Best stickhandling skills in NHL (Schremp)?

[neelynugs]

Thought I'd throw a name out there.

Sergei Samsonov

sammy's got game...harry sinden was once talking about a drill he used to do, where he'd shuffle a puck around a few other pucks- in and out, like going around cones. he's a magician

 

[Luigi Lemieux]

I'm not sure how he stacks up league wide, but Zherdev is light years ahead of anyone else on the Blue Jackets with his stick skill (not that his competion is anything to brag about).

ive seen zherdev a few times and was very very impressed. having seen kovalev on the pens for years, zherdev is on his way to equaling if not surpassing kovalev stickhandling wise. zherdev will be recognized as the best stickhandler in the NHL within the next few years.

 

[Jag68Sid87]

There have been so many great stick-handlers over the years, and certainly some of the very best players in NHL history deserve mention at the top of this list: Gretzky, Lemieux, Jagr, Lafleur, LaFontaine come to mind as supreme stick-handlers in their hey day.

But for my money, nobody has ever been better than Alex Kovalev, when he's on. Not when he's not interested or moody or whatever. But when he's absolutely ON, there's nobody better. The guy could stickhandle a hummer through a china shop and leave there without any glass on the floor. He is mesmerizing with the puck on his stick. It's too bad he doesn't have the will or desire to compete hard every single shift, like some of the all-timers do (did), because with his hands he'd be an unstoppable force. He's still pretty dam good even with his mood swings.

So, for me tops on this list is Kovalev. Schremp has a chance to be very, very good but I don't think he's quite in Kovalev's league.

 

[CornKicker]

It's pretty hard to compare Schremp to these guys at the moment because we never saw him play against them.

Ales Hemsky has some sick stickhandling skills. Sergei Samsonov is also good with the puck on his stick.

i agree hemsky is completely sick with the puck, its to bad he plays like a panty. i can't wait to se a schremp - hemsky power play with smyth in front of the net.
actually i cant wait to just watch hockey

 

[pucks1]

I was thinking Datsyuk, P. Bure, Camilleri, kovalev, where does Schremp rank (if at all)?

Having played with him i think his hands are most like Kovalev.

My favorite non-game move is the behind both legs snap shot to the top shelf. dont know how he does it but it sure is pretty.

Favorite game move is the quick drop between the skates while performing a 360 ( show in the wjr's).

 

[Matty]

Thought I'd throw a name out there.

Sergei Samsonov

TSN had a short segment on him when he was 15 - his moves back then were amazing. He's definitely up there.

A player that comes to mind for me is Cliff Ronning. It was often said he could stick handle inside a phone booth. He was really good in 'close quarter' situations.

P. Bure also deserves mention. He could stick handle at high speeds while most players have to slow down somewhat.

Mario would get my vote for best though. It seems that for most players, their awareness of where everyone is on the ice diminishes when they stick handle through a crowd. Mario, on the other hand, could walk through players and then immediately throw off a brilliant pass.

 

[AnThGrt]

Ya my pick would go to Palffy he is SICK!!!

 

[eddy]

Theres pletny of talented stickhandlers but i gotta say Kovalev is the best or close to it, Datsyuk would be up there too in my mind.

 

[trahans99]

Having played with him i think his hands are most like Kovalev.

My favorite non-game move is the behind both legs snap shot to the top shelf. dont know how he does it but it sure is pretty.

Favorite game move is the quick drop between the skates while performing a 360 ( show in the wjr's).

 

[(lone)Yashinfan#79]

Forsberg
Kovalev
Nylander
Datsyuk

 

[No Quarter*]

Kovalev is probably the best.
Also, he isn't the best but Ryan Malone is a very underrated stick handler.

 

[benji]

Pretty much all the best have been mentionned so far. Kovalev, Zherdev, Zidlicky, Samsonov, Mogilny, Yashin. The usual highlight reel type guys.

 

[regdunlap7]

I was thinking Datsyuk, P. Bure, Camilleri, kovalev, where does Schremp rank (if at all)?

Sergei Samsonov has to be in there somewhere and I think LeCavalier is on the border of the top 5.

 

[Eb0la11]

The difference is not puckhandling skills - it's using those skills to score goals. Most of the NHLers mentioned have learned to use those skills with a player hanging on their back, or while skating at full speed. That is very different obviously. I wouldn't say Schremp is better than many of the players at puckhandling at the same age, but he may be close to many of them.

Agreed, think Maxim Afinogenov, he can undress defencemen pretty much every night he plays but he cant put the puck into the net.

 

[Jargin]

Not the best in the league, but Alfredsson's ability to handle the puck on the blueline during powerplays is amazing.

Overall best stickhandler would have to be Kovalev, if only he put his mind to it...

 

[Eb0la11]

I agree with the Nylander comparison, he has the puck on a string at times, and why hasnt anyone mentioned forsberg? I guess it depends what kind of stick handelling we are talking about, if we are talking about weirdo moves then your gonna have to go witht he Euros mostly, guys like Datsyuk, Afinogenov, Zherdev, Kovalev, Kovalchuk Zetterberg at times, but if your talking able to hang onto the puck and deak people out then Nylander and Forsberg (who I guess are both Euros too) are amongst the best, they do alot of twirls though. Lots of very quick circles with fast acceleration out, to lose an opponent. I think Datsyuk is probably the best if I had to choose though.

 

[Estimated_Prophet]

There have been so many great stick-handlers over the years, and certainly some of the very best players in NHL history deserve mention at the top of this list: Gretzky, Lemieux, Jagr, Lafleur, LaFontaine come to mind as supreme stick-handlers in their hey day.

But for my money, nobody has ever been better than Alex Kovalev, when he's on. Not when he's not interested or moody or whatever. But when he's absolutely ON, there's nobody better. The guy could stickhandle a hummer through a china shop and leave there without any glass on the floor. He is mesmerizing with the puck on his stick. It's too bad he doesn't have the will or desire to compete hard every single shift, like some of the all-timers do (did), because with his hands he'd be an unstoppable force. He's still pretty dam good even with his mood swings.

So, for me tops on this list is Kovalev. Schremp has a chance to be very, very good but I don't think he's quite in Kovalev's league.

I am a huge Hab fan and as much as I hate to admit it, the Bruins own two of the greatest stickhandlers the game has ever seen and neither one has been mentioned yet. Bobby Orr and Rick Middleton have are both legendary stickhandlers.

As long as we are mentioning retired players how about Denis Savard , Peter Stastny and Kent Nilsson.

 

[PredsFan77*]

I stilll have that video of Zids going through the entire team on his way to scoring...amazing

 

[hockeyfan125]

Ribeiro has ludicrous puckhandling skills, I remember some of those goals he scored from behind the net last year

I wouldn't say that Kovalev is as good, I mean he is incredibly strong on the puck, but not the softest hands I've seen in the habs locker room.

Top 5 I have no clue.

I guess the best away team puckhandlers I saw in Montreal where,

Vincent Lecavalier,
Mariann Hossa,
Jaromir Jagr,
Marcus Naslund and Mats Sundin.

all those players where absolutely amazing with the puck.

but it somehow seems Ribeiro has those streaks where the puck is magnetically stuck to his stick

From a purely stickhandling point of view, I would rate Daniel Sedin ahead of Naslund on the Canucks.

 

[Bruins4Ever]

Samsonov is by far the best on the Bruins. He's just so slick with the puck. Some of the moves he does dazzles even the biggest doubter.

 

[Porn*]

Ribeiro has ludicrous puckhandling skills, I remember some of those goals he scored from behind the net last year

I wouldn't say that Kovalev is as good, I mean he is incredibly strong on the puck, but not the softest hands I've seen in the habs locker room.

Top 5 I have no clue.

I guess the best away team puckhandlers I saw in Montreal where,

Vincent Lecavalier,
Mariann Hossa,
Jaromir Jagr,
Marcus Naslund and Mats Sundin.

all those players where absolutely amazing with the puck.

but it somehow seems Ribeiro has those streaks where the puck is magnetically stuck to his stick

great list...

mogilny
lecavalier
bure
jagr
datsyuk
marleau
Gaborik
Hossa
Kariya
Gagne
zherdev

quite a few stellar puck handlers...

 

[Yosemite Sam]

I've been waiting to see if anyone would drop his name but Huselius is definitely one of the top stickhandlers in the game. Very solid puck control.

 

[signalIInoise]

Agreed, think Maxim Afinogenov, he can undress defencemen pretty much every night he plays but he cant put the puck into the net.

There's my vote. I have seen the craziest stuff out of Afinogenov at top speed (and that guy is *fast*). He stickhandled his way into the single prettiest goal I've ever seen in person.

But uneven -- yeah, that's Max.

 

[BuppY]

Datsyuk
Zherdev
Alfredsson
Jaromir Jagr
Naslund
Sundin
Spezza
Samsonov



outside of the NHL:
Wellwood
Locke
Radulov
Cammalari

 

[(lone)Yashinfan#79]

I agree with the Nylander comparison, he has the puck on a string at times, and why hasnt anyone mentioned forsberg?

i mentioned Forsberg a couple posts earlier (was the one who initially mentioned Nylander).