Best NHL Players by Age in 2025–26

Replacing recently departed Noah Dobson’s top-pairing excellence may be asking too much out of a rookie, but it probably won’t be long until Schaefer is the Islanders’ franchise guy. He’ll be a fun player to keep tabs on in this season’s Calder Trophy race.

Honorable Mentions: Michael Misa, Brady Martin

19 Years Old: Macklin Celebrini, Forward

Last season, Macklin Celebrini had the impact of an in-his-prime No. 1 center as an 18-year-old rookie. He was the San Jose Sharks’ engine, putting up 63 points across 70 games and averaging an Auston Matthews-esque 6.53 shot attempts each night.

If his young linemates can take the next step, a mesmerizing sophomore campaign may be awaiting Celebrini. A do-it-all center as a teenager on the league’s worst team, one can only imagine what’s ahead.

Honorable Mentions: Ivan Demidov, Zayne Parekh

20 Years Old: Matvei Michkov, Forward

Mostly due to a lack of exposure, the once-persistent Connor Bedard vs. Matvei Michkov debates have quieted, with most siding with the former. But the better player last season was Michkov. Despite averaging second-line minutes, the 20-year-old rookie accumulated 26 goals and 37 assists for 63 points across 80 games.

The 2025–26 campaign offers a lot of promise. With a brand-new coaching staff, his underwhelming power-play production (17 points) should receive a boost, and his average ice time (16:41) will increase dramatically. He has serious breakout potential.

Honorable Mentions: Connor Bedard, Leo Carlsson

21 Years Old: Lane Hutson, Defenseman

How long until teams start getting the memo? Lane Hutson fell to 62^nd overall in the 2022 NHL Draft for one simple reason: his frame. The 5-foot-9, 162-pound defender, however, tied the rookie defenseman record for assists last season with 60. Thirty-one teams that once doubted Hutson will have to watch him become, potentially, the next face of the Montreal Canadiens.

Hutson is already one of the most dynamic defensemen in the NHL. But he’s not just flash. He forced his way into bigger minutes almost instantly last season after Montreal recognized he was, bar none, the team’s best blueliner.

Honorable Mentions: Logan Cooley, Juraj Slafkovský

22 Years Old: Wyatt Johnston, Forward

At 22 years old, Wyatt Johnston is already an established top-six fixture for the Dallas Stars. He recorded 33 goals and 38 assists across 82 games last season, playing just under 19 minutes a night on a championship-caliber team.

Thanks to Johnston’s youth and an in-its-prime core, the Stars’ window is wide open. He’s a player they’ll be counting on to get them past the Western Conference Final, where the team has been bested in three consecutive seasons.

Honorable Mentions: William Eklund, Owen Power

23 Years Old: Jake Sanderson, Defenseman

Poor 5-on-5 luck aside, Jake Sanderson had a terrific 2024–25 campaign. He had a career-high 11 goals and 46 assists for 57 points while playing 24:27 per night. It’s no coincidence that the Ottawa Senators finally got over the playoff hump—his rise is directly correlated to their success.

Sanderson is poised to be a superstar. An elite skater and puck-carrier, he could be an essential play-driver in Ottawa for decades.

Honorable Mentions: Tim Stützle, Seth Jarvis

24 Years Old: Jack Hughes, Forward

Jack Hughes has spent so much time in the NHL already that it’s surprising he’s not older. The New Jersey Devils superstar is coming off his fourth consecutive point-per-game campaign, recording 27 goals and 43 assists in 62 games—a full-season pace of 93 points.

After missing 20 games in each of his last two seasons, New Jersey is depending on his health. Hughes is a game-breaker, and the roster around him is quite good. At full strength, they have a lot of potential.

Honorable Mentions: Dustin Wolf, Thomas Harley

25 Years Old: Quinn Hughes, Defenseman

Quinn Hughes has taken his game to the next level over the past couple of seasons. He has 168 points and a plus-40 rating across 150 games in that span, finishing as a Norris Trophy finalist twice and winning it once. He’s already considered the best Vancouver Canucks defenseman of all time by many.

Though he’s an MVP-caliber player, Hughes will need the rest of the team to bounce back from a disappointing 2024–25. Vancouver could be a threat in the Western Conference if they do.

Honorable Mentions: Rasmus Dahlin, Evan Bouchard

26 Years Old: Cale Makar, Defenseman

It’s hard to get more accomplished than Cale Makar at 26 years old, especially since he didn’t make his regular-season debut until 2019–20. The two-time Norris Trophy winner has a Conn Smythe Trophy and, of course, a Stanley Cup to his name. He has 428 points in 395 games—the best scoring rate by a defenseman this century.

The playoffs haven’t been kind to the Colorado Avalanche post-Cup, winning just one out of their past four series. Makar’s 25 points in 24 games, though, put his dynamism on full display. Even when the team isn’t winning, he is producing.

Honorable Mentions: Miro Heiskanen, Jason Robertson

27 Years Old: Adam Fox, Defenseman

There’s a growing sentiment that Adam Fox doesn’t even belong as an honorable mention on this list. But his importance to the New York Rangers has been severely understated. According to Natural Stat Trick, he had a 58.26% goal share at 5-on-5 last season—the team without him sat at 47.68%. Mind you, he’s playing the toughest minutes on the roster.

Fox put up 61 points in 74 games last season in what was a calamity for the Rangers, missing the playoffs after winning the Presidents’ Trophy in 2023–24. With a new defensive partner in Vladislav Gavrikov, he’ll have even greater expectations.

Honorable Mentions: Matthew Tkachuk, Charlie McAvoy

28 Years Old: Connor McDavid, Forward

Connor McDavid is a once-in-a-lifetime talent. Across his 10 seasons in the NHL, he has led the league in points in the regular season five times and the playoffs thrice for a total of eight. Mario Lemieux, who some argue is the greatest player ever, also did it eight times.

Following a two-year, $25 million contract extension on Oct. 6, McDavid holds the future of the NHL in the palm of his hand. He took a discount to stay with the Edmonton Oilers, but if they don’t win a Stanley Cup by the time his deal is up (2028 offseason), he could test the market and sign with anyone. Given the league’s rising cap, it would almost certainly be the most lucrative deal hockey has ever seen.

Honorable Mentions: Auston Matthews, Kirill Kaprizov

29 Years Old: Leon Draisaitl, Forward

In September 2024, Leon Draisaitl signed an eight-year extension worth a record-setting $14 million per season. It might’ve seemed rich at the time for some, but it looks like a massive underpay now. Despite missing 11 games, he led the NHL with 52 goals and added 54 assists for 106 points. With his best two-way performance to date, in addition, the German superstar further cemented himself as a generational talent.

Draisaitl is also establishing himself as an unstoppable playoff performer. He averages 1.47 points per game in the postseason, besting legends such as Mike Bossy, Mark Messier, and Bobby Orr.

Honorable Mentions: Igor Shesterkin, David Pastrňák

30 Years Old: Nathan MacKinnon, Forward

Nathan MacKinnon has reached the 110-point mark in three straight seasons, and he’s poised for a fourth. Whether Mikko Rantanen is by his side or not, he is always the best player on the ice. It usually takes a team decades to find the heir apparent to someone like Joe Sakic, but for the Avalanche, it took less than four years.

As previously mentioned, Colorado has a postseason dilemma. MacKinnon isn’t to blame, sitting right behind Draisaitl on the all-time point-per-game list, but he’ll need to find another gear in Game 7s.

Honorable Mentions: Aleksander Barkov, Ilya Sorokin

31 Years Old: Andrei Vasilevskiy, Goaltender

Injuries resulted in a career-worst showing for Andrei Vasilevskiy in 2023–24, posting a .900 save percentage and 2.90 goals-against average. But he was back like he never left last season, finishing second in Vezina Trophy voting behind a determined Connor Hellebuyck.

Unfortunately for fans of other Atlantic Division clubs, Vasilevskiy is in peak form. The Florida Panthers have overwhelmed him and the Tampa Bay Lightning in the playoffs, however, to the tune of a 2–8 record and an ugly .886 save percentage between 2024 and 2025.

Honorable Mentions: Devon Toews, Filip Forsberg

32 Years Old: Nikita Kucherov, Forward

No player has won the Art Ross Trophy three times in their 30s. But four players have done it twice: Phil Esposito, Wayne Gretzky, Lemieux, and, most recently, Nikita Kucherov. It’s hard for a Hall-of-Fame lock to be underrated, but the 32-year-old Russian might be an exception.

Kucherov has led either the regular season or playoffs in scoring five times. When all is said and done, he could have a case as a top 10 player in NHL history. Leading two Stanley Cup winners in scoring, along with those regular-season accolades, set him apart.

Honorable Mentions: Connor Hellebuyck, Mark Scheifele

33 Years Old: Artemi Panarin, Forward

Artemi Panarin is at an age where, even with a 31-point reduction from his previous campaign, he is defying the aging curve. He potted 37 goals and added 52 assists for 89 points last season—incredible for a 33-year-old. The Rangers’ offense was underwhelming, but he was not.

Panarin will be a player to monitor for all hockey fans. On an expiring deal, he may test the market if the Rangers fail to make the playoffs again. He has yet to win the Stanley Cup.

Honorable Mentions: Mark Stone, Cam Fowler

34 Years Old: Victor Hedman, Defenseman

Victor Hedman has received Norris Trophy votes in each of his last 10 seasons, showing no signs of slowing down. He’s a constant threat from the blue line, with back-to-back campaigns of 65-plus points.

Hedman isn’t the most important player on the Lightning (see Kucherov and Vasilevskiy), but if he regresses, the team’s championship window will end there. He’s a true No. 1 as a 34-year-old.

Honorable Mentions: Matt Duchene, Ryan O’Reilly

35 Years Old: Roman Josi, Defenseman

Roman Josi was limited to 53 games last season due to injury—getting back on the ice at 100% will be crucial in the Nashville Predators’ hopes of bouncing back from a basement finish. Even at his age, he can go toe-to-toe with almost any defenseman in the NHL.

If he called it quits today, Josi would certainly have a Hall-of-Fame case. He’s a Norris Trophy winner and three-time finalist.

Honorable Mentions: Erik Karlsson, Drew Doughty

36 Years Old: Ryan McDonagh, Defenseman

He’s not the minute-muncher he used to be, but Ryan McDonagh is still among the best No. 3 defensemen in the NHL. After returning to Tampa Bay in the 2024 offseason via trade, he quietly led the league with a plus-43 rating, adding 31 points in 82 games.

McDonagh has been an essential member of several Cup-contending teams, including the Lightning in his previous stint. From Madison Square Garden to Benchmark International Arena (formerly Amalie Arena), the two-way veteran’s impact has not subsided.

Honorable Mentions: Patrick Kane, Jamie Benn

37 Years Old: Sergei Bobrovsky, Goaltender

In all likelihood, two Vezina Trophies would have gotten Sergei Bobrovsky into the Hall of Fame. Back-to-back Stanley Cup wins, though, make him a lock. The 37-year-old netminder still possesses elite athleticism, robbing the best players in the world when it matters most.

It’ll be interesting to see what Bobrovsky chooses to do this offseason. He’s set to be an unrestricted free agent for the first time since 2019, and the Panthers don’t have much of a backup plan if he retires.

Honorable Mentions: Brad Marchand, Claude Giroux

38 Years Old: Sidney Crosby, Forward

Sidney Crosby’s longevity has reached record status. He is the all-time leader in point-per-game seasons (20), coming off an impressive 91-point showing in 2024–25. While the Pittsburgh Penguins lack the surrounding talent they once had, it’s a good bet that Crosby doesn’t deviate from that type of production.

Whenever he chooses to hang up the skates, Crosby will be one of the most accomplished players in NHL history. With several championships and individual awards won throughout his career, his résumé is as stacked as almost anyone’s.

Honorable Mentions: Anže Kopitar, Kris Letang

39 Years Old: Evgeni Malkin, Forward

By being an active NHL player alone, Evgeni Malkin is defying the aging curve. But he’s more than just hanging on by a thread. The legendary Penguins forward recorded 16 goals and 34 assists in 68 games last season, giving him the 26^th-highest point-per-game rate in NHL history among 38-year-old players, according to QuantHockey.

Pittsburgh will likely finish closer to the basement than a playoff spot, but Malkin is still a capable second-line center. If he remains a member of the Penguins until his retirement, that should be valuable for the team’s young wingers.

Honorable Mentions: Jonathan Quick

40 Years Old: Alex Ovechkin, Forward

In April of last season, Gretzky was finally dethroned as the NHL’s greatest goal-scorer—that honor now belongs to Alex Ovechkin. You might expect someone his age to limp into the record, but that was not the case. His 2024–25 campaign was historically unprecedented.

The chart above tracks goals scored per hour of ice time. It includes all 10,305 forward seasons with at least 500 minutes of ice time since 2007–08. Last season, Ovechkin scored at the third-best rate in the sample.

To put that in perspective, he scored at a better pace than 2022–23 McDavid and David Pastrňák, who each recorded 60 goals with about 15 fewer years of wear on their tires. “The Great 8” was, truly, a man on a mission. He’ll likely continue to be until he hangs up the skates.

Honorable Mentions : Brent Burns, Corey Perry

Do you agree or disagree with these picks? Feel free to leave your thoughts below!