NHL Network’s Jamison Coyle, E.J. Hradek, and Mike Rupp unveiled their rankings of the NHL’s top 20 wingers on Sunday, with Colorado Avalanche star Martin Necas earning the No. 15 spot after a career year.
The panel weighed players’ performances during the 2025-26 regular season and Stanley Cup Playoffs while also factoring in future upside. Necas, who is only 27, is coming off a career-best campaign, recording 100 points in the regular season before adding just one goal and 13 points in 13 playoff games. He’s also set to begin a maximum-term, eight-year contract this season playing alongside star center Nathan MacKinnon.
Necas was sandwiched between Florida Panthers forward Sam Reinhart at No. 14 and Tampa Bay Lightning winger Jake Guentzel at No. 16. He finished tied for second in NHL scoring among wingers during the 2025-26 regular season.
Rupp praised Necas’ elite skating ability during the broadcast. “He has great size, skates like the absolute wind, he can fly out there.”
Topping the list was Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov. The reigning Hart Trophy winner is also a three-time Art Ross Trophy recipient, a two-time Ted Lindsay Award winner, and captured his first Hart Trophy during the 2018-19 season.
Former Avalanche star Mikko Rantanen also cracked the list, landing at No. 5 after his first full season with the Dallas Stars. He finished one spot behind Vegas Golden Knights winger Mitch Marner. Boston’s David Pastrnak and Minnesota’s Kirill Kaprizov rounded out the top three behind Kucherov.
NHL Network’s Top 20 Wings Right Now:
- Nikita Kucherov, Tampa Bay Lightning
- David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins
- Kirill Kaprizov, Minnesota Wild
- Mitch Marner, Vegas Golden Knights
- Mikko Rantanen, Dallas Stars
- Matt Boldy, Minnesota Wild
- Jason Robertson, Dallas Stars
- Matthew Tkachuk, Florida Panthers
- Cole Caufield, Montreal Canadiens
- William Nylander, Toronto Maple Leafs
- Kyle Connor, Winnipeg Jets
- Artemi Panarin, Los Angeles Kings
- Brandon Hagel, Tampa Bay Lightning
- Sam Reinhart, Florida Panthers
- Martin Necas, Colorado Avalanche
- Jake Guentzel, Tampa Bay Lightning
- Clayton Keller, Utah Mammoth
- Brady Tkachuk, Florida Panthers
- Cutter Gauthier, Anaheim Ducks
- Lucas Raymond, Detroit Red Wings
