Considered maybe the easiest position in hockey, the right wing has given birth to some of hockey’s greatest studs. From Gordie Howe to Teemu Selanne, the position has seen more than its fair share of greatness. Today’s NHL is the most skilled era we’ve ever seen with a new generation of players that are faster, stronger, and more skilled than ever before. I don’t know about you, but I definitely wouldn’t be able to keep up with an NHL skater. Today we’re going to be looking at my top five right wings in the NHL today.
Per usual, starting off with number five on our list is a Toronto Maple Leaf. Any guesses? If you guessed Mitch Marner you are WRONG. At number five is William Nylander. The son of Legendary Michael Nylander has been a staple name in Toronto households since being drafted in 2014. Drafted 8th overall he burst onto the scene in Leaf land, playing his first full rookie season in 2016-17 where he put up an impressive 61 points playing alongside fellow rookie Auston Matthews. Nylander has steadily gotten better each season in his career with his peak last season finishing with 40 goals and 98 points in a full season. Prior to that he put up an impressive 80 and 87 point seasons. He’s absolutely electric to watch having such poise with the puck and one of the better releases in the game. He’s also shown to be a big time gamer, usually being the struggling Maple Leafs best performer come playoff time. More than that he’s got the style and flow off the ice, am I the only one who’s jealous of that hair? Nylander is on pace to finish the current season with 50 goals and 83 points if he plays a full year and it’s not crazy to say that the best is still yet to come for Willy.
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At number four we have one of Nylander’s best friends as well as biggest rivals in David Pasternak. Pasta was drafted 17 spots after Nylander in the 2014 entry draft and has been one of Boston’s biggest stars ever since. He broke out as a star producer in 2016-17 and has torn up the NHL ever since, becoming one of the league’s more prolific goal scorers and a perennial 80 plus point player. The speedy Czech has put up over 100 points twice in his career now, doing it both of the previous two seasons and is projected to finish right around the mark once again this year in what is considered to now be a down year for him. He garnered some highly prestigious accolades including the Rocket Richard Trophy in 2020 for the most goals scored that season as well as being named to the Czechia roster for the world cup in 2016 well before being established as the franchise player he is today. He also is one of very few current NHL players to achieve a 60 goal season, having done so in 2023-24. Unfortunately for the winger, the Bruins are aging and on the decline. If he hopes to continue the days of 60 goal seasons he’ll likely need a change of scenery. Vancouver has cap space this season, just saying.
For number three, no this is not biased, the team is really just that deep! Once again another Toronto Maple Leaf it’s Mitch Marner. Where do you even start with a player like Marner? Now rendered as a Canadian hero for his performance at the 4 Nations Faceoff, Marner has been one of the best playmakers in the NHL since his sophomore year in 2018. At 2017 years old now Marner has yet however to find the success he’s looking for in regular NHL action. He’s in the midst of a career year projected to finish with over 100 points for the first time and has an expiring contract pending this summer. Marner has been surrounded by talent since entering the league, clocking most of his minutes alongside one of; Matthews, Tavares, or Kadri. This in no way takes away from what he’s done as it serves solely as a guide for the mentorship that he’s received. Like Nylander he is dynamic and incredibly electric to watch, almost looking like a little kid hopped up on Mountain Dew when he’s on the ice, weaving and maneuvering often finishing plays with the most flashy pass imaginable, Marner is going to get a big payday coming this summer as he deserves.
In our number two spot is the newly acquired by the Carolina Hurricanes, Mikko Rantanen. The new Finish Flash is an absolute monster on the ice, some comparing him to a moose as he stands at 6 ‘4 however he is probably faster than your average moose. Having “grown up” in the league playing alongside MacKinnon in Colorado, Rantanen has blossomed into one of the most elite players in the game today. Breaking out in the 2018 season his career has been on a steady upward trajectory seeming to top the previous season every year. This culminated in a 2022 Stanley Cup for the Avs where he was a cornerstone in pulling the Avalanche to the top of the mountain. See what I did there? Rantanen is a beast in all on ice situations and has now added a 100 point player to his description list having done it both of the previous two seasons. With his contract expiring come June, he will likely become one of the top paid players in the NHL and had to be traded because he was deemed unaffordable by the stacked Colorado roster. Now playing in Carolina he’s elevated the Eastern team to a real cup contender as he chases his second and more importantly “that bag” this summer.
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At number one I’m sure to nobody’s surprise is Nikita Kucherov. Since joining the league he’s been a generational talent and it begs the question as to why he was drafted so late? Kucherov went late in the second round to the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2011 and this was mainly due to his size as well as “the Russian factor”. Even today tons of players are looked over simply because of their size, that’s why so many great players like Kucherov and even fellow teammate Point were drafted so late yet have blossomed into such studs in the NHL. Additionally “the Russian factor” plays a role for many russian born players because of the worry that they will choose to stay over in Russia as opposed to making the jump to the NHL, usually because of the historic tension between Russia and the West. Kucherov though has been such a generational talent since entering the league, being a perennial 100 plus point player and having won several awards such as MVP and the points title multiple times. He put up 144 points last season, nearing Connor McDavid records and in doing so, slamming his previous seasons best of 128. Nikita Kucherov is one of a kind with one of the best sticks in the league he scores like it’s nothing and dishes some of the best passes we’ve ever seen. He truly is a generational status player.
Is there anyone you think I snubbed off this list? Who would you have as your top five right wingers in the NHL? This is the current top five easily, and personally I don’t see this list changing anytime all that soon.