The Hockey News has opened its full archive to subscribers, giving fans access to 76 years of hockey history, feature stories, and unforgettable moments. In the latest issue, we rank the NHL’s top 100 players, with Detroit Red Wings star winger Alex DeBrincat coming in at No. 65th overall. Here is a free preview featuring players ranked 59 through 65.
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59 NICO HISCHIER
POS: C | AGE: 27 | LY: 67
His offense may have taken a hit this season, but Hischier has always been known for his 200-foot game. The Devils’ captain remains a stalwart on the penalty kill, and his faceoff prowess was impressive – he took 200 more draws than anyone else in the NHL and won 56 percent of them.
60 BROCK FABER
POS: D | AGE: 23 | LY: 73
Offense drives the Norris discussion, and Faber notched career-best goal and point totals, but his value exists not in what appears on the scoresheet but what is absent from it: the opposition. His eight-year, $68-million contract is already a steal, and he’s only completed the first season of the pact.
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61 BRANDON HAGEL
POS: LW | AGE: 27 | LY: 50
Undrafted in the WHL and a sixth-round pick in the NHL, Hagel has willed himself into being a crucial all-zones player who has a soft scoring touch and a surprising physical game. But Hagel’s worth is in his ability to play anywhere in the lineup and on either special-teams unit.
62 JACKSON LACOMBE
POS: D | AGE: 25 | LY: NR
LaCombe took another step after signing his monster contract extension close to the start of the season. On an improving Ducks squad, the 25-year-old is now wearing an ‘A’ as part of the leadership group. Logging more than 24 minutes a game, he cracked a career-high 50 points in his third full campaign.
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63 CLAYTON KELLER
POS: LW | AGE: 27 | LY: 47
Keller is helping the Mammoth write the first chapter in their history, and that includes extending his lead atop the franchise’s all-time scoring register. In two seasons in Utah, he’s accumulated over 40 percent of the total points he posted during his seven-plus years in the desert as an Arizona Coyote.
64 ADAM FOX
POS: D | AGE: 28 | LY: 40
The idea Fox isn’t still an elite offensive D-man is bizarre. On a bad Rangers team, he rocked a 55 percent Corsi rating at all strengths (best on the squad), and New York was outscoring opponents by a wide margin when he was on the ice in 5-on-5 situations. Injuries hurt his totals, but he still averaged a point per game.
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65 ALEX DEBRINCAT
POS: LW | AGE: 28 | LY: 72
There were serious doubts whether DeBrincat, who ranks second all-time in goals by an American-born OHLer, had a game that would translate to the NHL, but he has continued to defy critics with season after season of elite production. Although skating is not his forte, he’s smart and fast enough to find the open areas.
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