Top 20 players

[GMRwings1983 8,794]

Iginla

[GoWings1905 2,694]

Ilya Kovalchuk

[55fan 5,133]

Getzlaf

[Detroit # 1 Fan 2,204]

Getzlaf.

[Broken 16 381]

Getz

[Lamothe 5]

Getzlaf beats Ilya by a very small margin IMO.

[Namingway 146]

Hmm yeah this is going to be a hard one for me to pick between Ilya and Getzlaf but I'd have to go with Ilya Kovalchuk because he brings up those numbers on that kind of team. Getzlaf is amazing for sure but also plays with way better team mates in a much better team.

[Zetts 236]

I don't know how it could not be Iginla. Sure Getzlaf was good in the playoffs, but my god does that guy pick the times he want to play at. You never know if you're going to be getting a full effort.

Kovalchuk doesn't do anything but score really. And while he's good at it, Iginla's just as good and has other dimensions to his game. Maybe if Kovalchuk ever got to play on a real team he'd dominate, but right now there's really no way to say.

To me, the only other options right now would be Luongo or Brodeur, but I still give Iginla the edge.

[GMRwings1983 8,794]

Iginla is a perennial Hart candidate, is a better goal scorer than Getzlaf, and has more of a load to carry on that team. He's also more of a physical player in my opinion.

People here are just picking Getzlaf because he dominated the Wings in the playoffs.

[BeeRYCE 2]

Iginla.

[Buppy 1,720]

Kovalchuk a bit above Iggy

Getz needs at least one more dominant year and/or improved goal scoring before I'll consider him top ten, though it's looking like he'll take this spot.

[eva unit zero 271]

Getzlaf is the best remaining skater.

Big, strong, physical player with very good scoring and playmaking ability, good skater and solid defensive player. Realistically, I can't NOT pick him at this point. Yes, there are other very skilled players like Brodeur and Iginla... but to compare Getz to Iginla:

Offensively, Getzlaf is better. Iginla had a worse team last season, but better linemates as far as offense is concerned.

Defensively, Getzlaf is significantly better. Iginla is at best an average defensive player, while Gets is strong defensively.

Physically Iginla has a slight edge, but not enough to make a huge difference.

Iginla's biggest advantage is skating, and again that doesn't compare to Getzlaf's advantage in offense and defense.

EDIT: After some thought, I am changing my vote to Martin Brodeur.

Edited September 15, 2009 by eva unit zero

[egroen 384]

Luongo

Reason: For the past 9 years, Luongo has a .919 save percentage, #1 of all active goaltenders and to put it into a historical context: only Hasek has had a higher career save percentage.

In 22 games played in the playoffs, his save percentage is .930

Put him on the Wings or Devils and he would have 3 Vezinas by now and a few Stanley Cups.

[StevieY'sguy 1]

Luongo

Reason: For the past 9 years, Luongo has a .919 save percentage, #1 of all active goaltenders and to put it into a historical context: only Hasek has had a higher career save percentage.

In 22 games played in the playoffs, his save percentage is .930

Put him on the Wings or Devils and he would have 3 Vezinas by now and a few Stanley Cups.

The 2nd all-time save percentage argument for Luongo doesn't hold very much water whatsoever. Today's goaltenders are facing many more shots per game and as a result are turning in much higher save percentage numbers. Here are some of the "studs" that are in the top 25 save percentage list all time: Tomas Vokoun, Manny Legace, Martin Biron, Manny Fernandez, Dwayne Roloson, Guy Hebert, Mike Dunham, and Roman Turek.....Not that i disagree that Luongo is a fantastic goaltender, but using this skewed category is certainly no way to prove it.

Getzlaf

[Buppy 1,720]

...

Offensively, Getzlaf is better. Iginla had a worse team last season, but better linemates as far as offense is concerned.

...

You think Getz, with a career high of 25 goals and only 2 really good seasons, is better offensively than Iginla, one of the most dangerous scorers of our era?

And what linemates did Iggy have that were any better than Perry+anyone the Ducks put with them?

[mmamolo 287]

I'd probably say Iginla with honourable mentions to Luongo, Getzlaf, Eric Staal, and Rick Nash

[egroen 384]

The 2nd all-time save percentage argument for Luongo doesn't hold very much water whatsoever. Today's goaltenders are facing many more shots per game and as a result are turning in much higher save percentage numbers. Here are some of the "studs" that are in the top 25 save percentage list all time: Tomas Vokoun, Manny Legace, Martin Biron, Manny Fernandez, Dwayne Roloson, Guy Hebert, Mike Dunham, and Roman Turek.....Not that i disagree that Luongo is a fantastic goaltender, but using this skewed category is certainly no way to prove it.

Getzlaf

Save percentage has only been tracked officially since 1984... so naturally your top 25 is going to include some questionable talent.

It's not shots faced that has made SV% go up, but the butterfly style and larger equipment -- goalies faced more shots in the 80s, but obviously had much lower SV%'s. Back in the Original 6 Era, goalies were putting up similar SV%'s as today with much fewer shots faced.

The fact that Luongo is only behind Hasek in SV%, and has been in the league for 9 years, is very impressive.

[GMRwings1983 8,794]

You think Getz, with a career high of 25 goals and only 2 really good seasons, is better offensively than Iginla, one of the most dangerous scorers of our era?

And what linemates did Iggy have that were any better than Perry+anyone the Ducks put with them?

Good point.

People are overrating Getzlaf. His offensive numbers aren't as good as Iginla's and although he does occasionally play the PK, Getzlaf is not that great a defensive forward yet, so he doesn't deserve much praise there.

Finally, like I said earlier, Iginla has the leadership factor and has more weight on his shoulders, since he has to carry that team offensively. Anaheim's top forwards are way better than Calgary's.

If Getzlaf had an average series against us, half the people that voted for him would have changed their votes.

And don't even get me started on those who ranked Kovalchuk ahead of Iginla. The guy has never even played in a big game in his NHL career, and yet he's getting votes ahead of arguably the best forward of the decade and a guy who's still going strong.

[Carman 387]

Going to go Iginla. Love the way he plays and I think he'll rebound after an off year.

[Heroes of Hockeytown 694]

Also going Iginla for this. Getzlaf outscored him by a slim margin this year, but Iginla had more goals, and has consistently been one of the top 10 scorers in the league for that three seasons and somewhat inconsistently before that.

[StevieY'sguy 1]

Save percentage has only been tracked officially since 1984... so naturally your top 25 is going to include some questionable talent.

It's not shots faced that has made SV% go up, but the butterfly style and larger equipment -- goalies faced more shots in the 80s, but obviously had much lower SV%'s. Back in the Original 6 Era, goalies were putting up similar SV%'s as today with much fewer shots faced.

The fact that Luongo is only behind Hasek in SV%, and has been in the league for 9 years, is very impressive.

You can use whatever categories you want i guess, but any statistical category that has Tomas Vokoun over Martin Brodeur, Manny Fernandez and Manny Legace ahead of Patrick Roy, and Guy Hebert above Khabibulin, Ed Belfour, Curtis Joseph and Chris Osgood doesn't hold any water with me or alot of other fans i'm guessing.....

[eva unit zero 271]

You think Getz, with a career high of 25 goals and only 2 really good seasons, is better offensively than Iginla, one of the most dangerous scorers of our era?

And what linemates did Iggy have that were any better than Perry+anyone the Ducks put with them?

Mike Cammalleri is a bigger threat offensively than Corey Perry, and whichever of Daymond Langkow or Craig Conroy you ended up putting on that line, which changed from day to day, you ended up getting a decent offensive center who was very strong defensively. Anaheim has Perry, plus some other solid offensive players, but Getzlaf never had strong defensive players playing with him; the best defensive player to see time with Getz was Kunitz, and he's not really anything special in his own end. Certainly not a Conroy or Langkow. As for "Iginla has been one of the league's most dangerous scorers" vs "Getzlaf has had one good season", I give you the following:

Iginla is 32 and Getzlaf is 24. Getzlaf has scored 82 or more points in each of the last two seasons; Iginla had just scored 71 points when he was Getzlaf's age, had scored 63 the year before, and had never topped 51 before that. Getzlaf has only once been below 58, in his rookie season when he scored 39 in 57 games, which projects to 56.

Getzlaf has been much more dangerous than Iginla was at the same age. And Getzlaf is just coming into his prime, while Iginla is just coming out of his. Getzlaf is definitely the better player.

[kidish 0]

I vote Iginla over Getz in this round.

I'm a big Getz fan, but if I were choosing between them, I'd list Iggy right now.

That being said, I'd choose Getz to build a team around over Iggy.

[Buppy 1,720]

Mike Cammalleri is a bigger threat offensively than Corey Perry, and whichever of Daymond Langkow or Craig Conroy you ended up putting on that line, which changed from day to day, you ended up getting a decent offensive center who was very strong defensively. Anaheim has Perry, plus some other solid offensive players, but Getzlaf never had strong defensive players playing with him; the best defensive player to see time with Getz was Kunitz, and he's not really anything special in his own end. Certainly not a Conroy or Langkow. As for "Iginla has been one of the league's most dangerous scorers" vs "Getzlaf has had one good season", I give you the following:

Iginla is 32 and Getzlaf is 24. Getzlaf has scored 82 or more points in each of the last two seasons; Iginla had just scored 71 points when he was Getzlaf's age, had scored 63 the year before, and had never topped 51 before that. Getzlaf has only once been below 58, in his rookie season when he scored 39 in 57 games, which projects to 56.

Getzlaf has been much more dangerous than Iginla was at the same age. And Getzlaf is just coming into his prime, while Iginla is just coming out of his. Getzlaf is definitely the better player.

Yeah. I forgot how good a year Cammy had. Still wouldn't say he's any better than Perry, and neither Langkow nor Conroy are as good offensively as Ryan, and about the same as some of the others shuffled onto Getz's wing.

As for the rest of it, if you want to argue that Getz would be a better option to build a team around, then I could buy that. But to say that Getz is better offensively right now is just absurd. Better passer, sure, but barely a shadow of Iggy in terms of goal scoring.

[GMRwings1983 8,794]

Mike Cammalleri is a bigger threat offensively than Corey Perry, and whichever of Daymond Langkow or Craig Conroy you ended up putting on that line, which changed from day to day, you ended up getting a decent offensive center who was very strong defensively. Anaheim has Perry, plus some other solid offensive players, but Getzlaf never had strong defensive players playing with him; the best defensive player to see time with Getz was Kunitz, and he's not really anything special in his own end. Certainly not a Conroy or Langkow. As for "Iginla has been one of the league's most dangerous scorers" vs "Getzlaf has had one good season", I give you the following:

Iginla is 32 and Getzlaf is 24. Getzlaf has scored 82 or more points in each of the last two seasons; Iginla had just scored 71 points when he was Getzlaf's age, had scored 63 the year before, and had never topped 51 before that. Getzlaf has only once been below 58, in his rookie season when he scored 39 in 57 games, which projects to 56.

Getzlaf has been much more dangerous than Iginla was at the same age. And Getzlaf is just coming into his prime, while Iginla is just coming out of his. Getzlaf is definitely the better player.

The topic is about who the best players are now, and not who'll be better at the same age.