Sebastian Aho?
Jaccob Slavin?

they don't bump anyone from the C or LHD list

Both around 40-45

I think I'd have barkov over tage eichel and stutzle at this point

Pretty good list. I'd argue maybe peitrangelo or dougie hamilton should be in there over one or 2 of those centers

Having Hischier over Aho is wild... Aho has mostly produced points better than Hischier and they are both about as good on the defensive end.

Aho- Hischier, Hintz or Zibanejad
Slavin- Theodore

Where’s JT Miller? Thought he’s impressed so far.

I'd vehemently disagree about the defensive end. They're in the same tier of player tho.

Miller is on there, he’s the last center listed

I'd rank that list Mika>Aho>Nico>Hintz

I see the official CF Clayton Keller tongue-bath remains open. Does nobody actually watch hockey anymore?

Aho has a lower xGA/60, HDGA/60, and SCA/60 than Hischier since the beginning of last year at 5v5 and way better numbers on the PK compared to Nico

I'd do it
1. Aho
2. Hintz
3. Nico
4. Mika

Wheres Dmitri Voronkov

Aho played/plays (with the exception of TDA) in front of the best Dcore in hockey. It's why his on/off splits for xGoals share are nothing special (0.7% this year, 1.1% last year, negative 1.6% in 21-22).

Another factor to consider is penalties. Aho has generated an extra 18 minutes of PP vs PK time over the last 3 years. Nico over that time frame has generated an extra 67. That has significant impact.

Aho a better PK guy yes.

Nico is much better at even strength defense, a better play driver in my opinion, and provides much more value in terms of penalties.

Aho is a much better finisher however, which gives him the overall edge.

That's simply my take on the matterr.

Honestly I haven't kept up with Mika this year, and I just realized how unproductive he's been this year, and with his age that could be the sign of an overall downfall. I will bump him down but maintain that he was the best over the last 2 years or so.

Hintz I just can't get on board with. The production just isn't there for someone who has BY far better linemates than either of Nico or Aho (who played with similar quality linemates imo). Playing with Jrob and Pavelski.

Worst defensively of the 4, doesn't feel like the play driver, and I'd simply expect more production from someone who got 800 minutes on a line with Pavelski and Jrob last year

I also have a bias towards Finnish players... I will freely admit that

And's a completely fair take on it... Aho is never going to be the Selke-level defender like Staal. I will also agree that Nico has generated a lot of PP time. I think that with Aho a big part of his game is his ability to generate play for others, especially on the PP

Nico looked to have taken a big jump last year play driving wise, with his finishing lagging behind what it had been his whole career. This year I was expecting/hoping him to continue that play driving with the finishing to catch up. I'll have to see what he looks like when he gets healthy. I will admit Aho has the much larger sample size of quality production, but none of the underlyings behind nico's play suggested anything flukey/due for regression. Both studs imo that will probably be forever underrated (unless Nico starts getting that bergeron type selke love)

They are both completely underrated... Nico because he get's overshadowed by Jack and Sebastian because the NHL media doesn't like to pay attention to Carolina

Aho would probably need a cup run + conn smythe to get that respect. Which is going to be tough based on how carolina plays, I could see any of like 6 guys getting that award if they win the cup
Nico even with a cup probably has little/no chance at the conn smythe, because a devils cup run almost certainly comes off the back of a jack hughes dominant run. But if he does get that cup, I can see him being a guy that gets consistent selke finalists/wins for a decade, because once you get that reputation defensively, it sticks

"Which is going to be tough based on how carolina plays, I could see any of like 6 guys getting that award if they win the cup"- Hurricanes hockey in a nutshell. Nico is one of those guys in the league who deserve some Selke love... along with Petterson, Barkov, Kopitar, and KK

I'm not that sold on pettersson selke. He feels like a defensive reputation player + offense.

46% 5v5 xGoals this year, and the team is at 48% with him on the bench. Gets credit for manning a PK which has been pretty consistently awful.

Yah it might be that he's the least awful defensive forward on a team where nobody is particularly good at defense