The 2026 Stanley Cup Final sets up as a matchup between two teams that earned their way here through very different paths. The Vegas Golden Knights rode Jack Eichel and Mitch Marner past the Presidents' Trophy winners in the West, while the Carolina Hurricanes quietly compiled a 12-1 record through three rounds. Something has to give.
Eichel and Marner are legitimate stars, and that matters when you're building a championship roster. The Hurricanes aren't short on talent themselves—Sebastian Aho has been one of the leagues better two-way centers for years without getting the recognition that usually follows that level of play. Jaccob Slavin joins him on the blue line, part of three players in this series who won Olympic gold in February and are now chasing the Cup. Both teams had regular-season goaltending questions. Frederik Andersen and Carter Hart each showed cracks during the year. Whether those resurface under playoff pressure remains the obvious unknown.
The Top 10 Players In The Final
The series projects to be fairly even, which makes ranking the individuals involved more of an exercise in identifying where each team's edge lies rather than declaring a clear winner.
10. K'Andre Miller | D | Carolina Hurricanes
Miller found a new home in Carolina after years with the Rangers, and the trade unlocked something. He's posted a 64.6% expected goals share and a plus-13 goal differential through the playoffs. Giving Carolina another top-four defender could matter against Vegas's offensive depth.
9. Pavel Dorofeyev | RW | Vegas Golden Knights
Someone has to finish the passes Eichel and Marner create. Dorofeyev has become that guy—72 goals over the last two seasons, including 20 power play tallies. His four playoff goals are part of why Vegas converts at 23.9% on the man advantage.
8. Nikolaj Ehlers | LW | Carolina Hurricanes
Ehlers might be the fastest player in this series, and speed becomes valuable when space tightens. He struggled early after joining Carolina but finished strong with 27 points in his final 23 games. Nine playoff points, with five coming in the last four games of the East Final, suggests he's arrived at the right moment.
7. Jaccob Slavin | D | Carolina Hurricanes
Slavin eats difficult minutes and thrives doing it—a 57.5% expected goals share over three seasons. He was Team USA's anchor on defense at the Olympics, and he'll likely see heavy deployment here too.
6. Shea Theodore | D | Vegas Golden Knights
Theodore remains one of the more underrated defenders in the league despite consistently dominating his minutes. Vegas has allowed just 2.32 expected goals against per 60 with him on the ice at five-on-five while generating 2.9 expected goals for. That two-way balance gets tested against Carolina's group.
5. Seth Jarvis | RW | Carolina Hurricanes
Jarvis has scored 30-plus goals in three straight seasons and plays bigger than his 5-foot-10 frame. The concern: just three goals in 13 playoff games. His career shooting percentage sits at 14.2%, but he's managing only 9.1% so far this spring. That gap closing would shift this series.
4. Sebastian Aho | C | Carolina Hurricanes
Aho is the first of several elite two-way forwards in this ranking. He's produced at a point-per-game rate in two of the last three regular seasons, though his seven points in 13 playoff games—part of a line that's underperformed—suggest there's something left to find.
3. Mark Stone | RW | Vegas Golden Knights
Stone remains effective at 34, playing at a Selke-level pace with a 59.2% expected goals share and plus-19 differential in the regular season. Injury cost him Games 2 and 3 of the West Final, but he returned with a goal in Game 4. If reasonably healthy, he adds another layer to Vegas's attack.
2. Mitch Marner | RW | Vegas Golden Knights
Marner answered the playoff criticism that followed him out of Toronto. He leads the postseason with 21 points, and Vegas has outscored opponents 10-7 with him on the ice at five-on-five. Defensively, he's equally responsible—Vegas allowed just 2.21 expected goals against per 60 with Marner playing. The complete package speaks for itself.
1. Jack Eichel | C | Vegas Golden Knights
Eichel finishes atop a list where the gap between first and second says more about the company than anything else. His playmaking ability makes everyone around him better, and his presence forced opponents to account for him in ways that opened space for teammates. That's the kind of gravitational pull that wins championships.