Connor McDavid Retains Top Spot in 2026-27 NHL Player Rankings

Connor McDavid remains the No. 1 ranked player for the 2026-27 season following his ninth 100-point campaign and sixth Art Ross Trophy.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid has been voted the No. 1 player for the 2026-27 season by an ESPN panel of broadcasters and analysts. This marks his sixth consecutive year at the top of the rankings. McDavid enters the season following a 2025-26 campaign where he secured his sixth Art Ross Trophy and fifth Ted Lindsay Award. Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon, who led the league in goals last season, follows at No. 2, while Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov holds the No. 3 spot after recording 86 assists.

Macklin Celebrini of the San Jose Sharks rose to No. 4 after a 115-point sophomore season, with Colorado defenseman Cale Makar rounding out the top five. Makar recently signed an extension worth $20.4 million annually that begins in 2027-28. The Tampa Bay Lightning, Dallas Stars, and Montreal Canadiens each placed six players within the top 100. Conversely, the Calgary Flames, Seattle Kraken, and Vancouver Canucks failed to land any players on the list.

Notable positional leaders include Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski at No. 7, who won his first Norris Trophy in 2026. Andrei Vasilevskiy remains the top-ranked goaltender at No. 14 after recording his ninth straight season with at least 30 wins. In Minnesota, Quinn Hughes ranks No. 9 following a gold medal win with the U.S. Olympic team, while teammate Kirill Kaprizov sits at No. 10 with four 40-goal seasons in his last five years.