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Winning important face-offs, leading rushes up the ice, and setting up teammates are the hallmarks of an elite center. NHL Network producers and analysts on Wednesday revealed their list of the top 20 centers in the League right now in the third of a nine-part series. Here is the list:

20. Nico Hischier, New Jersey Devils

Hischier, who was the first pick in the 2017 NHL Draft, is the highest-drafted player from Switzerland in the history of the NHL. The captain of New Jersey scored 67 points (27 goals, 40 assists) in 71 regular-season games, and 39 points (14 goals, 25 assists) in 35 games. This performance was achieved while averaging an ice time of 20:36 after the 2024 NHL All-Star Game. Up to now, the 25-year-old player has accumulated 353 points (136 goals, 217 assists) in 452 regular-season games.

19. Mika Zibanejad, New York Rangers

Zibanejad was one of the initial six players chosen for the Swedish team set to compete against the United States, Canada, and Finland in the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off, which will run from February 12 to 20. In his 81 games, he scored 72 points (26 goals, 46 assists) and added 16 points (three goals, 13 assists) in 16 Stanley Cup Playoff games, contributing to the Rangers reaching the Eastern Conference Final. However, they suffered a six-game defeat to the Florida Panthers. The 31-year-old player has managed to score a minimum of 20 goals in nine out of the last ten seasons.

18. Robert Thomas, St. Louis Blues

Last season saw Thomas achieve NHL career highs in goals (26), assists (60), points (86), and games (82), earning him his first NHL All-Star nomination. The 25-year-old’s career total of 315 NHL points places him fourth among his 2017 draft class, trailing Elias Pettersson (412), Hischier (353), and Cale Makar (336).

17. Tim Stutzle, Ottawa Senators

Despite a decrease in Stutzle’s goal total from 39 in 2022-23 to 18 last season, and a drop in his point total from 90 to 70, he achieved a career-high 52 assists in 75 NHL games, averaging almost a point per game (0.93). The 22-year-old also faced injuries and had added responsibilities due to the injuries of center Josh Norris and Shane Pinto’s absence from the first 41 games due to sports wagering-related activities. Stutzle, the No. 3 pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, leads his draft class in goals (91), assists (156), and points (247).

16. Nick Suzuki, Montreal Canadiens

The captain of the Canadiens achieved NHL career bests in goals (33), assists (44), and points (77) over 82 games in the previous season. He netted his 100th NHL career goal 17 seconds into overtime, securing a 4-3 victory against the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena on March 5. The 25-year-old player has amassed 286 points, comprising 108 goals and 178 assists, in 373 regular-season games.

15. Dylan Larkin, Detroit Red Wings

The captain of the Red Wings set a new personal record in the NHL last season with 33 goals and 36 assists in 68 games. This marks the fourth instance in his career where he scored a minimum of 30 goals. Averaging over a point per game (1.01) for the first time in his nine-season NHL career, the 28-year-old player hit his 200th NHL goal on January 27 and achieved his 500th point on April 11.

14. Roope Hintz, Dallas Stars

Since joining the Stars in the 2018-19 season, Hintz has displayed consistent performance. In the last season, he accumulated 65 points (30 goals, 35 assists) in 80 games, following scores of 72 and 75 in the two previous seasons. His production was limited due to injuries during Dallas’ journey to the Western Conference Final, where they experienced a six-game defeat to the Edmonton Oilers. During this period, he managed to secure eight points (two goals, six assists) in 15 games.

13. Connor Bedard, Chicago Blackhawks

Despite missing 14 games due to an injury, the winner of the 2024 Calder Trophy led or shared the lead among rookies and the Blackhawks in goals (22), assists (39) and points (61). At the age of 19, Bedard became the second-youngest player in NHL history (18 years, 276 days) to outrightly or jointly lead in all three categories. He falls behind Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche who achieved this feat at 18 years, 224 days during the 2013-14 season.

12. Sebastian Aho, Carolina Hurricanes

Aho was among the initial six players selected to represent Finland in the 4 Nations Face-Off. He achieved a personal best in the NHL with 89 points (36 goals, 53 assists) across 78 games in the previous season, topping the Hurricanes’ charts in goals, assists, and points for the third time. At 27, he accumulated 12 points (four goals, eight assists) in 11 playoff games, becoming the third player in NHL history, following Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux, to at least share the team’s scoring lead in his first six postseasons.

11. J.T. Miller, Vancouver Canucks

Miller has just completed his first 100-point season in the NHL, with a total of 103 points consisting of 37 goals and 66 assists. This achievement made him the sixth player in 40 years, and the second in the previous season after Artemi Panarin, to score his first 100-point season at the age of 31 or older. Other players who have managed this feat include Erik Karlsson in 2022-23, Steven Stamkos in 2021-22, Martin St. Louis in 2006-07, and Daniel Alfredsson in 2005-06. Miller’s contribution was instrumental in the Canucks winning 50 games and making it to the playoffs for the second time since the 2014-15 season. During the 13 postseason games, Miller scored 12 points, which was made up of three goals and nine assists. Over the past three seasons, he has consistently scored at least 32 goals and 82 points.

10. Elias Pettersson, Vancouver Canucks

On March 2, 2024, Pettersson evaded restricted free agency by signing an eight-year contract with the Canucks. He achieved 89 points, consisting of 34 goals and 55 assists, and secured more than half of his face-offs (50.8 percent) for the first time in his NHL career. Pettersson set a personal record with 10 game-winning goals; this number also topped the Canucks and equaled Daniel Sedin’s third-highest season record in team history. He also achieved a career-best of 125 hits, surpassing his combined total from the three preceding seasons. The 25-year-old has maintained a scoring streak, netting a minimum of 32 goals in three successive seasons.

9. Jack Hughes, New Jersey Devils

Despite missing 20 games due to an injury, Hughes scored 74 points (27 goals, 47 assists) and is anticipated to be prepared for the upcoming training camp after undergoing shoulder surgery on April 10. As the top pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, he led the Devils by scoring an average of 1.19 points per game and achieving 31 power-play points. He also led the New Jersey forwards in average ice time, clocking in at 20:58. The 23-year-old set career records in the 2022-23 season, with 43 goals, 56 assists, and 99 points in 78 games.

8. Jack Eichel, Vegas Golden Knights

Eichel was among the first six players chosen to represent the United States in the 4 Nations Face-Off. He racked up 68 points, comprising 31 goals and 37 assists, in 63 games the previous season. He also secured seven points, with three goals and four assists, in seven playoff games. At 27 years old, Eichel became a Stanley Cup champion in 2023, leading the playoffs in scoring with 26 points, including six goals and 20 assists. This was the third-highest total by a player in their inaugural postseason in NHL history.

7. Brayden Point, Tampa Bay Lightning

Point had another fruitful season with 90 points (46 goals, 44 assists) in 81 games, following a season where his 51 goals were the highest for Tampa Bay and the fifth-highest in the NHL. The 28-year-old has consistently scored 20 or more goals for seven consecutive seasons, including over 40 goals three times. In his 87 playoff games, he has achieved 87 points (42 goals, 45 assists) and has secured the Cup twice with the Lightning in 2020 and 2021.

6. Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins

The captain of the Penguins, who is 37 years old, has been selected for Canada’s 4 Nations Face-off team. Crosby, in his 19th NHL season last year, topped Pittsburgh’s score sheet with 94 points (42 goals, 52 assists) in 82 games, contributing 30 (10 goals, 20 assists) in the closing 18 games. He shares a record with Gretzky for the highest number of seasons (19) scoring at least one point per game in the history of the NHL. A three-time Stanley Cup champion (2009, 2016, 2017) and two-time recipient of the Conn Smythe Trophy (2016, 2017), Crosby has also won the Art Ross Trophy, Hart Trophy and “Rocket” Richard Trophy twice, the Ted Lindsay Award three times, and was recognized as one of the NHL’s 100 greatest players during the League’s Centennial celebration in 2017.

5. Aleksander Barkov, Florida Panthers

Barkov, the first NHL captain born in Finland, led the Panthers to their inaugural NHL championship by contributing significantly to a 2-1 win over the Oilers in the 2024 Final’s Game 7, clinching the Stanley Cup. His performance included five points (two goals, three assists) in the series and 22 points (eight goals, 14 assists) across 24 playoff games. The 28-year-old also had a successful regular season, scoring 80 points (23 goals, 57 assists) in 73 games. He was among the first six players selected for Finland’s 4 Nations Face-Off team.

4. Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oilers

In the previous season, Draisaitl ranked seventh in the NHL with 106 points (41 goals, 65 assists) from 81 regular-season games, along with 31 points (10 goals, 21 assists) from 25 playoff games. The 28-year-old, who was the third pick in the 2014 NHL Draft, has accumulated 850 points (347 goals, 503 assists) in 719 regular-season games, and 108 points (41 goals, 67 assists) in 74 playoff games. Since the 2018-19 season, he has scored the second highest number of goals (254) in the NHL, trailing Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs (272). He also ranks second in points (726), tied with his teammate, Connor McDavid.

3. Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs

The 26-year-old player made history last season by scoring 69 goals, the highest total since Lemieux’s 69 in 70 games during the 1995-96 season. Matthews, who netted 60 goals in 2021-22, is now the ninth player in NHL history to have a minimum of two 60-goal seasons. He shares this honor with Mike Bossy (five), Gretzky (five), Phil Esposito (four), Lemieux (four), Brett Hull (three), Pavel Bure (two), Jari Kurri (two), and Steve Yzerman (two). Since being the top pick in the 2016 NHL Draft, Matthews has scored the most goals in the NHL. He will also be representing the United States in the 4 Nations Face-Off.

2. Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche

The current Hart Trophy holder, recognized as the NHL’s most valuable player, came in second in the NHL with 140 points (51 goals, 89 assists) in 82 games. He also received the Ted Lindsay Award, given to the most exceptional player as chosen by the NHL Players’ Association. MacKinnon will be representing Canada in the 4 Nations Face-off. Last season, he had a 35-game home point streak (77 points; 29 goals, 48 assists), which is the second-longest in NHL history, only surpassed by Gretzky’s 40 with the Los Angeles Kings in 1988-89. At 28, he clinched the Stanley Cup with the Avalanche in 2022.

1. Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers

McDavid finished third in Hart voting behind MacKinnon and Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov. The Oilers captain was third in the NHL with 132 points in 76 games last season and finished the 2024 playoffs with 42 points (eight goals, 34 assists) in 25 games; only Gretzky and Lemieux had more in one postseason. He became the sixth player on the losing team of the Final to win the Conn Smythe Trophy, and the first skater since Reggie Leach with the Philadelphia Flyers in 1976. The 27-year-old who was the No. 1 pick in the 2015 NHL Draft leads the League in points (982 in 645 games) since entering the League and was named to Canada’s 4 Nations Face-Off roster.