#1. Connor McDavid
Close your eyes, Leafs fans, it’s July, 2026. McDavid had just won his fourth Hart Trophy, but has yet to make it to a Stanley Cup Final. The Leafs have just won their third straight Stanley Cup Finals but have cleared cap space for McDavid to come home. McDavid is finally playing for the Leafs.
Okay, that’s a little bit of a stretch, but can you imagine?!
McDavid is clearly the best player in the NHL and I don’t want to hear anything else. I know MacKinnon is ripping up the league, Sidney Crosby is still relevant and his partner in crime just won the Hart Trophy, but there’s nobody more electric than McDavid. His speed and vision is something that can’t be taught and when he’s on his game, he’s unstoppable.
Just ask Morgan Rielly. McDavid made the Toronto Maple Leafs best defenseman look like one of those pylons the team uses in practice. He made one little crossover and was gone. It was a disgusting move and one of nicest goals Scotiabank Arena has ever seen.
McDavid’s career point totals are gross. To compare him to Marner, who went fourth overall in the same draft class, he’s 178 points ahead of him, in 51 more games played. Jack Eichel (who went second overall) has played four more games than McDavid and is still 132 points behind him (via: hockeydb.com).
When his career is over, he’ll probably end up with 500 more points than anyone else, which is insane. The talent class in his draft was good, and he’s still lapping the field.