- NHL Network revealed Nos. 40-31 of its Top 50 Players Right Now list on Sunday night
- Cole Caufield topped the group at No. 31 and Ilya Sorokin went from unranked to No. 35
- Read below for the full 40-31 rundown and the numbers behind every spot
Cole Caufield’s 50-goal season carried him to the front of NHL Network’s newest batch.
The network put out Nos. 40-31 of its Top 50 Players Right Now list Sunday night, according to NHL.com, and the Canadiens winger sits at No. 31. Islanders goalie Ilya Sorokin came out of nowhere at No. 35 after missing the list entirely a year ago.
Caufield got his 50th on April 9 against Tampa Bay, the seventh 50-goal year in Canadiens history and the first since Stephane Richer scored 51 in 1989-90.
He finished with 88 points in 81 games and added 13 more in a 19-game run to the Eastern Conference Final. Then he won the Lady Byng with 14 penalty minutes on the season.
Sorokin’s jump is the sharpest move in the group. He went 29-24-2 with a .906 save percentage and led the NHL with seven shutouts in 55 games, then finished runner-up for the Vezina Trophy.
Winnipeg landed back-to-back spots. Kyle Connor came in at No. 34 off a 39-goal, 92-point season, and Mark Scheifele followed at 33 after his first 100-point year and 36 goals.
Here is the full group:
- 40: Evan Bouchard, D, Oilers
- 39: Artemi Panarin, F, Kings
- 38: Leo Carlsson, C, Ducks
- 37: Tim Stutzle, C, Senators
- 36: Sebastian Aho, C, Hurricanes
- 35: Ilya Sorokin, G, Islanders
- 34: Kyle Connor, F, Jets
- 33: Mark Scheifele, C, Jets
- 32: William Nylander, F, Maple Leafs
- 31: Cole Caufield, F, Canadiens
Bouchard opened the batch after leading all NHL defensemen in assists (74) and points (95). Panarin sits one spot up in his first full season with the Kings, and Leo Carlsson checks in at 38 a few weeks after Anaheim matched Philadelphia’s five-year, $90 million offer sheet.
Nylander sits three spots behind Caufield at No. 32. He led Toronto in assists (49) and points (79) last season, and eight more goals would make him the sixth Maple Leaf to reach 300:
This was the sixth installment of a nine-part series. Connor Bedard (44) and Charlie McAvoy (41) headlined last week’s 50-41 reveal, which leaves Nos. 30-21 up next.
