Reinhart, Bedard, McAvoy among NHL Network's top players, 50-41

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 50-41 were revealed Sunday in the fifth of a nine-part series. Here is the list:

50. Wyatt Johnston, C, Dallas Stars

For the third straight season, Johnston saw his goals, assists and points totals rise, and he had NHL career-bests of 45 goals, 41 assists and 86 points. He led the NHL with 27 power-play goals (a Dallas/Minnesota North Stars record) and his 42 power-play points were tied for third. His 20:07 of ice time per game was also a career high and third among Stars forwards behind Jason Robertson (20:15) and Mikko Rantanen (20:11). The 23-year-old has scored 134 goals in the League and has yet to miss a game in his four seasons.

49. Martin Necas, F, Colorado Avalanche

Necas enjoyed his first 100-point season (38 goals, 62 assists in 78 games) in the NHL in 2025-26, his first full season with the Avalanche after he was traded to Colorado in a three-team deal involving the Carolina Hurricanes and Chicago Blackhawks on Jan. 24, 2025. The 27-year-old 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 Winter Olympics. His 12 assists in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs led Colorado, and his 13 points were second behind Nathan MacKinnon's 15.

48. Sam Reinhart, F, 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).

47. Brandon Hagel, F, 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. The 28-year-old left wing 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 (average annual value of $6.5 million) with the Lightning on Aug. 22, 2023.

46. Brayden Point, C, Tampa Bay Lightning

Although limited to 63 games last season because of injury, Point had 50 points (18 goals, 32 assists) to help the Lightning make the playoffs for the ninth straight season. The 30-year-old had at least 40 goals and 82 points in each of the three previous seasons; during that span, he had 51 power-play goals and 28 game-winning goals. A two-time Stanley Cup champion (2020, 2021), Point had 56 points (28 goals, 28 assists) in 46 playoff games and led the playoffs in each of those seasons with 14 goals apiece.

45. Jaccob Slavin, D, Carolina Hurricanes

Slavin had eight points (one goal, seven assists) in 39 regular-season games, but what makes him valuable are the things that might not show up on the score sheet. According to NHL Stats & Information, the Hurricanes were 28-7-4 and allowed 23.3 shots on goal and 2.79 goals per game with Slavin in the lineup last season and 25-15-3 while allowing 24.5 shots on goal and 2.95 goals per game in the 43 games he missed. The 32-year-old was a major reason why the Hurricanes won the Stanley Cup with five assists in 19 games while providing the defensive backbone to a team that allowed 2.05 goals and 23.3 shots on goal per game during the postseason. Slavin also had one assist in 16:14 of ice time in six games to help Team USA win the gold medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics, joining Ken Morrow (1980) as the only United States-born player to win the Cup and Olympic gold in the same season.

44. Connor Bedard, C, Chicago Blackhawks

The No. 1 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, Bedard has led the Blackhawks in points each of his first three seasons and has 203 points (75 goals, 128 assists) in 219 regular-season games including 75 points (30 goals, 45 assists) in 75 games last season. Bedard signed a five-year, $75 million contract with Chicago on July 18. The now 21-year-old center became the first player in Blackhawks history to get his 200th point at age 20 or younger against the San Jose Sharks on April 6, and the 13th player in NHL history to do so. He won the 2024 Calder Trophy voted as the NHL rookie of the year after he had 61 points (22 goals, 39 assists) in 68 games.

43. Nico Hischier, C, New Jersey Devils

Hischier had 66 points (28 goals, 38 assists) in 82 games last season while averaging 20:43 of ice time. He also won 55.8 percent of his face-offs and is one of New Jersey's most trusted players in all situations (3:03 per game on the power play, 1:49 short-handed). Since being selected with the No. 1 pick in the 2017 NHL Draft, the 27-year-old has 488 points (199 goals, 289 assists) in 609 regular-season games. He has scored at least 20 goals in each of the past five seasons and has 12 points (six goals, six assists) in 22 playoff games. Hischier signed a five-year, $58.5 million contract with the Devils on July 1 that begins next season.

42. Jeremy Swayman, G, Boston Bruins

Swayman had an NHL career-high in wins (31-18-4) with a 2.71 goals-against average, .908 save percentage and two shutouts in 55 games (54 starts) last season. The 27-year-old allowed two or fewer goals in 31 games and helped Boston (45-27-10) clinch the first wild card from the Eastern Conference after missing the playoffs last season. His 1,426 total saves were fifth in the NHL and his 38 starts with at least a .900 save percentage a League high. A finalist for the 2026 Vezina Trophy, Swayman has won at least 20 games each of the past five seasons.

41. Charlie McAvoy, D, Boston Bruins

McAvoy had an NHL career-best 61 points (11 goals, 50 assists) in 69 games last season, the most points by a Bruins defenseman since Ray Bourque had 82 in 1995-96. The 28-year-old scored five high-danger goals, tied for third among defensemen according to NHL EDGE stats, and set a personal best with 23 power-play points, the most by a Boston defenseman since Torey Krug had 28 in 2019-20. McAvoy missed 11 games after getting hit in the face with a puck during a game Nov. 15, but that didn't stop him from blocking 129 shots, second on the Bruins. He won gold with Team USA at the 2026 Olympics, where his average ice time of 19:30 in six games were second among U.S. defensemen.