The Puck Stops Here
My Top 50 Players
by PuckStopsHere on 08/24/11 at 04:28 PM ET
Comments (28)
For my top 50 players list, I use the question: Which 50 players would I most want on my team for the upcoming season? As a result this list is more of a projection toward next season than a ranking of last year’s results. That is not to say that a player who played well last year will not be ranked well, but that will only happen if I think they will keep up their results.
Usually, I like to compare my list to that of The Hockey News, but for the first time in years, they failed to publish a list this year.
Here is my top 50 player list:
1. Sidney Crosby - Because of the questions regarding his recovery from last year’s concussion, I considered downgrading him several times, but I couldn’t bring myself to do so. His partial season last year was too good. He would have been a clear MVP if he kept it up all season.
2. Alexander Ovechkin - He had a down year last year because he spent large parts of the season playing hurt. If anyone else can be as dominant as Crosby was for the first half of last year, it is likely Ovechkin.
3. Zdeno Chara - I think he is the best defenseman in hockey today and the most likely choice for next year’s Norris Trophy, though I wonder if he might be overlooked as he isn’t the highest scoring defenseman in the game. He led the league in team and zone adjusted Corsi last year.
4. Tim Thomas - The best player in hockey last season. Age and a lack of a track record of seasons at that level keep him from a top rating, but he is clearly one of the top picks for this season.
5. Steve Stamkos - A talented young scorer who may succeed Crosby and Ovechkin as the league’s top scorer if they continue to have injury problems.
6. Duncan Keith - A very talented defenseman who had an All-Star caliber season last year, but it was seen as a down season because his 2010 year was so good.
7. Daniel Sedin - Last year’s top scorer. A beneficiary of a league leading number of offensive zone starts, but a top scorer nonetheless.
8. Martin St. Louis - Second highest scorer in the league last year. He turned 36 this summer, so it is reasonable to wonder about age.
9. Henrik Sedin - The 2010 MVP is the second most valuable Sedin in part because he is less of a goal scorer.
10. Jonathan Toews - The best defensive forward of the top ten and also a very good scorer, though not on the level offensively of those ranked above him.
11. Ryan Miller - Last year was a bit of a down season, but he is clearly one of the game’s top goalies.
12. Evgeni Malkin - A talented scorer who gives Pittsburgh a strong one-two punch, if both he and Crosby are healthy.
13. Nicklas Lidstrom - Even while winning the Norris Trophy last year he showed signs of decline. His numbers at even strength are nowhere near what they once were, but he is clearly still a top player.
14. Drew Doughty - An unsigned restricted free agent who could be a Norris Trophy candidate or winner with the right breaks.
15. Roberto Luongo - His performance in the finals was disappointing, but he is a perennial Vezina candidate and a 2011 nominee. Many East Coast hockey fans only saw him well in the later rounds of the playoffs and downgrade him. This requires overlooking an awful lot of high quality hockey.
16. Henrik Lundqvist - A consistent top level goalie who is yet to have a serious Vezina candidate season.
17. Shea Weber - Many argue that he should have won the Norris Trophy were it not for the nostalgia vote that boosted Lidstrom. While I do not buy this premise, he is a top defenseman.
18. Tomas Vokoun - He took a very undervalued deal to play in Washington. As a top goaltender that nobody really noticed as he toiled in poor markets, it will be interesting to see how he does as a contender.
19. Pavel Datsyuk - A talented two-way player but unlikely to be among the NHL’s top scorers at this point in his career.
20. Patrick Kane - Young enough that his offensive numbers may take a jump forward and a pretty good scorer already.
21. Anze Kopitar - An underrated two-way talent who should be mentioned as a Selke Trophy contender.
22. Henrik Zetterberg - Another talented two-way forward.
23. Brent Burns - Played a tough role in Minnesota and will likely get an easier role in San Jose and show himself to be a star.
24. Ryan Suter - Pushing Weber in the race to be the best defenseman in Nashville. He has the ability, he could win the race.
25. Mike Green - Uncertainty is due to his concussion, but he is the top offensive defenseman in hockey.
26. Ryan Kesler - Injuries cause some uncertainty here, but he had a great two-way season winning the Selke Trophy last year.
27. Nicklas Backstrom - A talented linemate of Ovechkin who is a top player on his own as well.
28. Ryan Getzlaf - One of the top scorers last year by points per game. I think he is Anaheim’s top player, despite teammate Corey Perry being reigning MVP.
29. Carey Price - He took over the Habs’ goaltending when Jaroslav Halak was traded and was a success in a situation he could have easily failed.
30. Kris Letang - He had a breakout season with the Penguins last year but was overlooked when the awards came along..
31. Pekka Rinne - Last season was a strong one as he finished second for the Vezina. It is unclear that he has the ability to repeat at that high level.
32. Jarome Iginla - An offensively talented veteran who keeps leading the Flames year in and year out.
33. Corey Perry - This is a low ranking for an MVP, but he is a player who had never had a point-per-game season until last year.
34. Alexander Semin - An incredible talent who has had his heart questioned. With the right bounces could have a huge season.
35. Eric Staal - The top offensive player in Carolina. He is often overlooked as he plays in a non-traditional market.
36. Zach Parise - Must bounce back from a year lost to injury. He would have been rated much higher if he was clearly healthy.
37. Cam Ward - A very good goalie, though likely on the tier below serious Vezina contenders.
38. Joe Thornton - A talented veteran who plays an underrated two-way game.
39. Brad Richards - He signed a big contract in New York and will help the team, but any hope he makes them a contender is a bit of a dream.
40. Jonas Hiller - I would rank him higher if he didn’t have vertigo issues. If he is healthy he is a top goalie.
41. Ilya Kovalchuk - His first season in New Jersey had some growing pains, but he is a top goal scorer.
42. Vincent Lecavalier - He looked like a superstar a few years ago, but is a few years removed from a top season. The talent is there and I bet he bounces back somewhat.
43. Lubomir Visnovsky - My pick for last year’s Norris Trophy. Given his age (35) and his lack of a track record of Norris seasons, I expect some regression this year.
44. Rick Nash - He has been the top player in Columbus for several years, but has never exceeded 79 points in a season.
45. Brent Seabrook - A very good defenseman in his own right, though he is somewhat in Keith’s shadow in terms of fame.
46. John Tavares - The young top offensive player on the New York Islanders. He looks ready for a big leap forward.
47. Mike Richards - A strong two-way player that Philadelphia will regret trading. He will help the LA Kings.
48. Marian Gaborik - A talented offensive player who is downgraded somewhat as he is an injury risk.
49. Ilya Bryzgalov - Philadelphia has a good goalie, but they paid a huge cost to obtain him.
50. Dan Boyle - A consistent talented offensive defenseman in San Jose.
To see how things change, here is last year’s top 50 list. Gone from last year’s list are Dany Heatley (who was ranked 19th last year) who will have to pull out of his decline in Minnesota, Marian Hossa (36th) who is into his 30s and has had two straight 51 point seasons, Brian Rafalski (38th) who retired, Patrick Marleau (39th) who may be slowing down as he pulls into his 30s, Jason Spezza (40th) who hasn’t had a point per game year since 2008, Miikka Kiprusoff (41st) who was a below average starter last year, Marc Savard (43rd) who has a career on hold due to concussions, Andrei Markov (44th) who has been plagued by injuries, Brenden Morrow (45th) who hasn’t cleared 56 points in three years, Tyler Myers (46th) who didn’t keep his momentum from his Calder Trophy into the first half of last year, Mikko Koivu (47th) who missed a bit of time due to injury and Martin Brodeur (49th) who is past his prime.
That means 12 players appear here who missed out last year. They are Brent Burns, Jonas Hiller, Ryan Kesler, Kris Letang, Corey Perry, Carey Price, Pekka Rinne, Brent Seabrook, Ryan Suter, John Tavares, Lubomir Visnovsky and Cam Ward.
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Comments
I’m pleasantly surprised by your rankings. Even if i disagree with some, at least you have your criteria and you seem to have stuck with it until the end. I think for the most part you have the right 50.
I’m not sure how you picked Keith over Weber after taking Chara at #3? Chara and Weber are very similar production wise and both offer so much more physically than Keith.
And obviously Perry seems a little low. Do you not expect him to outperform the other RW’ers listed ahead of him?
Posted by Aron on 08/24/11 at 06:10 PM ET
Funny how he’s unnable to put up a single positive line for any Red Wing, even on his own top 50… Hahahaha
Posted by Zqto from Brazil on 08/24/11 at 02:47 PM ET
3 Wings in top 22 out of 50
Nicklas Lidstrom… is clearly still a top player.
Pavel Datsyuk - A talented two-way player
Henrik Zetterberg - Another talented two-way forward.
Methinks the lady doth protest too much.
I would take more issue with his premise “which 50 players would I most want on my team for the upcoming season. “
There’s no way I’d have more than one or two defensemen or one or two goalies in the top 50. Even then place them from 45 up. But 5 of each in the top 18? I’d love to draft against this team.
Posted by Puck from San Francisco, CA on 08/24/11 at 06:15 PM ET
There’s no way I’d have more than one or two defensemen or one or two goalies in the top 50. Even then place them from 45 up. But 5 of each in the top 18? I’d love to draft against this team.
Posted by Puck from San Francisco, CA on 08/24/11 at 04:15 PM ET
Are you considering this strictly from a fantasy hockey perspective?
Posted by J.J. from Kansas on 08/24/11 at 06:24 PM ET
I think Puck misunderstands the idea behind my selections. I am not building a hockey team. I am asking the question if I could have any one player in the NHL for this season who would I take - and I answer that with Sidney Crosby. Then I ask who would be the second player I would pick if number one was not available and I repeat until 50 players exist.
In principle, I would be happy if every player happened to play the same position if they were the 50 best players in the game right now.
This isn`t a fantasy hockey team.
Posted by PuckStopsHere on 08/24/11 at 06:30 PM ET
1. Sidney Crosby
Who said you don’t know what you’re talkin’ about? I knew you were a lot smarter than some of these commentors give you credit for. 
Posted by Lindas1st from New England on 08/24/11 at 07:00 PM ET
Usually, I like to compare my list to that of The Hockey News, but for the first time in years, they failed to publish a list this year
TPSH, is the HN’s 11-12 Yearbook out already? All’s I got so far is thier Fantasy Guide.
Posted by Lindas1st from New England on 08/24/11 at 07:04 PM ET
is the HN’s 11-12 Yearbook out already?
It’s out. Best I can offer you online is this hfboards thread about it.
Posted by PuckStopsHere on 08/24/11 at 07:10 PM ET
I don’t understand what he means by Datsyuk unlikely to be a top scorer at this point in his career..a majority of the players in the league will tell you he is THE best two way forward, and beat out Ovechkin for the best Russian in the league. He was well over point per game last season, even though he only played 53 games. He is a top 5 in the league no doubt.
Posted by Alec Brooks from Michigan on 08/24/11 at 08:52 PM ET
Datsyuk is 33 years old now. That isn’t an age where most players suddenly increase their point totals. He is at an age where players start to miss time due to injury like he did last year. There were injuries involved last year but his point total dropped for the second straight year. It isn’t a good bet at this point that Datsyuk makes a run for the NHL scoring title is it?
Posted by PuckStopsHere on 08/24/11 at 09:01 PM ET
Malkin over Datsyuk? Realy? Malkin is surely a high talent player but has shown inconsistent play the last two years to the point that he seems to be uninterested at times. Fedorov did the same thing and it drove me nuts. Is this strictly an age thing or would you rather actually have Malkin on your team and have the other guy pick Datsyuk?
Posted by UMFan from Denver, Colorado on 08/24/11 at 10:27 PM ET
This list is saying that I think Malkin is a better pick for next season than Datsyuk is. So if my team had to pick one of the two for next season, I would pick Malkin. That is true of any two players on this list. I would rather have the higher ranked one for the upcoming season than the lower ranked one. Given that Malkin has more points over the last four years in fewer games played than Malkin it isn’t a crazy selection.
Posted by PuckStopsHere on 08/24/11 at 10:32 PM ET
I’d have put Malkin in front of both of the Sedins based on what I feel is going to happen this season.
Then again, I’d have put a few more people in front of them as well.
Posted by J.J. from Kansas on 08/24/11 at 10:56 PM ET
Daniel Sedin was not the league’s top goal scorer that would be Cory Perry
Posted by Adrian Moores on 08/24/11 at 11:30 PM ET
Adrian
Where did you read that he was the top goal scorer? Not here.
Posted by PuckStopsHere on 08/24/11 at 11:34 PM ET
7. Daniel Sedin - Last year’s top scorer
He probably read this and didn’t understand that when somebody is referred to as the “leading scorer” it is understood in hockey culture that the person is referring to points.
Posted by Lindas1st from New England on 08/25/11 at 12:10 AM ET
I’d use this list to clean the octopus slime of the ice at the Joe. Clearly you have no idea what you’re talking about and don’t watch enough. How in the world is Malkin above pavel datsyuk. He had one ridiculous year offensively and after that ehhh. Plus datsyuk is the BEST defensive forward in the game. He’s not gonna crash offensively in one year either. Better than toews. Duncan Keith is nothing but spin-o-rama less brian campbell. He makes so many defensive mistakes in sacrifice for offense. Vokoun 18???? You do know this is not 2005 right? Putting both the sedins this high is questionable as well. Sure one has been mvp and rank high in the offensive numbers consistently. But neither is extremely good off the cycle, in the faceoff circle, or defensively. Brent Burns and Mike Green should never be this high. Brent burns is so inconsistent and Green is pathetic defensively. I could go on but i’ll end with tavares. He could be ready??? How does that make him top 50. I believe he wasn’t even top 30 with scorers (though he’s alone on the island). I’m sorry but this article is not accurate by any measurement and too many of your evaluations are way off.
Posted by statelouis26 from Detroit, MI on 08/25/11 at 12:38 AM ET
Wow… if someone told me all those things I’d accuse them of not watching hockey…
Malkin finished second in scoring once and first the next year. Remember Crosby had an ankle injury.
Datsyuk is 33. Malkin is in his prime.
Keith may make mistakes, but his aggregate numbers tell us overall his risk taking works out well. Same with Green and Burns.
Not sure what you mean by Vokoun. He was unknown pre lockout, but over the last four years he is one of two goalies to put up better than .919 each season.
Did you know John Tavares broke Wayne Gretzky’s Ontario Hockey League scoring goals record? He’s a pretty good center and PSH mentioned this is for next season. Scorers as highly touted as Tavares tend to start posting huge numbers in their third or fourth seasons.
Posted by Ralph on 08/25/11 at 02:00 AM ET
And the Sedins play a game entirely based off of the cycle…go watch some clips of Sedin synergy on YouTube.
Posted by Ralph on 08/25/11 at 02:02 AM ET
i am just glad that no one argue who is number one and who is the best 
.. i said that because i always see crosby haters everywere even that evberybody knows he si the best
Posted by T.O from toronto ontario on 08/25/11 at 11:11 AM ET
Just remember guys; it’s all just someone’s opinion. I will speak to the statements about Datsyuk though: It is not just generally accepted, but spoken of often by hockey people, not writers, but actual hockey people, that Datsyuk is one of the best two or three players on the planet, period. I put a whole lot more stock in that than what any writer thinks. I’m not saying that Pavel’s age won’t catch up to him, it always does. But skills wise? When your mentors include the likes of Larionov, Federov and some guy named Yzerman, you’re likely to be just a bit better than the rest. Heads up and healthy, I take Datsyuk over Malkin any day.
Posted by Steve from Minnesota on 08/25/11 at 12:15 PM ET
I’m surprised not to see Patrice Bergeron here. I’m surely a bit biased, being a Bruins fan, but I think his value is easily top 30 in the league.
Posted by Andy from Oklahoma on 08/25/11 at 01:01 PM ET
i am just glad that no one argue who is number one and who is the best…
Well in truth, Crosby probably shouldn’t be up there at first. The impact of those concussions are too much of an unknown. TPSH says he took that into consideration but seems to believe that Crosby is going to continue doing what he always does, at least to the point where any negative impact won’t knock his play down below anybody else. I don’t know about that. IMO, whenever Crosby starts playing, we aren’t going to see the same guy for a few months. He’s gotta get his confidence back, particularly in the high traffic areas where all the points come from. It could be shorter, but in my opinion, if he starts the year we won’t see the same Crosby until the spring.
Posted by UMFan from Denver, Colorado on 08/25/11 at 01:36 PM ET
i am just glad that no one argue who is number one and who is the best…
Posted by T.O
Well in truth, Crosby probably shouldn’t be up there at first.
Posted by UMFan
...and there it is. You should’ve left well enough alone T.O
Posted by Lindas1st from New England on 08/25/11 at 01:54 PM ET
The thing that stood out to me was the authors emphasis on points from prior production, yet at the same time started it by discounting them and saying its all about “next year”.
It seems that most teams would rather have numerous 30-70 pt scorers, than one 100 pt scorer. Teamwork vs puck hog.
Defense & solid forechecking wins cups, not trumped up media hype over an excellent player (yes I hope the kid is ok).
This is a stupid article.
Posted by arizonawingnut from az on 08/25/11 at 06:22 PM ET
Um…remind me how you can project next year without information from prior years?
Posted by Ralph on 08/25/11 at 06:31 PM ET
Amazed that you picked players like Doughty, Luongo, Semin, Kovalchuk, Green, Gaborik and Boyle all over Bs centermen Krecji and Bergeron. Did you watch the playoffs?! Seems you tend to fawn over draft places and offensive stats to me.
Posted by Grant Bronk from Helena, MT on 08/26/11 at 05:19 PM ET
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The Puck Stops Here was founded during the 2004/05 lockout as a place to rant about hockey. The original site contains over 1000 posts, some of which were also published on FoxSports.com.
Who am I? A diehard hockey fan.
Why am I blogging? I want to.
Why are you reading it? ???
Email: y2kfhl@hotmail.com
Funny how he’s unnable to put up a single positive line for any Red Wing, even on his own top 50… Hahahaha
Posted by Zqto from Brazil on 08/24/11 at 04:47 PM ET