Ranking the Best First Overall Picks of the 21st Century

[Lehkonen4Calder]

Crosby
Ovechkin
McDavid

Kane
Tavares
Stamkos

Matthews
Ekblad
MacKinnon
Kovalchuk
Nash
Hall

Nugent-Hopkins
Fleury
Johnson

DiPietro
Yakupov

Kovalchuck below Matthews, Ekblad and Mackinnon?

 

[JTmillerForA1stLOL]

He deserves to be there. He is on pace for 40 goals while being excellent defensively as a rookie center. In his prime he could score 50+

He deserves to be there over players who have actually proved they can score 50+?

Lol. OK.

 

[Diatomic]

Crosby
Ovechkin
Kane
McDavid
Stamkos
Matthews
Kovalchuk
Tavares
Mackinnon
Ekblad
Hall
Nash
Fleury
Nugent-Hopkins
Johnson
DiPietro
Yakupov

 

[BenchBrawl]

Crosby

Ovechkin
McDavid*

Kane
Tavares

Stamkos

Kovalchuk

Matthews**
Ekblad**
Hall

Nash
MacKinnon
Fleury

Johnson
RNH

DiPietro
Yakupov

*Not proven as far as being in the same tier with Ovechkin, but on pace to be in his tier and possibly on Crosby's.

**Very young so hard to rank, but they look better than the players I ranked below them, and they could go much higher, but I felt uncomfortable ranking say Matthews over Kovalchuk who was a one of the top goalscorer of the last 20 years.

After the Crosby/Ovechkin/McDavid trio, I think the best two are Kane and Tavares.Kane had a better career than Tavares but was put in a much better situation.Tavares is the prototype of a franchise player, pushing his (mediocre) team forward as much as he humanly can, which we have seen last year in the playoffs where he almost singlehandedly won them a series.I never saw that from Stamkos, which is why he got demoted to a lower tier than Kane and Tavares (but higher than the rest).Higher than the rest because he is the only one who competed with Ovechkin for scoring titles.

 

[Sweetpotato]

Crosby
McDavid
Ovechkin

Kane
Stamkos
Kovelchuk
Matthews
Tavares

Hall
Nash
Ekblad

Fleury
MacKinnon
RNH
Johnson

Dipietro
Yakupov

 

[LordNeverLose]

Yeah too bad they traded Luongo because of him lowering his value (to the team that drafted him)looking back at his career even more. Add in his contract. 1 good year and then injuries he has to be last.

Fleury is lowered by choking in the junior's which everyone remembers for life. And his couple bad seasons for the Pens in the playoffs when he also had some good ones when the rest of the team sucked.

But he will never be remembered as great.

MAF has never had a season as good as DP's '06-07 season

 

[LordNeverLose]

Still not great logic for one of the most decorated goalies in history by the end of his career.

Kane has 3 cups, but so do many blackhawks, and Justin Williams. No denying he was good in the playoffs but it's still a team win each time.

Stamkos has had the far better individual career to date and this year absolutely looked better than Kane. He was back to pre injury Stammer, and you can't possibly say that outside of early last season god mode Kane has ever been as dominant as that.

I can't think of a single argument for MAF over Kane, lol. That's honestly a pretty strange opinion.

 

[Canadienna]

1) Crosby
2) Ovechkin
3) McDavid
4) Kane
5) Matthews
6) Stamkos
7) Kovulchuk
8) Tavares
9) Hall
10) MacKinnon
11) Ekblad
12) Nash
13) Fleury
14) Nugent-Hopkins
15) Johnson
16) DiPietro
17) Yakupov

 

[RaindanceMaggie]

1. Crosby
2. Ovechkin
3. McDavid
4. Kane
5. Kovalchuk
6. Tavares
7. Matthews
8. Mackinnon
9. Nash
10. Hall
11. Ekblad
12. Nugent Hopkins
13. Fleury
14. Johnson
15. Ricky D
16. Yakupov

 

[East Coast Icestyle]

I can't think of a single argument for MAF over Kane, lol. That's honestly a pretty strange opinion.

What? I was arguing Stamkos over Kane. All I said about Fleury was he doesn't belong in the bottom. Maybe learn to read a bit.

 

[Rolo]

List is a prediction, after 20 years into the future, when all of these guys career is over.

1. Crosby
2. McDavid
3. Ovechkin
4. Kane
5. Tavares
6. Matthews
7. Stamkos
8. Kovalchuk
9. Ekblad
10. Fleury
11. Nash
12. Hall
13. MacKinnon
14. RNH
15. Johnson
16. DiPietro
17. Yakupov

 

[slikki]

He deserves to be there over players who have actually proved they can score 50+?

Lol. OK.

Got to love Toronto lol

 

[Kryten]

Crosby
Ovechkin
McDavid

Kane
Stamkos
Kovalchuk

Tavares
Matthews
Nash
Hall
Mackinnon
Ekblad

Fleury
Nugent Hopkins
Johnson

Dipietro

Yakupov

 

[jeangauthier]

Got to love Toronto lol

Meh.....can`t blame the fanbase........not much to High-five about the last half century.........it`s Christmas......throw them a bone....

 

[Lainehasaweirdface]

Got to love Toronto lol

We're supposed to rank the kid against the superstars of the last 16 years after 30 some odd games, what do you expect? If he stays healthy he definitely will be there when his career is over

 

[Treb]

Crosby
Ovechkin
McDavid

Stamkos
Kane
Kovalchuk
Tavares

Matthews
Hall
Nash
Ekblad

Fleury
MacKinnon
RNH

Johnson
Dipietro
Yakupov

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

I'm as harsh toward Fleury as anyone, but there's no way he should be ranked at or near the bottom of the list. For over a decade he's been a proven #1 goalie. You can debate about how good a #1 he's been (elite, above average, average, etc.), but you can't debate that he's been a top 15 goalie.

Meanwhile, some guys on that list (Yak, Nuge) aren't even proven top line players.

 

[Kamiccolo]

He deserves to be there over players who have actually proved they can score 50+?

Lol. OK.

Sorry I must have missed when Kane and Tavares scored 50 goals in the NHL.

 

[MLSE]

Got to love Toronto lol

Toronto fan

Kovy >> Matthews on this list.

 

[MLSE]

Sorry I must have missed when Kane and Tavares scored 50 goals in the NHL.

Well Kane just did win the Hart.

 

[TMLife*]

Crosby
McDavid
Matthews(well he’s the youngest on the list, so I’m going with projection here[did the same with McDavid above], and ya I’m a homer)
Kane
Stamkos
Ovechkin
Tavares
Hall
Kovalchuk
Fleury
Ekblad
Mackinnon
Nash
Nugent-Hopkins
Johnson
DiPietro
Yakupov

 

[JayE]

Crosby
McDavid
Ovechkin
Kovalchuk
Kane
Matthews
Stamkos
Tavares
Hall
Nash
MacKinnon
Ekblad
Fleury
RNH
Johnson
DiPietro
Yakupov

 

[Mc5RingsAndABeer]

How does anyone have McDavid below Kane? If you're not going to make an educated extrapolation then he shouldn't be in the poll.

 

[Horvath Broncos]

McDavid over Ovechkin, Matthews over Stamkos... I don't even.

 

[bobholly39]

I'm as harsh toward Fleury as anyone, but there's no way he should be ranked at or near the bottom of the list. For over a decade he's been a proven #1 goalie. You can debate about how good a #1 he's been (elite, above average, average, etc.), but you can't debate that he's been a top 15 goalie.

Meanwhile, some guys on that list (Yak, Nuge) aren't even proven top line players.

I agree with this.

Fleury has been a franchise #1 goalie and a pretty good one at that. He's had some ups and downs of course but overall very solid career