The National Hockey League in the 2022 Season is the most awaited by all the fans since the COVID-19 pandemic hit. The NHL is packed with competitive players from 32 teams, and these players have different strategies in playing the game, from offensive to defensive. The NHL game will last about 98 games, determining who will become the top team and claim the championship cup.

This season’s schedule has been continuously changing, making the players more conditioned in preparing for the next game. The matchup was divided into divisions that favored the players. With their unique talents, they can stand out from the rest of the teams and become one of the best.

To get to know more about these top NHL players, below are some athletes who exhibited the best performance during the season.

Connor McDavid

Connor is a well-known professional ice hockey center, and he played with the Edmonton Oilers as captain in the National Hockey League. He mostly played hockey with his father as his coach during his childhood. Since his career started, he won many awards, and he was also called rookie of the year and had a lot of skills that made him the top player.

Center Connor McDavid (#97) of the Edmonton Oilers

McDavid plays the game at an unprecedented speed, making offensive plays at full speed. He also posterizes the stickman with this strategy in stickhandling making his team to have one of the best Odds to Win NHL Finals. He ranked fourth in the NHL History because of his points per game which is 1.42 (at least 400 diversions). This season, he’s making a rate that Wayne Gretzky has only made during 1985-86, which is to split 200 points.

Nathan MacKinnon

The first overall selected by the 2013 NHL draft was Nathan Mackinnon. The Canadian professional ice hockey center, and he played with the Colorado Avalanche as the captain in the National Hockey League. Just like Connor, MacKinnon played hockey during his early years. He resumed his career in his junior years, which made him the favorite to be selected in the first overall.

Nathan MacKinnon, File photo by Jack Lima

No one looks more appalled by disappointment than Nathan MacKinnon. Yet, the 26-year-old Mckinnon has made a dramatic play each game which he earned 1.30 points in each game in the 2017-2018 NHL season. His explosiveness as a skater makes him a competitor. MacKinnon is the motor that has made the Avalanche achieve the Stanley Container contender status.

Auston Matthews

Auston Taylour Matthews is the alternate captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs; he is also a professional hockey center in the National Hockey League. In his childhood, he played baseball and hockey, but what got his interest in hockey in which his career continued until he was drafted into the National Hockey League in 2016. Matthews is the first player to score four goals in his debut in modern NHL history.

Source: https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/lightning-f-nikita-kucherov-returns-practice-2021-12-04/

The 24-year-old center required just 338 games to reach the career goals of the NHL, and his point per game is 0.59, which is the seventh most in NHL history. The fan’s most awaited moment when Matthews playstyle is his drag-and-release wrist shot. His expansive frame and playmaking capacity have earned comparisons to Mario Lemieux.

Aleksander Barkov

The Finnish famous professional ice hockey center and the Florida Panthers’ captain in the National Hockey League is Aleksandrovich Barkov. He was drafted in 2013 in the NHL Entry Draft. Aleksander is the son of the Russian former hockey player Alexander Barkov Sr. Aleksander is known as the best defensive player in hockey, and he earned a reward in 2021.

Center Aleksander Barkov (#16) of the Florida Panthers

He was delegated the league’s best defensive forward in winning the last season of the Selke Trophy. He’s an overwhelmingly hostile player, and he earned 222 points in his 2014 games. With that, the 26-year-old may be the league’s most well-rounded center. Aleksander was the youngest player to score a goal in 2013, and at that time, he was only 18 years old. In addition, he was one of the players in the NHL All-Star Game throughout his career, which was a big deal.

Cale Makar

Cale Makar is a ice hockey professional player with the role of defenceman of the Colorado Avalanche in the NHL. In the year 2017, he was drafted by the Colorado Avalanche. Also, in 2019-2020, Makar was recognized when he achieved the Calder Trophy with his remarkable performance. The Western Hockey League initially drafted Makar in his junior years.

Cale Makar #8 of the Colorado Avalanche

Makar’s coach said that it is impossible to play defense against him. At 22 years old, Makar got 98 points in his first 107 NHL games. His gameplay has the comparison to Erik Karlsson because of his offensive force during his games. Makar’s offensive prowess landed him in the top five of the players, but his defensive prowess is still polished, but that didn’t stop him in his 24th goal for the 2021-22 season.

Final Thoughts

The NHL Top players found their interest in hockey during their early years, which they practiced for many years to have good hockey skills. They went through a lot to land in the NHL and be the season’s top players. However, the players have something in common: their strong will and motivation to be exceptional players and play the game they enjoy.