2026 Stanley Cup Final: Jack Eichel, Mitch Marner headline top 10 players in Golden Knights vs. Hurricanes

The 2026 Stanley Cup Final has the potential to be a thrilling series. Despite what those more interested in TV ratings and market sizes have to say, there is plenty of skill and star power on each side of this matchup between the Vegas Golden Knights and the Carolina Hurricanes.

When it comes to the very best of the best, the Golden Knights probably have an advantage. Jack Eichel and Mitch Marner are bona fide superstars, and they are big reasons why Vegas just rolled through the Presidents’ Trophy winners in the Western Conference Final.

Of course, the Hurricanes are loaded as well. A team doesn’t go 12-1 through the first three rounds of the playoffs without some talent on the roster. Sebastian Aho has been an elite two-way center for years now, and this is a chance for him to finally get the recognition he deserves. On defense, the same can be reported for Jaccob Slavin, who is one of three players in this series trying to win a Stanley Cup after taking home Olympic gold in February.

Stanley Cup Final 2026: Hurricanes vs. Golden Knights preview, predictions, Conn Smythe Trophy picks

Austin Nivison

Notably absent from this list are the goaltenders, despite the fact that they’ve both been practically unbeatable at times. Carter Hart and Frederik Andersen both showed a lot of warts in the regular season, and it’s fair to wonder if those will pop back up in the Final.

This should be a pretty even series on the ice, and this ranking of the top 10 players in the 2026 Stanley Cup Final reflects that.

10. K’Andre Miller | D | Carolina Hurricanes

For most of his career with the New York Rangers, Miller was a very good player, but there always seemed to be some meat left on the bone. Following his trade to the Hurricanes, Miller has achieved his full potential and then some on a team known for maximizing the gifts of its defensemen. In these playoffs, Miller has been a star at five-on-five, posting a 64.6% expected goals share and a plus-13 goal differential, per Natural Stat Trick. Miller has given Carolina another stud in its top four, which could prove to be a key edge over Vegas.

9. Pavel Dorofeyev | RW | Vegas Golden Knights

Jack Eichel and Mitch Marner are elite playmakers, but someone has to score goals on the receiving end of those plays. That’s where Dorofeyev really shines. The 25-year-old winger has evolved into a high-end scorer with a combined 72 goals over the last two seasons, and Dorofeyev is a valuable weapon on the power play. He notched 20 power play goals in the regular season, and his four playoff tallies are part of why the Golden Knights are converting at a 23.9% clip on the man advantage this postseason.

8. Nikolaj Ehlers | LW | Carolina Hurricanes

Ehlers might be the fastest player on either team — and in a series where time and space will be hard to find — that could make all the difference in the world. After getting off to a slow start in his first season with the Canes, Ehlers finished strong with 27 points in the final 23 regular-season games. In the postseason, Ehlers is up to nine points, and five of those came in the final four games of the Eastern Conference Final. When Carolina signed Ehlers last summer, it hoped he could be the final piece of a Stanley Cup puzzle. We’re about to find out whether that’s the case.

7. Jaccob Slavin | D | Carolina Hurricanes

One of the very best shutdown defensemen in the NHL, Slavin eats minutes against top competition on a nightly basis, and he thrives in those matchups. Over the last three seasons, Slavin has posted a five-on-five expected goals share of 57.5%, per Natural Stat Trick. Slavin’s shutdown chops were also on display at the Olympics as Team USA leaned on his defense en route to a gold medal. Expect to see Slavin on the ice just about every time you look up.

6. Shea Theodore | D | Vegas Golden Knights

When it comes to the national audience, Shea Theodore is probably still one of the more underrated defensemen in the NHL. Year after year, Theodore dominates his minutes while also contributing on offense. In these playoffs, the Golden Knights have allowed just 2.32 xGA/60 with Theodore on the ice at five-on-five, per Natural Stat Trick. At the same time, they’ve generated 2.9 xGF/60. Theodore can do a little bit of everything for Vegas, and that’ll come in handy against a deep and versatile Hurricanes team.

5. Seth Jarvis | RW | Carolina Hurricanes

Jarvis has led the Hurricanes in goals for two straight seasons — and he’s eclipsed the 30-goal mark in three consecutive years. At 5-foot-10, Jarvis plays with an intensity that allows him to win battles against players bigger than him, and it makes him one of the most fun players to watch in this series. The issue for Jarvis is that his goal-scoring hasn’t been consistent in the postseason. He has just three goals in 13 games, but perhaps that changes soon. Jarvis’ career shooting percentage is 14.2%, but he’s only shooting 9.1% in these playoffs.

4. Sebastian Aho | C | Carolina Hurricanes

Aho kicks off a familiar theme that runs throughout the top four — elite two-way forwards who impact the game in every phase. For almost a decade now, Aho has steadily played elite hockey at both ends of the ice, even if he doesn’t get the same recognition as some of his peers. In the regular season, Aho produced at a point-per-game pace for the second time in the last three years. That offense hasn’t quite been there in the playoffs (seven points in 13 games), and Aho’s line featuring Seth Jarvis and Andrei Svechnikov has underperformed as a whole. Aho might be higher on this list if he were rolling into the Final.

3. Mark Stone | RW | Vegas Golden Knights

Even at 34, Stone is a strong play driver who can create offense with his relentless, intelligent defense. In the regular season, Stone played at a Selke Trophy level, boasting a 59.2% expected goals share and a plus-19 five-on-five goal differential. Those numbers haven’t been quite as good in the playoffs, but Stone has battled injury, missing Games 2 and 3 of the Western Conference Final. When he returned in Game 4, Stone didn’t show any signs of wear and tear as he tallied a gorgeous goal. Assuming Stone is relatively healthy for the Cup Final, he’s a game-changer for Vegas.

2. Mitch Marner | RW | Vegas Golden Knights

Prior to this season, the only question about Marner was whether he could be at his best when it mattered most. Playoff disappointments in Toronto tainted Marner’s resume — sometimes unfairly.  But he has silenced those critics now. Marner leads the playoffs with 21 points, and Vegas has outscored opponents 10-7 with him on the ice at five-on-five. Marner has given the Golden Knights another star at the top of the lineup, but his offensive skill doesn’t come at the expense of his defense. In the regular season, Vegas allowed just 2.21 xGA/60 with Marner in the game at five-on-five.

1. Jack Eichel | C | Vegas Golden Knights

Marner has been pushing for the No. 1 spot throughout these Stanley Cup Playoffs, but the nod goes to Eichel, who already has a Stanley Cup and an Olympic gold medal on his resume. Eichel is one of the best two-way centers in the NHL, and his playmaking has hit a new level over the last two seasons. After tallying 63 assists in the regular season, Eichel also leads the playoffs in assists with 16. In the Stanley Cup Final, Eichel will be tested at both ends of the ice by a Hurricanes team that is as tenacious offensively as it is defensively. That reported, Eichel has won tougher matchups before, and there’s every reason to believe he’ll make big plays in this series.