The 2025-26 season is more than halfway over, and with that comes the rankings and comparisons. The league has as much talent as it ever has, and there are plenty of left wingers who are game-changing players.
As you can imagine, compiling this certainly wasn’t easy, but it is a fun thing to discuss regardless. With that said, here are the current top 10 left wingers in the NHL.
10. Brad Marchand
What Brad Marchand has been able to do as a 37-year-old with the Florida Panthers has been unbelievable. He is playing some of the best hockey of his career. After joining the Panthers last season, his playoff performance earned him second place in Conn Smythe voting, being just edged out by Sam Bennett.
He still brings that gritty play that earned him the “rat” nickname, is putting up over a point per game, and has stepped up with some major pieces missing.
9. Brady Tkachuk
Goals, points, hits, shots, penalties, and almost everything you could ask out of a power forward is exactly what Brady Tkachuk brings every night. While Tkachuk’s offensive output wasn’t great in 2024-25, he is back to point-per-game play. He still remains one of the top wingers in the league based on everything else he does.
Other THW Positional Rankings:
Tkachuk is an emotional player and loves it when games are physical. He thrives in heavy battles, and does a great job of clearing the front of the net. Despite the hand injury and the shaky return to the lineup, Tkachuk has been playing some of his best hockey as of late, as the Senators look to turn the season around.
8. Jake Guentzel
Jake Guentzel has been one of the better goal-scorers over the past few seasons and is a good bet for 40 goals if healthy throughout the year. He is a play-driving winger, plays good defensive hockey, and seems to mesh very well with anybody he is lined up with.
On pace for his first 90-point season, Guentzel is a huge part of how the Tampa Bay Lightning look rejuvenated and sit atop the Eastern Conference.
7. Matthew Boldy
Matthew Boldy entered the league with a strong rookie season and has built upon his totals every season. With Boldy scoring 73 points in the 2024-25 season, and on pace for nearly 50 goals and 95 points, Boldy is one of the top wingers in the league, but not the highest member of the Minnesota Wild on this list.
Boldy is an excellent offensive winger, but commits to the defensive side of the game as well. He earned himself a spot on Team USA’s Olympic roster and has played a big role there.
6. Jesper Bratt
As an undersized, skilled winger, Jesper Bratt has broken out into a highly productive role for the New Jersey Devils. With four straight seasons with 70+ points and a career-high of 88 last season, Bratt’s ability to adapt to different linemates and paces has been on display, and he has been able to give the Devils a great deal of offense.
It is no secret that Bratt isn’t having the season everyone hoped for, but it isn’t just him. The Devils are struggling, but he is still one of the top wingers in the league.
5. Artemi Panarin
After being benched for two weeks, Artemi Panarin was finally traded to the Los Angeles Kings, and he could get a breath of fresh (and much warmer) air in L.A. The New York Rangers were struggling and were unable to score, and even still, Panarin has 57 points in 52 games.
Just two seasons ago, Panarin hit the 120-point mark and fell just one shy of 50 goals. If he can build some good chemistry, there is certainly a chance that he can get back to that mark.
4. Brandon Hagel
When Brandon Hagel was acquired by the Tampa Bay Lightning, he was a 24-year-old just starting to come into his own, and while he showed signs of promise, he has been far more effective than most people anticipated. On top of being one of the best skaters in the league, he plays with a ton of grit and gets a bunch of points.
Hagel set a new career-high in goals (35), assists (55), and points (90) last season, and is well-deserving of his spot on Team Canada for the Olympics. He performed well against the top players in the world and has been a major piece for the Lightning as they take the league by storm.
3. Jason Robertson
The Dallas Stars have a decision to make with Jason Robertson, and he is giving them every reason to show he is worth the rumoured $12 million ask on his next contract. With 66 points in 57 games, he is helping carry the load for the Dallas Stars as they battle for the top spot in the Western Conference.
Robertson is looked at as one of the biggest “snubs” among all of the Olympic rosters, and has done just about everything he can to prove he should be headed to Milan.
2. Kyle Conner
Kyle Connor is on track to reach 90 points for the second season in a row, and while the Winnipeg Jets are having a poor season, he has done everything he can to keep the team from being in last place in the league.
He has played nearly the whole season with Mark Scheifele, and the two of them can’t do much more than they have been.
1. Kirill Kaprizov
Now that the biggest contract in NHL history has been signed, Kirill Kaprizov is dominating yet again in 2025-26 and helping the Wild take a big step towards being true Stanley Cup contenders. Before injuries in 2024-25, he was on track to contend for the Hart Trophy, and could be there again this season if he heats up in the tail end of the season.
