The 2026 Stanley Cup Final looks like the kind of series that makes you forget about TV ratings and market size. The re's real skill here, starting with Jack Eichel and Mitch Marner, who carried Vegas through the Presidents' Trophy winners in the Western Conference Final like it was just another Tuesday.
Carolina went 12-1 through the first three rounds, which tends to happen when you have actual talent on the roster. Sebastian Aho has been an elite two-way center for years, and this finals appearance might finally get him the recognition that's been missing. On defense, Jaccob Slavin adds to a group that includes three players who won Olympic gold in February—both teams loading up with champions.
The record does not need much decoration; it already does the talking.
What's notably absent from the trophy talk: the goaltenders. Carter Hart and Frederik And ersen both showed warts during the regular season. Whether those resurface in the Final is the question hanging over this series like fog over a rink.
Top 10 Players in the 2026 Stanley Cup Final
10. K'And re Miller | D | Carolina Hurrians
Miller spent most of his career with the Rangers being very good with out quite reaching his ceiling. Since landing in Carolina, he's found his full potential on a team that knows how to maximize defensemen. In the se playoffs, Miller has posted a 64.6% expected goals share and a plus-13 goal differential at five-on-five. He's exactly the kind of addition that could tip a tight series.
9. Pavel Dorofeyev | RW | Vegas Golden Knights
Eichel and Marner can set up plays all day, but someone still has to finish the m. Dorofeyev has become that guy—72 goals over the last two season s, including 20 on the power play. His four playoff tallies help explain why Vegas is converting at 23.9% on the man advantage.
8. Nikolaj Ehlers | LW | Carolina Hurricanes
Ehlers might be the fastest player in this series, which matters when time and space are scarce commodities. After a slow start with the Hurricanes, he finished strong with 27 points in his final 23 games. Nine playoff points, with five coming in the last four games of the Eastern Conference Final. Carolina signed him hoping he'd be the final piece. We'll see.
7. Jaccob Slavin | D | Carolina Hurricanes
One of the NHL's premier shutdown defensemen, Slavin logs heavy minutes against top competition and thrives in those matchups. A 57.5% expected goals share over three season s tells most of the story. He also showed those chops at the Olympics, helping Team USA to gold. You'll see his name on the ice often enough to memorize it.
6. Shea The odore | D | Vegas Golden Knights
The odore remains one of the NHL's more underrated defensemen, which says something given how much he plays. The Golden Knights have allowed just 2.32 xGA/60 with him on the ice at five-on-five while generating 2.9 xGF/60. Versatility like his matters against a deep Carolina team.
5. Seth Jarvis | RW | Carolina Hurricanes
Jarvis has led Carolina in goals for two straight season s and hit 30+ goals three years running. At 5-foot-10, he plays bigger than his frame, winning corners against opponents who outweigh him. The goal-scoring hasn't translated consistently in the playoffs—just three goals in 13 games. His career shooting percentage sits at 14.2%; current postseason rate is 9.1%. Regression tends to correct itself.
4. Sebastian Aho | C | Carolina Hurricanes
Aho represents the the me running through the top four: elite two-way forwards who impact every phase of the game. He's played at that level for nearly a decade with out getting the recognition some peers enjoy. Point-per-game pace in the regular season for the second time in three years. The playoffs have been quieter—seven points in 13 games—and his line with Jarvis and And rei Svechnikov has underperformed as a unit. This would be a different list if he were hitting his stride entering the Final.
3. Mark Stone | RW | Vegas Golden Knights
At 34, Stone remains a strong play driver who creates offense through relentless, smart defensive work. He posted a 59.2% expected goals share and plus-19 goal differential in the regular season—Selke Trophy territory. Those numbers dipped in the playoffs, partly due to injury that kept him out of Games 2 and 3 against Seattle. He returned in Game 4 and scored anyway. If Stone is relatively healthy for the Final, he changes what Vegas can do.
2. Mitch Marner | RW | Vegas Golden Knights
Before this season, the lingering question about Marner was whether he'd deliver when it mattered most. Past playoff disappointments in Toronto left stains on his record—sometimes unfairly. He's answered now. Marner leads the playoffs with 21 points, and Vegas has outscored opponents 10-7 with him on the ice at five-onfive. His two-way play doesn't take a vacation: Vegas allowed just 2.21 xGA/60 with Marner on the ice during the season.
1. Jack Eichel | C | Vegas Golden Knights
Marner pushed hard for this spot. Eichel earns it by being the engine that makes Vegas go—his blend of skill, vision, and competitive ness putting the Golden Knights in position to contend for the Cup. The rest of the league is still catching up.