Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin, the first two superstars of the salary cap era who broke into the league simultaneously in 2005-06, were unsurprisingly ranked first and second. Crosby owns one of the most decorated trophy cases in the sport’s history, as the Nova Scotia native has two Olympic Gold Medals, three Stanley Cups, a QMJHL Championship, a World Juniors Gold Medal, and numerous individual awards. Ovechkin has also won the Stanley Cup and is chasing down Wayne Gretzky’s record for most goals in NHL history, something that seemed unthinkable 20 years ago.
In third place is Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid, who has produced at a historic pace over the first nine years of his career but hasn’t yet won hockey’s top prize.
“It could be daunting to be touted as The Next One behind Edmonton Oilers legend Wayne Gretzky. McDavid isn’t like the rest, though. Edmonton’s captain has embraced that spotlight as Gretzky’s heir apparent. It was fitting when McDavid broke a record Gretzky set in 1987-88 with his 32nd assist of the 2024 postseason during Edmonton’s run to a Stanley Cup Final. McDavid had long been an exceptional playmaker in his own right, but the way he carried the Oilers back from a 3-0 series deficit in the Final to force a decisive Game 7 was spectacular. And it rightly earned McDavid a Conn Smythe Trophy in the losing effort.” – Kirsten Shilton
Three-time Stanley Cup winner Patrick Kane is the first American player on the list at fourth and seven-time Norris Trophy winner Nicklas Lidstrom is the first defenceman at fifth. Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche is ranked sixth, and then two goals, Martin Brodeur and Henrik Lundqvist, come in and seventh and eighth. After Evgeni Malkin, Patrice Bergeron, Zdeno Chara, and Steven Stamkos is Leon Draisaitl, who lands 13th on the list.
Draisaitl was drafted third in 2014 with the hope he could become a key player for the Oilers’ future plans. Instead? He emerged into a second generational center alongside McDavid. A three-time 50-goal scorer, he’s had more than 100 points in five of the past six seasons. In 2020, he won the Hart and Art Ross, which further cemented his status as one of the NHL’s best contemporary players.” — Ryan S. Clark
News
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s expensive food and drink selections at the US Open revealed
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce have taken their whirlwind romance from the football field to the courts of the US Open, where the pair were spotted indulging in high-end cocktails and a feast fit for royalty. Days after their star-studded appearance with Patrick and…
Ravens’ Kyle Van Noy blasts Chiefs staff for ‘unprofessional’ approach to his eye injury
Ravens linebacker Kyle Van Noy ripped the Chiefs’ medical staff for its handling an eye injury he suffered during Baltimore’s loss on Thursday night, calling their response “unprofessional.” The 11-year NFL veteran suffered a fractured orbital bone during the third…
The Vikings’ Jonathan Greenard felt ‘a little bit horrible’ for Daniel Jones after Giants supporters’ booing
The Vikings started beating Giants quarterback Daniel Jones so badly Sunday that even Minnesota outside linebacker Jonathan Greenard started to feel bad about it. During a Tuesday interview on “The Power Trip Morning Show,” Greenard talked about the booing Jones…
Patrick Mahomes melts down and finally discloses everything Chiefs fans wanted to know
Virtually everything Patrick Mahomes has done since entering the NFL is winning. He’s won the biggest awards the sport has to offer (Super Bowls, regular season MVP awards, Offensive Player of the Year honors) and is poised to continue to lead the Kansas…
Travis Kelce speaks out about Tyreek Hill’s detention after the Dolphins player was taken from his SUV and pinned down by Miami cops prior of an NFL game
Travis Kelce has spoken out on the detainment of Dolphins player Tyreek Hill by Miami police – and his following touchdown celebration. Hill, 30, was pinned down and placed in handcuffs after being pulled over for ‘reckless driving’ while traveling to the Dolphins’…
Surprise AFC Team Has Suddenly Emerged As The Top Landing Spot For Dak Prescott As The Superstar Quarterback Appears To Be Frustrated With Cowboys
This past offseason, there were many rumors that Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott was looking for a new contract extension. However, with Dallas set to take on the Browns on Sunday for Week 1, Prescott is still playing on the same…
End of content
No more pages to load