[FanIn80]

1. Matthew Tkachuk | LW | Florida Panthers

After slotting Matthew Tkachuk at No. 1 in these rankings last season, I was worried I was too bullish on him after a great 2021-22 season. Well, Tkachuk rewarded my faith, and he cemented himself as the top winger in the NHL with an impeccable 2022-23 campaign.

In his first season with the Panthers, Tkachuk set new career highs with 69 assists and 109 points. Those numbers are impressive enough on the surface, but a deeper dive shows exactly how much better Florida was with Tkachuk on the ice last year. With Tkachuk in the game at five-on-five, the Panthers had a plus-39 goal differential, per Natural Stat Trick. With Tkachuk on the bench, that goal differential plummeted to minus-7.

Tkachuk only enhanced his stardom with an awe-inspiring postseason performance. He tallied 24 points in 20 games, and he came up clutch with four game-winning goals, despite battling through a broken sternum. I'd say that effort is more than worthy of the No. 1 spot again this year.

No RNH on this list, thankfully.

https://www.cbssports.com/nhl/news/r...p-playoff-run/