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To start the 2024-25 season, THW put lists together of the top 10 players for each position, as well as coaches. It goes without saying that it is a very tough list to do given how subjective it is, but nevertheless, we are here to do it once again.
Other THW Positional Rankings:
As you will see, there are names on this list that have changed due to some centermen playing exceptionally through the first half of the season, while others have struggled. With that said, here are the current top 10 centermen in the NHL as of the preseason for 2024-25.
10. J.T. Miller
There has been a huge turnaround for J.T. Miller in his career. At one point, he was looked at as a fairly good scoring center who was horrible defensively, but under Rick Tocchet, his game has become very well-rounded. He has hit over a point-per-game in each of the last three seasons, including two 99+ seasons.
Ever since joining the Vancouver Canucks ahead of the 2018-19 season, J.T. Miller has gone from a nice complimentary piece to a legitimate star. As good as he’s been in recent years, however, he has been an entirely different beast in 2023-24, and is expected to continue that into 2024-25.
Last season, Miler posted 37 goals and 103 points, earning Hart Trophy votes, as well as for the Selke Trophy.
9. Jack Hughes
It’s hard to believe there were many who questioned the eight-year, $64 million deal the New Jersey Devils gave Jack Hughes. It was fair to be hesitant at the time, as he hadn’t shown much to that point early in his career and was instead paid for his potential. Sometimes that pays off for teams, other times not so much. For the Devils, it worked better than even they could have imagined, as they now have one of the best bargain deals in the entire league.
Over the past three seasons, Hughes has quickly turned into one of the top players in the game, and he is still just 22 years old. Injuries have slowed his production down a bit, but when healthy, Hughes is a phenomenal young star. Last season, Hughes posted 74 points in just 62 games. At the start of the season, Hughes was scoring two points per game for the first chunk of the season before going down with an injury. With the Devils looking much better heading into this year, the sky is the limit for Hughes.
8. Sebastian Aho
The Carolina Hurricanes are consistently challenging for the top spot in the Metropolitan Division, and Sebastian Aho is a huge reason as to why. Last season, the now 27-year-old star had played some of the best hockey of his career with 36 goals and 89 points in 78 games.
Not only has Aho broken out into an excellent point-producing forward, but his defensive play is among the best in the league. With Selke Trophy votes in each of the past four seasons, that is a huge reason as to why he is so valuable.
7. Brayden Point
Another underrated center in the league is Brayden Point. He has emerged into a 40+ goal and 90+ point center on the Lightning since taking over the top-line role from Steven Stamkos. Not only can he produce, but he has also received votes for the Lady Byng and Selke Trophies throughout his young career. Point’s emergence has allowed the Lightning to extend their window of contention, and he has become one of the most important players on the team and is irreplaceable.
6. Sidney Crosby
Sidney Crosby is without a doubt one of the greatest players in NHL history, and even at 37 years old, he is a top 10 player in the league. He has been consistently in the conversation for the Hart Trophy, Selke Strophy, and many other awards. His offense has barely fallen off over the past decade, and his defensive game has arguably gotten better.
With a 42-goal season in 2023-24, as well at 94 points, Crosby’s extremely well-rounded game has led to the Penguins continuing to push for the playoffs, and that all rides on his ability to lead the way.
5. Aleksander Barkov
Aleksander Barkov has taken over as the top two-way center in the NHL now that Patrice Bergeron has retired, and on top of that, has found strong offensive consistency over the past three seasons. During the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Barkov had some of the toughest matchups possible and did an excellent job shutting down the top players on all of the teams he faced on the path to winning the Stanley Cup. If it hadn’t been for McDavid’s outrageous scoring pace, Barkov would have won the Conn Smythe Trophy as he received second-place votes on 15 out of the 17 ballots.
4. Leon Draisaitl
When ranking the league’s best centers simply on talent, Leon Draisaitl is a top-three option in the NHL. Draisaitl has posted over 100 points in five of the last six seasons, with the only exception being the shortened 56-game season, where he was on pace for an impressive 123 points.
Not only does Draisaitl perform well in the regular season, but his playoff performances have been among the best in league history with 108 points in just 74 career playoff games.
3. Auston Matthews
It is undeniable at this point that Auston Matthews is the game’s best goal-scorer. In a down season by his standards in 2022-23 he still managed to pot 40. Now, back to 100% health, he had led the league by a wide margin last season, scoring 69 goals in 81 games.
Not only is Matthews a perennial Hart Trophy finalist, but he has entered the conversation for the Selke Trophy and his defensive efforts are being recognized.
2. Nathan MacKinnon
One thing Nathan MacKinnon hasn’t done much of since entering the league is win personal hardware. While he won the Calder Trophy in 2013-14 and Lady Byng in 2019-20, it’s rare for players of his caliber to finish their career without at least on Art Ross and Hart Trophy, and you can bet that it was weighing on him.
MacKinnon finished the 2023-24 season just four points behind Nikita Kucherov for the Art Ross, scoring 140 points, which would win the trophy in nearly any other season. On top of that, MacKinnon won the Hart Trophy and Ted Lindsay Memorial as the most valuable player, as well as the best player as voted upon by the fans.
1. Connor McDavid
Connor McDavid is undoubtedly the best player in the NHL. With his game-breaking play every night, McDavid pulls himself closer and closer to the top of the list of all-time greats with each game he plays. At just 27 years old, he is still getting better each season.
Heading into the 2024-25 season, McDavid is going to look to continue his dominant play from the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs and further extend the gap between him and everybody else in the NHL. It is one of the rarest feats in NHL history for a forward on the losing team of the Stanley Cup Final to win the Conn Smythe Trophy, but McDavid did so with little competition.
More must-reads:
- Florida Panthers center Eetu Luostarinen suffers freak injury in 'barbecue accident'
- Adam Lowry's contract extension with Jets is another blow to 2026 NHL free agency
- The 'NHL all-time goal leaders' quiz
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TODAY'S BEST
Two Maple Leafs defensemen emerge on insider's latest trade board
The trade winds are finally starting to blow across the NHL. With one week to go until American Thanksgiving, general managers have seen enough action to determine whether their roster needs a shake-up. Right in the thick of those discussions are the Toronto Maple Leafs, who have been mired in an underwhelming and now injury-riddled first 20 games of the season. Because of that, it’s become public knowledge that Brad Treliving wants to make changes, and while we all know who’s off limits in Toronto, TSN insider Chris Johnston revealed who’s available for the taking as his latest trade board included defensemen Brandon Carlo and Morgan Rielly. He provided these details on the two Maple Leafs’ blue-liners: “Traded from Boston to Toronto ahead of last year’s deadline, Carlo is among a small handful of players who could bring the struggling Leafs back surplus value in a shakeup deal. Of course, they’d also be immediately looking for another sturdy defender who can patrol the right side if they elect to go down that road.” He added: “The longest-tenured member of the Maple Leafs owns a no-movement clause and no apparent desire for a change of scenery. However, a tough start to the season in Toronto has left management looking at all options. Rielly had a heart-to-heart with GM Brad Treliving in May and responded with a big summer, but the team is still searching for the right mix on its blue line,” Johnston said of Rielly. The 28-year-old Carlo is in the fifth season of the six-year, $24.6 million extension he signed with the Bruins in 2021, while the 31-year-old Rielly is in year four of the eight-year, $60 million extension he inked with the Maple Leafs in 2021. Morgan Rielly no longer untouchable? While Carlo being on the block is understandable, given his struggles to find a fit in Toronto, Rielly’s name appearing on trade boards is very interesting. The 2012 fifth-overall pick has been viewed as part of the Maple Leafs’ core and untouchable in any trade discussions. However, that appears to have changed, as first, it was Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman not listing Rielly as an untouchable on Monday, and now, Johnston has the veteran at No. 25 on his November trade board. Moving Rielly will be extremely difficult for Treliving to pull off, particularly since he’ll want a top-of-the-line defenseman back in return, which feels unlikely to come given that teams with interest in Rielly probably don’t want to part with that. If something of this magnitude does go down, it’s either because the Maple Leafs’ season continues to go down the drain or they find a way to get creative and shock the hockey world with a blockbuster nobody saw coming.
New Angels pitcher Grayson Rodriguez reveals interesting health update after Orioles trade
Acquired in a trade with the Baltimore Orioles, new Los Angeles Angels pitcher Grayson Rodriguez believes there is a big reason why he is ready to put his injury history behind him in Anaheim. Just three days after turning 26 years old, Rodriguez is now a member of the Angels after a one-for-one trade that sent outfielder Taylor Ward to Baltimore. He is also hoping that a new location means an end to injuries that have limited him to 43 starts over the past three seasons. That includes zero starts and innings in 2025 because of an elbow issue in spring training, followed by a right lateral strain in April. More elbow problems popped up for Rodriguez in July before he underwent debridement surgery on his elbow in August, officially ending his season. That surgery, however, is, Rodriguez believes, the key to his return to the mound in 2026 as well as his ability to stay on it. Angels' Grayson Rodriguez said bone spurs have been an issue for a long time In a Zoom meeting with Angels reporters on Wednesday, Rodriguez said the bone spurs that were removed had been a problem for years. "That was something that's kind of lingered with me for about three or four years now," Rodriguez said. "I've had them for a while and kind of just got to the point where I couldn't really pitch through it. Pretty sure that's kind of what was causing some of the lat injuries." If that's the case, it could unlock a pitcher who has logged a 4.11 ERA in 238.2 innings over those 43 starts. He has also registered 9.8 strikeouts per nine innings while issuing just 2.9 walks. Getting those kinds of numbers would be a big boost for an Angels rotation that finished 28th out of MLB's 30 teams last season in ERA at 4.91. It would also represent a missed opportunity for an Orioles team that has stated it is looking for another front-line starter. Rodriguez said on Wednesday he would be ready for spring training, giving hope to the Angels that they have found a pitcher who can be a long-term answer for them on the mound. Rodriguez is not scheduled to be a free agent until the 2030 season. If Rodriguez can stay healthy and produce in Anaheim, it would be a gut punch for an Orioles team that is looking to get back into the postseason conversation in 2026. However, time will tell if those bone spurs are truly the answer to Rodriguez staying healthy and on the field.
Shedeur Sanders makes promise to Browns fans ahead of first regular-season start
Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski announced on Wednesday that rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders will make the first regular-season start of his career when the 2-8 Browns play at the Las Vegas Raiders (2-8) this Sunday. Later on Wednesday, Sanders offered somewhat of a promise to Cleveland supporters who are hoping the fifth-round draft pick could potentially become a savior for the franchise. Shedeur Sanders wants to be "the guy" for the Browns "I know our fans have a lot of expectations and hope," Sanders acknowledged, per Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN. "And I would be doing a disservice to myself and a disservice to the organization if I didn't feel like I am the guy. ...I'm doing everything I need to prepare to be the best version of myself as possible. With the circumstances, everything got to be sped up, and that's great. I like pressure in life. I'm just excited for everything. So, I feel like I'm the guy. I know I'm the guy, but you just have to be able to see." Sanders made his regular-season debut against the Baltimore Ravens this past Sunday after fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel suffered a concussion. In total, Sanders completed 4-of-16 passes for 47 yards with no touchdowns and one interception in what became a 23-16 defeat. He was also sacked twice for a loss of 27 yards. Why Shedeur Sanders is confident he'll be better in second appearance Earlier in the week, Stefanski suggested the coaching staff is confident Sanders will play better after the 23-year-old gets first-team practice reps that were previously reserved for Gabriel. During his Wednesday media availability, Sanders echoed Stefanski's take. "I'm truly excited for that, knowing that I have a piece of [the] offense and a say so and how things fit my eye and place the players exactly where they need to be," Sanders added. "Seeing how they come in and out of routes, seeing the structure of the O-linemen, seeing their set, just having a feeling. I'm more of a feel type of person, so that's how I learn. That's how I do everything. I'm not just, 'Imma just watch it, it's just going to happen.' No, I got to be out there, feel it. I got to move around. It's like so many details that it takes for me to feel my best and play my best, and I'm doing everything in my power and the team's doing everything to help me get prepared." It remains to be seen if a more prepared version of Sanders will be able to relegate a healthy Gabriel to backup duties beyond Week 12. As of Wednesday afternoon, ESPN BET had the Browns as four-point underdogs against the Raiders.
One coach makes sense for LSU if Lane Kiffin doesn't flip to Tigers
The LSU Tigers are serious about their pursuit of current Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin. It makes sense, too. Sure, Kiffin has had some ups and downs (to put it lightly) as a college football coach, but he's been great at Ole Miss since 2020, and he currently has the Rebels at 10-1 and in the running to make a huge run through the College Football Playoff. He's comfortable with SEC football, and he's known as a great recruiter. Those are all things that would make Kiffin a big-time hire for the Tigers as they look to replace Brian Kelly, but they're not the only program in the running. Ole Miss would, obviously, like Kiffin to stay, and the Florida Gators are turning on the full-court press for him as well. LSU would be smart to have options 1A and 1B if Kiffin doesn't end up coming to Baton Rouge, and according to Scott Rabalais of NOLA.com, the Tigers do have two names in mind. "If not Kiffin — and obviously he could go any number of ways — then who for LSU? Two of the names to consider right now appear to be Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz and Tulane coach Jon Sumrall," Rabalais reported earlier in the week. Tulane head coach Jon Sumrall could be a perfect fit for LSU Tigers Eli Drinkwitz of Missouri would be a great option. He's gone 44-27 in six seasons with the Tigers from Columbia, Missouri. The issue with him is somewhat similar to what plagued Kelly at LSU, though, and it's something that led to Penn State firing James Franklin — now the head coach at Virginia Tech. Drinkwitz has kept Mizzou very competitive in the SEC, but he has struggled in big spots. He is 7-14 against ranked teams. LSU could get that kind of production, or lack thereof, from Kelly, which then makes Jon Sumrall from Tulane the next option to look at. Frankly, he may be the best one of the bunch for LSU, and even better of a fit than Kiffin. One of the big problems with Kelly at LSU is that he never fit into the Louisiana culture. A Massachusetts native, he was always seen as an outsider and never tried to change that. Sumrall wasn't born in Louisiana, but he does hail from Texarkana, Texas, which is roughly five hours north of Baton Rouge. He was a linebacker at Kentucky from 2002 to 2004, so he understands SEC football, but most importantly for LSU, he understands life in Louisiana as the head coach at Tulane. He's now in his second season with the Green Wave, but he was also the co-defensive coordinator at Tulane from 2012 to 2014, so he has a lot of experience working and recruiting within the state. Throw in the fact that he's only 43 years old (thus, he really has no baggage as a head coach), and he has No. 24 Tulane in the hunt in the American Athletic Conference as well as in the hunt for a spot in the CFP, and there are few scenarios in which Sumrall wouldn't be a home run hire for LSU. Again, he may even be a better option than Kiffin, though it does sound like LSU wants to bark up that tree first before looking elsewhere.
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