With draft-floor trades and the first day of unrestricted free agency just days away, it’s time to break down where each team stands on a position-by-position basis.
That means striking a balance between what each franchise already has in the fold and what it still needs going into the offseason.
Using Net Rating, we looked at how much value each team is currently expected to carry at each position and the holes they have to address. Teams without franchise talent (top-32 forward, top-16 defenseman, top-eight goalie) were penalized further for having a more glaring need. With that as a baseline, we added some subjectivity as a finishing touch.
Here’s how we’d rank each team’s wing depth, from best to worst, just before the offseason kicks off and the window to improve begins.
GO DEEPER
Which NHL teams need upgrades at center? Ranking all 32 teams by current quality
1. Minnesota Wild
Current quality: 98th percentile
Looking for: Depth wingers
The Wild can thank Sam Reinhart for their place atop this list. If he’s signed, there’s no question which team takes their place.
Minnesota might be a bit of a surprise here, but the Wild are only one of a handful of teams with two franchise wingers. The model loves Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy like they are its children, which gives Minnesota a very strong starting point.
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Beyond those two, the team is set across the board with Mats Zuccarello as a first-liner, Ryan Hartman as a second-liner and a pair of capable third-line wingers in Marcus Johansson and Marcus Foligno.
That stability combined with the sheer volume of talent makes this a big strength for Minnesota.
2. Edmonton Oilers
Current quality: 91st percentile
Looking for: Top-six winger, depth wingers
You’re aware of the Oilers’ two franchise-caliber centers. They have one on the wing, too, thanks to Zach Hyman’s 54-goal explosion in 2023-24. As much as Connor McDavid likes Hyman, the model might like him even more, solidly placing him in the top tier. Whether that’s overly optimistic or not, it’s tough to imagine anyone better suited to play alongside the best player on Earth.
Edmonton isn’t here solely because of Hyman; Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is a well-rounded first-liner and Dylan Holloway seems ready to take the next step in his development. If Edmonton can hit on one more second-liner and a depth addition or two, look out.
3. Florida Panthers
Current quality: 89th percentile
Looking for: Top-six winger, top-nine wingers, depth winger
The Panthers would be an easy top choice as currently constructed, with the best one-two-three punch in the game. Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Reinhart and Carter Verhaeghe are an embarrassment of riches.
Reinhart isn’t signed yet, though, and that makes this tricky. His exclusion, along with a lot of holes in the bottom six, would drop the Panthers way down the list. But the likelihood he sticks around seems high enough to bump them up to where they belong.
Florida has a very busy offseason ahead, but the pieces it already has and the strong chance Reinhart returns makes it easy to love its situation.
4. Boston Bruins
Current quality: 84th percentile
Looking for: Top-six winger
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Only two wingers in the league are projected to provide more value than David Pastrnak, and Brad Marchand is a legit first-liner. Having those two pieces in place, along with a decent selection of bottom-six options, means most of Boston’s difficult work is done.
What the Bruins could use, though — especially as they try to make some meaningful additions down the middle — is a solid second-liner, even if Pavel Zacha moves back to the wing full-time. Is it make or break? Not really. Center is the priority here.
5. Dallas Stars
Current quality: 85th percentile
Looking for: Top-six winger
Even with Joe Pavelski retiring, the Stars are sitting pretty. They have one of the best wingers in hockey in Jason Robertson and some strong depth behind him. Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin, Mason Marchment and Logan Stankoven all grade out as top-six caliber, creating a stacked middle six.
Pavelski’s absence leaves a hole in the top nine, but the Stars do have flexibility. They are ‘missing’ another top-line winger, but considering they have a franchise guy and so many top-sixers, they can probably go without. Stankoven’s presence gives them the potential to fill that role internally, too.
6. Los Angeles Kings
Current quality: 80th percentile
Looking for: Top-nine winger
The Kings are an example of how important it is to have your top six in order; they have one fringe franchise guy in Kevin Fiala and three first-liners (Adrian Kempe, Quinton Byfield and Trevor Moore). Beyond them? Not much — but that problem can be addressed relatively easily in free agency.
The bigger question is whether Byfield sticks at wing after his breakout season or moves back to the middle, especially in the wake of the Pierre-Luc Dubois trade. For now, we’re assuming the former.
7. Winnipeg Jets
Current quality: 81st percentile
Looking for: None
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What the Jets lack in pure, top-end forward talent, they make up for in volume. Not many teams have three top-line or five top-six wingers. The depth here is tremendous and is further aided by two more solid third-line options.
Winnipeg has a lot of stability here, which plays a bigger role on the winger list where there are eight spots to consider instead of four.
8. Utah Hockey Club
Current quality: 87th percentile
Looking for: Franchise talent
A solid core of wingers will give fans in Salt Lake City something to watch. Clayton Keller is a star, Nick Schmaltz is one of the more underrated players in the league, Matias Maccelli has had two straight productive seasons and Dylan Guenther may have more potential than all of them.
Is that enough to make Utah any more than a fringe playoff team? Nope. They’re too weak elsewhere to take all that seriously. There are pieces in place, though, and players who are capable of connecting with a new fan base.
9. Buffalo Sabres
Current quality: 80th percentile
Looking for: Franchise player, depth winger
The Sabres need one more franchise player to fill the quota, but they’re brimming with options at every position.
On the wing, JJ Peterka, Jack Quinn and Zach Benson all grade out as second-line caliber and their upside leaves room for optimism. The Sabres also have a plethora of prospects on the way, so the future looks bright.
Beyond the kids, Alex Tuch remains a model favorite as a genuine top-line winger and Jeff Skinner, buyout possibility aside, still grades out well. There aren’t a lot of drags in the lineup, and while the team does need depth, those roles can easily be filled internally.
10. New York Rangers
Current quality: 67th percentile
Looking for: Top-six winger, top-nine winger
It’s the offseason, which means the Rangers are looking for a winger who can play on the top six, specifically on a line with Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider. It seems like New York can at least rely on Alexis Lafrenière — his breakout season was solid enough — but there’s still a hole in the position group behind him, Kreider and franchise player Artemi Panarin.
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A bit farther down the lineup, Kaapo Kakko is projected to provide third-line production, but the Rangers could use another option there, too. Chris Drury’s summer will indeed be interesting.
11. Toronto Maple Leafs
Current quality: 59th percentile
Looking for: Top-six wingers
The Leafs are one of two teams with two franchise wingers (or three if Florida retains Reinhart). Beyond Mitch Marner and William Nylander, though, the depth chart doesn’t look great.
Toronto is in need of two top-six wingers and its third-line options don’t look very imposing, either. Matthew Knies has upside and Easton Cowan might make the team, but neither are proven top-six commodities. Ryan Reaves’ presence is also a collective drag.
In terms of stability, there’s also the added wrinkle of Marner being actively shopped. It’ll be interesting to see where Toronto’s depth stands once the dust settles, but for now, there’s a bit of unease.
12. Tampa Bay Lightning
Current quality: 79th percentile
Looking for: Top-six wingers, top-nine wingers
Many nights, Nikita Kucherov was the best winger in the league — and his projected value reflects that. Behind him, Brandon Hagel continued to show that the Lightning were wise to lock him up long-term.
Behind Hagel? Brutal. Not a single winger in Tampa’s system is projected to have positive value. That the Lightning are this high up is a testament to how good their top two guys have been and not much else.
13. Colorado Avalanche
Current quality: 82nd percentile
Looking for: Top-six wingers, top-nine winger
We’re not penciling Gabriel Landeskog in until we actually see him in the lineup. It’s hard to tell what he could still be after missing two entire seasons. With Valeri Nichushkin likely out of the picture and Jonathan Drouin unsigned, the Avalanche depth looks fairly grim.
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Lucky for them, they do have one of the league’s best in Mikko Rantanen and this summer should be a buyer’s market. Artturi Lehkonen is great too, but the drop-off after is concerning. Any team whose third-best winger going into the summer is Logan O’Connor has massive holes.
14. Carolina Hurricanes
Current quality: 60th percentile
Looking for: Top-six winger, depth winger
Carolina’s forward group is in something of a state of flux, and the calculus could change even further depending on how it proceeds with trade candidate Martin Necas. Either way, the Hurricanes will need to add goals somewhere. Seth Jarvis is coming off an outstanding season, and the model rewarded him handsomely for it. Andrei Svechnikov, a year removed from ACL surgery, once again projects as a first-liner.
That’s a solid start, but after those two, it’s Necas. So … we’ll see. One note: We’re projecting Jesperi Kotkaniemi as a third-line winger.
15. Ottawa Senators
Current quality: 51st percentile
Looking for: Top-six winger
The Senators could use another top-six winger, but as they stand, they don’t look too bad. Brady Tkachuk is a franchise piece and they have a pair of passable first-liners in Claude Giroux and Drake Batherson. Add Ridly Greig and Mathieu Joseph and they’ve got a more-than-capable top nine. To reach the playoffs they’ll likely need to beef that up a bit, but the foundation is solid.
16. New Jersey Devils
Current quality: 37th percentile
Looking for: Top-six winger, top-nine winger
If Alexander Holtz takes a step forward in his second full NHL season, at least one of the Devils’ issues will be solved. He’s currently projected as a depth piece, though, and New Jersey’s overall ranking took a hit as a result.
Two other Devils notes: The model continues to love Jesper Bratt, projecting him to be one of the 32 most valuable wingers in the league, and still believes in Timo Meier as a first-line piece, thanks in part to his season-ending surge.
17. Nashville Predators
Current quality: 42nd percentile
Looking for: Top-line winger
The Predators need another top-liner to complement Filip Forsberg. He’s in the franchise tier, but he could still use some help. As impressive as Gustav Nyquist’s resurgence was last season, the soon-to-be 35-year-old probably fits closer to a second-liner next season. Nashville has solid depth, but a jolt would help.
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18. Calgary Flames
Current quality: 64th percentile
Looking for: Franchise talent, top-line wingers
The Flames are proof that quality beats quantity; they have five wingers with second-line projections but still clock in closer to the bottom of this list than the top. Beyond that, the best of the bunch — Andrew Mangiapane — is the subject of trade rumors. It’s time for a change.
19. Philadelphia Flyers
Current quality: 32nd percentile
Looking for: Franchise talent
The Flyers look very stable on the wing with two top-liners, two second-liners and three third-liners. Still, it’s passable, but not enough. Checking boxes only brings a team to average — if that. Philadelphia has a similar lack of high-end upside at center. At wing, though, the Flyers have more potential — and that’s before Matvei Michkov arrives (if he stays at wing).
Travis Konecny has shortcomings, but he’s the closest bet. Tyson Foerster had an underrated rookie season and may be a potential two-way stud. Owen Tippett has some serious wheels and has flashed star potential. It’s the area where the Flyers are most likely to fill their franchise-talent void.
20. Detroit Red Wings
Current quality: 51st percentile
Looking for: Franchise player, top-six wingers, top-nine winger
Detroit’s issue, basically, is twofold. Its best wingers, Alex DeBrincat and Lucas Raymond, are adequate first-liners but nothing more, and there’s basically no proven talent behind them.
DeBrincat or Raymond leveling up would help, but the Red Wings also simply need reliable middle-six contributors. They have far too many holes for a team with playoff aspirations, and they don’t have enough talent at center or defense to make up for it.
21. Vancouver Canucks
Current quality: 37th percentile
Looking for: Top-line winger, top-six winger, top-nine winger
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Vancouver’s priority is on the wing. It’s no shock the Canucks are linked to Jake Guentzel, who is exactly what this team needs.
He would be a perfect fit, but he wouldn’t solve all their problems. The Canucks likely need another top-six winger on top of him and likely another top-nine winger, too, if Ilya Mikheyev gets shipped out as rumored.
Vancouver has entered its contention window and a big summer would go a long way toward cementing its status as a team to fear in the West. There are just too many question marks at the moment to view it as an above-average situation.
22. St. Louis Blues
Current quality: 28th percentile
Looking for: Franchise talent, top six wingers
The Blues, like several other teams, have a pair of nice first-liners in Pavel Buchnevich and Jordan Kyrou, then a gap, then a handful of third-liners — though Jake Neighbours, 22 years old and coming off a 27-goal season, has a chance to be more. If they want to return to the playoff discussion, they’re going to need another relevant piece. They don’t have enough difference-makers elsewhere.
23. Pittsburgh Penguins
Current quality: 25th percentile
Looking for: Top-line winger
Guentzel’s departure has left a gaping void in Pittsburgh’s top six. The Penguins’ best winger is now Bryan Rust, and though we both love Rust more than any reasonable person should, that’s obviously not an ideal situation.
Michael Bunting is a useful top-six winger who somewhat softens the blow. He fit nicely with the Penguins right off the bat and has a history of working well with superstars, but Pittsburgh still needs someone to pair with Sidney Crosby. That would push one of Rickard Rakell or Reilly Smith down to the third line, where they likely fit better. Both were heavily underwhelming last year, and Smith is a clear trade candidate.
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As long as the Penguins get a player who can push everyone into their right place, the depth is passable.
24. Columbus Blue Jackets
Current quality: 32nd percentile
Looking for: Franchise talent, top-line winger
Columbus’ projection still includes Patrik Laine despite his recent trade request. If the Blue Jackets grant it, a below-average group will get even worse. Johnny Gaudreau is a boilerplate first-liner who’s paid like a franchise player, and Kirill Marchenko has had a productive start to his career.
Other than that, there isn’t much to be excited about, though it’s worth watching where Kent Johnson ends up; we’re keeping him at center for the time being.
25. Montreal Canadiens
Current quality: 21st percentile
Looking for: Franchise talent, top-line winger, top-six winger
The Canadiens are in need of franchise talent and have two candidates on the wing with potential. Cole Caufield looks ready to take a leap and Juraj Slafkovský showed superstar flashes in the second half last season.
Both players have potential to make this current rank look silly, but we’re going to err on the side of caution for both. Regardless, the Canadiens still likely need one other top-line winger and top-six winger to complement them. Maybe a healthy Kirby Dach can be that solution internally.
26. New York Islanders
Current quality: 21st percentile
Looking for: Top-line winger, top-six winger, top-nine winger
Mathew Barzal moved to wing full-time and was a point-per-game player for the first time since 2017-18. That’s a nice development for the Islanders, but they’re still severely lacking. Anders Lee turns 34 over the summer and projects as a fringe second-liner. Behind him, it’s depth guys without much upside.
27. Vegas Golden Knights
Current quality: 13th percentile
Looking for: Top-line winger, top-six winger
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This exercise was particularly illuminating when it came to Vegas, whose winger depth chart looks like a massive problem. Potentially letting Jonathan Marchessault and Chandler Stephenson walk means Vegas has exactly one bona fide top-six winger on the roster: Mark Stone, who is made of glass.
That leaves Vegas with three massive holes. Ivan Barbashev is fine, and there’s potential for Nicolas Roy or Pavel Dorofeyev to step up — but all three are better suited for third-line duty. Having strong center depth makes this less of an issue, but it also means the team’s top three will have less support to drive play. No wonder Vegas has been linked to Marner.
28. Anaheim Ducks
Current quality: 13th percentile
Looking for: Franchise talent, top-line winger
The Ducks’ projection includes Trevor Zegras as a winger — so the fact they’re so low on the list should sting a little more. Long term, Cutter Gauthier seems like a good bet to slot in at the top of the lineup, and Troy Terry has solidified his standing as a legit first-liner.
For a rebuilding team, though, there aren’t many long-term pieces on the outside. A bounce-back from Zegras feels crucial.
29. Seattle Kraken
Current quality: 26th percentile
Looking for: Franchise player, top-line wingers
Seattle’s placement here (and on the center list) depends on where Jared McCann slots. He is the team’s only first-line-caliber player and that’s the biggest thing holding back a team built via an expansion draft. There’s a serious lack of high-end talent.
We listed McCann as a center, and that means the winger depth chart looks pretty grim. Seattle has five decent wingers who can slot anywhere in a middle six, but needing two top-six wingers is far from ideal.
30. Washington Capitals
Current quality: 14th percentile
Looking for: Franchise talent, top-line wingers
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Ironically, the Caps’ situation at wing might be what makes the last leg of Alex Ovechkin’s goal record chase a slog. He’s a second-liner these days — no shame in that. That he’s still their best winger by a long shot, though, is a major problem. Tom Wilson is the only other wing on the roster projected to provide positive value.
The Caps have enough money to add a middle-six piece and they’re clearly motivated to reshape the lineup a bit; acquiring Dubois will help their overall outlook. Still, the depth chart on the outside is ugly.
31. Chicago Blackhawks
Current quality: 3rd percentile
Looking for: Franchise talent, top-line wingers
After reading the center and winger lists, it should be clear why teams often put so much emphasis on the former. There’s a much higher correlation between team ability and the strength of its centers than the strength of its wingers.
While wingers rarely make a team, they can surely break one — and that’s most evident within the bottom two teams. Part of the reason the Blackhawks landed where they did in the standings was a total lack of winger support.
On top of a general need for franchise talent — which Connor Bedard is likely to fill — Chicago needs two top-line wingers. If Taylor Hall can’t bounce back from a big injury, the depth chart will get even thinner.
32. San Jose Sharks
Current quality: 1st percentile
Looking for: Franchise talent, top-line wingers, top-six winger
Just in case you forgot, the Sharks tanked last season. It takes an impressive amount of effort to build a position group this bad. William Eklund took a step forward and seems like a potential piece for whatever comes next. Beyond him, there isn’t much worth discussing.
(Top photos of Zach Hyman, Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy: Derek Cain and Nick Wosika / Getty Images)