There are many opinions about who the best of the best are in the National Hockey league. Here we will end all debates and rank the top forwards and defensemen.

Forwards:

1. 1. Connor McDavid: One half of the dynamic duo on the Edmonton Oilers. McDavid has 90 points in 61 games and leads the league in overall points. With his blazing speed and overall pure talent, McDavid is usually a consensus best all-around player in all ranking lists.
   2. Auston Matthews: The best goal scorer in the league by far. Matthews leads the league in goals scored with 46 goals in 57 games played. Auston has one of the snappiest and quickest releases that hockey has ever seen, which might explain his ability always to find the back of the net.
   3. Leon Draisaitl: The other half of the dynamic duo on the Edmonton Oilers. Draisaitl, this season has been nothing short of amazing. He has 86 points in 62 games played. He is also the most scoring German hockey player of all time. He has 90 more points than the second place, Marco Sturm, but he has played 398 fewer games, which shows how talented Leon is on the ice.
   4. Jonathan Huberdeau: Normally, Hubderdeau would not be this high on a rankings list, but in this season, he has been tearing it up. He is tied for second in the league in points scored with Leon Draisaitl and also leads the league in assists with 65 in 62 games played. This is a blazing pace for Huberdeau as he is on pace for a career-high in points and is also helping his team be the second-best overall team in the league.
   5. Alexander Ovechkin: Also known as “The Great 8,” Ovechkin has been doing very well for how long he played. Many fans believe that he would start to slow down because of his age, but he has been playing some of the best hockey of his career. He is 4th in the league in goals scored with 40 and tied for 7th for overall points scored with 70.

   Defenseman:

   

   1. Roman Josi: Josi has been on fire lately, as, in his past four games, he has a whopping 13 points scored. This has boosted him to 75 points scored overall in 60 games played. This is surprising as most people believed Cale Makar to be the consensus-best defenseman in the league. Still, Roman Josi must have taken this personally as he has been playing with a chip on his shoulder.
   2. Cale Makar: Cale Makar is a forward who knows how to play defense. This is what makes him so good because he can defend and shoot pucks into the back of the net. He has been slowing up lately, but he still has 69 points in 58 games played. He and Roman Josi will have a battle for the Norris Trophy that could go down in history.
   3. Adam Fox: The star defenseman on the New York Rangers, Fox, is the defending Norris Trophy winner. He has been playing well this season and is one of the core reasons the Rangers are doing so well, and this is due to Fox’s ability to defend well and set his teammates up with the best possible shots. He has 62 points scored in 60 games, which is above a point per game pace.
   4. Victor Hedman: One of the reigning Stanley Cup champions, Hedman is one of the most consistently performing defensemen. He is a very balanced player overall, as he can score, pass, and defend, which makes him so good. His consistent playing is one of the main reasons the Tampa Bay Lightning has been as successful as the past few years.
   5. Aaron Ekblad: Part of the deep core of defenseman in Florida, Ekblad has been exceptional for the Panthers. He uses the star power that he is surrounded by in Florida to rack up assists, but this doesn’t mean he can’t score goals either, as he has 17 goals scored this season so far. He will help the Panthers make a run at the Stanley Cup this season.