Active players on Hall trajectory with fewer than 500 games, according to Dan Rosen

Welcome to the National Hockey List. Each week, NHL.com Senior Writer Dan Rosen will provide a list dealing with important topics around the NHL. Today, Rosen lists his nine current players with fewer than 500 games played who are trending toward Hall of Fame careers.

There are players in the NHL right now who should be considered locks to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin, Connor McDavid, Patrick Kane, Evgeni Malkin, Drew Doughty, Steven Stamkos, Nathan MacKinnon, Nikita Kucherov, Andrei Vasilevskiy, Leon Draisaitl, Brad Marchand, Aleksander Barkov, Victor Hedman, Brent Burns, Auston Matthews, Roman Josi, Quinn Hughes -- the list goes on.

The thing they all have in common, in addition to the fact that they are on their way to the Hall of Fame, is the fact that they're all past the 500-games-played mark.

By no means is that a meaningful indication for a Hall call in their future, but it's the one I'm using this week to determine the players who are locks to the ones who are trending in that direction.

In honor of the Hockey Hall of Fame getting ready to induct Pekka Rinne, Patrice Bergeron, Carey Price, Keith Tkachuk, Cindy Curley and Brian Burke as the Class of 2026 on Monday, here is my list of the top nine players in the League today with fewer than 500 games played who look like they're on their way to Hall of Fame careers, using what they've already done in the NHL and on the international stage and the potential for so much more as the heavily weighted factors in the decision-making process.

1. Cale Makar, Colorado Avalanche

Give him another 15 games and he'll be on the list above with Crosby, Ovechkin, McDavid, et. al.

Makar played his 485th NHL regular-season game Tuesday. He's well on his way to having a plaque in the Hall of Fame.

The 28-year-old defenseman is already one of the most decorated players in NHL history, a winner of the Stanley Cup, Conn Smythe Trophy, Norris Trophy (twice, so far) and Calder Trophy.

He is a four-time NHL First Team All-Star and two time Second Team All-Star. Makar has been a finalist (top three) for the Norris Trophy in each of the past six seasons.

He has 525 points (140 goals, 385 assists), the most by an active player in the League who has played fewer than 500 games.

2. Kirill Kaprizov, Minnesota Wild

Kaprizov hit the 500-point milestone with a goal Sunday, his 413th regular-season NHL game, all with the Wild.

The 29-year-old is a four-time 40-goal scorer and on his way to potentially scoring 50, or even 60, for the first time. He has 15 goals in 17 games this season.

His 501 points are third most among active players with fewer than 500 games played behind Makar and Dallas Stars forward Jason Robertson, who you will find lower on this list.

Kaprizov won the 2021 Calder Trophy voted as the NHL Rookie of the Year. He should have some more regular-season awards, and possibly some postseason hardware coming his way in the coming years.

3. Jack Hughes, New Jersey Devils

Hughes already has an Olympic golden goal on his resume, and, yes, international success makes a big difference in the Hall of Fame voting process.

The 25-year-old center scored in overtime for Team USA in the gold medal game of the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Hughes has 447 points (176 goals, 271 assists) in 444 games. He's fourth in points and fifth in assists among active players who have played fewer than 500 games.

Health is going to be a big factor for Hughes to one day wind up in the Hall of Fame. Injuries have been as big a part of his career as goals and assists. If he stays healthy, or at least relatively healthy, he'll get there.

4. Igor Shesterkin, New York Rangers

The Rangers miss their No. 1 goalie. The 30-year-old is out for the season with a knee injury he sustained Oct. 9, a brutal blow to a team that got off to a good start this season, raising expectations after they missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs the last two seasons.

It's also an indication of just how important Shesterkin is to the Rangers. He has a chance, if he can return to form next season and stay healthy, to challenge Henrik Lundqvist as the best goalie in the history of the Original Six franchise.

Shesterkin is 190-108-28 with a 2.51 goals-against average, .917 save percentage and 22 shutouts in 330 regular-season games. Among goalies who's played at least 300 games for the Rangers, Shesterkin is sixth in wins, second in save percentage, third in GAA and seventh in shutouts.

Lundqvist is the Rangers' all-time leader in wins (459), save percentage (.918) and shutouts (64), and second in GAA (2.43). He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2023.

Shesterkin is 23-20 with a 2.41 GAA and .928 save percentage in 44 playoff games. He has twice helped the Rangers reach the Eastern Conference Final (2022 and 2024).

Lundqvist was 61-67 with a 2.30 GAA and .931 save percentage in 130 postseason games. He reached the Stanley Cup Final in 2014, and got as far as the East Final in 2012 and 2015.

Shesterkin won the 2022 Vezina Trophy given to the top goalie in the League. Lundqvist won it 10 years earlier.

He has more time to add to his collection, but he has to get and stay healthy.

5. Macklin Celebrini, San Jose Sharks

The first of my way-too-early picks on this list is the 20-year-old Sharks captain, but if you're paying attention, and we know you are, you're not surprised to see Celebrini on this list. In fact, you may be surprised to see him as low as No. 5.

Makar is an obvious No. 1, but then I felt I had to put players with more of a resume after Makar and ahead of Celebrini, which is why you see Kaprizov, Hughes and Shesterkin. But I couldn't wait any longer to get Celebrini on this list.

Since coming into the League as an 18-year-old rookie, the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NHL Draft is tied for 13th with 194 points (75 goals, 119 assists) in 166 games. He's averaging 1.17 points per game, which is tied for ninth since he's been in the NHL, and fourth with 131 points (50 goals, 81 assists) since the start of last season. The three players ahead of him are McDavid, MacKinnon and Kucherov, and there's zero doubt that those three will one day get into the Hall of Fame.

Celebrini is well on his way. Let's not forget that he's only 20 years old. Imagine what we'll be saying about him when he's 25.

6. Matthew Schaefer, New York Islanders

Speaking of too early picks, Schaefer is the only teenager on my list. Watch the defenseman play, look at his numbers in his brief time in the NHL, and I dare you to argue against his candidacy as a future Hall of Famer.

Schaefer has transformed the Islanders with his speed, skill, hockey IQ, two-way game, energy, personality, enthusiasm, everything. He has 73 points (27 goals, 46 assists) in 96 games, including 14 (four goals, 10 assists) in 14 games this season.

There is no such thing as playing him too much. Schaefer is averaging 26:48 per game this season and he's a factor on seemingly every shift. The only two players who are playing more than him are Zach Werenski of the Columbus Blue Jackets and Quinn Hughes of the Wild.

There's so much to like and so much more to expect from Schaefer, who hasn't come close to his ceiling yet and hasn't even played 100 games.

7. Evan Bouchard, Edmonton Oilers

There's nothing quiet about Bouchard and his game. The 27-year-old defenseman is making some loud noise this season, which is only further illustrating how valuable he is to the Oilers and their success.

Bouchard is third in the NHL with 28 points (nine goals, 19 assists) in 16 games this season and has 361 points (85 goals, 276 assists) in 445 regular-season games. Makar is the only active defenseman with more points in fewer than 500 games than Bouchard.

He's unquestionably the No. 1 defenseman for the Oilers. Bouchard has been to the Stanley Cup Final twice (2024, '25), and his 88 postseason points in 81 games is by far the most by any defenseman since Bouchard first played in the postseason in 2021-22.

He is averaging 1.09 points per game in the playoffs, also first in the League since 2021-22 among defenseman who appeared in at least 10 playoff games.

Bouchard's Hall of Fame credentials will grow significantly if he can help the Oilers win the Stanley Cup, and if he gets some Team Canada love too at future best-on-best international events, but he's already on his way with what he's done to date.

8. Jake Oettinger, Dallas Stars

Oettinger is similar to Shesterkin except for the fact that he's three years younger and, to be frank, playing on a better team with more realistic immediate Stanley Cup aspirations and expectations.

Oettinger is 191-81-34 with a 2.51 GAA, .910 save percentage and 19 shutouts in 317 games, and 34-34 with a 2.59 GAA and .911 save percentage and in 71 postseason games.

The Stars have gone to the Western Conference Final three times with Oettinger, but have not been able to get over the hump and reach the Stanley Cup Final.

Although he wasn't the No. 1, Oettinger won gold with Team USA at the 2026 Olympics, but he's missing the individual awards and the postseason hardware. There's plenty of time for Oettinger to get it in and he's in a good position to do so, including on the international level with the NHL committed to regular best-on-best events.

9. Jason Robertson, Dallas Stars

Quietly, and maybe too quietly, Robertson is building himself a Hall of Fame resume, and he's only 27 years old.

The Stars forward is second behind Makar in scoring among active players with fewer than 500 games played. He has 508 points (221 goals, 287 assists) in 471 games. Robertson is second behind Kaprizov in goals and second behind Makar in assists on the fewer than 500 list.

He is a three-time 40-goal scorer and two-time first team NHL All-Star (2022-23, 2025-26).

Robertson has 52 points (23 goals, 29 assists) in 62 playoff games. A red-hot postseason leading Dallas to the Stanley Cup, or at least the Stanley Cup Final, would change opinions about his postseason success.

That could happen this season, and what happens after that remains to be seen. Robertson can become an unrestricted free agent July 1.