Top 10 NHL Centers in 2024

Who are the top centers in the NHL?

Jun 24, 2024; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Edmonton Oilers forward Connor McDavid (97) controls the puck as Florida Panthers forward Carter Verhaeghe (23) reaches to defend during the first period in game seven of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final at Amerant Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports / Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

The NHL is in a golden era. The sport is booming and the players in the league are reviving the high-scoring era. That starts with the center position, the most coveted position in the league. Let's take a look at the top 10 centers in the NHL heading into the 2024 season.

Honorable Mentions: Elias Pettersson, Roope Hintz, and Sebastien Aho

All four of these players deserve a shoutout. They are all incredible players and could be on this list, but it just goes to show how impressive this position is league-wide.

10. Connor Bedard, Chicago Blackhawks

After a Calder Trophy-winning rookie season, Connor Bedard is officially a top-10 center in the NHL. He recorded 61 points in 68 games with the Blackhawks and quickly became their top offensive option. In year two, he should be pushing to hit the 100-point mark and taking the NHL by storm.

9. JT Miller, Vancouver Canucks

One of the most underrarted centers in the league is JT Miller. At 31 years old, he recorded his first 100 point season, his third straight campaign averaging higher than a point per game. His teammate Elias Pettersson receives more attention, but Miller is currently the superior centerman for the Canucks.

8. Jack Eichel, Las Vegas Golden Knights

Jack Eichel is one of the best players in the NHL when he is healthy. He's been limited to 60-65 games the past two seasons, but he's still putting up points at an impressive clip. He's a difference-maker on both ends of the ice, and the Golden Knights desperately need him at 100% to make another Stanley Cup run.

7. Jack Hughes, New Jersey Devils

Just like Eichel, injuries are hampering Jack Hughes' career early on, but he remains one of the most talented centers in the NHL. He missed 20 games in 2023, but he still registered 74 points. He has the quickest hands in the league and he makes every play look effortless. If he can stay healthy, he's an MVP and Art Ross Trophy candidate.

6. Alexsander Barkov, Florida Panthers

Is Sasha Barkov getting a bump from winning the Stanley Cup? Sure, but he's earned the right to be considered a top-10 center in the NHL. He is a Selke winner who also averaged higher than a point per game in four straight seasons.

He recorded 80 points in 78 regular season games last year and followed that up with 22 in 24 playoff games. The Panthers have one of the top captains and centers in the NHL in Alexsandor Barkov.

5. Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins

Sidney Crosby doesn't age. Going into his 20th season, Crosby remains firmly in the top-5 center discussion. He put up 94 points in 2023, played in all 82 games, and was the best player on a lackluster Penguins team.

He single-handedly almost dragged the team to the postseason for a second straight year. He's turning 37 before the season begins, so Father Time is bound to catch up at some point, but it probably won't be in 2024.

4. Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oilers

The top four is a general consensus with barely anything separating the fourth, third, and second best centers in the league. Leon Draisaitl could easily be ranked thid on this list without anyone batting an eye. Playing second fiddle to Connor McDavid hasn't hampered Draisaitl's ability to be one of the most productive forwards in the NHL in the last decade.

He's surpassed the 40 goal and 100-point mark in four of the last five seasons. The only reason it wasn't five seasons in a row is because the entire league played 25 less games due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020-2021. Still, he recorded 34 goals and 84 points in 56 games during that shortened campaign. He's a superstar who can change the game with a single shift and is one of the best players in the NHL.

3. Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs

Auston Matthews nearly hit the 70-goal mark last season, and it was incredible watching his pursuit. While he didn't hit the mark, he scored the most goals in a single season since the introduction of the salary cap. He's the best goal scorer to enter the NHL since Alex Ovechkin, with 368 career goals at just 26 years old.

Matthews is a pure sniper, but he's able to contribute in myriad ways. His feel for the game and ability to find an open teammate is just as impressive as his shooting, and it all adds up to being a top center in the league.

2. Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche

Nathan MacKinnon is like a freight train on skates. He's so powerful with every stride and the puck leaves his stick with such force you can hardly see it. If Connor McDavid wasn't in the league, MacKinnon would make a compelling case for top centerman in the league.

What's most impressive about MacKinnon is how he's leveled up in the past three seasons. Last season, he recorded the greatest offensive campaign of his career with 140 points. At age 28 and already a Stanley Cup champion, his determination has only grown

1. Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers

This was an easy one to predict. There isn't a better hockey player alive than Connor McDavid and he was the only choice for number one. He can do everything and he's on his way to being on the NHL's Mt. Rushmore if he can just snatch that elusive Stanley Cup.

Even without the Stanley Cup, McDavid is the most complete center in the league. He put up 132 points last season, bringing him just 18 points shy of 1,000 for his career.

McDavid is in his prime. He controls the game every shift, has a super-human ability to see plays develop, and has the fastest acceleration maybe ever on skates. He's the top center in the NHL, and it's going to take a huge effort from the rest of the league to knock him from that position.

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