With a new NHL campaign upon us, TSN Hockey’s blue-ribbon panel has compiled its annual list of the Top 50 players - a projection of the top players for the upcoming season. Today we continue by revealing the players ranked 40th to 31st.
Two of the biggest deals during the NHL off-season came from a pair of restricted free agents who both have a lot to prove.
Anaheim Ducks forward Leo Carlsson shocked the hockey world when he signed a five-year, $90 million offer sheet from the Philadelphia Flyers that held an NHL record (at the time) $18 million cap hit at the beginning of July.
Carlsson, 21, was drafted second overall by the Ducks in 2023 and is considered to be huge part of a young core that cracked the playoffs for the first time since 2017-18 campaign last season.
The 6-foot-3 centre finished second on the Ducks in scoring last season with 29 goals and 67 points in 70 games as they finished with a 43-33-6 record.
He added four goals and 11 points in 12 playoff games before the Ducks were eliminated in the second round by the eventual Western Conference-champion Vegas Golden Knights in six games.
The Ducks eventually matched the offer to Carlsson in order to retain his services, which left the team in a cap crunch. Anaheim has yet to sign leading scorer and restricted free agent Cutter Gauthier to a new deal entering training camp and parted ways with veteran forward Chris Kreider in a mutual buyout in order to maintain cap flexibility.
Carlsson makes his first-ever appearance on TSN Hockey’s top 50 players list at No. 39 and is looking to show that he is worth the money as he enters the 2026-27 campaign.
Chicago Blackhawks forward Connor Bedard also made headlines with his new contract, signing a five-year, $75 million deal that carries an annual cap hit of $15 million.
The North Vancouver native had a career season last year, recording 30 goals and 75 points in 69 games as he continues to prove that he can live up to the hype that saw him drafted first overall in 2023.
Bedard sustained an upper-body injury last season that kept him out of the lineup 12 games and will miss the beginning of this season after sustaining a shoulder injury during off-season workouts.
After barely missing the cut last year, Bedard returns to the TSN Hockey top 50 player list at No. 35 as he looks to translate his individual success to team success with the Blackhawks.
40. Kyle Connor, Winnipeg Jets
2025-26 Ranking: 22
Jets sniper Connor kicks off this group of players beginning at No. 40 on the list.
While Winnipeg took a step back from winning the Presidents’ Trophy in 2024-25 to missing the playoffs last season, Connor remained as dangerous as ever.
The 6-foot-1 winger recorded 39 goals and 92 points in 82 games to finish second in Jets’ scoring last season. He also was a member of the United States’ gold-medal men’s Olympic squad claimed victory for the first time since 1980.
Connor is locked up with the Jets as he begins an eight-year, $96 million contract this season that carries an annual cap hit of $12 million.
39. Leo Carlsson, Anaheim Ducks
2025-26 Ranking: N/A
Carlsson makes his debut on the list at No. 39 as he looks to prove that he is worth the money that he got from restricted free agency.
Fresh off a career season that saw him score 29 goals and 67 points in 70 games, he signed a record (at the time) five-year, $90 million offer sheet that carried a cap hit of $18 million, which Anaheim eventually matched.
He helped the Ducks reach the playoffs for the first time since the 2017-18 season and was instrumental in the team dispatching the back-to-back Western Conference-champion Edmonton Oilers in the first round.
Carlsson leads a young, talented core in Anaheim as they look to take the next step to becoming Stanley Cup contenders.
38. Tim Stutzle, Ottawa Senators
2025-26 Ranking: 35
Stutzle comes in at No. 38 after helping lead the Senators to a playoff spot for the second consecutive season.
The 6-foot centre set a career-high with 34 goals last season to go along with 83 points in 80 games. He was stifled in the playoffs, only recording an assist as the Senators were swept by the eventual Stanley Cup-champion Carolina Hurricanes.
Stutzle is expected to take more of a leadership role off the ice with the departure of former captain Brady Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers in the off-season.
37. Moritz Seider, Detroit Red Wings
2025-26 Ranking: N/A
Seider returns to the list at No. 37 as the Red Wings continue to try to end their 10-season playoff drought.
The 6-foot-2, right-shot blueliner was third in the NHL last season, averaging 25:40 of ice time while recording 10 goals and 60 points in 82 games with a plus-15 rating.
Seider represents a stabilizing figure in the Red Wings’ locker room after an off-season of turmoil that saw former captain Dylan Larkin request a trade and upheaval in the team’s front office.
36. Wyatt Johnston, Dallas Stars
2025-26 Ranking: N/A
After missing the cut last season, Johnston returns to the top 50, sitting at No. 36 after setting career highs in all offensive categories.
The 6-foot-1 centre registered 45 goals and 86 points in 82 games last season, helping the Stars to the league’s third-best record at 50-20-12. He added four goals and six points in six playoff games, but his team fell to the Minnesota Wild in the first round.
Johnston has been incredibly durable in his first four seasons of his NHL career having appeared in all 82 games for all four seasons.
35. Connor Bedard, Chicago Blackhawks
2025-26 Ranking: N/A
Bedard returns to the top 50 list at No. 35 after just missing the cut last season.
The 5-foot-10 centre set career highs with 30 goals and 75 points in 69 games. He was on the bubble for a spot on Canada’s men’s Olympic team, but a glut of talent up front and an injury at the wrong time denied him the chance.
Chicago remains a work in progress after they finished last in the Central Division with a 29-39-14 record and Bedard is looking to have his personal success translate to team success.
34. Jake Sanderson, Ottawa Senators
2025-26 Ranking: 43
After a strong 2025-26 season, Sanderson jumps up seven spots on the list to No. 34.
Sanderson, 24, is one of the Senators’ top defencemen, recording 14 goals and 54 points in 67 games last season while averaging 24:50 of ice time with a career-high plus-16 rating. He missed time late in the season after sustaining an upper-body injury but was able to return for the playoffs.
The 6-foot-2, left-shot blueliner only appeared in three games in the team’s first-round series loss to the Hurricanes after suffering a concussion in Game 3.
Sanderson helped the United States to a gold-medal victory at Milano Cortina 2026 last February.
33. Miro Heiskanen, Dallas Stars
2025-26 Ranking: 24
Heiskanen remains one of the best defencemen in the NHL, coming in at No. 33 at this year’s list.
The 6-foot-2, puck-moving defenceman recorded nine goals and 63 points in 77 games with the Stars last season while averaging 25:28 of ice time.
Heiskanen entered the playoffs banged up after sustaining a lower-body injury to close the regular season, but appeared in all six games in the Stars’ first-round series loss to the Wild. He recorded two goals and six points in six playoff games while averaging 30:30 of ice time.
32. Igor Shesterkin, New York Rangers
2025-26 Ranking: 23
Shesterkin drops nine spots on the list to No. 32 as the Rangers missed the playoffs for the second consecutive season.
The 6-foot-1 netminder was one of the best goaltenders in the league entering the 2024-25 campaign, leading to him signing a (goalie) record eight-year, $92.03 million contract that carries an $11.5 million cap hit.
Shesterkin was solid last season despite the lack of team success, going 25-19-6 with a 2.60 goals-against average and .912 save percentage. He will look to continue to add to those numbers as the Rangers try to work themselves back into the playoffs.
31. Martin Necas, Colorado Avalanche
2025-26 Ranking: N/A
Necas makes his first appearance on the top 50 list at No. 31 after an impactful first full season with the Avalanche.
After being acquired from the Hurricanes during the 2024-25 campaign in a blockbuster trade that saw Mikko Rantanen go the other way, Necas exploded for 38 goals and 100 points in 78 games last season.
His production helped the Avalanche win the Presidents’ Trophy with a 55-16-11 record and led to a new eight-year, $92 million contract extension that carries an annual cap hit of $11.5 million.
Necas added a goal and 13 points in 13 playoff games before the Avalanche were eliminated in the Western Conference Final by the Golden Knights.
On Wednesday, we reveal No. 30 to No. 21 of our annual Top 50 NHL Players list
