Hughes brothers, Sens' DeBrincat crack TSN's top 50 players

TSN’s panel of hockey experts has put together its annual list of the Top 50 NHL players ahead of the full reveal on our Top 50 special on Thursday, Oct. 6 (11:30am ET/8:30am PT on TSN4, 7:30pm ET/4:30pm PT on TSN4/5).

Today, we go over the players ranked 50th to 41st.

Coming in at No. 50 is Pittsburgh Penguins defenceman Kris Letang (not ranked last season). The 35-year-old was coming into a contract season in 2021-22 where his future was uncertain with the Penguins organization. Letang responded by scoring 10 goals and setting career highs in assists (58) and points (68) leading him to signing a six-year, $36.6 million contract prior to the start of the free agency period.

No. 49 is New Jersey Devils centre Jack Hughes (not ranked last season). Despite missing 33 games with a dislocated shoulder and MCL injury, the 2019 No. 1 overall selection had a career season with 26 goals and 56 points in 49 games.

New York Rangers winger Chris Kreider (not ranked last season) is No. 48 after finishing third in the NHL with 52 goals and registering 77 points in 81 games last season, which shattered his previous career highs. The 31-year-old winger was in the mix in the race for the Maurice (Rocket) Richard Trophy and helped lead the Rangers to their second playoff appearance since 2017.

Ottawa Senators’ winger Alex DeBrincat holds the No. 47 spot going into a contract season. The 24-year-old sniper was traded to the Senators on July 7 by the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for the No. 7 and No. 39 picks in the 2022 NHL Draft and a third-round pick in 2024. The 5-foot-7 winger matched his career high 41 goals and set career highs with 37 assists and 78 points in 82 games last season.

No. 46 is Vancouver Canucks defenceman Quinn Hughes (No. 38 last season). Hughes, who turns 23 on Oct. 14, is continuing his rise amongst NHL defencemen after another strong season where he matched his career-high of eight goals and set career highs with 60 assists and 68 points. His 68 points also set a new Canucks’ record for the most points by a defenceman in a season.

Detroit Red Wings defenceman Moritz Seider (not ranked last season) is ranked at No. 45. The Zell, Germany native won the 2022 Calder Memorial Trophy and was a member of the NHL All-Rookie Team after scoring seven goals and 50 points in 82 games last season. The 21-year-old finished tied for sixth in scoring among defencemen and 10th in ice time with 25:15 per game.

Dallas Stars winger Jason Robertson (not ranked last season) holds the No. 44 spot. After finishing behind Minnesota Wild forward Kirill Kaprizov for the Calder Memorial Trophy in 2021, the 23-year-old exploded with 41 goals and 79 points in 74 games in 2021-22. The 6-foot-3 forward remains a restricted free agent and is not with the Stars for training camp.

Ranking at No. 43 is Washington Capitals defenceman John Carlson (No. 41 last season). The 32-year-old finished fifth among defencemen in scoring with 17 goals, 54 assists, and 71 points in 78 games in 2021-22. Carlson was in the top 10 among defencemen in goals (fourth), assists (eighth), and points (fifth) last season.

Carolina Hurricanes defenceman Jaccob Slavin (not ranked last season) comes in at No. 42 after scoring four goals and setting career highs with 38 assists and 42 points. The 28-year-old finished eighth in the NHL with a career-high plus/minus 35 and finished second in Lady Byng Memorial Trophy voting after only take 10 minutes in penalties as a defenceman.

Just missing the top 40 is Penguins winger Jake Guentzel (No. 45 last season) who comes in a No. 41. Guentzel, who will turn 28 on Oct. 6, reached the 40-goal plateau for the second time in his career and set career highs with 44 assists and 84 points in 76 games. The 5-foot-11 forward has been more than a point-per-game player in each of the past three seasons.

On Monday, we reveal players No. 31-40.