The Hockey News Top50 List

[Guest mindfly]

What do you think about this list?

(NY means NEW, on the list)

(The number to the right is their ranking from last year's)

HOCKEY NEWS TOPP 50-LIST

1. Sidney Crosby, C, Pit (2)

2. Alex Ovechkin, LW, Wsh (1)

3. Ryan Miller, G, Buf (NY) (Miller 3rd best player.. not so sure)

4. Pavel Datsyuk, C, Det (4)

5. Jonathan Toews, C, Chi (NY) (Toews better than Keith, Henrik Sedin etc? give me a break)

6. Henrik Sedin, C, Van (20)

7. Duncan Keith, D, Chi, (37)

8. Evgeni Malkin, C, Pit (3)

9. Nicklas Bäckström, C, Wsh (27)

10. Steven Stamkos, C, TB, (NY)

11. Daniel Sedin, LW, Van (19)

12. Patrick Kane, RW, Chi (34)

13. Martin St-Louis, RW, TB (33)

14. Drew Doughty, D, LA (NY)

15. Zack Parise, LW, NJ (16)

16. Chris Pronger, D, Phi (23) (Pronger better than Lidstrom?)

17. Nicklas Lidström, D, Det (10) (Wtf?)

18. Marian Gaborik, RW, NYR (42)

19. Ilya Kovalchuk, LW, NJ (17)

20. Ilya Bryzgalov, G, Phx (NY)

21. Anze Kopitar, C, LA (NY)

22. Henrik Zetterberg, LW, Det (9)

23. Mike Richards, C, Phi (28)

24. Mike Green, D, Whs (22)

25. Joe Thornton, C, SJ (18)

26. Martin Brodeur, G, NJ (15)

27. Marian Hossa, RW, Chi (30)

28. Brad Richards, C, Dal (NY)

29. Ryan Getzlaf, C, Ana (7)

30. Roberto Luongo, G, Van (6)

31. Ryan Kesler, C, Van (NY)

32. Alex Semin, RW, Wsh (40)

33. Erik Staal, C, Car (8)

34. Dan Boyle, D, SJ (NY)

35. Shea Weber, D, Nsh (35)

36. Rick Nash, LW, Clb (38)

37. Zdeno Chara, D, Bos (5)

38. Dany Heatley, LW, SJ (43)

39. Miikka Kiprusoff, G, Cgy (36)

40. Henrik Lundqvist, G, NYR (24)

41. Jarome Iginla, RW, Cgy (11)

42. Patrick Marleau, LW, SJ (50)

43. Daniel Alfredsson, RW, Ott (NY)

44. Corey Perry, RW, Ana (31)

45. Jaroslav Halak, G, StL (NY)

46. Alex Burrows, LW, Van (NY)

47. Tuukka Rask, G, Bos (NY)

48. Tyler Myers, D, Buf (NY)

49. Mike Cammalleri, LW, Mtl (NY)

50. Vincent Lecavalier, C, TB (12)

[Echolalia 2,961]

Toews is good. He's a hard worker, has a great deal of talent, has a good hockey sense and is a great leader. But this kid has to be one of the most overrated players, at least for now.

[Guest mindfly]

One good thing is that they've been honest and kept it real with Datsyuk...

[xtrememachine1 795]

The interesting thing to me is, just a few months ago, the hockey writers of North America picked Sedin for the Hart trophy. With Ovie 2nd and Crosby a distant 3rd. Now the order is in reverse. What's changed that would sway the rankings that much?

[hockey23 79]

Toews is good. He's a hard worker, has a great deal of talent, has a good hockey sense and is a great leader. But this kid has to be one of the most overrated players, at least for now.

Agreed. He's a quality player but not elite. Definitely not top 5. He's never even put up 70 pts. He also gets labeled as one of the best two-way forwards but was a minus in the playoffs.

[kook_10 1,705]

The interesting thing to me is, just a few months ago, the hockey writers of North America picked Sedin for the Hart trophy. With Ovie 2nd and Crosby a distant 3rd. Now the order is in reverse. What's changed that would sway the rankings that much?

They probably presented it as preseason predictions. That would explain why Lids would fall so much as he aged another year. It wouldn't explain why Pronger went up so much after having offseason knee surgery though.

[toby91_ca 620]

The interesting thing to me is, just a few months ago, the hockey writers of North America picked Sedin for the Hart trophy. With Ovie 2nd and Crosby a distant 3rd. Now the order is in reverse. What's changed that would sway the rankings that much?

Firstly, the Hart trophy is supposed to go to the MVP, no the best player, so it doesn't really compare, but ignorning that for a minute, let's assume it goes to the best player.

Here is how your question gets answered:

- Did Sedin have a better year than Crosby last year? Some or most might answer yes = why he won the Hart.

- Is Sedin the better hockey player? I would think most would answer no = why Crosby is higher on this list.

[toby91_ca 620]

When I saw the title, I was thinking top 50 all time, which would have been more interesting, but anyway. Any list like this can be picked apart and scrutinized forever, I won't do that, just want to point out a few things that caught my eye:

- I'm fine with 1 and 2, regardless of order

- Not sure I'd have Miller as 3

- Toews at 5 is uncomprehensible - I don't like calling a player like Toews overrated because he is an awesome player, but if you are going to rate him that high, then yes, he's overrated.

- I don't understand how Datsyuk keeps his high spot and Zetterberg drops dramatically. I'd be more apt to keep them both relatively similar to last year. The explanation for Zetterberg's drop must be because of his poor offensive season, but his offensive stats were better than Datsyuk's (ppg basis), why wasn't Datsyuk impacted by his poor offensive season? They probably kept him up there because of his Selke, but I'm not sure that's fair to Zetterberg (not that the list matters or anything though).

- I'm not going to throw a hissy fit about Lidstrom being 17. He is declining, there is no question, I would have excpected a drop.

[Guest CaliWingsNut]

Z is 22nd?!?!?

fail.

[Guest Stolberg]

I kind of have a problem with grouping goalies into lists like this but whatever. It looks okay to me.

Zetterberg should be ahead of Kopitar but I don't really have a problem with where he is on the list.

[Shaman 713]

Toews as it stands today is a poor man's Zetterberg, There is no way Toews is better than him.

[Motown4013 350]

Hank at 22 is really low. He was hurt last year and so were his linemates. Zetterberg is a better player than Toews, he just didnt have the kind of season that reflects that. He should be higher IMO.

[Winged_Wheeler 3]

When Zetterberg's healthy, he can score 40 goals, plain and simple.

[Buppy 1,720]

With Hank, I think having two down seasons in a row hurt him. Remember he only had 73 points two years ago. Not that I agree with the ranking, but I think I can understand the reasoning.

This list is better than Eva's at least.

[titanium2 867]

Hank at 22 is really low. He was hurt last year and so were his linemates. Zetterberg is a better player than Toews, he just didnt have the kind of season that reflects that. He should be higher IMO.

When Zetterberg's healthy, he can score 40 goals, plain and simple.

All they really care about is concrete results.

[hooon 1,089]

Disagree with quite a lot. I agree with whomever said goalies shouldn't be on this list. At a glance:

Players ranked too low:

Zetterberg at 22

Kovalchuk at 19

Mike Richards at 23

Marlaeu at 42??? What?

Chara at 37

Nash at 36

Cammelleri at 49

Getzlaf at 29

Players ranked too high:

Toews at 5

Kane at 12, not yet Kane

St. Louis at 13, are you kidding me?

Pronger, obv not better than Lidstrom

There's more but most of it goes without saying.

[Original-Six 254]

Ovechkin is still #1 imo. If he were to make up those 10 games that Crosby/Sedin had over him he easily would of won every single individual award accept the Selke.

But in all seriousness who cares about these lists.

Edited August 20, 2010 by Original-Six

[titanium2 867]

Guess it's extra motivation for Z to have a really good season next year.

[Guest hock91]

That list is laughable.

[Detroit # 1 Fan 2,204]

Toews is the most overated player in the league right now. An awesome Olympics+Playoffs(minus the Finals) and all of a sudden he's great. Yeah, not so much, he's a hardworker and I like him, but he hasnt had more then 70 points in an NHL season. I'll take Stamkos, Backstrom, M. Richards, and Getzlaf over him anyday. Also, just caught my eye... Burrows a top 50 player in the NHL? :lol:

[Guest Stolberg]

When Zetterberg's healthy, he can score 40 goals, plain and simple.

In the past 3 seasons:

75gp 43g (the only time he has scored 40)

77gp 31g

74gp 23g

[miksteri 55]

2 Finns on the list, both goalies, sadly finland can only produce damn good goalies, good defensemen and average forwards...

[Shady Ultima 40]

As soon as I saw Mike Green on the list, I knew it was written by morons.

[GMRwings1983 8,793]

What is Daniel Sedin doing ranked so high?

And I'd rank Stamkos higher. If he had such a great sophomore year (no sophomore jinx for him), imagine how great he'll be now, especially with a better team around him.

[Guest EZBAKETHAGANGSTA]

My thoughts

*Toews shouldn't even be in the top 30 yet, let alone top 10. Right now he's a solid two way 65 point guy. In a few years, he will most probably be one of the most complete players in the game, but he isn't as of now.

*Datsyuk. As much as I hate to admit it, based on last season's performance there is no way you can consider him the 4th best skater last year. He has the ability to for certain, and this year may rightfully reclaim that rank, but last year there was a stretch for 10-15 games where he just looked so disinterested. I'd think he shouldve been in the 8-12 spot based on last year, though I can understand why they would put him at 4.

*I question Mike Green, Kesler and Burrows even being ranked as high as they are. They are all great players, but in my opinion products of their system

*Doughty, and to a lesser extent Lidstrom and Pronger all should have been ranked higher. Doughty should have been in the top 6-7 at least, with Lidstrom and Pronger around 10-15 respectfully

*Kopitar should not be in any way ranked ahead of Zetterberg

*Getzlaf being lower then either of the Richards and Hossa is a joke (and I'm a BIG Mike Richards fan)

Notable exceptions imo: Zbynek Michalek (most underated defensemen in the league), Tobias Enstrom (if ******* Dan Boyle makes it in the 30s at this point in his career, he should at least be up there), and Erik Johnson who was better then Tyler Mylers the past season from what I saw.

Edited August 21, 2010 by EZBAKETHAGANGSTA