from Josh Beneteau of Sportsnet,

The list is shorter than you’d think.

In all, we settled on 16 players worthy of induction. There are certainly more than 15 active players who will one day get into the Hall, so some honourable mentions are included for players who likely will get in once they’ve played out their full careers.

But this group of 16 has shown enough already to earn recognition....

Nicklas Backstrom, C, Washington Capitals
Games Played: 829 | Goals: 212 | Assists: 604 | Points: 816

Backstrom is a talented playmaker and has been among the assist leaders every year since he joined the league. His 604 assists are the most by any player since 2007, and his 816 points are fifth. He has five seasons in which he recorded more than 60 assists, a mark matched only by Henrik Sedin and Joe Thornton over the same time period.

Ryan Getzlaf, C, Anaheim Ducks
Games Played: 928 | Goals: 249 | Assists: 636 | Points: 885

A power forward who also has slick hands as an elite playmaker, Getzlaf can do it all. He has three seasons with more than 80 points in his career and ranks sixth in total points since 2005. In the playoffs, he’s been equally dominant, and trails only Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Patrick Kane in post-season points over his career. The Ducks have made the playoffs in 11 of the 13 seasons Getzlaf has played, winning the Cup once in 2007.

14 more players...