Jacob Trouba and the Biggest Hitters in the NHL Today

The NHL has become much more of a speed-and-skill game in recent years, and old-school hockey types may be concerned that hitting is being taken out of the game.

However, there is still a place for physical hockey and big hits in the NHL, and there are still quite a few players in the league who are able to deliver them.

Here, we look at some of those players, led by one of the most controversial hitters in the league: New York Rangers captain Jacob Trouba.

Jacob Trouba, New York Rangers

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BOSTON, MA - DECEMBER 16: New York Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba (8) eyes a face off during a game between the Boston Bruins and the New York Rangers on December 16, 2023, at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Jacob Trouba might be the most notorious and devastating hitter going in the NHL right now.

New York Rangers fans might have some issues with his overall play at times, but they love the way he is able to play a tough, physical game.

Everybody outside of Rangers fans probably has a different view of his style. Trouba plays on the edge and often walks the line between legal and illegal hits.

The 29-year-old is regularly under a microscope for some of his plays, but he typically avoids additional discipline aside from the occasional penalty.

In terms of sheer volume, he doesn't deliver a ton of hits—as of Friday, he has been credited with 102 hits in over 900 minutes, or about 6.5 hits per 60 minutes—but he usually makes a major impact when he does.

Tom Wilson, Washington Capitals

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WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 13: Tom Wilson #43 of the Washington Capitals gets set for a face-off during a game against the New York Rangers at Capital One Arena on January 13, 2024 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by John McCreary/NHLI via Getty Images)

No list of the NHL's heaviest hitters is complete without Washington's resident power forward, Tom Wilson.

Unlike Trouba, Wilson has regularly found himself in the crosshairs of the NHL's Department of Player Safety and been suspended five different times in his career, including a 20-game ban for a preseason hit on Oskar Sundqvist in 2018.

Those suspensions did seem to finally get the message through as the 29-year-old has mostly kept clear of questionable hits, earning just one suspension (for boarding Brandon Carlo) since the 2018 season. That might seem like damning with faint praise, but considering how frequent his illegal hits were between 2015 and 2018, that is progress.

That doesn't mean he's stopped being physical, because he still is. He's just managed to keep it more within the rules.

Entering play on Thursday, Wilson is eighth in the NHL in total hits, averaging more than nine hits per 60 minutes of ice time.

As much as opposing players and fans might dislike him, every general manager in the league would love to get him on their roster at his peak. His rare combination of size (6'4", 220 pounds), speed, defensive ability, offensive production and physical play made him a one-of-a-kind player in the NHL.

Everybody tried to find a duplicate of him, but nobody could do it. None of the other imitators had the hockey skills to make the physical play worth it or the size and strength that has made Wilson such a powerful presence on the ice.

Tanner Jeannot, Tampa Bay Lightning

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TAMPA, FL - DECEMBER 30: Tanner Jeannot #84 of the Tampa Bay Lightning against the New York Rangers during the first period at Amalie Arena on December 30, 2023 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mark LoMoglio/NHLI via Getty Images)

Tanner Jeannot might be best known for being the player Tampa Bay traded for five draft picks in February last year.

However, the 26-year-old is also one of the most physical players in the NHL and a perfect fit for Tampa Bay's aggressive forechecking and grinding style of play.

Jeannot is not only one of the most frequent hitters in the league—more than 15 per 60 minutes—but he's also one of the biggest.

Jeannot has never really come close to matching the offensive output he had as a rookie in Nashville when he scored 24 goals in 81 games, but he still brings energy and physical play every night. Few players in the league bring more.

Radko Gudas, Anaheim Ducks

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ANAHEIM, CA - DECEMBER 31: Anaheim Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas (7) skates during an NHL hockey game against the Edmonton Oilers on December 31, 2023 at Honda Center in Anaheim, CA. (Photo by Ric Tapia/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Radko Gudas has had his share of run-ins with the NHL's Department of Player Safety and earned some significant suspensions in his 12-year career.

However, he also has a pretty extensive track record of big legal hits that have made him one of the most feared physical presences on the blue line in the NHL.

Just a couple of examples from his time with the Anaheim Ducks this season:

With there being such a premium on puck skills, skating and offensive ability on defense in the modern NHL, Gudas is somewhat of a throwback.

Few defenders are able to step up and deliver an open-ice hit like the 33-year-old Czech.

His game is not defined just by hitting, though. He also has some strong underlying numbers at 5-on-5 in terms of shot attempt share (where he is typically better than 50 percent), and he also has ability to get pucks through traffic and onto the net to create offense.

Gudas might not be a top-pairing player, but he can definitely play a big role.

Nikita Zadorov, Vancouver Canucks

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VANCOUVER, CANADA - JANUARY 02: Nikita Zadorov #91 of the Vancouver Canucks checks Brady Tkachuk #7 of the Ottawa Senators during the third period of their NHL game at Rogers Arena on January 2, 2024 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Jeff Vinnick/NHLI via Getty Images)

Listed at 6'6" and over 245 pounds, Nikita Zadorov is a mountain of a human being and plays like it on the ice.

The 28-year-old has bounced around the NHL with Buffalo, Colorado, Chicago, Calgary and now Vancouver, leaving a trail of big hits behind him along the way.

Like Gudas, the Russian is a throwback to an era of NHL defenders that doesn't really exist anymore, and he is one of the most powerful hitters in the league.

Zadorov has shown some surprising offensive ability at times—scoring 14 goals a year ago—but he doesn't always have the best underlying numbers or analytics.

His actual on-ice value as a defenseman can certainly be open to debate, but there is no denying the sort of physical presence he can bring to the rink on a nightly basis.

Ryan Reaves, Toronto Maple Leafs

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TORONTO, ON - DECEMBER 14: Ryan Reaves #75 of the Toronto Maple Leafs warms up before facing the Columbus Blue Jackets at the Scotiabank Arena on December 14, 2023 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Kevin Sousa/NHLI via Getty Images)

Ryan Reaves might be the most polarizing player in the NHL.

Even though the 36-year-old is mostly relegated to fourth-line duty, he immediately becomes a focal point for discussion in every city he arrives in.

Reaves is a big power forward with an even bigger personality and a hugely popular player among his teammates and the media. He is the most feared fighter in the NHL, but he is also a freight train when it comes to delivering checks.

Anyone who can make Zdeno Chára fall over like this is someone to not be messed with physically:

However, while players and teams might love him, his actual on-ice value is actually up for debate. His teams tend to struggle offensively when he is on the ice while also getting outscored.

He does, however, hit—a lot.

In his limited time this season with Toronto, Reaves has delivered more than 17 hits per 60 minutes.

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Hit data via NHL.com