Five U.S. Gold Medalists Anchor 51-60 on 2026 NHL Top 100

Five Team USA Olympic gold medalists from Milan occupy spots 51 through 60 on The Hockey News’ top 100 NHL players list for 2026.

Olympic Success Fuels Current Production

Jake Oettinger, Jake Sanderson, Dylan Larkin, Kyle Connor and Brock Faber all captured gold in Milan before delivering elite NHL seasons that placed them in this mid-tier group. The Hockey News criteria weighted this season most heavily, with lesser emphasis on 2024-25 and slight nods to the two prior campaigns, ensuring one-year wonders stayed off the list. Faber, at 23, improved to career-best goal and point totals while anchoring the Minnesota Wild defense. His eight-year, $68-million contract covers only its first season yet already qualifies as a bargain given his shutdown impact.

Sanderson, also 23, ranks as Ottawa’s top defenseman since Erik Karlsson and mirrors the former Senator in skating, puckhandling and breakout ability. Even during the Senators’ early-season struggles, Sanderson remained a consistent bright spot. Connor, 29, and Larkin, 29, each climbed from prior rankings of 38 and 53, respectively, while Oettinger held steady at 51 despite three straight Stars conference-final appearances.

Contract Value and Positional Balance

The group reflects the list’s structural aim of 60 forwards, 30 defensemen and 10 goalies overall, with this segment featuring three defensemen, one center, one left winger, one right winger and one goalie. Roman Josi, 35, at 58, maintains his reputation for consistency after dropping from 31 last year, while Nico Hischier at 59 and Sam Reinhart at 55 round out the forwards. Jakob Chychrun, 28, rose sharply from 95 to 52 after joining Washington. Wyatt Johnston, 23, at 53, and the others avoided any salary considerations or team-representation quotas in their placement.

Oettinger enters the 2026 playoffs with an .881 save percentage over 18 conference-final outings, the worst mark among goaltenders with more than five games in that round. This statistic contrasts with the Stars’ repeated deep runs and underscores how individual metrics can lag team success.

Age Spectrum and No Forecasting

The rankings ignore career achievements and future projections, focusing solely on 2025-26 performance. Younger standouts like Faber and Sanderson earned spots through current excellence, while veterans such as Josi at 35 secured inclusion via this season’s output alone. The criteria explicitly reject bright-future forecasting for promising but not yet elite players and apply the same standard at the other end of the age range, as seen with Sidney Crosby’s potential placement elsewhere on the full list.

This approach produced an evenly distributed segment that rewards sustained impact over pedigree or hype. The five Milan gold medalists exemplify the translation of international pedigree into domestic results without any adjustment for external factors.