NHL Top Players: Top 20 wings

The ability to score thrilling goals, make eye-popping passes, and go to the net with superb skating are the hallmarks of an elite wing. NHL Network producers and analysts on Wednesday revealed their list of the top 20 wings in the League right now in the first of a nine-part series. Here is the list:

20. Adrian Kempe, Los Angeles Kings

Kempe led the Kings in scoring for the second straight season with 73 points (35 goals, 38 assists) in 81 games. It was the third time in four seasons he's scored at least 35 goals, and his 139 goals during that span are fourth among right wings. The 28-year-old didn't even have to have the puck to help the attack; the Kings had an 11.7 percent shooting percentage when he was on the ice at 5-on-5 (minimum 25 games), best on the team. Kempe also led the Kings in goals (four) and points (10) in six games during the Stanley Cup Playoffs. In June he was named one of Sweden's first six players for the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.

19. Matt Boldy, Minnesota Wild

The 24-year-old left wing has raised his scoring total each of the past three seasons, topping out at a Wild-best 73 points last season. Boldy also led Minnesota in goals (27), assists (46) and shots on goal (271), and his 10 game-winning goals set a single-season Wild record and tied for third in the NHL. Boldy also tied for the Wild lead with five goals in six Stanley Cup Playoff games and had an impactful performance for the United States at the 4 Nations Face-Off, scoring the game-winning goal against Finland in its tournament-opening 6-1 victory. He finished the tournament with three points (one goal, two assists) in four games.

18. Filip Forsberg, Nashville Predators

Forsberg led the Predators with 31 goals, the fifth time he's scored at least 30 in 13 NHL seasons; no other Nashville player has more than two 30-goal seasons. The 30-year-old left wing also led the Predators with 45 assists and 76 points while playing all 82 games for the second straight season. On Jan. 18 he scored his 81st power-play goal, passing Shea Weber for most all-time for Nashville. He had 10 last season and has 85 for his career.

17. Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals

Ovechkin scored his 895th goal to pass Wayne Gretzky for the all-time record April 6. His record now stands at 897 after he finished tied for third in the NHL last season with 44 goals. It was the 14th time the 39-year-old left wing scored at least 40, the most all-time. He scored his 20th goal on Jan. 11, making him the second player ever with 20 straight 20-goal seasons (Gordie Howe, 22). Ovechkin's goal that tied Gretzky at 894 on April 4 was his 136th game-winning goal, passing Jaromir Jagr for most all-time. He had 73 points to give him 1,623, 11th all-time and is 18 points from passing Joe Sakic (1,641) for 10th. Ovechkin is nine games from becoming the 23rd all-time to play 1,500.

16. Jason Robertson, Dallas Stars

Robertson led the Stars with 35 goals last season and was second with 45 assists and 80 points while playing all 82 games for the third straight season. It's the third time in four seasons he has scored at least 35 goals, and his 151 goals during that span are 14th among NHL forwards. The 26-year-old left wing also is the youngest of the 12 NHL players with three straight 80-point seasons.

15. Clayton Keller, Utah Mammoth

Keller, who was named the Mammoth's first captain in its inaugural season in Utah, set an NHL career best with 90 points, and he led the Mammoth with 30 goals, 60 assists and 218 shots on goal last season. The 26-year-old, who found chemistry at left wing alongside center Logan Cooley on Utah's top line, reached 500 points in the NHL on April 5. He is one of 17 players to score at least 30 goals each of the past three seasons.

14. Brady Tkachuk, Ottawa Senators

Tkachuk led the Senators with 29 goals in 72 games last season and was fourth with 55 points. He also led the Senators with a personal NHL-best 14 power-play goals. His play was a big reason the Senators reached the playoffs for the first time in eight seasons, and he led Ottawa with four goals and seven points in its six-game loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round. The 25-year-old forward has scored at least 20 goals six times in his seven NHL seasons, with three seasons of at least 30. Tkachuk tied for the United States lead with three goals in four games at the 4 Nations Face-Off and was one of the first six players named to the U.S. team for the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.

13. Brandon Hagel, Tampa Bay Lightning

Hagel set career NHL bests last season in goals (35), assists (55), points (90), plus/minus (plus-33) and shots on goal (228). The 26-year-old left wing also became the first NHL player to score more than 20 goals in a season without scoring a power-play goal, and his 32 even-strength goals were the most in a season for a Lightning player since Steven Stamkos set the Tampa Bay record with 48 in 2011-12. Hagel also has been a reliable penalty-killer, ranking among the top four in short-handed ice time per game among Tampa Bay forwards each of the past three seasons as the Lightning have posted the sixth-best penalty-kill percentage during that span (81.5 percent).

12. Jesper Bratt, New Jersey Devils

Bratt led the Devils with an NHL career-best 88 points in 81 games. His 67 assists set a Devils single-season record, surpassing the 60 Scott Stevens had in 1993-94, and he scored 21 goals, his fourth straight with at least 20. The 26-year-old left wing had 83 points (27 goals, 56 assists) in 82 games in 2023-24; he's one of five players in the NHL with at least 20 goals, 50 assists, 80 points and 80 games played each of the past two seasons, along with Sidney Crosby, Artemi Panarin, David Pastrnak and Mikko Rantanen.

11. Jake Guentzel, Tampa Bay Lightning

Guentzel, in the first season of a seven-year contract he signed with the Lightning on July 1, 2024, led the NHL with 17 power-play goals, and tied for seventh in the League with 41 goals, each personal NHL bests. He also had 80 points in 80 games, the second highest total of his career (84 points, 2021-22). The 30-year-old, who found a spot at left wing on a line with Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov, has scored at least 30 goals four straight seasons; his 147 goals during that span are 16th among all players. He led the Lightning during the playoffs with six points (three goals, three assists) during a five-game loss to the Florida Panthers in the first round.

10. Artemi Panarin, New York Rangers

Panarin has led the Rangers in scoring in each of the first six seasons of the seven-year contract he signed July 1, 2019. Last season the 33-year-old left wing led New York in points (89), goals (37), assists (52), power-play goals (eight) and shots on goal (237). Since joining the Rangers he's fourth in the NHL with 550 points (186 goals, 364 assists) in 430 games, with at least 89 points in four straight and five of the past six seasons. The only other players with four straight seasons with at least 89 points are Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid.

9. Kyle Connor, Winnipeg Jets

Connor was seventh in the NHL with a career-best 97 points (41 goals, 56 assists) in 82 games last season. The 28-year-old left wing tied for seventh in the League in goals and set a personal best in assists, all of which led Winnipeg. It was his second 40-goal season (47, 2021-22) and his fourth consecutive 30-goal season. Since becoming a full-time NHL player in 2017-18, he's scored at least 25 goals all eight seasons, and his 282 goals during that span are eighth in the NHL.

8. Sam Reinhart, Florida Panthers

Reinhart helped the Panthers win the Stanley Cup for the second straight season, leading them in goals (39) and points (81) in 79 regular-season games and tying for the lead during the playoffs with 23 points (11 goals, 12 assists) in 21 games. The 29-year-old also was runner-up to teammate Aleksander Barkov in voting for the Selke Trophy as the top defensive forward in the League. Reinhart has scored at least 31 goals all four of his seasons with the Panthers after never scoring more than 25 in his first seven NHL seasons with the Buffalo Sabres. His 160 goals since 2021-22 are eighth in the NHL.

7. Matthew Tkachuk, Florida Panthers

Tkachuk has made a massive impact since being traded to the Panthers on July 22, 2022, helping them reach the Cup Final three straight years and win back-to-back championships. He missed the final two months of the 2024-25 regular season because of an injury sustained during the 4 Nations Face-Off but still finished third on the Panthers with 57 points (22 goals, 35 assists) in 52 games. The 27-year-old left wing has emerged as one of the League's top postseason performers, leading or tying for the Panthers scoring lead the past three seasons, including 23 points (eight goals, 15 assists) in 23 games last year, and he's one of 11 players in NHL history with three straight 20-point playoff seasons. Tkachuk was one of the first six players named to the U.S. roster for the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.

6. William Nylander, Toronto Maple Leafs

Nylander was second in the NHL with 45 goals last season and was second for the Maple Leafs with 84 points. It was the third straight season the 29-year-old right wing has scored at least 40 goals, and his 125 goals are tied for seventh in the NHL during that span. Nylander is one of four players to score 40 goals in three straight seasons for the Maple Leafs along with Auston Matthews (five straight, 2019-24), Rick Vaive (1981-84) and Lanny McDonald (1976-79). Nylander also played all 82 games for the third straight season; his streak of 259 consecutive games played is seventh among active NHL forwards. He was one of the first six players named to Sweden's roster for the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.

5. Mitch Marner, Vegas Golden Knights

Marner was fifth in the NHL and led the Maple Leafs with 102 points in 81 games last season, and his 75 assists were the most in a season by a Toronto player since Doug Gilmour had 84 in 1993-94. The 28-year-old right wing is eighth among NHL players with 741 points (221 goals, 520 assists) in 657 games since making his debut in 2016-17. He is fifth all-time in points for the Maple Leafs and fourth in assists. Marner was traded to the Golden Knights and signed an eight-year contract with them July 1.

4. Mikko Rantanen, Dallas Stars

Rantanen had 88 points (32 goals, 56 assists) in 82 games with the Colorado Avalanche, Carolina Hurricanes and the Stars, where he had 18 points (five goals, 13 assists) in 20 games after being traded there March 7, and then signing an eight-year contract that begins this season. He made his biggest impact during the playoffs, leading the Stars in goals (nine), assists (13) and points (22) in 18 games. That includes three goals and an assist in the third period of the Stars' come-from-behind 4-2 win against the Avalanche in Game 7 of the first round and then a natural hat trick in the second period of Dallas' 3-2 win against the Winnipeg Jets in Game 1 of the second round. He is the first player ever with multiple three-goal periods in same playoff season.

3. Kirill Kaprizov, Minnesota Wild

Kaprizov was tied for fourth in the NHL with 50 points (23 goals, 27 assists) on Dec. 23, but he played seven games the rest of the regular season because of a recurring lower-body injury. He finished with 56 points (25 goals, 31 assists) in 41 games; his average of 1.37 points per game was the best of his five-season NHL career, and the highest single-season total of any Wild player (minimum 40 games). Kaprizov recovered to lead Minnesota during the playoffs with nine points (five goals, four assists) and 22 shots on goal in six games. Prior to last season, the 28-year-old left wing had scored at least 40 goals three straight seasons.

2. David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins

Pastrnak tied for third in the NHL with 106 points (43 goals, 63 assists) in 82 games. It was the third straight season the 29-year-old right wing has had at least 40 goals and 100 points, and his fourth straight 40-goal season. Pastrnak and Leon Draisaitl are the only players to achieve each. Pastrnak's 191 goals the past four seasons are third in the NHL, and his 406 points are fifth. He's nine goals from becoming the sixth player to score 400 for the Bruins. Pastrnak was one of the first six players named to the Czech Republic roster for the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.

1. Nikita Kucherov, Tampa Bay Lightning

Kucherov led the NHL with 121 points (37 goals, 84 assists) in 78 games, the second straight season and third time total that the 32-year-old right wing has won the Art Ross Trophy. He's one of 10 players to win the League scoring title at least three times; the other seven have been inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame or certainly will be one day (Jaromir Jagr, Connor McDavid). He's six points from becoming the 101st NHL player, and sixth born in Russia, to reach 1,000 points.