3 most controversial rankings in NHL Network's Top 25 players born in this quarter century list ft. Cole Caufield

NHL Network revealed its Top 25 Players Born in This Quarter Century ranking, revealing some eyebrow-raising picks. While some are hardly questionable, others are debatable to say the least.

That’s why it’s worth taking a closer look at the most controversial picks in NHL Network’s Top 25 Players Born in This Quarter Century to determine which names should occupy a different spot.

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NHL Network's Top 25 players born in this quarter century list.

3 most controversial rankings in NHL Network's Top 25 players born in this quarter century list

#3 Noah Dobson, Montreal Canadiens

Montreal Canadiens blue liner Noah Dobson made the cut at #22 on NHL Network’s list of players born in this quarter century. While Dobson is a solid choice, his inclusion onto the list is debatable in the first place.

He’s somewhat of a rare commodity in that he’s a puck-moving, right-shot defenseman. That prompted the Canadiens to trade for him during the 2025 NHL Draft back in June. But the players behind, namely Matthew Knies, Kirill Marchenko, and Matvei Michkov, could all stake a claim on having a broader impact on their respective teams than Dobson.

Then, there’s Dobson’s former defense partner, Alexander Romanov. He doesn’t have some of the flashier offensive numbers that Dobson has put up, but Romanov’s overall play has made him a much more solid top-pairing defenseman than Dobson.

Dobson is a great choice overall. But his inclusion in this list is one of the more datable ones.

#2 Adam Fantilli, Columbus Blue Jackets

Columbus Blue Jackets forward Adam Fantilli cracked the top 10 in NHL Network’s ranking of players both this quarter century. He’s a fine pick, albeit a relatively questionable one for the top 10. The former third-overall pick from 2023 has done well to jump straight into the NHL.

He started off slowly in his first NHL season, but roared into the spotlight with a 30-goal season in his second NHL year. However, that small sample size could lead to questions about his placement. His performance is comparable to players like Matthew Knies.

But it’s someone like Detroit Red Wings winger Lucas Raymond, ranked two spots behind him, that makes this pick by NHL Network even more questionable. Raymond has much better overall career numbers and has played a more integral role on his team.

#1 Cole Caufield, Montreal Canadiens

Another Canadiens player ranks as another controversial pick, but for a different reason. NHL Network ranked Cole Caufield below players like Fantilli or Wyatt Johston, making Caufield's placement at #12 too low for this list.

One could even argue that Caufield should be ahead of Connor Bedard at #8 and Macklin Celebrini at #5 purely on the basis of his numbers. Because Caufield is older, there’s a lot more to evaluate him than Bedard or Celebrini. Caufield has four straight 20-goal seasons, with last season being his best. Caufield’s 37 goals put him on the doorstep of a 40-goal campaign.

Given those numbers, Caufield should have at least made the top 10 in NHL Network’s ranking of the top players born this century. If Caufield continues the pace he’s on, he should climb this ranking even higher the next time it’s published.