The Athletic recently refreshed its NHL Player Value list, presenting a wide range of advanced metrics, including Athlete Performance metrics and a GSVA-style Game Impact score. These updates appear in concert with reporting from Sports Express, adding a deeper layer of statistical insight to how players contribute on the ice.
Participation in the rating requires a minimum threshold of ten games. This ensures the rankings reflect players with a sufficient sample size to judge performance across a season, rather than early or sporadic appearances.
Among the top performers, eight Russian skaters earned places in the top 100. Nikita Kucherov of the Tampa Bay Lightning sits at 16th with a value around 4.0. Kirill Kaprizov of the Minnesota Wild is 26th with a 3.5, while Andrey Kuzmenko of the Vancouver Canucks maps to 42nd at 3.1. Mikhail Sergachev of Tampa Bay is listed 43rd with a value near 3.1. Artemy Panarin of the New York Rangers holds 58th at 2.8, Evgeni Malkin of the Pittsburgh Penguins is 72nd with 2.6, Andrey Svechnikov of the Carolina Hurricanes is 79th at 2.5, and Pavel Buchnevich of the St. Louis Blues sits at 86th with 2.3.
Alexander Ovechkin, the captain of the Washington Capitals and a prominent Russian forward, finished 128th with a value of 1.8. In contrast, Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers leads the list with a value of 6.7, underscoring his sustained impact across the league and his top-tier status in this framework.
Commentary from Alexander Shmurnov, formerly with Match TV, highlighted recognition of Alexander Ovechkin as a standout athlete in Russia’s hockey history. The discussion reflects how individual legacies are weighed against evolving analytics that seek to quantify player influence beyond traditional scoring alone.