It’s time for the newest addition of our league-wide positional rankings just in time for the 2024–25 season. Kicking us off we’ll be looking at arguably the most important position in hockey: the centremen.
Centre depth is crucial to short-term and long-term success in the NHL. You don’t win in the NHL without elite talent and depth down the middle of the ice. With that said, let’s see where each team stands heading into the season.
1. Edmonton Oilers
Depth chart: Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Adam Henrique, Derek Ryan
Another season, another year that the Edmonton Oilers are the easy pick for the top spot. Connor McDavid is the best player in the world by a wide margin and the fact the Oilers also have another top-10 forward down the middle in Leon Draisaitl is some sort of sick joke. The duo combined for 238 points during the regular season last year, and then an insane 73 during the playoffs. No team comes anywhere close to having this level of talent down the middle of the ice.
2. New Jersey Devils
Depth chart: Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, Erik Haula, Curtis Lazar
The New Jersey Devils are about as close as you can get to matching the Oilers’ talent down the middle. In Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier, the Devils possess a tremendously talented duo at centre and one that can rival any team in the league not based out of Edmonton. The biggest question facing the Devils duo is health. Last season both Hughes and Hischier missed considerable time and the Devils sank because of it.
With that said, when healthy, Hughes is an M.V.P. candidate centre and top 10 forward in the NHL and Hischier is a point-per-game Selke candidate. Doesn’t get much better than that.
3. Vancouver Canucks
Depth chart: Elias Pettersson, J.T. Miller, Teddy Blueger, Pius Suter
In J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson, the Canucks possess one of the most lethal offensive centre duos in the NHL. Both players are capable of 90-point seasons which is something almost no other team can offer. Even with a step back last season, Pettersson is still a locked-in elite number-one centre and one of the best pivots in the league.
Miller meanwhile racks up points with the best of them, but historically he’s been really bad defensively which limits his impact as a centre. Either way, you can do much, much worse than Miller as your second-best centre.
4. Toronto Maple Leafs
Depth chart: Auston Matthews, John Tavares, Max Domi, David Kampf
After a down year in 2022–23, Auston Matthews reached new heights in 2023–24 by putting up a historic 69 goals to lead the league in goals by a huge margin. He’s without a doubt a top-three centre in the NHL as he’s able to combine elite offensive talent with some strong defensive impacts as well, which earned him a finalist nod for the Selke last year.
Behind him, the Maple Leafs employ an aging yet still effective John Tavares who is still a solid second-line option. In Max Domi, the Maple Leafs also possess some depth in their bottom-six.
5. Vegas Golden Knights
Depth chart: Jack Eichel, William Karlsson, Tomas Hertl, Brett Howden
With the acquisition of Tomas Hertl, the Golden Knights offer one of the best centre trios in the entire NHL. Jack Eichel is a superstar centre who when healthy can go toe-to-toe with pretty much anybody in the league. The hope is he can finally stay on the ice for a full season and hit the 90-point mark for the first time in his career.
Karlsson meanwhile turned back the clock last year with 60 points in 70 games and is a perfect second-line option. Having Hertl who on almost every team would be a second-line centre on their third line just shows how deep Vegas is down the middle.
6. Colorado Avalanche
Depth chart: Nathan MacKinnon, Casey Mittelstadt, Ross Colton, Parkey Kelly
In Casey Mittelstadt, the Avalanche finally have their Nazem Kadri replacement and a solid second-line option behind superstar Nathan MacKinnon. Ross Colton meanwhile qualifies as one of the better third-line centres in the league, giving the Avs a real solid trio.
This ranking is all about MacKinnon though. The 28-year-old reached a new level last season with 51 goals and 140 points en route to his first Hart Trophy and is currently the second-best centre in the world, behind only the one named McDavid.
7. Florida Panthers
Depth chart: Aleksander Barkov, Sam Bennett, Anton Lundell, Patrick Giles
The Panthers are defending champs for a reason. From top to bottom, they possess one of the best centre groups in the NHL. Aleksander Barkov leads the way as one of the best centres in the world as well as the reigning Selke winner. He’s right behind the McDavids, Draisaitls, Matthews, and MacKinnons of the world in the centre hierarchy.
Behind him, you can do much worse than Sam Bennett who is perfectly suited for a second-line role. If the highly talented Anton Lundell can finally take a big step this season, the Panthers will look even better down the middle.
8. New York Rangers
Depth chart: Vincent Trochek, Mika Zibanejad, Filip Chytil, Sam Carrick
The Rangers don’t possess a truly elite centre, but what they do have are two top-line options in Vincent Trochek and Mika Zibanejad. Both players are capable of playing at or near point-per-game hockey, which is a luxury to have on both of your top lines. Getting Zibanejad back to his 91-point form from 2022–23 would be a big bonus though.
With the talented Chytil on the third line, the Rangers are able to match up well down the middle with just about any team in the league. If he can stay healthy and take another step, that would move the Rangers even further up this list.
9. Pittsburgh Penguins
Depth chart: Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Lars Eller, Blake Lizotte
Time is just a concept to Sidney Crosby. The 37-year-old remains an elite player and one of the very best centres in the NHL. Coming off his best season in six years, Crosby is a lock for another point-per-game output in 2024–25. Malkin meanwhile has slowed down in recent years but is still an above-average second-line centre with 70-point potential.
The problem comes after the two franchise legends, as the Penguins’ depth falls off a cliff immediately. Neither Lars Eller nor Blake Lizotte offer much of anything and would likely not be in the lineup for a contending team.
10. Tampa Bay Lightning
Depth chart: Brayden Point, Anthony Cirelli, Nick Paul, Luke Glendening
Even as they exit their window as a true contender, the Lightning still possess some impressive depth down the middle. Brayden Point is a top 10-15 centre in the league with 50-goal potential every season these days. Anthony Cirelli meanwhile isn’t a huge scorer, but he offers a strong two-way game and is well suited on the second line. Shoutout to Nick Paul as well who remains one of the best third-line centres in the league coming off a career-best 46-point season.
11. Los Angeles Kings
Depth chart: Anze Kopitar, Quinton Byfield, Philip Danault, Alex Turcotte
Even at 37 years old, Anze Kopitar remains a decent number-one centre and is coming off back-to-back 70+ point seasons. Philip Danault meanwhile remains a good defensive centre and fits perfectly on the third line.
The big wildcard here is Quinton Byfield who is ready to take over the second-line role from the departing Pierre-Luc Dubois. The 2020 top pick finally broke through last year with 55 points and has the talent to take another gigantic step this year. 70 points is a very real possibility if everything goes well for Byfield which would move the Kings up this list.
12. Buffalo Sabres
Depth chart: Tage Thompson, Dylan Cozens, Ryan McLeod, Sam Lafferty
Which versions of Tage Thompson and Dylan Cozens will show up in 2024–25? That’s the big question for the Sabres. Both centres struggled last year after breaking out in 2022–23, and the Sabres suffered yet another playoff-less season. If Thompson and Cozens can both work their way back towards the form that made them breakout players two years ago, the Sabres are in a great spot down the middle of the ice and would climb up this list.
The acquisition cost to bring in Ryan McLeod was higher than it should’ve been, but he does give the Sabres a good third-line option behind their two young talents and helps lessen the loss of Mittelstadt.
13. Carolina Hurricanes
Depth chart: Sebastian Aho, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Jordan Staal, Jack Drury
The Carolina Hurricanes are one Sebastian Aho injury away from disaster. For now, though, the franchise centre anchors the Hurricanes centre group. The 27-year-old is coming off the best season of his career with 89 points and has established himself among the best players in his position. Behind him though, it goes downhill fast.
Jesperi Kotkaniemi has failed to live up to his bloated contract and is over his head on the second line. Jordan Staal is still a great defensive option and Jack Drury has plenty of potential, but this is a group lacking high-end skill after Aho.
14. Dallas Stars
Depth chart: Roope Hintz, Matt Duchene, Mavrik Bourque, Sam Steel
By moving rising star Wyatt Johnston to the wing, the Stars significantly hurt their centre depth. With that said, there’s still a lot to like here. Roope Hintz isn’t considered an elite centre, but he’s certainly in the very next tier after. Veteran Matt Duchene meanwhile is perfectly suited on the second line coming off a bounce-back 65-point season.
The big question mark is rookie Mavrik Bourque. He carries plenty of talent, but he’s completely untested and in the event of an injury to one of their top dogs, the Stars centre depth gets dicey.
15. St. Louis Blues
Depth chart: Robert Thomas, Pavel Buchnevich, Radek Faksa, Nathan Walker
The Blues have a surprisingly solid top-six centre group after moving Pavel Buchnevich to the middle. Robert Thomas remains one of the most underrated point-per-game players in the league, and should once again lead the Blues offence. Behind him, the Blues have shifted the talented Buchnevich to centre which immediately gives them more security there, but it’s still up for discussion how the depth behind them will fare.
16. Ottawa Senators
Depth chart: Tim Stutzle, Shane Pinto, Ridley Greig, Zack Ostapchuk
The Senators desperately need Tim Stutzle to re-discover his 90-point form from 2022–23. He’s the only bonafide high-end centre on the roster and last year’s 70 points simply weren’t good enough. His ceiling is sky-high, but for now, he’s a good—not great—number one. Behind him, there’s plenty of potential in Shane Pinto and Ridley Greig, but neither qualifies as second-line centres right now which isn’t good news for the Senators’ depth chart considering the next man up is Zack Ostapchuk.
17. New York Islanders
Depth chart: Bo Horvat, Brock Nelson, J.G. Pageau, Casey Cizikas
The Islanders are the perfect example of middle-of-the-road centre depth. Both Bo Horvat and Brock Nelson are real solid players, but neither jumps off the page as elite talent or true number-one centres. In reality, the Islanders have two high-end second-line centres leading the charge and no number one.
Past those two, Pageau and Cizikas remain two good bottom-six options down the middle, but again neither brings anything exceptionally special to the table. Overall the Islanders have some good depth, but they’re lacking a gamebreaker.
18. Minnesota Wild
Depth chart: Joel Eriksson Ek, Ryan Hartman, Marco Rossi, Marat Khusnutdinov
Like most teams in this range, the Wild lack any true number-one centre. Joel Eriksson Ek is no slouch and is plenty talented, but he’d be better suited as a second-line option instead of the go-to guy. Hartman will likely never reach his 65-point peak from 2021–22 again, but you can do much worse for a second-line centre.
Marco Rossi is the major piece here. If he can live up to his potential, he could become the true number one the Wild so desperately need. His 40 points last year were a great sign, but he still needs to reach another level before we can consider him the saviour in Minnesota.
19. Detroit Red Wings
Depth chart: Dylan Larkin, J.T. Compher, Andrew Copp, Joe Veleno
Is it time to question the Yzerplan, because boy does this group look very average for a team that is now in year eight of their rebuild. Dylan Larkin remains a high-end number one, but after him, it gets pretty underwhelming. Both Compher and Copp are average at best as second- and third-line options. You know exactly what you get with both veterans which is nice, but there’s zero room for improvement there. The Wings’ depth is frankly just incredibly average after Larkin.
20. Seattle Kraken
Depth chart: Matty Beniers, Chandler Stephenson, Yanni Gourde, Shane Wright
On paper, there is a ton of talent here, but the actual results are a different story. Matty Beniers took a huge step back last year with just 37 points and that has people questioning his potential as a true number-one now. Likewise, Shane Wright’s journey since being drafted has been a roller coaster but he does have a ton of potential. For now, he’s very much an unknown with just 16 NHL games under his belt.
Chandler Stephenson is a decent add, but after a down year last season one has to wonder how the 30-year-old will fare as he gets into his 30s.
21. Boston Bruins
Depth chart: Elias Lindholm, Charlie Coyle, Matthew Poitras, John Beecher
The Bruins boosted their centre depth by signing Elias Lindholm, but that still doesn’t give them a great group. Lindholm is very much a complementary player and would be much better suited on a second line. Coyle had a career-best 60 points last season playing with David Pastrnak, but he’s still just a good second-line centre and nothing more.
The Bruins’ big wildcard is Matthew Poitras. The youngster stepped right into the Bruins lineup last year before going down with an injury. The hope is he can continue to improve and boost the group’s offensive talent.
22. Calgary Flames
Depth chart: Nazem Kadri, Mikael Backlund, Martin Pospisil, Kevin Rooney
The Calgary Flames are very much in rebuild mode, as evidenced by their centre group. Nazem Kadri’s huge 2023–24 season wasn’t a fluke by any means, but on a good contending team he’s a high-end second-line centre and not the top option. Mikael Backlund continues to chug along at age 35 but at this point in his career, he’d be better suited in the bottom-six.
Past those two it gets really dicey. By not adding any centres in the offseason, the Flames are hoping winger Martin Pospisil can step in and fill the third-line centre role. That’s a tall ask for a player entering just his second NHL season. On the fourth line, Kevin Rooney is a replacement-level player who should really be in the AHL.
23. Nashville Predators
Depth chart: Ryan O’Reilly, Tommy Novak, Colton Sissons, Mike Mccarron
After playing as a third liner for the Maple Leafs, Ryan O’Reilly turned back the clock last season with 26 goals and 69 points and once again looked like a top-six centre. Even with his bounce-back year, he’s a below-average top-line centre and would be better suited on a second line.
Both Tommy Novak and Colton Sissons fit their roles well enough, but much like O’Reilly, they’re below average compared to the rest of the field in the NHL. The Predators don’t have terrible depth, but they’re clearly a step below the upper half of the league.
24. Montreal Canadiens
Depth chart: Nick Suzuki, Kirby Dach, Christian Dvorak, Jake Evans
Nick Suzuki firmly established himself as a top-line centre this past season with 77 points and some solid defensive impacts, but there’s not much behind him in terms of support yet. A healthy Kirby Dach is good news for Montreal, but the former third-overall pick still has a career-high of just 38 points. If he can finally play a full season and find his game, it’ll be huge for Montreal’s depth.
Past Dach, Dvorak and Evans don’t offer much of anything and will need to be replaced one day if the Canadiens hope to exit their rebuild.
25. Washington Capitals
Depth chart: Dylan Strome, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Hendrix Lapierre, Nic Dowd
In an effort to build up their centre depth, the Capitals took a massive gamble on Dubois in the hopes he can once again become a quality top-six centre. If he does, the Capitals would actually have a solid group from top to bottom. If he doesn’t? They’ll be stuck at the bottom of the league when it comes to centre depth.
He may not be a true number one, but Dylan Strome who has quietly become one of the more underrated centres in the league after back-to-back 65+ point seasons as Washington’s top option.
26. Chicago Blackhawks
Depth chart: Connor Bedard, Philipp Kurashev, Jason Dickinson, Ryan Donato
It’s the Connor Bedard show in Chicago. The 19-year-old is well on his way to becoming one of the premier centres in the NHL and one of the top five players at his position, but he has just one season under his belt and isn’t there just yet. Past him, Kurashev has some real potential but on most teams, he’s a third-liner at best and is way over his head on the second line. Dickinson has at least become a legitimate option as a depth defensive centre.
27. Winnipeg Jets
Depth chart: Mark Scheifele, Vlad Namestnikov, Adam Lowry, Rasmus Kupair
Things are looking not great in Winnipeg these days. At this point in his career, Mark Scheifele is a below-average number-one centre and the Jets currently have nothing to back him up. Journeyman Namestnikov pencilled in on the second line is not exactly a great sign of the Jets centre group going into the season. Adam Lowery is perfectly suited on the third line, but the Jets desperately need another top-six centre or they’ll once again be staring down a first-round exit in May.
28. Anaheim Ducks
Depth chart: Mason McTavish, Leo Carlsson, Ryan Strome, Isac Lundestrom
On paper, the Ducks centre depth chart is loaded with talent. For now, though, the Ducks still need some time to let their top draft picks develop and reach their potential. McTavish showed some real promise last year with 42 points in just 64 games, but on nearly every other team in the league, he’s nowhere near their first-line centre.
Likewise, Leo Carlsson showed some flashes last year in his rookie rebut, but he still needs time before we can consider him a legitimate top-six option. For now, the Ducks are lacking in the centre department when it comes to established top-six options.
29. San Jose Sharks
Depth chart: Macklin Celebrini, Mikael Granlund, Alex Wennberg, Nico Sturm
By drafting Macklin Celebrini first overall and adding veteran Alex Wennberg, the Sharks now have at least some depth at centre. Still, though, it’s one of the worst groups in the league. Celebrini is just 18 years old and will likely need a couple of years in the league before we can consider him a true number-one pivot.
Veteran Granlund had a big bounce-back year in 2023–24 with 60 points in just 69 games so he at least gives the Sharks a solid middle-six option assuming it wasn’t a fluke. Regardless, the Sharks are very much in the middle of a rebuild and employ a patchwork centre group for now.
30. Philadelphia Flyers
Depth chart: Sean Couturier, Morgan Frost, Scott Laughton, Ryan Poehling
The Flyers desperately need some young talent down the middle, and fast. Captain Sean Couturier is far removed from his Selke contending prime and would likely be a third-liner on any contending team. Morgan Frost meanwhile carries some potential, but his 41-point output last year was pretty disappointing and led to questions about his future in Philadelphia. Long story short, a high draft pick would do wonders for the Flyers.
31. Columbus Blue Jackets
Depth chart: Sean Monahan, Adam Fantilli, Cole Sillinger, Sean Kuraly
Much like in Utah below, the Blue Jackets centre depth all lies with one man. Adam Fantilli put up a solid 27 points during an injury-plagued rookie season last year, and the Blue Jackets need him to take a big step this year to stay afloat down the middle. The addition of veteran Sean Monahan is big for Columbus, but he should realistically be a team’s number two option and not their go-to guy.
32. Utah Hockey Club
Depth chart: Barrett Hayton, Logan Cooley, Alex Kerfoot, Kevin Stenlund
Utah has all their hopes down the middle lying with Logan Cooley. The 2022 third-overall pick made his rookie debut last year with an impressive 44 points, but for now, he’s far from a locked-in top-line centre. If he can take another step this year it’ll do wonders for Utah’s playoff hopes. Past Cooley, both Hayton and Kerfoot are decent albeit unspectacular options in the middle-six for now.
The wide spread in centre depth
It’s not surprising to see so many contenders boast perennially elite centre depth. On the flip side, rebuilding teams consistently lean on young prospects in hopes of their development panning out. From the top to the bottom, it’s clear just how important centre depth really is. We’ll see which teams see movement up or down as the season progresses!
Photo by Brett Holmes/Icon Sportswire
