Top 50 NHL playoff players

ESPN dropped its top 50 players for the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs on April 20, putting Nathan MacKinnon at No. 1. (espn.com) Connor McDavid ranked No. 2, followed by Sidney Crosby at No. 3 and Nikita Kucherov at No. 4 in Neil Paine’s list for ESPN. (espn.com) The ranking arrived with the first round already underway, as the National Hockey League opened the 2026 postseason from April 18 through April 20. (nhl.com) Sixteen teams made the field, and ESPN called this postseason unusual because the two-time defending champion Florida Panthers missed the playoffs entirely. (espn.com) That changed the center of attention from a title defense to a star race led by MacKinnon in Colorado, McDavid in Edmonton, Crosby in Pittsburgh and Kucherov in Tampa Bay. (espn.com) The bracket also shows how much those names shape the opening round: Colorado drew Los Angeles, Edmonton drew Anaheim, Pittsburgh drew Philadelphia and Tampa Bay drew Montreal. (nhl.com) In a separate playoff preview published April 17, ESPN noted that Buffalo and Carolina entered as division champions in the East, underscoring how much the 2026 field mixed established stars with teams that have not recently driven the postseason conversation. (espn.com) The list is less a forecast of total points than a map of who can tilt a series, because first-round matchups turn on which top skaters force line changes, matchup shifts and special-teams adjustments. (espn.com) As Game 2s begin on April 20, ESPN’s ranking gives the playoffs an early scoreboard of individual pressure: the biggest names started this tournament with the biggest expectations. (nhl.com, espn.com)