Three NHL Stars Who Could Challenge McDavid For The No. 1 Player Honor In 2026-27
Edmonton Oilers superstar center Connor McDavid wasn't out of the No. 1 spot for long.
After being ranked second among The Hockey News' "top 100 NHL players right now" list in 2024-25 behind Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon, McDavid was back on top this year. He led the league in scoring and played all 82 games, compared to just 67 last year.
McDavid won the 2025-26 Ted Lindsay Award as the most outstanding player, as voted on by NHL players. It was the fifth time McDavid has won the Ted Lindsay, and it underscores why The Hockey News had him back where likely many believe he belongs.
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3. Macklin Celebrini, C, San Jose Sharks
Your first reaction may be the 19-year-old Celebrini is too young to be crowned the best player in the NHL.
But there's a reason why Celebrini was a finalist for this year's Ted Lindsay. He took a massive leap forward in his sophomore season, putting up 45 goals and 115 points, which is nearly double the 63 points Celebrini generated in his rookie campaign.
Not only is Celebrini about to get another year older and another year better, but the players around him on the Sharks are also going to make him better.
So the idea that Celebrini could win the Ted Lindsay before he is old enough to drink alcohol in many NHL markets isn't so far-fetched. Instead, it would be an acknowledgment that Celebrini is a true generational talent who will be a superstar until further notice.
Celebrini is tracking to be a Hart and Ted Lindsay winner multiple times in his NHL career, and there's nothing stopping him from winning his first one next season. And sure, maybe he doesn't get ranked above McDavid in The Hockey News' top 100 players next year, but after climbing to seventh place this year, he has an outside chance.
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This story was originally published June 12, 2026 at 5:41 PM.