Not a "who you would pick to build a team around" team (i.e. age isn't important). Just whoever you think the best players in the NHL are right now.
GOALIES:
1) J. Quick
2) M. Brodeur
3) P. Rinne
...I don't know if he's a lock as the #1 goalie, but I think he's a LOCK to at least be one of the top two - Jonathan Quick. What he just did in the playoffs was absolutely amazing. And he's only going to get better. Sure thing #1 goalie in the game right now, I believe. As for #2, that's harder. I considered M. Brodeur, P. Rinne and H. Lundqvist. Lundqvist really kind of choked and lost the Rangers some important games against the Devils in the playoffs, so I couldn't go with him, in spite of what he did in the regular season. Rinne I really strongly considered as well, especially after how he handled us, but he kind of choked in the next round as well. Brodeur, like Quick, absolutely carried his team to the finals. He was amazing in the post-season. So I took him.
DEFENSEMEN:
1) S. Weber
2) R. Suter
3) D. Doughty
4) E. Karlsson
5) D. Keith
6) K. Letang
7) Z. Chara
...I think the top three I picked - Weber, Suter and Doughty - are sure things, and will probably be on every single list. Karlsson I admit I don't see play that often, but the numbers he puts up are so amazing that I had to include him. Duncan Keith I still think is an elite level player, and I don't know why he's so underrated. Kris Letang is sort of in the same boat as Karlsson. I don't see him play much, but he puts up incredible numbers. Chara, I don't like, but he's certainly at least one of the top seven defensemen in the game I'd imagine. There are some other players I really like, but whom I didn't really consider - - D. Byfuglien, M. Staal, B. Burns, K. Yandle, D. Phaneuf, A. Pietrangelo, etc.
FORWARDS:
1) S. Crosby
2) P. Datsyuk
3) E. Malkin
4) A. Kopitar
5) C. Giroux
6) S. Stamkos
7) A. Ovechkin
8) J. Toews
9) R. Nash
10) I. Kovalchuk
11) P. Kane
12) D. Brown
13) Z. Parise
...This is what I came up with I guess. I think the top six or seven is about a sure thing. Those guys should be on just about every team. Toews I think is an excellent guy that makes the team for sure, a great, great two-way center, leader and teammate. Nash is super skilled and super underrated IMO. Kovalchuk is about as skilled as anyone in the league, and now a two-way player as well. Kane is about as talented as anyone in the league and a little underrated in that regard now for some reason. Brown must make this team for what he did in the playoffs. Parise I made the 13th guy for the same reason. Hardest cut was the Sedin twins. Need both of them. Need to occupy two spots. I didn't want to lose two of the above players for them. Soft as butter and playoff dissapearing acts are starting to not look like flukes. Hossa I thought about putting on there seriously, he's not much less talented than Kovalchuk really. B. Ryan was a close cut because he's so big and talented too. Semin I thought about briefly because he's so skilled. C. Perry I thought about because of what he did last season (maybe he should be on here??). Getzlaf wasn't far off. Lucic I thought about because he's such a strong power forward. St. Louis got a little consideration.
*****
Malkin-Crosby-Kopitar
Ovechkin-Datsyuk-Giroux
Kovalchuk-Stamkos-Nash
Brown-Toews-Kane
Parise
Keith-Weber
Suter-Doughty
Letang-Karlsson
Chara
J. Quick
M. Brodeur
P. Rinne
...Lundqvist
Edited by blueadams, 02 July 2012 - 09:12 PM.
