The 5 Best Agitators in the NHL – The Hockey Writers – Top 10 Lists

What does it take to be a good agitator in today’s NHL? Obviously, you need to get under the opponent’s skin, but you don’t want to be constantly putting your team at a disadvantage by taking silly penalties. You need to annoy your opponent on the scoresheet as well, and you certainly can’t be a waste of a roster spot.

Some players have mastered the art of toeing the line between illegal and legal to find a way to get their opponents off their game. Here are the five best agitators in the entire NHL.

Nazem Kadri

For better or worse, Nazem Kadri has been one of the NHL’s biggest pests for quite some time. He isn’t afraid to play a physical game, but that has sometimes come with a cost. The NHL has suspended him six times since 2013 for behavioral issues; his most recent suspension came during the 2021 NHL playoffs against the St. Louis Blues, when he received an eight-game ban for a hit to the head of Justin Faulk. 

But when Kadri isn’t acting up, he’s a very effective two-way forward. That’s why the Colorado Avalanche acquired him for Tyson Barrie and Alex Kerfoot in July 2019. He averaged 51 points per 82 games over the previous three seasons and was an efficient five-on-five scorer, giving the Avalanche a boost as their second-line center behind Nathan MacKinnon. Ultimately, he helped them win a Stanley Cup in 2022.

After a stint with the Calgary Flames, Kadri is back with the Avalanche, who re-acquired him at the 2025 trade deadline. Even as he ages, he’s still a highly productive two-way forward. He finished last season with 16 goals and 50 points in 77 games between the Flames and Avalanche.

It’s also worth noting that while Kadri is a pest and has faced multiple suspensions, he’s cut down on the illegal hits, so it appears he’s learned how to be an agitator within the rules of the game.

Tom Wilson

Tom Wilson looked like a player in decline a few seasons ago, but he’s found new life over the last couple of seasons. He’s posted back-to-back 30-goal and 60-plus-point campaigns and has re-cemented himself as a top-six winger for the Washington Capitals.

Wilson’s antics have changed as he’s gotten older, much like Kadri. His last suspension came in March 2024 for high-sticking Noah Gregor. He’s still logged over 100 penalty minutes in each of the last two seasons, but he hasn’t missed time due to suspensions and has maintained his trademark physicality.

The Capitals should be one of the best teams in the Metro in 2026-27, and Wilson should play his part in them competing for a playoff spot.

Brady Tkachuk

While Brady Tkachuk is not the scorer his brother is, he consistently produced for an Ottawa Senators team that struggled with offensive consistency during his time with the organization.

Tkachuk has come into his own over the last three seasons, averaging 34 goals and 73 points per 84 games. He’s been one of the league’s better five-on-five goal scorers, averaging 0.93 goals per 60 minutes, and his offensive impacts are consistently among the best league-wide.

Not only does the younger Tkachuk brother put up points, but he’s not afraid to cause havoc. He totaled over 100 penalty minutes from 2021-25 — his 134 PIMs in 2023-24 were second league-wide to Utah Mammoth forward Liam O’Brien — and he was on pace for 100+ last season. He’s a player that pretty much any NHL GM would covet, given his offensive production and knack for annoying his opponent.

And if that wasn’t enough, he’s now a member of the Florida Panthers after they acquired him this offseason. Between Brady and Matthew Tkachuk, Brad Marchand, and Sam Bennett, the Panthers will be the most annoying team to play against for the foreseeable future.

Matthew Tkachuk

Are you shocked to see the other Tkachuk on this list? Matthew Tkachuk is not afraid to get into the dirty areas and cause havoc around the net. While he doesn’t find himself in the penalty box as often as his brother, he’s still one of the league’s penalty leaders; he racked up 88 PIMs in 2023-24, a top-20 rate league-wide.

Tkachuk has also faced a handful of suspensions, including one for elbowing Drew Doughty in 2017. Doughty has not been shy in his feelings about Tkachuk, going as far as to say, “[he’s] a guy that kinda thinks he’s really good but isn’t.”

Though Doughty does not like Tkachuk, it’s clear Tkachuk is now a standout two-way forward among the league’s top scorers. He does a bit of everything, making him one of the best wingers in the NHL. Add the edge he plays with, and there’s a player who knows how to get under his opponent’s skin quite well.

Sam Bennett

Is it a coincidence that there are three Panthers here? You could even argue there should be four with Marchand, but Sam Bennett has emerged as one of the NHL’s best agitators during the Panthers’ golden era.

It’s not that Marchand isn’t a great hockey player anymore. He still is, but eventually the torch passes to the next generation. Though Bennett re-signed with the Panthers last summer for eight years and $8 million per year, let’s not forget the insane rumors that he could have gotten as much as $10 million per year if he hit the open market in 2025.

Where did that come from? His playoff performances, especially during back-to-back Cup runs, when he scored 15 goals in 23 games and earned the Conn Smythe as playoff MVP in 2025. Bennett plays a brash game but also has scoring upside; he has totaled 20+ goals in each of the last three seasons.

The NHL is a copycat league, so it’s no wonder GMs were lining up to sign him if he hit the open market. Right now, Bennett is one of the NHL’s best agitators, and it’d be hard to argue otherwise.

It’s no surprise that there are three Panthers on this list, and Marchand just missed the cut. It’s the trademark of the team they’ve built, and they could be a menace this coming season. But even if you’re a team with one agitator, it could go a long way to getting under your opponents’ skin.

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