Ranking The Top 5 Current NHL Players

[Jaybo]

I think it was during one of the intermissions of the 3OT Oilers-Jets game when one of the commentators said "McDavid is universally regarded as the best player in the game." Not surprisingly, that statement wasn't challenged by anyone although there are arguments for at least 3-5 players who are better than McDavid, especially if you don't just count "skates fast and scores a lot of points" but factor in 200' game, leadership qualities, 5-on-5 performance, playoff success, consistency over time and more.

So my question is - who would you rank as the Top Five Players in the NHL right now?

(Or maybe a slightly different way to think of it - if you could magically add one player to your team for a single year, who gives you the best chance of success?)

Right now, my list is probably something like:

1. MacKinnon
2. Crosby (and yeah, I know the Penguins just got bounced - go Isles!)
3. McDavid
4. Ovechkin
5. Matthews/Marchand/Kane/Kucherov are all sort of interchangeable as to how I'd round out my list.

(I'm not picking defensemen or goalies as I feel that's often apples v. oranges for this type of comparison.).

[savardandjokinen]

Pains me to say but I still think McDavid is the best in the league

For me i think it goes

McDavid
Mackinnon
Crosby
Panarin
Matthews

[undercoverbrother]

Mackinnon



























































others

[GioforPM]

I think Crosby and Ovie are likely sliding down the list, just due to aging out. Stone and Barkov are right up there IMO, just due to consistency of performance and their 200 foot games.

[VilleN]

Mackinnon
Crosby
McDavid
Bergeron
Kucherov

I have to put McDavid on the list for offensive talent alone, however -he is not a winner, or a leader. If you told me I could add one player to my team for a game 7 in the playoffs I don't know that he makes my top 5 in that scenario.

[transplant99]

Mackinnon is a more complete player than McDavid but Connor is the most dynamic offensive guy though by not as much as the talking heads would have you believe.

Mackinnon
McDavid
Kucherov
Barkov
Matthews

Though its without question there are many others who could be in the mix including, obviously, Crosby. But after watching this whole Isles/Pens series its pretty clear he is starting to slow down a bit. Still a great player but father time is undefeated and its starting to show on him.

Also Hedman should not be over looked...just a stud of a defenseman.

[TheScorpion]

1. McDavid
2. MacKinnon
3. Crosby
4. Matthews
5. Draisaitl

[Erick Estrada]

I don’t care much for the lists but if I needed to win one game I would pick Patrice Bergeron over every player outside of MacKinnon. I don’t think the league has ever seen a better two way center.

[CroFlames]

1. MacKinnon. Since Crosby, the best playoff performer.
2. Crosby. The most complete player. Ever.
3. McDavid. McPoints, but horrible at defense.
4. Kucherov. Insanely dynamic.
5. Hedman. Underrated. Huge reason for Tampa's success.

Mathews is very close, but he is a little one-dimensional. Although his dimension is scoring goals which is the most important skill.

[The Yen Man]

If I had to build a team, I'd take Mackinnon over McDavid. Now, if we got to reset each of the players ages and have them all at 18 year olds, I take Crosby hands down over either.

[genetic_phreek]

I hate the Oilers more than anything but my list:

McDavid
Mackinnon
Kucherov
Marchand
Crosby

I look at if you take out Mackinnon, Kucherov, Marchand and replace them with McDavid on the team, or vice versa you put the latter on the Oilers, how good are the teams with McDavid vs how good are the Oilers with the other guys.

[1qqaaz]

Why does no one ever have any defensemen in their top 5?

[TheScorpion]

Hedman is coming off one of the worst years of his career. Otherwise, he'd probably be in my top 5.

[genetic_phreek]

Originally Posted by 1qqaaz

Why does no one ever have any defensemen in their top 5?

For me it's because their presence isn't as impactful as a forward. You strategize more on how to contain forwards from scoring because it's harder to do than to strategize on how to score against a specific dman when he's on the ice.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by 1qqaaz

Why does no one ever have any defensemen in their top 5?

It is odd. I mean the top ones are on the ice almost half the game.

I might go with:

MacKinnon
Crosby
McDavid
Hedman
Makar

[neo45]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

1. MacKinnon. Since Crosby, the best playoff performer.
2. Crosby. The most complete player. Ever.
3. McDavid. McPoints, but horrible at defense.
4. Kucherov. Insanely dynamic.
5. Hedman. Underrated. Huge reason for Tampa's success.

Mathews is very close, but he is a little one-dimensional. Although his dimension is scoring goals which is the most important skill.

Hedman is closer to the most over-rated player in the league

Plays on a stacked team and gets insane offensive zone deployment and avoids the tough matchups.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

Makar

Yeah good call, I fill me with dread to think how good he is going to be and that the Flames will get to see him so often.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by genetic_phreek

For me it's because their presence isn't as impactful as a forward. You strategize more on how to contain forwards from scoring because it's harder to do than to strategize on how to score against a specific dman when he's on the ice.

Pronger pretty much singlehandedly took the Oil to a finals.

[neo45]

Originally Posted by TheScorpion

Hedman is coming off one of the worst years of his career. Otherwise, he'd probably be in my top 5.

and still the heavy Norris favorite for this season which is absurd, thus I consider him the opposite of underrated at this point

Was he underrated in the past? Probably

[Samonadreau]

Had to do a top 6.

Mackinnon
McDavid
Crosby
Bergeron
Kane
Matthews


There seems to be a bit of a changing (or sharing) of the Guard right now for Defenseman. Guys like Hedman and Josi maybe giving way to Makar, Heiskenan and Fox. Dougie Hamilton has to be right up there too with those names..