Every NHL Team's Center Situation Entering 2026–27
Updated September 16, 2026
Updated September 16, 2026
Having an elite No. 1 center remains one of the biggest advantages an NHL team can have. Having another high-end center behind him can be even more important.
Edmonton has Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. New Jersey can counter with Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier. Other teams have a legitimate 1C followed by a significant drop-off, while several are still searching for a long-term answer altogether.
Here is how all 32 NHL center situations stack up entering the 2026–27 season, focusing primarily on the top two centers before considering the alternatives behind them.
Rank | Team | 1C | 2C / No. 2 Option | Other Center Options |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Edmonton Oilers | Connor McDavid | Leon Draisaitl | Jason Dickinson, Josh Samanski |
2 | New Jersey Devils | Jack Hughes | Nico Hischier | Cody Glass, Nick Bjugstad |
3 | Colorado Avalanche | Nathan MacKinnon | Brock Nelson | Nazem Kadri, Nicolas Roy, Fedor Svechkov |
4 | Florida Panthers | Aleksander Barkov | Sam Bennett | Anton Lundell, Lars Eller |
5 | Dallas Stars | Wyatt Johnston | Roope Hintz | Matt Duchene, Radek Faksa |
6 | Vegas Golden Knights | Jack Eichel | William Karlsson | Tomas Hertl, Nic Dowd |
7 | Toronto Maple Leafs | Auston Matthews | John Tavares | Colton Sissons, Teddy Blueger |
8 | Carolina Hurricanes | Sebastian Aho | Logan Stankoven | Jordan Staal, Jesperi Kotkaniemi |
9 | Tampa Bay Lightning | Brayden Point | Anthony Cirelli | Yanni Gourde, Dominic James |
10 | Ottawa Senators | Tim Stützle | Dylan Cozens | Shane Pinto |
11 | New York Rangers | Mika Zibanejad | J.T. Miller | Noah Laba, Joe Veleno |
12 | St. Louis Blues | Robert Thomas | Mason McTavish | Pius Suter, Dalibor Dvorsky |
13 | Utah Mammoth | Nick Schmaltz | Logan Cooley | Vincent Trocheck, Barrett Hayton, Jack McBain |
14 | Washington Capitals | Dylan Strome | Pierre-Luc Dubois | Boone Jenner, Justin Sourdif |
15 | Vancouver Canucks | Elias Pettersson | Marco Rossi | Filip Chytil, Aatu Räty |
16 | San Jose Sharks | Macklin Celebrini | Michael Misa | Alexander Wennberg, Zack Ostapchuk |
17 | Columbus Blue Jackets | Adam Fantilli | Sean Monahan | Charlie Coyle, Cole Sillinger |
18 | Winnipeg Jets | Mark Scheifele | Adam Lowry | Vladislav Namestnikov, Morgan Barron |
19 | Anaheim Ducks | Leo Carlsson | Mikael Granlund | Ryan Poehling, Roger McQueen |
20 | Montreal Canadiens | Nick Suzuki | Kirby Dach | Oliver Kapanen, Jake Evans, Phillip Danault |
21 | Chicago Blackhawks | Connor Bedard | Frank Nazar | Anton Frondell, Oliver Moore, Sacha Boisvert |
22 | Buffalo Sabres | Jiri Kulich | Josh Norris | Tage Thompson, Konsta Helenius, Ryan McLeod, Noah Ostlund |
23 | Minnesota Wild | Joel Eriksson Ek | Ryan Hartman | Danila Yurov, Michael McCarron |
24 | Los Angeles Kings | Quinton Byfield | Erik Haula | Scott Laughton, Samuel Helenius |
25 | Pittsburgh Penguins | Sidney Crosby | Evgeni Malkin | Tommy Novak, Ben Kindel, Blake Lizotte |
26 | Detroit Red Wings | Dylan Larkin | Andrew Copp | Marco Kasper, J.T. Compher, Nate Danielson |
27 | New York Islanders | Bo Horvat | Brayden Schenn | Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Casey Cizikas |
28 | Boston Bruins | Pavel Zacha | Elias Lindholm | Fraser Minten, Casey Mittelstadt, James Hagens |
29 | Philadelphia Flyers | Trevor Zegras | Christian Dvorak | Noah Cates, Sean Couturier |
30 | Seattle Kraken | Matty Beniers | Shane Wright | Chandler Stephenson, Frederick Gaudreau |
31 | Nashville Predators | Ryan O'Reilly | Mavrik Bourque | Ross Colton, Jack Drury |
32 | Calgary Flames | Morgan Frost | Mikael Backlund | Ryan Strome, Martin Pospisil |
This is not simply a ranking of the NHL's 32 best centers. Three things matter most:
1C quality: Can the best center drive a legitimate top line and give his team an advantage against other contenders?
2C quality: How much does the team drop off when the second line comes over the boards?
Other options: Injuries happen, players move between center and wing, and young players emerge. Having legitimate alternatives matters.
The rankings are based primarily on current ability entering 2026–27 rather than long-term potential. Who's 1C, 2C, 3C will likely change
1C: Connor McDavid remains the standard. There is nobody else who combines his speed, puck carrying and offensive production at the same level.
2C: Leon Draisaitl would be the unquestioned 1C on almost every NHL team. Edmonton instead gets to build a second line around him.
Other options: Jason Dickinson and Josh Samanski are currently projected behind the two superstars.
The situation: Nobody can match Edmonton's top two. The Oilers start at No. 1 and there really isn't much debate.
1C: Jack Hughes is New Jersey's most dangerous offensive center when healthy.
2C: Calling Nico Hischier a conventional 2C undersells him. He gives the Devils a high-end two-way center who can handle difficult assignments without sacrificing offense.
Other options: Cody Glass and Nick Bjugstad provide options farther down the lineup.
The situation: Hughes and Hischier give New Jersey two legitimate top-line centers with very different strengths. The main concern remains Hughes' availability.
1C: Nathan MacKinnon is still one of the few centers capable of challenging McDavid at the very top of the position.
2C: Brock Nelson gives Colorado an established scoring center behind him.
Other options: This is where the Avalanche become particularly deep. Nazem Kadri can also play the middle, while Nicolas Roy and Fedor Svechkov give Colorado additional options.
The situation: MacKinnon provides the superstar foundation, but Colorado no longer needs him to cover for a thin center group behind him.
1C: Barkov returns after missing last season with a major knee injury. At his best, he remains one of hockey's premier two-way centers.
2C: Sam Bennett provides a very different style and has already proven he can play major minutes on a championship-level roster.
Other options: Anton Lundell would be a top-six center on some teams and gives Florida an excellent third option.
The situation: Barkov's health is the variable. If he is himself again, Florida remains exceptionally strong down the middle.
1C: Wyatt Johnston has moved from promising young forward to legitimate No. 1 center after a 45-goal season.
2C: Roope Hintz gives Dallas speed, two-way ability and proven top-line production when healthy.
Other options: Matt Duchene can still handle offensive minutes farther down the lineup.
The situation: Dallas may have one of the NHL's best combinations of prime-age talent, depth and flexibility at center.
1C: Jack Eichel has firmly established himself among the NHL's elite centers and enters the season coming off consecutive 90-point years.
2C: William Karlsson is currently projected behind him, but Vegas doesn't have to stop there.
Other options: Tomas Hertl gives the Golden Knights another player capable of handling a major center role, with Nic Dowd behind him.
The situation: The exact line order matters less than the depth. Vegas can roll three experienced centers without asking any of them to play above his level.
1C: Matthews remains one of hockey's premier goal-scoring centers and the foundation of Toronto's forward group.
2C: Tavares is no longer at his peak, but he remains a productive second-line center.
Other options: Colton Sissons and Teddy Blueger give Toronto experienced depth.
The situation: The top two remain excellent. The question is how long Tavares can continue providing high-end 2C play as he gets older.
1C: Sebastian Aho gives Carolina a dependable high-end center who contributes in every situation.
2C: Logan Stankoven has solidified himself in the role after a breakout postseason during Carolina's Stanley Cup run.
Other options: Jordan Staal remains one of the better defensive third-line centers around, with Jesperi Kotkaniemi also available.
The situation: Carolina may not have the superstar duo of Edmonton or New Jersey, but there are very few weak minutes down the middle.
Point and Cirelli remain one of the NHL's most dependable combinations. Point supplies the high-end offense, while Cirelli handles difficult two-way minutes. Yanni Gourde gives Tampa another experienced option behind them.
There isn't much mystery here. Tampa's center group remains a strength; it just falls slightly short of the star power and depth above it.
Stützle has developed into Ottawa's offensive centerpiece, while Cozens gives the Senators size, offense and physicality behind him. Shane Pinto is an unusually good third option.
The departure of Brady Tkachuk changes Ottawa's forward identity, but it doesn't leave the Senators thin down the middle. This is a young center group that should still have room to improve.
The Rangers are unusual because the 1C/2C labels don't tell the entire story. Zibanejad is currently projected on the first line, while J.T. Miller centers the second.
Miller gives New York another player with legitimate top-line ability, while Noah Laba is the younger option behind them. The concern is less about depth than whether Zibanejad can remain a true first-line center.
Thomas remains one of the more underrated No. 1 centers in hockey. St. Louis then added Mason McTavish, giving the Blues a much more interesting second-line option.
Pius Suter and Dalibor Dvorsky provide additional alternatives.
There is upside here. If McTavish takes another step, St. Louis could finish the season considerably higher than No. 12.
This is another lineup where the labels are messy. Nick Schmaltz and Logan Cooley are currently projected at center on the top two lines, while established center Vincent Trocheck is being used on the wing.
Add Barrett Hayton, Jack McBain and Kevin Stenlund and Utah suddenly has one of the deepest collections of center-capable forwards in the league.
The next step is Cooley becoming the clear high-end 1C.
Strome has developed into a legitimate top-line center in Washington rather than simply a player benefiting from favorable surroundings.
Pierre-Luc Dubois gives the Capitals another big, skilled center behind him. Washington also has several forwards capable of moving around the lineup, including Boone Jenner.
It lacks a McDavid-level centerpiece, but there isn't an obvious hole either.
This ranking could look too low very quickly if Pettersson returns to his best.
Vancouver added Marco Rossi behind him, giving the Canucks another skilled center entering his prime. Filip Chytil and Aatu Räty add further options.
The depth is now interesting. The bigger question is whether Pettersson can again perform like one of the NHL's premier 1Cs rather than merely a good one.
Celebrini has already become the centerpiece of the Sharks and one of the NHL's elite young players.
Behind him is where this gets fascinating. Michael Misa is projected as San Jose's second-line center, while veteran Alexander Wennberg provides insurance.
This ranking is intentionally cautious because Misa still has to prove himself. Long term, Celebrini and Misa could become one of the league's defining center combinations.
Fantilli is increasingly looking like the No. 1 center Columbus drafted him to become after recording a career-high 59 points last season.
There is one important caveat entering camp: Fantilli remains an unsigned restricted free agent. Assuming that situation is resolved, he projects between Valeri Nichushkin and Kirill Marchenko on the first line.
Monahan provides experience behind him, while Charlie Coyle and Cole Sillinger give the Blue Jackets more center depth than the headline names suggest.
The ceiling here depends heavily on Fantilli. If he moves into the NHL's upper tier, the whole group looks different.
Scheifele remains an excellent offensive 1C and one of the league's most consistent producers.
The drop to Adam Lowry is significant offensively, although Lowry brings leadership, size and defensive value. Vladislav Namestnikov and Morgan Barron are additional options.
Winnipeg has a very good No. 1 center. It doesn't have the same second-line punch as the teams above it.
Carlsson is already the clear centerpiece. The question is no longer whether he can become Anaheim's 1C, but how high he can climb among the NHL's best centers.
Granlund gives the Ducks an experienced second option and is coming off a productive first season in Anaheim. Ryan Poehling and prospect Roger McQueen add depth behind them.
Anaheim's ranking is more about what comes behind Carlsson than doubts about Carlsson himself.
Suzuki is no longer the question. He produced 101 points last season and has established himself as a legitimate high-end 1C.
Kirby Dach is probably the player Montreal would most like to establish as its 2C, but injuries limited him to 37 regular-season games last season. Oliver Kapanen handled the role for long stretches and scored 22 goals as a rookie before fading late, while Jake Evans moved into the second-line center spot during the playoffs.
That leaves Montreal with options rather than a definitive answer. Dach has the upside to solve the problem, with Kapanen, Evans and Phillip Danault available behind him, but the Canadiens still enter 2026–27 looking for someone to firmly claim the job.
Chicago's long-term center outlook could eventually be among the league's best.
Bedard is already the franchise centerpiece, while Frank Nazar, Anton Frondell and Oliver Moore give the Blackhawks multiple young options behind him.
The issue is the present. Bedard is expected to miss the start of the season following shoulder surgery, and Chicago plans to give Frondell more time at center after he spent much of last season on the wing.
There may not be a more talented young group on this list, but most of it is still projection.
Buffalo might have the strangest center situation on this list.
The Sabres' latest projection has Jiri Kulich between Zach Benson and Tage Thompson on the first line, with Josh Norris centering the second. Konsta Helenius and Ryan McLeod are projected behind them.
That is a significant change from last season, when Thompson was still being used at center, including during Buffalo's playoff run. The Sabres have moved him between center and wing in recent years, and putting him on Kulich's right side gives Buffalo another way to construct its top six.
Kulich is also coming off a season largely lost to a blood clot, so there is plenty of uncertainty. Buffalo has no shortage of center-capable talent. The question is which configuration Lindy Ruff ultimately prefers.
Eriksson Ek remains a very good two-way center who fits perfectly between Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy.
There is a noticeable drop behind him. Ryan Hartman is currently projected at 2C, with Danila Yurov another intriguing option.
Minnesota can win with Eriksson Ek as its top center. The question is whether the Wild have enough offensive creation from the middle once his line leaves the ice.
With Anze Kopitar gone, this is officially Byfield's center group.
He now gets the opportunity to establish himself as a true 1C between Artemi Panarin and Adrian Kempe. Haula is currently projected behind him, with Scott Laughton another experienced option.
There is enough depth to function. Whether Los Angeles rises from here depends on Byfield making the jump from promising young center to legitimate top-line driver.
Crosby remains outstanding. Pittsburgh's ranking has almost nothing to do with him, and he continues to give the Penguins a legitimate high-end 1C.
For the purposes of this ranking, Malkin remains the player behind him. The 40-year-old had 61 points in only 56 games last season, although Pittsburgh increasingly shifted him from his traditional second-line center role to the wing. Tommy Novak is one of the players who can take center minutes when Malkin moves outside.
For nearly two decades, Pittsburgh could answer every center question with Crosby and Malkin. The names haven't changed yet, but the situation has. Malkin can still produce at a high level, while his age and changing deployment mean the Penguins no longer have the automatic Crosby-Malkin 1-2 punch they once did.
Larkin remains Detroit's clear 1C — for now.
He requested a trade after last season and will report to training camp, but the situation remains unresolved. Detroit will also begin the season without Larkin as captain.
Andrew Copp is currently projected at 2C, with Marco Kasper and J.T. Compher providing additional possibilities.
If Larkin eventually leaves without another top center coming back, Detroit's biggest strength down the middle immediately becomes a significant weakness.
Horvat remains a dependable top-six center and gives the Islanders a legitimate first-line option.
Brayden Schenn adds experience behind him, while Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Casey Cizikas give New York plenty of established NHL depth.
The issue isn't whether the Islanders have centers. They do. The question is whether the group provides enough high-end offense compared with the league's better teams.
Boston has more depth than this ranking initially suggests.
Zacha is coming off a career season with 30 goals and 65 points, while Lindholm gives Boston another experienced top-six option. Fraser Minten, Casey Mittelstadt and James Hagens give the Bruins several alternatives, and Minten could push for an even larger role.
What Boston lacks is the obvious high-end 1C. There are plenty of players who can fill NHL center roles without one who clearly changes the matchup.
Zegras' move back to center is one of Philadelphia's most interesting experiments after he produced career highs in goals and points last season.
Dvorak is currently projected behind him, with Noah Cates and Sean Couturier filling out the middle.
The Flyers themselves showed how they view the position when they signed Leo Carlsson to an $18 million-per-year offer sheet that Anaheim matched. Philadelphia has options. It is still searching for the answer.
Seattle has invested heavily in Beniers and Wright becoming the long-term answer down the middle.
So far, the certainty hasn't arrived.
Chandler Stephenson gives the Kraken another established center and makes the position reasonably deep, while Frederick Gaudreau adds another option. But Seattle still needs either Beniers or Wright to become the type of offensive center opponents have to game-plan around.
Nashville might be the best example of having several centers without having an obvious long-term No. 1.
Ryan O'Reilly remains the established option after a 74-point season, but at this stage of his career he is better viewed as a strong 2C on a contender than an ideal franchise 1C.
That is where Mavrik Bourque becomes interesting. Nashville acquired him from Dallas after a 20-goal season and is giving him an opportunity to play between Filip Forsberg and Matthew Wood. Ross Colton and Jack Drury give the Predators even more depth behind them.
There are usable pieces throughout the lineup. What Nashville still needs is for Bourque or another younger player to prove he can become the long-term answer at the top.
Calgary has NHL centers. The problem is the top of the depth chart.
Morgan Frost is currently projected to center Matvei Gridin and Matt Coronato, while veteran Mikael Backlund remains behind him. Ryan Strome and Martin Pospisil provide additional alternatives.
There isn't an obvious long-term 1C here, nor a current center who matches the top-end talent possessed by virtually every team above Calgary. That makes the position one of the clearest areas for the Flames to address.
Edmonton remains in its own category. Other teams can match the Oilers at 1C, but nobody can match McDavid followed by Draisaitl.
The best groups aren't necessarily built the same way. New Jersey has two near-1Cs. Florida combines Barkov and Bennett with Lundell behind them. Dallas has three legitimate scoring centers. Carolina sacrifices some superstar power for very little weakness across its lines.
The young center race is getting interesting. Celebrini, Carlsson, Fantilli, Bedard, Cooley, Byfield and Misa could reshape this ranking significantly over the next few seasons.
And several teams still need a true No. 1. Calgary is the clearest example, but Nashville, Seattle, Philadelphia and Boston all enter 2026–27 with legitimate questions about who ultimately anchors the position.
