The Hockey Writers’ recent age ranking left one obvious name in the wrong place: Artemi Panarin.
The outlet put Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone at No. 1 among 34-year-old players in the NHL, while Panarin, the Los Angeles Kings star forward, was only given an honorable mention. That’s a tough call to defend when you look at what Panarin has done offensively year after year, including this past regular season for the Kings and New York Rangers.
Stone absolutely has a strong case of his own. When he’s on the ice, he brings Selke-level two-way play, steady offense, and the kind of leadership that matters in a locker room. He was a major reason the Golden Knights got all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals this past spring.
But availability matters, and that’s where Panarin separates himself. Stone has only played 70 games once since 2018, and he hasn’t reached that mark in a regular season since 2018-19, when he was with the Ottawa Senators. That kind of missed time has to count in a ranking built around value.
Panarin, by contrast, has delivered elite production over far more games. He’s been a point-per-game player for nine straight seasons, dating back to 2016-17, and he’s drawn Hart Trophy consideration multiple times over the last decade. That’s not just peak talent - that’s sustained star-level output.
There’s also a milestone looming. Panarin enters the upcoming 2026-27 season with a chance to reach 1,000 career points before his 900th career game, which says plenty about how consistently he’s produced.
If the discussion were centered mostly on postseason work or defensive value, Stone would have a stronger argument. But a ranking of the NHL’s best players should reward what a player brings across an entire season, and on that front Panarin has the edge.
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