elias Lindholm
24 – Vegas Golden Knights
| Skater | Pts | SH | Skater | Pts | SH | Skater | Pts | SH |
| Ivan Barbashev | 45 | 126 | Jack Eichel | 66 | 223 | Jonathan Marchessault | 57 | 234 |
| Brett Howden | 13 | 53 | Chandler Stephenson | 65 | 120 | Mark Stone | 38 | 113 |
| Paul Cotter | 18 | 76 | William Karlsson | 56 | 161 | Mike Amadio | 27 | 99 |
| Will Carrier | 25 | 118 | Nicolas Roy | 30 | 101 | Keegan Kolesar | 18 | 63 |
| Pavel Dorofeyev | 9 | 40 |
Average age: 27 / Total Points: 464 / Total Shots: 1527
Many will wonder why the defending Stanley Cup champions rank so low. Well, the reasoning is inside the numbers. Despite winning it all, the Golden Knights are a team that accomplishes their goals by committee, with four players who tallied 50 or more points last season. After that, the production takes a dip with just one 40-point and 30-point players. Although Jack Eichel leads the team offensively, everyone contributes on the scoresheet, but the totals rank among the bottom third in points and shots.
23 – Montreal Canadiens
| Skater | Pts | SH | Skater | Pts | SH | Skater | Pts | SH |
| Cole Caufield | 36 | 158 | Nick Suzuki | 66 | 162 | Kirby Dach | 38 | 107 |
| Alex Newhook | 30 | 116 | Christian Dvorak | 64 | 88 | Josh Anderson | 32 | 164 |
| Juraj Slafkovsky | 10 | 42 | Jake Evans | 19 | 55 | Brendan Gallagher | 14 | 93 |
| Rafael Harvey-Pinard | 20 | 58 | Sean Monahan | 17 | 55 | Joel Armia | 14 | 69 |
| Michael Pezzetta | 15 | 70 | Jesse Ylonen | 16 | 43 |
Average age: 25.2 / Total Points: 391 / Total Shots: 1280
Interestingly, the Montreal Canadiens have the second-youngest lineup in the league heading into 2023-24, but that inexperience shows, with only two players scoring over 38 points last year. Considering their general manager recently said that the team is not quite ready to compete in the tough Atlantic Division, the future is bright in Montreal, with Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, and Juraj Slafkovsky leading the way. Ultimately, until the team can improve in all areas, they will continue to find themselves in the league’s bottom half, either winning the draft lottery or competing for it.
22 – Tampa Bay Lightning
| Skater | Pts | SH | Skater | Pts | SH | Skater | Pts | SH |
| Steven Stamkos | 84 | 240 | Brayden Point | 95 | 235 | Nikita Kucherov | 113 | 271 |
| Brandon Hagel | 64 | 178 | Anthony Cirelli | 29 | 111 | Conor Sheary | 37 | 154 |
| Michael Eyssimont | 15 | 124 | Nick Paul | 32 | 120 | Tanner Jeannot | 18 | 107 |
| Logan Brown | 6 | 18 | Luke Glendening | 6 | 65 | Tyler Motte | 19 | 109 |
| Alex Barre-Boulet | 0 | 1 |
Average age: 28 / Total Points: 518 / Total Shots: 1733
In 2022-23, the Tampa Bay Lightning didn’t reach the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in four years. Despite a subpar ending to their season, the Lightning continues to lose players from their championship run while keeping several of their core players under contract. Statistically, they remain one of the older lineups in the league but have experience in winning important games and scoring big goals. Eventually, these cornerstone players will retire, forcing Tampa Bay to consider how to stay competitive with a new group of younger forwards.
21 – Arizona Coyotes
| Skater | Pts | SH | Skater | Pts | SH | Skater | Pts | SH |
| Clayton Keller | 88 | 223 | Barrett Hayton | 43 | 178 | Nick Schmaltz | 58 | 132 |
| Matias Maccelli | 49 | 61 | Logan Cooley | 0 | 0 | Jason Zucker | 48 | 197 |
| Alex Kerfoot | 32 | 133 | Nick Bjugstad | 29 | 145 | Dylan Guenther | 15 | 53 |
| Jack McBain | 26 | 85 | Travis Boyd | 34 | 94 | Lawson Crouse | 45 | 151 |
| Jakub Voracek | 6 | 17 | Brian Little | 0 | 0 | Liam O’Brien | 11 | 39 |
| Michael Carcone | 3 | 15 |
Average age: 26.8 / Total Points: 485 / Total Shots: 1523
The Arizona Coyotes may still have an uncertain future regarding staying in the desert. However, with head coach André Tourigny remaining at the helm, optimism surrounds the club for the first time. Outside of Clayton Keller potting 86 points last year, only Nick Schmaltz tallied over 50 points, making them the team’s leading scorers. However, now that former top pick Logan Cooley is coming to town, the 2023-24 season just got much more exciting for the fanbase.
Related: Coyotes’ Logan Cooley Is Team’s Next Star
20 – Seattle Kraken
| Skater | Pts | SH | Skater | Pts | SH | Skater | Pts | SH |
| Jared McCann | 70 | 210 | Matthew Beniers | 57 | 148 | Jordan Eberle | 63 | 177 |
| Jaden Schwartz | 40 | 167 | Alex Wennberg | 38 | 101 | Andre Burakovsky | 39 | 105 |
| Eeli Tolvanen | 31 | 116 | Yanni Gourde | 48 | 141 | Oliver Bjorkstrand | 45 | 198 |
| Brandon Tanev | 35 | 115 | Pierre-Edouard Bellemare | 13 | 51 | Kailer Yamamoto | 25 | 97 |
| Kole Lind | 8 | 35 |
Average age: 28.2 / Total Points: 512 / Total Shots: 1661
The Seattle Kraken took great strides last season by qualifying for the playoffs in their second season. Ultimately, a massive factor in the team’s success was Matthew Beniers, who won the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year with 57 points in 80 games. Statistically, he finished as the team’s fourth leading scorer behind Jared McCann (40 goals), Vince Dunn (64 points), and Jordan Eberle (20 goals). Considering the team had six players score 20 or more goals, and 13 players reach double digits, the Kraken win games by committee, which means if the system stays the same, they should be back in the playoffs in 2023-24.
19 – Colorado Avalanche
| Skater | Pts | SH | Skater | Pts | SH | Skater | Pts | SH |
| Jonathan Drouin | 29 | 69 | Nathan MacKinnon | 111 | 366 | Mikko Rantanen | 105 | 306 |
| Artturi Lehkonen | 51 | 150 | Ryan Johansen | 28 | 86 | Valeri Nichushkin | 47 | 158 |
| Miles Wood | 27 | 167 | Ross Colton | 32 | 153 | Logan O’Connor | 26 | 104 |
| Andrew Cogliano | 19 | 85 | Jean-Luc Foudy | 0 | 12 | Frederik Olofsson | 4 | 34 |
| Gabriel Landeskog | 0 | 0 | Chris Wagner | 0 | 0 | Ben Meyers | 4 | 33 |
Average age: 27.6 / Total Points: 483 / Total Shots: 1723
Seeing the Colorado Avalanche rank so low when Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen scored over 100 points is unbelievable. However, regarding offensive production from forwards, the next closest person to these All-Stars is Artturi Lehkonen, who had 51 points. Outside of the performances of Cale Makar and Alexandar Georgiev, the Avalanche barely won the Central Division last year and failed to repeat as champions, losing in the first round. Realistically, the team misses captain Gabriel Landeskog, who remains out after dealing with ongoing knee issues.
18 – Anaheim Ducks
| Skater | Pts | SH | Skater | Pts | SH | Skater | Pts | SH |
| Adam Henrique | 38 | 132 | Trevor Zegras | 65 | 184 | Troy Terry | 61 | 188 |
| Alex Killorn | 64 | 143 | Mason McTavish | 43 | 161 | Ryan Strome | 41 | 130 |
| Frank Vatrano | 41 | 231 | Leo Carlsson | 0 | 0 | Jakob Silfverberg | 26 | 141 |
| Max Jones | 19 | 107 | Benoit-Olivier Groulx | 0 | 2 | Brett Leason | 9 | 51 |
| Brock McGinn | 19 | 91 | Isac Lunderstrom | 14 | 60 | Sam Carrick | 7 | 50 |
Average age: 26.7 / Total Points: 447 / Total Shots: 1671
The Anaheim Ducks drafted Leo Carlsson with the third overall pick in the NHL Entry Draft. As one of the best prospects in the draft, he will join a very talented group of forwards in Southern California, which includes Troy Terry, Mason McTavish, and Trevor Zegras.
Surprisingly, the team has a solid mix of youth and veteran presence in the lineup, but with some question marks on defense and in goal. Unfortunately, the team hasn’t been competitive since former players Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry were in their prime. Ultimately, if everyone stays patient with this rebuild, the Ducks will again contend for the Stanley Cup.
Related: Predicting the Ducks’ Next 100-Point Getter
17 – St. Louis Blues
| Skater | Pts | SH | Skater | Pts | SH | Skater | Pts | SH |
| Pavel Buchnevich | 67 | 123 | Robert Thomas | 65 | 106 | Jordan Kyrou | 73 | 272 |
| Brandon Saad | 37 | 127 | Brayden Schenn | 65 | 144 | Kasperi Kapanen | 34 | 116 |
| Jake Neighbours | 10 | 53 | Kevin Hayes | 54 | 209 | Jakub Vrana | 16 | 63 |
| Alexei Toropchenko | 19 | 86 | Oskar Sundqvist | 28 | 69 | Sammy Blais | 25 | 70 |
| Tanner Dickinson | 0 | 0 | Nikita Alexandrov | 7 | 28 |
Average age: 26.2 / Total Points: 500 / Total Shots: 1466
Statistically, the St. Louis Blues employ the oldest defensive players in the league. However, they have the seventh-youngest group of forwards, with just two players over 30 in the lineup. Additionally, the team makes the most of their scoring opportunities, with five players collecting 50 or more points, led by Jordan Kyrou (73). Although the team has some flaws and needs to keep netminder Jordan Binnington in check, the Blues could be a playoff team and cause some damage when clicking.
16 – Minnesota Wild
| Skater | Pts | SH | Skater | Pts | SH | Skater | Pts | SH |
| Kirill Kaprizov | 75 | 261 | Ryan Hartman | 37 | 149 | Mats Zuccarello | 67 | 198 |
| Matthew Boldy | 63 | 255 | Joel Eriksson Ek | 61 | 247 | Marcus Johansson | 46 | 137 |
| Marcus Foligno | 21 | 83 | Frederick Gaudreau | 38 | 138 | Brandon Duhaime | 10 | 80 |
| Patrick Maroon | 80 | 62 | Marco Rossi | 1 | 13 | Connor Dewar | 18 | 87 |
| Pavel Novak | 0 | 0 |
Average age: 27.6 / Total Points: 517 / Total Shots: 1710
The Minnesota Wild have always been known as a defense-first style of team, but their forwards scored the 11th most points last season. Considering they employ one of the game’s most exciting young forwards, Kirill Kaprizov, general manager Bill Guerin has a centerpiece to build a lineup around. Although he had a down year in 2022-23, he is the heartbeat of the Minnesota offense, and with the addition of three-time Stanley Cup champion Pat Maroon, the Wild will remain one of the top teams in the Central Division.
15 – Pittsburgh Penguins
| Skater | Pts | SH | Skater | Pts | SH | Skater | Pts | SH |
| Reilly Smith | 56 | 180 | Sidney Crosby | 93 | 255 | Rickard Rakell | 60 | 243 |
| Alex Nylander | 2 | 11 | Evgeni Malkin | 83 | 240 | Bryan Rust | 46 | 211 |
| Drew O’Connor | 11 | 62 | Lars Eller | 23 | 140 | Jeff Carter | 29 | 139 |
| Matthew Nieto | 24 | 115 | Noel Acciari | 23 | 102 | Rem Pitlick | 15 | 30 |
| Jake Guentzel | 73 | 244 |
Average age: 31 / Total Points: 538 / Total Shots: 1972
Once upon a time, the Pittsburgh Penguins had the game’s youngest and brightest stars, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Today, they are the club’s elder statesmen with Hall of Fame resumes. Statistically, the Penguins employ the oldest forwards in the league, with an average age of 31. However, they rank in the top ten in points (10th) and shots (5th), meaning their experience is something you can’t put a price on. Interestingly, the team just snapped a 16-year playoff streak, which will be the reason the team comes out and has a bounceback year in 2023-24.
14 – Winnipeg Jets
| Skater | Pts | SH | Skater | Pts | SH | Skater | Pts | SH |
| Kyle Connor | 80 | 273 | Mark Scheifele | 68 | 206 | Mikolaj Ehlers | 38 | 132 |
| Cole Perfetti | 30 | 90 | Gabrial Vilardi | 41 | 122 | Alex Iaffallo | 36 | 133 |
| Nino Niederreiter | 41 | 181 | Adam Lowry | 36 | 1261 | Mason Appleton | 16 | 71 |
| Morgan Barron | 21 | 112 | Rasmus Kupari | 15 | 53 | Vladislav Namestnikov | 25 | 108 |
| David Gustafsson | 6 | 45 | Axel Jonsson-Fjallby | 14 | 54 |
Average age: 26.4 / Total Points: 467 / Total Shots: 1706
Whether fans and the organization want to admit it, there will be a very intriguing season in Winnipeg, as the Jets appear to be heading into an era of uncertainty. Considering franchise icons Connor Hellebuyck and Mark Scheifele are set to become unrestricted free agents this year, this lineup could look drastically different next year. Besides these two players, the forwards are led by five-time 30-goal scorer Kyle Connor, and with the addition of Gabriel Vilardi this offseason, the future is bright despite the potential roster shakeup. Although the team is better with Scheifele in the lineup, they could set themselves up for a brighter future if they get a return on a trade.
13 – New York Rangers
| Skater | Pts | SH | Skater | Pts | SH | Skater | Pts | SH |
| Chris Kreider | 54 | 229 | Mika Zibanejad | 91 | 251 | Kaapo Kakko | 40 | 125 |
| Artemi Panarin | 92 | 204 | Vincent Trocheck | 64 | 225 | Blake Wheeler | 55 | 126 |
| Alexis Lafreniere | 39 | 135 | Filip Chytil | 45 | 177 | Jimmy Vesey | 25 | 123 |
| Barclay Goodrow | 31 | 89 | Nick Bonino | 19 | 91 | Tyler Pitlick | 16 | 54 |
| Alex Belzile | 14 | 40 |
Average age: 29.6 / Total Points: 585 / Total Shots: 1869
The New York Rangers have the talent amongst their forwards to contend for the Stanley Cup and win it more than once. However, the team continues to stumble in the playoffs, not appearing in the Final since 2014. Since then, the Blueshirts have acquired stars Mika Zibanejad, Artemi Panarin, and Vincent Trocheck.
Additionally, they have top draft picks Alexis Lafreniere and Kaapo Kakko for the present and the future. Despite their best efforts, the team doesn’t win a lot if the big names are not producing, so netminder Igor Shesterkin has to stand on his head to get wins. Unfortunately, the team didn’t get any younger with their offseason acquisitions, but maybe some more veterans in the lineup will help the team get over the hump.
Related: Ottawa Senators: Revisiting the Mika Zibanejad Trade
12 – Edmonton Oilers
| Skater | Pts | SH | Skater | Pts | SH | Skater | Pts | SH |
| Zach Hyman | 83 | 276 | Connor McDavid | 153 | 352 | Connor Brown | 0 | 2 |
| Ryan Nugent-Hopkins | 104 | 201 | Leon Draisaitl | 128 | 247 | Evander Kane | 28 | 146 |
| Mattias Janmark | 25 | 79 | Ryan McLeod | 23 | 78 | Warren Foegele | 28 | 126 |
| Dylan Holloway | 9 | 44 | Lane Pederson | 6 | 27 | Derek Ryan | 20 | 92 |
| Raphael Lavoie | 0 | 0 |
Average age: 27.6 / Total Points: 607 / Total Shots: 1670
The Edmonton Oilers employ the world’s two best hockey players, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, who combined for 281 points last year. Although Ryan Nugent-Hopkins finally cracked 100 points with 104, the offense dropped after Zach Hyman (83 points). Statistically, there wasn’t a single skater in the lineup to tally more than 28 points, which included Evander Kane, who missed a portion of the season with an injury. Considering this team only scores and wins games because of a lethal powerplay, the team’s 5-on-5 subpar play got exposed in the playoffs, resulting in an early elimination. Of course, the pressure is on to win with McDavid at the helm, so this could be another make-it-or-break-it year in the Alberta capital.
11 – Columbus Blue Jackets
| Skater | Pts | SH | Skater | Pts | SH | Skater | Pts | SH |
| Johnny Gaudreau | 74 | 220 | Boone Jenner | 45 | 214 | Patrik Laine | 52 | 184 |
| Kent Johnson | 40 | 126 | Adam Fantilli | 0 | 0 | Kirill Marchenko | 25 | 131 |
| Emil Bemstrom | 22 | 95 | Cole Sillinger | 11 | 93 | Jack Roslovic | 44 | 123 |
| Eric Robinson | 24 | 98 | Sean Kuraly | 20 | 100 | Alex Texier | 49 | 189 |
| Justin Danforth | 3 | 10 | Olivier Mathieu | 15 | 75 | Liam Foudy | 14 | 67 |
Average age: 25 / Total Points: 438 / Total Shots: 1725
If anyone had to guess which team has the youngest forwards, very few people would expect the Columbus Blue Jackets to be the answer. Considering the team already has Johnny Gaudreau and Patrik Laine lighting the lamp, they are about to welcome recent second-overall pick Adam Fantilli to the ranks, making them an exciting team to watch this season. Of course, the team has several flaws, mainly on the back end with their defenders and goalies, but with a new head coach, things are about to change in Columbus.
10 – Detroit Red Wings
| Skater | Pts | SH | Skater | Pts | SH | Skater | Pts | SH |
| Lucas Raymond | 45 | 134 | Dylan Larkin | 27 | 244 | Alex DeBrincat | 66 | 263 |
| Jonatan Berggren | 28 | 98 | J.T. Compher | 52 | 154 | David Perron | 56 | 195 |
| Robby Fabbri | 16 | 35 | Andrew Copp | 42 | 120 | Daniel Sprong | 46 | 147 |
| Klim Kostin | 21 | 56 | Michael Rasmussen | 29 | 88 | Christian Fischer | 27 | 122 |
| Joseph Veleno | 20 | 85 |
Average age: 26 / Total Points: 475 / Total Shots: 1741
For decades, the Detroit Red Wings were a model franchise, built with veterans who wanted to win and late-round draft picks who turned into Hall of Famers. Once considered the team to beat, the Red Wings have recently fallen onto hard times and entered their first rebuild since the late 1980s. Now that franchise icon Steve Yzerman is restructuring the lineup, he made one of the most significant offseason moves by acquiring 40-goal scorer Alex DeBrincat to add another offensive weapon to the arsenal. Although Detroit is in an ultra-competitive Atlantic Division, the team continues progressing closer to regaining its contender status.
9 – Toronto Maple Leafs
| Skater | Pts | SH | Skater | Pts | SH | Skater | Pts | SH |
| Tyler Bertuzzi | 30 | 107 | Auston Matthews | 85 | 327 | Mitch Marner | 99 | 196 |
| Max Domi | 56 | 179 | John Tavares | 80 | 277 | William Nylander | 87 | 293 |
| Matthew Knies | 1 | 4 | David Kampf | 27 | 107 | Calle Jarnkrok | 39 | 106 |
| Sam Lafferty | 27 | 102 | Dylan Gambrell | 10 | 46 | Ryan Reaves | 15 | 48 |
| Nicholas Robertson | 5 | 27 | Pontus Holmberg | 13 | 27 |
Average age: 27.2 / Total Points: 574 / Total Shots: 1846
The Toronto Maple Leafs have one of the game’s most talented forward groups, led by Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, and John Tavares. Although they had the sixth-best totals in 2022-23 and ranked amongst the best in creating chances with shots, the team isn’t getting any younger, and eventually, this group will either win together or disband.
Unfortunately, the regular season doesn’t transcend into the playoffs, and Toronto has won four playoff series this century, resulting from players not executing in the most important games. Ultimately, this season will be interesting to follow since Nylander is set to become a free agent next summer, followed by Marner and Tavares in 2025.
Related: 4 Predictions for William Nylander’s 2023-24 Season
8 – Los Angeles Kings
| Skater | Pts | SH | Skater | Pts | SH | Skater | Pts | SH |
| Quinton Byfield | 22 | 74 | Anze Kopitar | 74 | 169 | Adiran Kempe | 67 | 250 |
| Kevin Fiala | 72 | 208 | Pierre-Luc Dubois | 63 | 205 | Arthur Kaliyev | 28 | 122 |
| Trevor Moore | 29 | 163 | Phillip Danault | 54 | 152 | Viktor Arvidsson | 59 | 228 |
| Carl Grundstrom | 19 | 90 | Blake Lizotte | 38 | 108 | Trevor Lewis | 20 | 144 |
| Jaret Anderson-Dolan | 12 | 54 |
Average age: 27.2 / Total Points: 553 / Total Shots: 1967
Since last winning the Stanley Cup in 2014, the Los Angeles Kings have not played outside the first round in the four trips to the postseason in the past ten years. Despite employing one of the game’s best defensive forwards, Anze Kopitar, the team hasn’t had much to brag about in the back half of his career. Surprisingly, the team gets contributions from everyone in the lineup and has a strong support system on the back end with defenders and netminders. However, the Kings don’t win games in the playoffs. As the team welcomes Pierre-Luc Debois for his first season in Hollywood, they should remain contenders in a tight Pacific Division but are still a piece or two away from recapturing the Stanley Cup.
7 – Dallas Stars
| Skater | Pts | SH | Skater | Pts | SH | Skater | Pts | SH |
| Jason Robertson | 109 | 313 | Roope Hintz | 75 | 184 | Joe Pavelski | 77 | 184 |
| Jamie Benn | 78 | 190 | Wyatt Johnston | 41 | 160 | Evgenii Dadonov | 33 | 110 |
| Mason Marchment | 31 | 148 | Tyler Seguin | 50 | 189 | Matt Duchene | 55 | 168 |
| Ty Dellandrea | 28 | 92 | Radek Faksa | 20 | 88 | Craig Smith | 16 | 104 |
| Sam Steel | 28 | 85 |
Average age: 29.1 / Total Points: 642 / Total Shots: 2015
The Dallas Stars came within games of returning to the Stanley Cup Final, eventually losing to the Golden Knights in the Western Conference Final. Despite boasting one of the game’s best young goalies in Jake Oettinger, the Dallas forwards are not to be taken lightly. As the league’s highest-scoring group, the only thing keeping the Stars from obtaining a higher spot is their age, which ranks 28th overall at 29.1 years old. Collectively, the team took a step forward last year with the emergence of superstar Jason Robertson, who broke the franchise record for points in a season. Considering their veterans still score and the younger players are finding their groove, the Stars are legitimate contenders to win the Western Conference crown.
6 – Vancouver Canucks
| Skater | Pts | SH | Skater | Pts | SH | Skater | Pts | SH |
| Anthony Beauvillier | 40 | 176 | Elias Pettersson | 102 | 257 | Andrei Kuzmenko | 74 | 143 |
| Ilya Mikheyev | 46 | 91 | J.T. Miller | 82 | 223 | Brock Boeser | 55 | 178 |
| Phil Di Giuseppe | 12 | 71 | Pius Suter | 24 | 106 | Conor Garland | 46 | 167 |
| Dakota Joshua | 23 | 71 | Teddy Blueger | 16 | 85 | Vasily Podkolzin | 7 | 41 |
| Tanner Pearson | 5 | 17 | Nils Hoglander | 9 | 29 | Sheldon Dries | 17 | 94 |
| Jack Studnicka | 8 | 65 |
Average age: 26.7 / Total Points: 566 / Total Shots: 1814
The Vancouver Canucks are nowhere close to contending for the Stanley Cup but continue to make strides to qualify for the playoffs. Despite a rocky start to last season, the team responded quite well under new head coach Rick Tocchet, who guided the team out of the basement after his hiring in January.
Ultimately, Elias Pettersson is set to become a free agent at season’s end. If he responds with another 100-point campaign, the pressure will turn on the organization to keep the young core together by extending one of their leaders on and off the ice or risk losing a franchise cornerstone.
Related: Canucks 2022-23 Report Cards: Elias Pettersson
5 – Carolina Hurricanes
| Skater | Pts | SH | Skater | Pts | SH | Skater | Pts | SH |
| Michael Bunting | 49 | 174 | Sebastian Aho | 67 | 218 | Seth Jarvis | 39 | 187 |
| Andrei Svechnikov | 55 | 205 | Jesperi Kotkaniemi | 43 | 129 | Martin Necas | 71 | 240 |
| Jordan Martinook | 34 | 162 | Jordan Staal | 34 | 124 | Jesper Fast | 29 | 76 |
| Teuvo Teravainen | 37 | 144 | Jack Drury | 8 | 69 | Stefan Noesen | 36 | 134 |
| Brendan Lemieux | 9 | 44 |
Average age: 26.7 / Total Points: 511 / Total Shots: 1906
If the Bruins hadn’t rewritten the NHL record book last season, the Carolina Hurricanes would have wound up as the best team in the league and had a different path to the Eastern Conference Final. Despite going 0-12 in the third round since winning the Stanley Cup in 2006, the Hurricanes will come out stronger and better than last year, which could spell trouble for many franchises in each conference. With a healthy Andrei Svechnikov, Carolina heads into the new season as the team to beat, especially after signing the top defenseman in free agency and bringing back their outstanding netminders.
4 – Ottawa Senators
| Skater | Pts | SH | Skater | Pts | SH | Skater | Pts | SH |
| Brady Tkachuk | 83 | 347 | Tim Stutzle | 90 | 228 | Vladimir Tarasenko | 50 | 169 |
| Claude Giroux | 79 | 214 | Josh Norris | 3 | 15 | Drake Batherson | 62 | 249 |
| Ridly Greig | 9 | 30 | Shane Pinto | 35 | 158 | Dominik Kubalik | 45 | 174 |
| Mathieu Joseph | 18 | 66 | Mark Kastelic | 11 | 73 | Zach MacEwen | 10 | 73 |
| Parker Kelly | 4 | 59 | Egor Sokolov | 2 | 5 |
Average age: 25.2 / Total Points: 501 / Total Shots: 1860
The Ottawa Senators are about to reward their fans for their patience after the Daniel Alfredsson and Erik Karlsson eras ended. Now, a young group of forwards, like captain Brady Tkachuk, are making people talk about the Senators rising from the bottom and pushing to be playoff regulars. As the second youngest forward group in the league, kids like Tim Stutzle and Drake Batherson have found fantastic chemistry with each other, which includes veteran Claude Giroux. Collectively, they score at an average rate but create opportunities and close the division’s gap.
3 – Florida Panthers
| Skater | Pts | SH | Skater | Pts | SH | Skater | Pts | SH |
| Evan Rodrigues | 39 | 184 | Aleksander Barkov | 78 | 208 | Sam Reinhart | 67 | 227 |
| Carter Verhaeghe | 73 | 275 | Sam Bennett | 40 | 193 | Matthew Tkachuk | 109 | 322 |
| Eetu Luostarinen | 43 | 132 | Anton Lundell | 33 | 152 | Grigori Denisenko | 3 | 16 |
| Ryan Lomberg | 20 | 134 | Steve Lorentz | 19 | 111 | Nick Cousins | 27 | 102 |
| Kevin Stenlund | 9 | 63 |
Average age: 26.5 / Total Points: 560 / Total Shots: 2119
The Florida Panthers came within three wins of the Stanley Cup last year. Ultimately, the team’s fortunes changed when they acquired Matthew Tkachuk, who had 109 points during his first season in Florida. As their playoff hero, he is the heartbeat of the offense, and although there are talented forwards like Aleksander Barkov and Carter Verhaeghe, the team will only go as far as Tkachuk leads them. Considering they are relatively young at 26.5 and have the eighth most points (560), there’s a good chance their Cinderella run in 2022-23 was no fluke.
2 – New Jersey Devils
| Skater | Pts | SH | Skater | Pts | SH | Skater | Pts | SH |
| Timo Meier | 66 | 327 | Nico Hischier | 80 | 256 | Dawson Mercer | 56 | 161 |
| Jesper Bratt | 73 | 212 | Jack Hughes | 99 | 336 | Tyler Toffoli | 73 | 268 |
| Ondrej Palat | 23 | 79 | Erik Haula | 41 | 164 | Alex Holtz | 4 | 21 |
| Tomas Nosek | 18 | 69 | Michael McLeod | 26 | 90 | Nathan Bastian | 15 | 62 |
| Curtis Lazar | 5 | 55 | Nolan Foote | 1 | 4 | Chris Tierney | 10 | 19 |
Average age: 26.2 / Total Points: 590 / Total Shots: 2123
The New Jersey Devils gave their fans one of the best regular season performances in over a decade, with young stars Jack Hughes, Jesper Bratt, and Nico Hischier collecting over 70 points. As a team, the Devils are solid up and down the lineup with great defenders and elite goaltending, which explains why they challenged the Hurricanes for a division title until the final buzzer.
Realistically, after many subpar years and trading away many veteran players, New Jersey is just beginning to contend and should soon be considered Stanley Cup favorites with the sixth-youngest lineup in the league.
Related: Devils’ Jack Hughes Will Be a Perennial Hart Trophy Candidate
1 – Buffalo Sabres
| Skater | Pts | SH | Skater | Pts | SH | Skater | Pts | SH |
| Jeff Skinner | 82 | 242 | Tage Thompson | 94 | 295 | Alex Tuch | 79 | 218 |
| John Jason Peterka | 32 | 125 | Dylan Cozens | 68 | 211 | Casey Mittelstadt | 59 | 135 |
| Jordan Greenway | 11 | 99 | Peyton Krebs | 26 | 78 | Victor Olofsson | 40 | 161 |
| Zemgus Girgensons | 18 | 114 | Tyson Jost | 25 | 98 | Kyle Okposo | 28 | 150 |
| Jack Quinn | 37 | 126 | Lukas Rousek | 2 | 3 |
Average age: 25.7 / Total Points: 601 / Total Shots: 2055
The Buffalo Sabres have not been considered serious contenders for decades, last appearing in the playoffs 12 seasons ago, the longest current streak in the NHL. However, because of so many bad seasons, the team has built themselves an extremely talented young core and continues to gain valuable experience that puts them in a great position to succeed in the coming years. Ultimately, based on our rankings, the Sabres finished in the top three in every category but age, which they ranked fourth, ahead of the Devils, giving them the top spot.
Even though the team has a handful of forwards set to become free agents next summer, Buffalo could get even younger by flipping those assets at the deadline, depending on how the season plays out. Although they missed the playoffs by a single point, this upcoming year should be the year the streak finally gets passed on to another team.
What Do You Think?
Ultimately, there is no way to please everyone regarding rankings. Whether people think their team is undervalued or their final position provides them with bragging rights, there is rarely any middle ground among the different fanbases. Furthermore, today’s rankings were based solely on what these players achieved last season and how their numbers stack up against one another heading into the new season. Of course, you can disagree and point out flaws in the math, but these rankings are meant to be fun and engage people to get them talking about hockey again. As always, people are entitled to their opinions, making us the greatest fans in professional sports.
Statistics were obtained from Hockey Reference and lineups from DailyFaceoff.com, confirmed by contract details from Cap Friendly.