from Sportsnet,

It’s one thing to rank players by skill, scoring, Stanley Cups or individual awards, it’s quite another to determine their importance to the NHL—and the game—as a whole. Here we’ve done exactly that.

It’s not a precise science, but a decade after “Sid the Kid” and Ovie became shining lights for a league coming out of its darkest hour, we set ourselves the task of determining who will carry that torch this season and beyond. We’ve taken into account their abilities and achievements, but also the markets they play in and franchises they play for, on- and off-ice earnings, celebrity status, legacies carved out or those still being created and more.

Through this week, we’ll release the top 50 most important players, ranked by Sportsnet Magazine. Today, we reveal players 10-1.

1. CONNOR McDAVID

He’s expected to be the next Crosby-Lemieux-Gretzky and also pull a franchise out of a decade-long funk…oh, and he’s just 18 years old. Being “The Next One” carries a lot of expectations. McDavid, the 2015 first overall pick, leads an Edmonton Oilers team stocked with young talent into an era of hope, after years of disappointment. All eyes are on Edmonton, and we’ll know soon enough if he’s ready.

read on for the top 10 most important NHL players....