Jack Hughes, Matthew Tkachuk, Schaefer among NHL Network's top players, 30-21

NHL Network is getting ready for this season by ranking the top 50 players in the League right now. Researchers, producers and on-air personalities compiled their list, and players 30-21 were revealed on Sunday in the seventh of a nine-part series. Here is the list:

30. Moritz Seider, D, Detroit Red Wings

Seider set NHL career bests in goals (10), assists (50), points (60), power-play points (28) and average time on ice (25:40) while playing all 82 games for the fifth straight season. His streak of 410 consecutive games played is second among active NHL defensemen (Brent Burns, 1,007) and tied for fifth among all active skaters. The 25-year-old was the first Detroit defenseman to have a 60-point season since Nicklas Lidstrom had 62 in 2010-11. He also led Red Wings defensemen with 180 blocked shots and was second with 128 hits, and finished fifth in voting for the Norris Trophy as the League's top defenseman. The Red Wings were a different team with Seider on the ice -- his 53.2 percent shot attempts percentage (SAT%) at 5-on-5 this season was higher than Detroit's overall 49.2 percent SAT%.

29. Jake Sanderson, D, Ottawa Senators

Sanderson scored an NHL career-best 14 goals in 67 games, and led Senators defensemen with 54 points. He also had a plus-16 rating while leading Ottawa with an average ice time of 24:50 per game. He was a standout for the Senators during their four-game loss to the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference First Round, with two assists and a plus-2 even-strength goal differential in three games for a Senators team that was outscored 7-3 at even strength during the series. The 24-year-old also had two assists in six games to help the United States win the gold medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

28. Matthew Schaefer, D, New York Islanders

Schaefer had a transformative effect on the New York Islanders as an 18-year-old rookie, exceeding all the expectations that came with him being the first pick of the 2025 NHL Draft. He scored 23 goals, tying Brian Leetch's NHL record for rookie defensemen (1988-89), and his goals and points (59) were the most ever by an 18-year-old NHL defenseman, surpassing the marks set by Phil Housley in 1982-83 (17 goals, 57 points). He led NHL rookies and the Islanders with an average ice time of 24:41 in 82 games, and was the unanimous winner of the Calder Trophy as NHL rookie of the year, receiving all 198 first-place votes from the Professional Hockey Writers' Association. He was the first unanimous winner since Teemu Selanne in 1992-93, and at age 18 years, 223 days old on the final day of the regular season, he was the youngest ever to win it, one day younger than Nathan MacKinnon on the final day of the 2013-14 season.

27. Lane Hutson, D, Montreal Canadiens

Hutson, the Calder Trophy winner in 2024-25, was even better in his second season. The 22-year-old was third on the Canadiens with 78 points (12 goals, 66 assists) in 82 games. It was the third-most points ever in a season by a Montreal defenseman, behind Larry Robinson's 85 points in 1976-77 and 82 points in 1985-86. Hutson also had 58 even-strength points, third among NHL defensemen. But Hutson was more than just a one-way player with a plus-36 rating in 23:46 of average ice time per game, as he also led Montreal defensemen with 43 takeaways and was fourth with 137 blocked shots. He tied for the Canadiens' lead during the Stanley Cup Playoffs with 16 points (three goals, 13 assists) in 19 games to help Montreal reached the Eastern Conference Final for the first time since 2021.

26. Jack Hughes, C, New Jersey Devils

Despite being limited to 61 games due to injuries, Hughes led the Devils in points (77) and assists (50), and was second in goals (27). He has scored at least 25 goals in five straight seasons and has at least 70 points in the past three seasons. The 25-year-old center also had five game-winning goals and 23 power-play points last season, playing a career-best average of 21:19 per game. Hughes is nearly a point per game player in his career with 428 points (168 goals, 260 assists) in 429 games. He also scored the Golden Goal to help the United States win gold at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

25. Matthew Tkachuk, F, 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. The 28-year-old left wing is the first player in Panthers history to win an Olympic gold medal while playing for the franchise and was second on the U.S. with six assists behind Quinn Hughes' seven. After sustaining an injury at the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off, Tkachuk missed the remainder of the 2024-25 regular season, but returned for the playoffs and tied Sam Reinhart and Carter Verhaeghe for the Panthers' lead in points with 23 to help them repeat as Stanley Cup champions.

24. Jason Robertson, F, 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. The 27-year-old left wing had an assist in a 6-3 loss to the Utah 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.

23. Matt Boldy, F, 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. The 25-year-old left wing 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 Hughes (15 each).

22. Igor Shesterkin, G, New York Rangers

The 30-year-old was excellent last season, going 25-19-6 with a 2.50 goals-against average, .912 save percentage and one shutout in 51 games for a Rangers team that had trouble scoring (2.87, 23rd in NHL). Over the past five seasons among goalies to play at least 100 games, Shesterkin ranks first in save percentage (.916), fifth in GAA (2.51), third in shutouts (20) and fourth in wins (161). That includes the 2021-22 season in which he won the Vezina Trophy as the NHL's top goaltender and was a Hart Trophy finalist for League MVP, leading the NHL in GAA (2.07) and save percentage (.935; minimum 20 games). Shesterkin also leads the NHL in postseason save percentage since 2021-22 (.929, minimum 15 games played).

21. Nick Suzuki, C, Montreal Canadiens

Suzuki topped out at 101 points last season (29 goals, 72 assists) in 82 games, the fifth straight season he improved his point total. His 43 power-play points were second in the NHL and he won the Selke Trophy as the best defensive forward. The 27-year-old center was a plus-37 and won 50.4 percent of his face-offs. The Canadiens captain, who has not missed a game in his seven NHL seasons, helped Montreal reach the Eastern Conference Final last season and led them with 16 points (four goals, 12 assists) in the postseason.