Kucherov, Tkachuks among NHL Network’s 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 revealed Sunday their list of top 20 wings in the League right now in the first of a nine-part series. Here is the list:

20. Lucas Raymond, Detroit Red Wings

Raymond led the Red Wings with 51 assists last season, when his 25 goals were third and 76 points ranked second behind Alex DeBrincat. The No. 4 pick in the 2020 NHL Draft finished the 2026 Winter Olympics second in assists (eight) and third in points (nine) in five games for seventh-place Team Sweden. He set a Sweden record for assists in an Olympics with NHL participation, passing Peter Forsberg's six at the 2006 Torino Games, and tied Mats Sundin (Salt Lake City, 2002) for second-most points behind Daniel Alfredsson (10 in 2006). Raymond signed an eight-year, $64.6 million contract ($8.075 million average annual value) with Detroit on Sept. 17, 2024.

19. Cutter Gauthier, Anaheim Ducks

Gauthier scored 41 goals last season to help the Ducks clinch a Stanley Cup Playoff berth for the first time since 2018 while becoming the fourth player in team history to record at least 40 in a single season (and the 11th instance), joining Teemu Selanne (five times), Paul Kariya (three times) and Corey Perry (twice). His 12 points (four goals, eight assists) in 12 games led Anaheim in the postseason. Gauthier, selected by the Philadelphia Flyers with the No. 5 pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, was traded to Anaheim on Jan. 8, 2024. His first full season in the League in 2024-25 was a breakthrough with 44 points (20 goals, 24 assists) in 82 games.

18. Brady Tkachuk, Florida Panthers

Tkachuk was reunited with his older brother, Matthew, when he was traded to the Panthers by the Ottawa Senators on June 21, ending his five-season tenure as Senators captain. He teamed with Matthew to help Team USA win gold at the 2026 Winter Olympics, the country's first in men's Olympic hockey since the 1980 Lake Placid Games. He had 59 points (22 goals, 37 assists) in 60 games for the Senators last season and helped them advance to the playoffs, a four-game loss to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes. He also played with Matthew for the runner-up United States at the 4 Nations Face-Off in a 6-1 win against Finland on Feb. 13, 2025, marking the first time they had played for the same team in the same game other than the 2023 NHL All-Star Game.

17. Clayton Keller, Utah Mammoth

Keller led the Mammoth with 88 points and an NHL career-high 62 assists last season. His 26 goals were third behind Dylan Guenther (40) and Nick Schmaltz (33), and he's four points from 600 in the League. He won gold with Team USA at the 2026 Olympics and had 10 points (three goals, seven assists) in 10 games to help the United States win the 2025 IIHF World Championship, its first gold medal at the tournament in 92 years. Keller was named Utah captain Oct. 4, 2024, the first in team history since the NHL Board of Governors approved the establishment of a franchise in Salt Lake City on June 13, 2024. He was chosen by the Arizona Coyotes with the No. 7 pick in the 2016 NHL Draft.

16. Jake Guentzel, Tampa Bay Lightning

Guentzel continued to dominate in his second season with the Lightning, setting an NHL career high of 88 points (38 goals, 50 assists) in his age 31 season. He was traded to Tampa Bay by the Hurricanes on June 30, 2024, and the next day signed a seven-year, $63 million contract ($9 million AAV). Guentzel played for the United States at the 4 Nations Face-Off and Team USA at the 2026 Olympics. He scored his 300th NHL goal in a 6-3 win at the Minnesota Wild on March 24.

15. Martin Necas, Colorado Avalanche

Necas enjoyed his first career 100-point campaign (38 goals, 62 assists in 78 games) in 2025-26, his first full season with the Avalanche after he was traded to Colorado in a three-team deal involving the Hurricanes and Chicago Blackhawks on Jan. 24, 2025. He signed an eight-year contract with Colorado on Oct. 30 of that year, started last season with an eight-game point streak (six goals, six assists) and got his 40th point in his 38th game since joining the Avalanche, the fastest since the franchise relocated to Denver from Quebec City to begin the 1995-96 season. Necas led Team Czechia with eight points (three goals, five assists) in five games at the 2026 Olympics. His 12 assists last postseason led Colorado, and his 13 points were second behind Nathan MacKinnon's 15.

14. Sam Reinhart, Florida Panthers

Reinhart continued to excel at age 30 last season by leading the Panthers in goals (29) and points (61) for the third consecutive season, with 32 assists that tied Sam Bennett for first. He had two points (one goal, one assist) in six games to help Canada win silver at the 2026 Olympics. The two-time Stanley Cup champion (2024, 2025) scored an NHL career-high 57 goals in 2023-24 and was chosen by the Buffalo Sabres with the No. 2 pick in the 2014 NHL Draft. He was traded to Florida on July 24, 2021, and has since led the Panthers in goals (189), points (385), power-play goals (83), power-play points (147) and game-winning goals (32).

13. Brandon Hagel, Tampa Bay Lightning

Hagel's NHL career took off after he was traded to the Lightning by the Blackhawks on March 18, 2022. He scored 30 goals in his first full season with Tampa Bay, 26 the following season and has exceeded 30 the past two, with an NHL career-high 36 in 2025-26. He helped Canada win 4 Nations and a silver medal at the 2026 Olympics. Hagel, a sixth-round pick (No. 159) by the Sabres in the 2016 NHL Draft, signed an eight-year, $52 million contract ($6.5 million AAV) with the Lightning on Aug. 22, 2023.

12. Artemi Panarin, Los Angeles Kings

The forward, who turns 35 on Oct. 30, enters his 12th NHL season and first full season with the Kings. Panarin had 84 points (28 goals, 56 assists) in 78 games last season, including 27 points (nine goals, 18 assists) after he was traded to Los Angeles by the New York Rangers on Feb. 4. He had two assists in his Kings debut, a 6-4 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights in Los Angeles on Feb. 25. The native of Korkino, Russia, is the third European player to have at least 40 assists in at least 11 consecutive seasons, joining Jaromir Jagr (12 straight from 1995-96 to 2007-08) and Peter Stastny (11 from 1980-81 to 1990-91). His 18 assists and plus-9 rating in 26 games following the trade each led the Kings, with his 27 points second to Adrian Kempe's 28. Since joining the NHL for the 2015-16 season, Panarin is fifth in points (954) and fourth in assists (624).

11. Kyle Connor, Winnipeg Jets

Connor had 92 points (team-high 39 goals, 53 assists) while playing all 82 games for the second consecutive season and skated for Team USA at the 2026 Olympics. The Shelby Township, Michigan, native is five goals away from tying Ilya Kovalchuk (328 goals) for second in Jets/Atlanta Thrashers history, behind Mark Scheifele's 372. Connor has played his entire NHL career for the Jets after he was taken in the first round (No. 17) of the 2015 NHL Draft. He signed an eight-year, $96 million contract ($12 million AAV) on Oct. 8, 2025, after leading Winnipeg and setting NHL career highs in points (97) and assists (56).

10. William Nylander, Toronto Maple Leafs

Nylander led the Maple Leafs in assists (49) and points (79) last season, with his 30 goals second behind John Tavares (31). He's eight goals from becoming the sixth Maple Leaf with 300, nine points from being the eighth with 700 and one assist from 400 (ninth). Nylander played for Team Sweden at the 2026 Winter Olympics (four points; two goals, two assists in five games) and at 4 Nations. His 15th overtime goal in the NHL, which gave Toronto a 2-1 win at the Columbus Blue Jackets on Nov. 26, 2025, passed Auston Matthews and Mats Sundin for the most in team history. Nylander scored No. 16 in a 4-3 victory at the Avalanche on Jan. 12. The No. 8 pick in the 2014 NHL Draft signed an eight-year, $92 million contract ($11.5 million AAV) with the Maple Leafs on Jan. 8, 2024.

9. Cole Caufield, Montreal Canadiens

Caufield scored his 50th goal of the 2025-26 season in a 2-1 win against the Lightning at Bell Centre on April 9 to become the seventh player in Canadiens history with 50 goals in a season and first since Stephane Richer scored 51 in 1989-90. His NHL career high of 88 points in 81 games helped the Canadiens clinch a playoff berth, and his 13 points (six goals, seven assists) in 19 postseason games played a part in Montreal advancing to the Eastern Conference Final, a five-game loss to the Hurricanes. Caufield won the 2026 Lady Byng Trophy given annually to the player voted best to combine sportsmanship, gentlemanly conduct and ability by the Professional Hockey Writers Association. He took seven minor penalties and had 14 penalty minutes while averaging 18:11 of ice time per game, fewest among top-25 players in scoring.

8. Matthew Tkachuk, Florida Panthers

Tkachuk had 34 points (13 goals, 21 assists) in 31 games after not playing until Jan. 19 because of surgery he had to repair a torn adductor muscle and sports hernia on Aug. 22, 2025. He is the first player in Panthers history to win an Olympic tournament while playing for the franchise and was second on the U.S. with six assists behind Quinn Hughes' seven. After sustaining an injury at 4 Nations, Tkachuk missed the remainder of the 2024-25 regular season, but returned for the playoffs and tied Reinhart and Carter Verhaeghe for the Panthers lead in points with 23 to help them repeat as Stanley Cup champions.

7. Jason Robertson, Dallas Stars

Robertson signed a one-year, $12 million contract with the Stars on July 21 to avoid a salary arbitration hearing. He led Dallas with 96 points in 82 games last season and tied Wyatt Johnston for the team lead with 45 goals, the third time he's scored at least 40 in the NHL. His seven-game goal streak from Nov. 11-25 was the longest since the Stars franchise relocated from Minnesota in 1993. He had an assist in a 6-3 loss to the Mammoth on March 16 to become the first player in Stars/North Stars history with four consecutive seasons of at least 80 points. Mike Modano (eight) is the only player with more. Robertson leads United States-born players with 444 points, and his 196 goals are third since 2021-22.

6. Matt Boldy, Minnesota Wild

Boldy emerged as a legitimate star in the NHL last season when he set career highs of 42 goals, 85 points and a plus-18 rating, while ranking second on the Wild behind Kirill Kaprizov in goals, assists (43) and points. He scored six minutes into Team USA's 2-1 overtime win against Team Canada, the fastest by any team to start a gold medal game in an Olympics with NHL players, ahead of Team USA's Tony Amonte (8:49 at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics). Boldy's seven goals in 11 playoff games led Minnesota, and his 13 points were third to Kaprizov and Quinn Hughes (15 each).

5. Mikko Rantanen, Dallas Stars

Rantanen enters the season tied with Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov for the fourth-most points by a Finland-born player (782). He led the Stars with 55 assists and was third in goals (22) and points (77) in 64 games last season and had 1.20 points per game (15th in the NHL) despite missing 18 games with an injury. He scored two goals, including his 300th in the League, and had an assist in a 4-3 shootout win against the Edmonton Oilers in Dallas on Nov. 4, 2025, to become the fourth Finland-born player with at least 300 NHL goals, joining Teemu Selanne (684), Jari Kurri (601) and Olli Jokinen (321). Rantanen had six points (two goals, four assists) in five games for Team Finland at the 2026 Winter Olympics and competed at 4 Nations.

4. Mitch Marner, Vegas Golden Knights

Marner enjoyed a productive first season with Vegas when he had 80 points (24 goals, 56 assists) in 81 games and a team-high 29 points (10 goals, 19 assists) in 22 playoff games. He was traded to the Golden Knights by the Maple Leafs on July 1, 2025, and signed an eight-year, $96 million contract ($12 million AAV). Marner's goal 1:22 into overtime sent Team Canada to the semifinals of the 2026 Winter Olympics with a 4-3 win against Team Czechia on Feb. 18. He had an assist for his 800th NHL point in a 3-2 loss at the Washington Capitals on Feb. 27, and scored the fastest hat trick in Stanley Cup Final history with three consecutive goals in a span of 6:10 of the second period to help Vegas to a 5-4 victory against Carolina in Game 3.

3. Kirill Kaprizov, Minnesota Wild

Kaprizov is entering the first season of an eight-year, $136 million contract ($17 million AAV) he signed with the Wild on Sept. 30, 2025. His 45 goals last season made him a four-time 40-goal scorer, and he remains the only player in team history with multiple seasons of at least 40. He had three assists in a 6-5 loss to the San Jose Sharks on Oct. 26, 2025, to reach 400 points in the NHL, becoming the fastest player in Wild history to reach the milestone. He then scored his 220th NHL goal in a 5-1 win against the Lightning on March 3 to pass Marian Gaborik for the most since the Wild joined the League for the 2000-01 season. Kaprizov is also first in team history in points per game (1.20), goals per game (0.58) and overtime goals (14). His 15 points (four goals, 11 assists) last postseason tied Quinn Hughes (four goals, 11 assists) for the team lead.

2. David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins

Pastrnak is 67 points from reaching 1,000 in the NHL. He had his fourth consecutive season of at least 100 points (29 goals, 71 assists in 77 games) in 2025-26, a point total that tied Necas for seventh in the NHL. He played for Team Czechia at the 2026 Winter Olympics, where his five points (two goals, three assists) were second on the team, behind Necas' eight. Pastrnak's assist in a 4-2 win at the Red Wings on March 21 was his 500th in the League in his 820th game, making him the fourth-fastest player in Bruins history to reach the milestone, behind Bobby Orr (522 games), Phil Esposito (562) and Ray Bourque (655). He also became the sixth Czechia-born player in NHL history to achieve the mark.

1. Nikita Kucherov, Tampa Bay Lightning

Kucherov enjoyed another season for the ages in 2025-26, when his 130 points were the second most of his NHL career behind 144 set in 2023-24 and his 44 goals tied his career best also set three seasons ago. His plus-43 rating and NHL-best points-per-game average of 1.71 earned him the Hart Trophy as League MVP for the second time (2019), with his margin of victory 10 voting points over runner-up Connor McDavid Kucherov had two assists in a 4-3 win against the Ducks on Oct. 25, 2025, to reach 1,000 NHL points, and his assist on Gage Goncalves' goal at 7:58 of the second period in a 4-2 win against the Maple Leafs on Feb. 25 made him the second-fastest player born outside of North America (855 games) to reach 700 in the NHL (Peter Stastny, 784). He leads the NHL in assists (270), points (395), and power-play points (136) the past three seasons combined.