NY Islanders Well Represented on Top 100 NHL Players List

A top 100 players list in the NHL features several New York Islanders players.

Nov 8, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Islanders center Bo Horvat (14) celebrates with defenseman Matthew Schaefer (48) after his second goal of the game in the second period against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The New York Islanders are in a peculiar place when it comes to the state of their current roster.

There weren’t many moves made this offseason to build upon a team that finished with 91 points during the 2025-26 season. That has led to many people predicting the 2026-27 campaign won’t be a great one for the franchise, with so many other Eastern Conference teams improving.

However, the Islanders are tough to count out because they have so many high-end players on their roster. That is evidenced by the top 100 NHL players list from ESPN that has been put together by a panel of broadcasters, analysts, reporters and editors to rate them based on how they will compare to their peers this season.

New York is well represented on the top 100 list with four players. The Montreal Canadiens, Tampa Bay Lightning and Dallas Stars lead the way with six players apiece, which speaks volumes of the elite talent the Islanders possess. There are three teams that don’t have a single player listed: the Seattle Kraken, Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks.

Which Islanders players made the top 100 list?

Oct 3, 2026; Elmont, New York, USA; New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer (48) skates against the New Jersey Devils during the third period at UBS Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

For New York, the highest-rated player should come as no surprise. That honor has been bestowed upon defenseman Matthew Schafer, who has already cemented his status as a superstar in the NHL after a historic rookie season.

He is ranked No. 16, making a massive jump after not being ranked last year, ahead of his first professional season. There are only three defensemen ahead of him: Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche, Zach Werenski of the Columbus Blue Jackets and Quinn Hughes of the Minnesota Wild.

The next Islanders player featured is goalie Ilya Sorokin. He comes in at No. 27, making a sizable jump of his own up from No. 66 last year. His lofty spot has been earned given his elite workhorse ability and production, with five consecutive seasons of 50+ starts and a .906 save percentage.

The third New York player featured is center Bo Horvat. Named the 16th captain in franchise history, he comes in at No. 85, moving up from No. 100 in last year’s rankings. Earning that title is all you need to know about how productive he has been both on and off the ice.

Last but not least, the Islanders' fourth player on the list is forward Mathew Barzal. He comes in at No. 91, suffering a considerable drop from last year, when he was No. 71. A knee injury has kept him off the ice thus far, but the team is hoping he will be 100 percent healthy and won’t battle a nagging ailment like he did last year.