The 2023/24 NHL season is just around the corner as hockey enthusiasts from all over the globe eagerly wait for the first puck drop on Tuesday, October 10, when the Tampa Bay Lightning — sans Andrei Vasilevskiy — play host to the Nashville Predators.
Generational talent and the 2023 NHL draft overall No. 1 pick Connor Bedard will also be in action on the opening day as his Chicago Blackhawks take on the Pittsburgh Penguins on the road. The day ends with the mouth-watering clash between reigning Stanley Cup winners, the Vegas Golden Knights, and their Western Conference foes, the Seattle Kraken.
As we gear up for the exciting first games of the season, we reflect on the incredible spread of prolific talent across the league, as we’ve seen more and more European NHL players conquering the North American ice in years gone by.
Indeed, hockey is as global as it has ever been as a sport, and arguably, more than half of the current top 20 players in the league were born outside of the United States and Canada. Of course, the player ratings can be subjective, but we can make a strong case for each of the players listed below to be among the top 20 or 25 skaters in the NHL.
Top 12 NHL Players From Europe 2023-24
- David Pastrnak
- Leon Draisaitl
- Mikko Rantanen
- Kirill Kaprizov
- Artemi Panarin
- Miro Heiskanen
- Roman Josi
- Andrei Vasilevskiy
- Nikita Kucherov
- Aleksander Barkov
- Elias Pettersson
- Alex Ovechkin
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1. David Pastrnak: Another Dominant Campaign
What would your answer be if someone asked you to name the best player on the planet right now? Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, Auston Matthews, Sidney Crosby, and Matt Tkachuk can all represent genuine options, but so can David Pastrnak (and arguably Leon Draisaitl). Pastrnak, the 27-year-old Boston Bruins right winger, has been among the team’s top scorers for years. He finished the last season with 66 goals and 52 assists, breaking the 100-point mark again.
Pastrnak tops many lists of the best European hockey players in 2023 — a spot he’s more than earned. We only expect him to keep terrorizing rivaling defensive lines in years to come.
If you’re looking to wager on this rising star, BetMGM Sportsbook has David as the third top contender for the Rocket Richard Trophy, pricing the Czech at lucrative +800 odds to become the league’s top scorer in 2023/24.
2. Leon Draisaitl: Flying High After a Scintillating Last Season
It takes something special to be among the top five skaters in the strongest league on the planet in each of the three main statistical categories for attackers. Leon Draisaitl was fourth in the goal-scoring charts with 52 goals, while 76 assists placed him third in this department’s competition.
The 6’2’’ center has thus established himself as one of the best European NHL players of 2023, and only the sky is the limit for him in another season serving as the first line of the Edmonton Oilers’ star-studded offense alongside Connor McDavid. Leon has already won the Hart Trophy award in 2019/20, and we have plenty of reasons to like his chances in the strongest offensive team on the planet. The value is certainly there at the exciting +1000 odds at BetMGM for the German superstar to become the league’s MVP this season.
3. Mikko Rantanen: Eyeing Up Another 60+ Goal Season
Although his Avalanche did not shine in last season’s playoff action, Mikko Rantanen had a fantastic campaign individually, with 62 goals and 53 assists. The Finnish right winger starred in crunch time, delivering seven goals and three assists in seven postseason outings. His Avs are again ready to attack the Cup with a lineup featuring Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, and Devon Toews alongside Rantanen.
Central is arguably the weakest division in the league, and we don’t expect Colorado to face any problems on the way to the playoffs. Although we would not back him (because of extremely tough competition), it is worth noting that one of the best European hockey players in NHL 2023-24 is the fifth favorite to be the league’s top goal scorer. DraftKings prices the Finnish hotshot at +1400 odds for the Rocket Richard award.
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4. Kirill Kaprizov: Stepping Up In 2023
We stay in the Central Division, where a Russian superstar is hoping to take his Minnesota Wild to another playoff run. The Dallas Stars stopped the Wild right at the start of their postseason journey last time out, scoring just six combined goals in four defeats. Minnesota has changed its roster this summer, and we can’t wait to see how these shakeups will reflect in the performances on the ice.
One thing is certain — Kirill Kaprizov will lead the Wild as one of the best European NHL players in 2023. Kirill had a disappointing campaign in terms of his total offensive output last time out, especially in the playoffs, where he notched just a single point across six affairs against the Stars. We expect him to step up this time around and show his class, as we are talking about a man who has easily scored more than a point per game throughout his NHL career. You can bet on Kaprizov to score Over 97.5 points in the regular season at -115 odds with DraftKings.
NHL’s Best Players 2023-24: European All-Stars
| Player | Country | Team | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| David Pastrnak | Czech Republic | Boston Bruins | Right Wing |
| Leon Draisaitl | Germany | Edmonton Oilers | Center |
| Mikko Rantanen | Finland | Colorado Avalanche | Right Wing |
| Kirill Kaprizov | Russia | Minnesota Wild | Left Wing |
| Artemi Panarin | Russia | New York Rangers | Left Wing |
| Miro Heiskanen | Finland | Dallas Stars | Defense |
| Roman Josi | Switzerland | Nashville Predators | Defense |
| Andrey Vasilevskiy | Russia | Tampa Bay Lightning | Goalie |
| Nikita Kucherov | Russia | Tampa Bay Lightning | Right Wing |
| Aleksander Barkov | Finland | Florida Panthers | Center |
| Elias Pettersson | Sweden | Vancouver Canucks | Center |
| Alex Ovechkin | Russia | Washington Capitals | Left Wing |
Honorable Mentions
The list of the top European players playing in the NHL 2023-24 season by no means stops here, as we have a plethora of high-profile skaters who well deserve a mention. The New York Rangers’ Artemi Panarin is certainly among them. On top of being one of the best European NHL players, the 31-year-old Russian is one of the most decorated assisters on the planet. The fact that only two men have collected more assists in the league than Panarin since his 2025/16 debut speaks volumes. The New York Rangers are once again among the closest favorites in the East. There is just no reason to expect Panarin’s offensive output to decrease in the upcoming season.
The top defenseman among the best European players in NHL 2023 is the Dallas Stars’ Miro Heiskanen. The Finn has established himself as the best player on the team’s roster. His minutes went up big time last year, and his output grew subsequently, as Miro more than doubled his points total from the previous campaign. On the back of a 73-point season, Heiskanen is now the fourth contender for the James Morris Trophy.
We stay with the defenders and in the Western Conference, highlighting the Nashville Predators captain Roman Josi as one of the best NHL European players in 2023. The elite Swiss defenseman missed the final 15 games of the last season in which the Predators were not a playoff contender. It is hard to say whether they will be one this season, but a healthy Josi should at least make them more competitive.
The list of the best European players in NHL 2023 can go on much longer, considering the immense talent coming from across the Atlantic, but we will wrap it up with just a few more honorable mentions.
These would include Tampa Bay’s Russian duo of Andrei Vasilevskiy and Nikita Kucherov. The former will miss the first couple of months of the season following back surgery — a colossal blow to the Lightning’s ambitions as we are talking about the absence of one of the best goalies on the planet. Kucherov finished last season with 83 total assists, ranking second in the whole league in this department.
Finland’s Aleksander Barkov enjoyed a breakthrough campaign in the playoffs last year with his Florida Panthers, contributing to his team’s massive success with 5 goals and 11 assists across 21 postseason affairs.
Swedish forward Elias Pettersson had another phenomenal triple-digit campaign with the Vancouver Canucks, while we will finish our roundup of the best NHL players from Europe with a living legend — Alex Ovechkin. At 38, the iconic Russian left winger is still a critical part of the Washington Capitals after scoring 42 goals (top ten in the league in the scoring charts) in the previous term.
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