The Athletic’s Sean Gentille, Shayna Goldman and Dom Luszczyszyn have compiled a massive list of the NHL’s best players in a tiered fashion, per a 20-person panel.
Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin is listed as an All-Star, but a tenuous one in the “3B” category…
Dylan Larkin
Why he’s here
Larkin, at least in the eyes of our panel, has found his level. Depending on who you ask, he’s either a middle-of-the-pack first-line center or an elite 2C, but nobody had an issue with his placement in Tier 3B.
His performance at the 4 Nations Face-Off earned him praise, as did a big season from linemate Lucas Raymond. That helped raise Larkin from Tier 3C after two years in neutral. We also felt it appropriate to leave Tier 3C center-free, reflecting a drop-off after players such as Larkin — a decision one exec called “bang on.”
Detroit’s playoff drought with Larkin as their top forward prevents him from rising further. He could counter-balance that with more production, but he has one season in his last six with more than 70 points. Still, there’s a sense that miscast or not, he’d be a winning player in the right environment, and we wanted his placement to reflect that.
And Moritz Seider occupies the same tier, just below Larkin…
Moritz Seider
Why he’s here
It’s not enough to simply play tough minutes. There has to be some level of success within the context to warrant the responsibility. Last season, Seider proved he could not only handle the job but thrive. It’s exactly what we wanted to see.
Despite the tough usage, Seider won his minutes with strong defensive aptitude. Per 60, the Red Wings allowed 0.21 fewer expected goals and 0.42 goals with Seider on the ice. Those are elite marks given the context, pushing his Defensive Rating toward the league’s best — in line with Slavin and Heiskanen. Under the hood, Seider took some real steps in his ability to retrieve pucks and defend his blue line, both hallmarks of high-end franchise defensemen.
“He’s going to be an interesting block on a playoff-type team,” one analyst said.
Seider is becoming a do-it-all defenseman, and part of what makes him special is that he also has a mean streak that’s absent in a lot of the defensemen above him. Another season like his last can propel him into Tier 2.
“Where do you find another player like him?” one executive said.
While Lucas Raymond‘s a “3C”…
Lucas Raymond
Why he’s here
If there was any doubt Raymond was a star-caliber winger, he took care of it with an 80-point season as a 22-year-old. He faded a bit, scoring just five goals after Feb. 22, but stretches like that happen — and he’d already spent the majority of two years proving he’s a legit first-liner with the potential to be even more.
“I don’t think we’ve seen the best Lucas Raymond yet,” one executive said, “and he’s already an 80-point guy.”
If he follows that up in 2025-26, he’ll be (at least) in the Tier 3A discussion. Maybe another 80 points gets him there, in the style of Clayton Keller and Kyle Connor. Maybe he continues to improve as a play-driver, both in transition and the offensive zone, like Jesper Bratt. Maybe it’s as simple as the Red Wings making the playoffs. There are options for Raymond, and there’s optimism, too.
Alex DeBrincat‘s a “support player” at tier “5B”…
Alex DeBrincat
Why he’s here
DeBrincat is a small-statured winger who scores a bunch of goals … and doesn’t offer a whole lot else. That’s a tough sell for a lot of hockey people. The goals are great and DeBrincat creates a lot of chances, but the lack of dimension in his game keeps him in Tier 5. He’s a great secondary core piece, but he’s just not someone who fits a team’s top-level core. Not on a playoff team, anyway.
As is Simon Edvinsson…
Simon Edvinsson
Why he’s here
By the end of Edvinsson’s first full NHL season, he’d emerged as either a potential long-term partner for Moritz Seider or a defenseman capable of carrying his own pair. Some panelists believe the 6-foot-6 22-year-old can pop as an offensive producer. Either way, Detroit seems to have another building block.
“He’s gonna be good,” one scout said. “They kept him down when they could’ve brought him up, but they didn’t, and that’s how you develop.”
Continued (paywall); this list is designed to spark debate, and I’m certain that the Red Wings fan base will question why players are where they are…
But the Wings continue to have a lot to prove going forward, from DeBrincat, who scored 39 goals and 70 points, to Larkin, who is rarely considered to be well-cast as the Red Wings’ #1 center.
