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I was thinking about posting an all-time list but that seems lofty, how about your top ten *right today*?
1. Price Hard to argue right now after the season he had. Montreal was essentially a mediocre team in almost every regard and yet they had one of the league's best records. One of the most dominant seasons we have seen in a while from a goaltender, with all due respect to Thomas, Quick, Miller, et al.
2. Doughty It's so hard to quantify what he does but statisticians are coming close. With him on the ice and without him on the ice the Kings are two different teams. They can pair him with anyone, honestly he hasn't had a partner he wasn't carrying since Willie Mitchell. He sacrifices a ton of offense but he's every bit as dynamic as Subban or Karlsson.
3. Ovechkin He may not have the team success of other guys I considered here but he is still a force on offense and now he is back to going balls out, back-checking hard and just being the consummate threat that his talent allows him to be. I've never seen a player have so much confusion around him but now the Caps' situation seems way more stable.
4. Keith A workhose, a greyhound, a cheetah, whatever cheesy animal comparison you want to make, it probably fits. He's everywhere forwards want to be. Look at the way he performed all playoffs and the way his timely plays swung things. Consistency and clutch. Ask Corey Perry. He's not afraid of anyone and yet Keith probably visits him in his nightmares.
5. Toews The forward version of Doughty. He does everything and can do more. He's won everything and will win more. He's won the important stuff multiple teams. He's the most complete center in the game today, with all due respect to Kopitar, Giroux, Getzlaf, et al.
6. Crosby Still an incredible production machine with an ever-expanding hockey imagination. He has the talent to be number one on this list and maybe well back to that point. Just incredible hands and decision-making, plus he has worked on areas where he was just OK. If he can find his groove as a leader, he will elevate himself to an all-time great.
7. Lundqvist Still a rock in net and a clutch performer. He's someone who stands out as meticulous even among a field of staunch perfectionists. He's one of very few goalies (Price, Quick, Rinne, maybe no one else) that you can lean on to win 2-1 as often as the Rangers do. He sucks at guitar though.
8. Weber Perhaps lost in a shuffle of an oddball schedule and the general obscurity of Nashville, he is still a beast and more. In any given game he will provide booming shots, crunching hits and a level of fastidious attention to detail matched perhaps only by his old partner Ryan Suter. He is the total package and another guy who could find himself higher on this list with just some minor improvements. Robinson, Chelios, he is cut from their cloth.
9. Giroux Every year he gets better and more well-rounded. He's got speed, incredible passing ability, keen vision and he can shoot the puck. He and Voracek are probably the best tandem in the Eastern Conference today and are right there with the stud Western duos (Benn/Seguin, Getzlaf/Perry, et al). He loves big games and he is tough for his size. Just a bedrock of a franchise, and deserves more support around him.
10. Datsyuk He's getting older and his body hurts but he is still one of the greatest players on the planet. Of late I think he has assumed Forsberg's position as a guy who, when he's on physically, is the best player on the planet. Unfortunately he does miss time and he does show wear sometimes when he does play. But overall he is an absolute joy to watch, incredible imagination, coordination and slickness in all areas of the game.
Honorable mentions in no particular order:
Kane- Showtime, clutch player, catch him if you can. Getzlaf- Classic No. 1 center, big, skilled, rangy Perry- Ultimate jerk with all the talent to back it up. Fearless. Rinne- Incredible combination of size and agility, hockey's Big Cat. Stamkos- Still an incredible threat at all times with the puck. Malkin- Impossible to knock off the puck, knows what to do with it. Kopitar- A 200-foot player that's quite similar to Toews. Karlsson- Improving defensively, absolutely an offensive dynamo. Subban- Flashiest player in the business, could soon be the best. Benn- Humble, stuck in a less prominent market but a scoring machine. Pavelski- Perhaps the most versatile star in the league if not ever. Zetterberg- Like his teammate Datsyuk, epic when he's on. Tavares- Probably should be in the top 10, legit superstar center. Tarasenko- Skills for days and a true game-breaker. Quick- Freakish athlete, ruthless competitor and big winner. Kessel- Laser passes, lethal shot, double chin. Giordano- Every year he gets better and now he is elite. Parise- First-line stud with a fourth-line grinder's work ethic. Bergeron- Two-way stud, beacon of consistency. Suter- Eats minutes, always makes the smart play, textbook DMan. And you will know MY JACKET IS GOLD when I lay my vengeance upon thee.
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