Active NHLers Destined for the HHOF – The Hockey Writers Commentary Latest News, Analysis & More

*This article was updated in January 2025

You will often hear about certain players being labeled “locks” for the Hockey Hall of Fame (HHOF). If their career ended today, their current resume would be enough to get them into the Hall without any more games played.

Related: 7 Highly Questionable HHOF Selections

By position and then alphabetical order, here are the 16 active NHL players that will be in the HHOF.

The Forwards

Nicklas Backstrom

Games played: 1,105 (271 goals-762 assists-1,033 points)

We start with a controversial name on this list, simply because Backstrom doesn’t have any individual hardware. However, he has a Stanley Cup, which is more than some others on this list have. He also has an Olympic silver medal.

He’s also played at nearly a point-per-game throughout his career and has 12 seasons with 50 or more points. While he may not always be the flashiest player, he is one of the best point producers in the game, as he has the second-most assists in the entire NHL since he entered the league back in 2007-08. So, while his name might not jump off the page as a HHOF lock, once you look into his statistics, you see a player who should find his way there.

It is worth noting that Backstrom is technically still active but is not expected to play in the NHL again. He will likely retire when his contract ends in 2025, then the real conversation can begin about his HHOF credentials.

Sidney Crosby

Games played: 1,314 (603-1,037-1,1640)

Three Stanley Cups, two Art Ross Trophies, two Hart Trophies, two Conn Smythe Trophies, three Ted Lindsay Awards, two Rocket Richard Trophies, and two Olympic gold medals. Oh, and a member of the Triple Gold Club. The induction introduction writes itself. Plus, Crosby achieved all of that despite losing a great deal of time to concussions, lockouts, and global events throughout his career.

There’s no question that he has already carved out a HHOF career and it’s impressive to think what his resume could look like if it weren’t for all of that lost time.

Anze Kopitar

Games played: 1,411 (431-819-1,250)

The first Slovenian to ever play in the NHL, Anze Kopitar became one of the best two-way forwards in the game. For a very long time, if you wanted to showcase a perfect example of a defensive forward with offensive prowess, you would point to either Kopitar or Patrice Bergeron as the hallmark of the position.

Alongside two Selke wins (and many more nominations), Kopitar has led the Los Angeles Kings to two Stanley Cups and has a Lady Byng Trophy to his name while earning votes for the Lady Byng trophy in 18 seasons. While being great away from the puck, he’s also led his team in points for the majority of his career. Simply put, he has done it all throughout his NHL career.

Patrick Kane

Games played: 1,265 (480-826-1,306)

If the three Stanley Cups aren’t enough, perhaps the Art Ross Trophy, Hart Trophy, Ted Lindsay Award, Calder Trophy, and Conn Smythe Trophy will do it. Patrick Kane is already a lock for the HHOF.

He’s in the top five for points by an American-born player, and since coming into the league, he trails just Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Alexander Ovechkin in points. He may just be the best American to ever play in the league. He’s a playoff performer as well, with 0.97 points per game in the postseason, including five overtime-winning goals.

Alex Ovechkin

Games played: 1,451 (872-708-1,580)

Ovechkin might not be the human wrecking ball that he was earlier in his career, but he is still a human highlight reel. Few players in the history of the game have been blessed with the type of shot and explosive offensive ability that Ovechkin possesses. From any angle, anywhere in the offensive zone, he is a threat to score. There’s even a chance he catches Wayne Gretzky’s goals record.

Ovechkin is one of two players to win more than two Rocket Richard Trophies in their careers… and he has nine of them to his name. He finally won a Stanley Cup in 2018, won three Hart Trophies, three Ted Lindsay Awards, a Conn Smythe Trophy, a Calder Trophy, and an Art Ross Trophy. Really, it’s just a matter of when he breaks the records and gets into the HHOF, not if.

Nathan MacKinnon

Games played: 833 (349-616-965)

As the first overall pick at the 2013 NHL Draft, expectations were sky-high for Nathan MacKinnon. However, MacKinnon has managed to not only live up to these expectations but surpass them on many counts. Throughout his career, he has claimed the Calder Trophy, Hart Trophy, Pearson, Bing, and of course, the Stanley Cup. He will also break into the 1,000-point club in relatively short order, and he is only getting better with time by posting two straight 110-point seasons, including 140 points in 2023-24.

While he still has a lot of time to cement his legacy, I imagine MacKinnon will be an easy choice for the HHOF when he eventually finishes his career, but hopefully, that won’t be for a number of seasons so he can continue to smash the record books.

Evgeni Malkin

Games played: 1,186 (506-822-1,328)

When he’s healthy, Malkin is one of the toughest players in the NHL to defend. His combination of size, speed, and power is truly remarkable. He’s like a freight train out on the ice. Unfortunately, he’s dealt with injury problems throughout his career that limited him.

In the games Malkin does play, he’s a force. He’s won three Stanley Cups, two Art Ross Trophies, a Calder Memorial Trophy, a Hart Memorial, a Ted Lindsay Award, and a Conn Smythe. Based on name recognition alone, he will be a lock to make the HHOF.

Connor McDavid

Games played: 682 (351-686-1,037)

There’s not much you can say about Connor McDavid that hasn’t already been said. He’s the best player in the world right now, yes, even better than Crosby, Matthews, or Ovechkin. Since entering the NHL at 19 years old, he’s been a human highlight reel, showcasing his shot, hands, power, offensive creativity, and most of all, super-human speed. He’s a generational player if there ever was one.

At the young age of 28, McDavid is already part of the 500-point club with a full trophy case that includes three Hart Memorial Trophies, four Ted Lindsay Awards, five Art Ross Trophies, three Lester B Pearson Awards, one Conn Smyth Trophy and is a seven-time All-Star. He was the youngest captain of the Edmonton Oilers at 19 years and 266 days and has posted seven 100-point seasons.

The only thing McDavid needs to complete his HHOF resume is a Stanley Cup, which could come as soon as this season. Even if he doesn’t end up slipping on a Stanley Cup ring by the end of his career, his regular-season accolades will be more than enough to get him in any way.

Nikita Kucherov

Games played: 761 (337-592-929)

It’s easy to overlook Nikita Kucherov in these conversations because he isn’t a marquee name despite being one of the NHL’s superstar players. In recent years he’s won two Stanley Cups, two Art Ross Trophies, the 2019 Hart, and even became the fifth player in NHL history to score 100 assists in a single season. Kucherov is a truly special player, who should easily eclipse 1,000 points during his career, and given his output so far, he should be shooting for 1,500 or more.

Forward Honourable Mentions: Leon Draisaitl, Corey Perry, Auston Matthews, and Steven Stamkos.

The Defensemen

Drew Doughty

Games played: 1,177 (156-513-669)

Ever since breaking into the league, Drew Doughty has been one of the best defenders in the NHL. He may just have one Norris Trophy win, but during his career, he’s received votes for the award in 10 seasons, including four top-five finishes.

Doughty has bolstered his resume with two Stanley Cups, two Olympic gold medals, a U20 World Junior Championship gold medal, a World Cup gold, and a World Championship silver. With that list of accolades alone, he should find himself in the Hall of Fame when eventually retires. Hopefully, he can return from his recent string of injuries to play for a few more seasons before that day happens, however.

Victor Hedman

Games played: 1,088 (161-596-757)

Victor Hedman might have started his NHL career at a turtle’s pace back in 2009 but has since become one of, if not the best defenceman in the entire league. His impressive blend of size, speed, and overall reliable two-way play has led the Tampa Bay Lightning’s attack for the past eight seasons. Since putting up his first 50-point campaign in 2014, he’s accumulated 584 points in 719 games and has filled his trophy case with a Norris Trophy in 2018, and the ultimate prizes of a Conn Smythe Trophy and a Stanley Cup in both 2020 and 2021.

Hedman has also led his country to a gold and bronze medal at the World Championship and two silver medals at the U20 World Junior Championship. Needless to say, with potentially years of dominant hockey still ahead of him, he will be a lock for the Hall of Fame.

Erik Karlsson

Games played: 1,044 (193-654-847)

There was a point in recent history where Erik Karlsson was the best defenseman in the entire league and it wasn’t even a question. Throughout the early stages of his career, he dominated in both the offensive and defensive zones, posting points at a historic clip while earning two Norris Trophies.

However, once he departed the Ottawa Senators for the San Jose Sharks, Karlsson’s career trajectory slowed significantly. Between 2018-19 and 2021-22, he had fallen out of the scoring races and Norris discussion, as injuries reduced his time on ice and ability to take over games as he once could. He rebounded in 2022-23, however, with 25 goals and 101 points in 82 points and won his third Norris Trophy.

Karlsson is one of the top-scoring defensemen ever (He sits 15th on the list with a lot of time left in his career), and he has the natural ability to get back to his dominant play should he manage to get fully healthy once again.

While Karlsson is still looking for his Stanley Cup, he’s collected three Norris Trophies and an Olympic silver. He’s received votes for the Norris Trophy in nine of his 15 seasons. He’s also finished in the Top 10 for the Hart Trophy four times. There’s a lot of history here for him, but he will need to reclaim his former glory to keep pace for the HHOF.

Cale Makar

Games played: 357 (99-286-385)

While it may feel a but premature to say that a 26-year-old defenseman is already a lock to make the HHOF, but Cale Makar is one of those players who is an exception to the normal rules. Throughout his still young career, Makar has won the Calder Trophy, the Norris, the Stanley Cup, and the Conn Smythe Trophy while helping to redefine what a modern NHL defenseman can do on the ice.

Inarguably, Makar has been one of the best players of this generation, and he has the trophy cabinet and resume to back up a bid to be among the greats of the sport already. I expect this to only grow with time, as he cements himself in the record books across the NHL.

Defensemen Honourable Mentions: Roman Josi, Quinn Hughes, and Kris Letang

The Goaltenders

Andrei Vasilevskiy

Games played: 507 (2.55 career goals-against average [GAA], .917 career save percentage [SV%])

When you look at Andrei Vasileveskiy’s resume as a starting goaltender, you’ll see some truly staggering numbers. He’s been an absolutely dominant force in both the regular season and in the playoffs, earning four-straight Vezina nominations, including a win in 2019, along with the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in 2021 and he holds the record for fastest goaltender in NHL history to reach 300 career wins.

The amazing part for Vasilevskiy, is that he is only 30 years old, so he should still have many good years in front of him. Given how he has averaged more than 30 wins a season as a starter (when healthy) and put together some of the best playoff performances in recent history, there’s a truly special career blossoming for the young Russian.

Sergei Bobrovsky

Games played: 728 (2.59 career GAA .914 career SV%)

Throughout his 15-year NHL career, Sergei Bobrovsky has seemingly done it all. Between two Vezina wins, hundreds of games played, over 400 wins to his name, and a Stanley Cup, there really isn’t anything left for the veteran netminder to prove.

While he may have had some doubters, leading the Florida Panthers to back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals, including a Stanley Cup victory in 2024, makes me believe that his resume is watertight for the HHOF.

Marc-Andre Fleury

Games played: 1,038 (2.60 career GAA .912 career SV%)

It’s hard to imagine the hockey world without Marc-Andre Fleury. Since he was drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins back in 2003, he’s had one of the most prolific goaltending careers in NHL history. With a Vezina Trophy and three Stanley Cups to his name, he’s found a way to win no matter where he plays.

Fleury is one of only three goaltenders to win 500 NHL games, with only Hall of Famer Martin Brodeur having more. He’s also played the fourth-most games of all time. I think those facts alone, he should be able to gain passage to the Hall.

Goaltender Honourable Mentions: Igor Shesterkin, Connor Hellebuyck, and Jonathan Quick.