THN Releases Top-50 Players List

Dominance

99-66-4-9-87/97
Sep 30, 2017
7,821
12,256
The Land of Hockey
Here it is:

1. McDavid
2. Crosby
3. Kucherov
4. Karlsson
5. Hedman
6. Hall
7. Bergeron
8. MacKinnon
9. Scheifele
10. Ovechkin
11. Kopitar
12. Bobrovsky
13. Tavares
14. Malkin
15. Wheeler
16. Kuznetsov
17. Matthews
18. Marchand
19. Laine
20. Stamkos
21. Jones
22. Hellebuyck
23. Giroux
24. Subban
25. Vasilevskiy
26. Kane
27. Panarin
28. Seguin
29. Byfuglien
30. Doughty
31. Barkov
32. Burns
33. Gaudreau
34. Pastrnak
35. Fleury
36. Benn
37. Forsberg
38. Carlson
39. Price
40. Eichel
41. Barzal
42. Rantanen
43. Kessel
44. Quick
45. Josi
46. Tarasenko
47. W. Karlsson
48. Marner
49. Couturier
50. Monahan

Now, let’s all have a good time blasting this list to pieces. I’ll start us off, but I’m sure there’s all sorts of players who got jobbed in various ways.

1. How the flying f*** did they justify putting Doughty so low. I believe it was the general (although undoubtedly disputed) consensus on here that he was the best d-man this past year, and Hedman received the Norris because of the weird way it is given to players who are “due.” I’d have him just ahead of VH77, but I don’t think anyone can say he should be more than one or two spots behind.

2. The Malkin ranking. The dude is consistently ridiculously underrated and it just makes no sense, as the same media people are fine to always include him in the same breath as Sid and Ovi.

3. Really weak love for Giroux after a great rebound season. Coming from a fan of the Pens.

4. What’s with all the inconsistency? The aggressive rankings of Hall, MacKinnon, Hellebuyck, Vasilevskiy, and other players who exploded this last year seems to point to the idea that they are focusing on recent history. Yet in that case, why are Crosby and Karlsson so high, after having great but not truly outstanding seasons last year? Why is Kane over Panarin?

Edit: Hilarious omissions list, as pointed out in this thread, consists of:

- Getzlaf
- Pietrangelo
- Suter
- Backstrom
- Holtby
- Stone
- Giordano
- Draisaitl
 
Last edited:

Tage2Tuch

Because TheJackAttack is in Black
May 10, 2004
9,048
2,658
CAN
Matthews 17
Laine 19
Eichel 40



Seems legit.

Throw either of them on 31st offense and team with girgensens and pominville do they put up 121 pts in there last 128? Pretty sure they didn’t even do that on the top 5 scoring teams there on now. Then there’s the injuries and playing for a rookie head coach in his first year and disco dan.

I think Matthews should be ahead but id rank Eichel around 25 myself. Austin’s spot
Is okay but Laine should be around top 30 but certainly not ahead of Eichel. Laines
Claim to fame is goals and Eichel in just 67 games put up just two less even strength goals. Meanwhile Jack had 13 more assists in 16 less games against much tougher competition then Laine faces.

It’s okay, after this year he will be top 20 by next years rankings.



Cue jets fans quoting me telling me “yea but Laine is a teenager” when he’s been an adult for 3 years, plays on the best team in the west with the most talented players and playmakers that perfectly suit the type of goal scoring talent he is.

Personally, I don’t see how Laine doesent do better. 26 assists in 82 games with all those guys? And he’s top 20 in the NHL?




Yeah, ok.




that being said there’s arguments to be made all over.

Mackinnon is insanely high seeing as he’s had one great season and a few mediocre ones.

How is he ahead of Matthews when he hasn’t (Matthews) even had one average season?
 
Last edited:

LordNeverLose

Registered User
Jul 2, 2015
6,509
3,776
Picking a fight
1. Doughty ranking is mind-blowing. Absolutely no logic there. Below Byfuglien?????? WTF????????

2. Matthews/Laine at 17/19 but Eichel/Barzal at 40/41? What have AM and PL done to deserve that gap between them and Eichel/Barzal? And don't tell me Barzal only has one year of proof because didn't TSN put Matthews like top 10 last season?
 

Tage2Tuch

Because TheJackAttack is in Black
May 10, 2004
9,048
2,658
CAN
Im baffled how underrated giroux is every single year


Well he did only score 14 goals and 52 points in a full 82 game season just the year before last.

So every single season is a bit of a stretch. If he has another season close to what he just had I’d say he will go to ten to fifteen next year.
 

Mulletman

Registered User
Feb 23, 2013
3,974
3,716
Ovechkin at 10 is way too low. Hall and Scheifele have no business being in the top 10. Bergeron at 7 is also too high, you shouldn't be ranked that high just with good defense and ok offense.

Harder to rank the guys the lower you go, but I love the fact that Eichel is number 40 were he belongs.
 

Narow

Registered User
Nov 11, 2016
5,927
706
Matthews 17
Laine 19
Eichel 40



Seems legit.

Throw either of them on 31st offense and team with girgensens and pominville do they put up 121 pts in there last 128? Pretty sure they didn’t even do that on the top 5 scoring teams there on now. Then there’s the injuries and playing for a rookie head coach in his first year and disco dan.

I think Matthews should be ahead but id rank Eichel around 25 myself. Austin’s spot
Is okay but Laine should be around top 30 but certainly not ahead of Eichel. Laines
Claim to fame is goals and Eichel in just 67 games put up just two less even strength goals. Meanwhile Jack had 13 more assists in 16 less games against much tougher competition then Laine faces.

It’s okay, after this year he will be top 20 by next years rankings.



Cue jets fans quoting me telling me “yea but Laine is a teenager” when he’s been an adult for 3 years, plays on the best team in the west with the most talented players and playmakers that perfectly suit the type of goal scoring talent he is.

Personally, I don’t see how Laine doesent do better. 26 assists in 82 games with all those guys? And he’s top 20 in the NHL?




Yeah, ok.




that being said there’s arguments to be made all over.

Mackinnon is insanely high seeing as he’s had one great season and a few mediocre ones.

How is he ahead of Matthews when he hasn’t (Matthews) even had one average season?
Lmao laine been on a dysfunctional line 5v5 most of season and helped his team towards 53 wins look his stats when he get sepparated from little :)... you keep bringing up that eichel is on the worst offensive team as a good thing...like yeah you do have a point that he is producing really well on a bad team but if he was as good as you make him out to be it wouldnt be the worst offensive team. Dont get me wrong i think he is really good and its the rest of the team not living up to par but we'll see next season. Obviously missing games past 2 seasons arent helping either.... laine (with matthews) looks to be taking over the torch from ovi at some point whereas eichel doesnt seem to become the best in one such area hence why they are ranked higher....

Both already have a top 2 finish in the rocket race....

And no i dont agree with that list...
 
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jetsforever

Registered User
Dec 14, 2013
27,202
23,057
Here it is:

1. McDavid
2. Crosby
3. Kucherov
4. Karlsson
5. Hedman
6. Hall
7. Bergeron
8. MacKinnon
9. Scheifele
10. Ovechkin
11. Kopitar
12. Bobrovsky
13. Tavares
14. Malkin
15. Wheeler
16. Kuznetsov
17. Matthews
18. Marchand
19. Laine
20. Stamkos
21. Jones
22. Hellebuyck
23. Giroux
24. Subban
25. Vasilevskiy
26. Kane
27. Panarin
28. Seguin
29. Byfuglien
30. Doughty
31. Barkov
32. Burns
33. Gaudreau
34. Pastrnak
35. Fleury
36. Benn
37. Forsberg
38. Carlson
39. Price
40. Eichel
41. Barzal
42. Rantanen
43. Kessel
44. Quick
45. Josi
46. Tarasenko
47. W. Karlsson
48. Marner
49. Couturier
50. Monahan

Now, let’s all have a good time blasting this list to pieces. I’ll start us off, but I’m sure there’s all sorts of players who got jobbed in various ways.

1. How the flying **** did they justify putting Doughty so low. I believe it was the general (although undoubtedly disputed) consensus on here that he was the best d-man this past year, and Hedman received the Norris because of the weird way it is given to players who are “due.” I’d have him just ahead of VH77, but I don’t think anyone can say he should be more than one or two spots behind.

2. The Malkin ranking. The dude is consistently ridiculously underrated and it just makes no sense, as the same media people are fine to always include him in the same breath as Sid and Ovi.

3. Really weak love for Giroux after a great rebound season. Coming from a fan of the Pens.

4. What’s with all the inconsistency? The aggressive rankings of Hall, MacKinnon, Hellebuyck, Vasilevskiy, and other players who exploded this last year seems to point to the idea that they are focusing on recent history. Yet in that case, why are Crosby and Karlsson so high, after having great but not truly outstanding seasons last year? Why is Kane over Panarin?

It's not that bad of a list in general
A few ridiculous placements though - Doughty and Malkin are way too low for example
I'm guessing they used some predicting in this (i.e. who will be the best this upcoming season rather than the past season)
 
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neXis

Registered User
Jan 3, 2016
457
121
What a joke. Hall, Hedman, Mackinnon in the top 10? Don't get me wrong they had amazing seasons last year, but his reeks of recency bias. I would not put them in the top 10. Malkin, Doughty, Kopitar, Monahan, Wheeler, and Kane are seriously ranked low.

Kopitar, Kane, Malking, Doughty are a must in the top 10. This list is a joke.
 

bionic

Registered User
Sep 5, 2009
3,271
1,020
markham
1. Doughty ranking is mind-blowing. Absolutely no logic there. Below Byfuglien?????? WTF????????

2. Matthews/Laine at 17/19 but Eichel/Barzal at 40/41? What have AM and PL done to deserve that gap between them and Eichel/Barzal? And don't tell me Barzal only has one year of proof because didn't TSN put Matthews like top 10 last season?
I'm a huge leafs fan and that does seem kind of odd.
 

Man Bear Pig

Registered User
Aug 10, 2008
31,003
13,747
Earth
Ovechkin, Doughty, Giroux, Malkin, Eichel, Barkov, Tarasenko...how does only one of these guys crack the top 10? Ovechkin, a HOF player in his prime who just won a cup is somehow rated lower than Taylor Hall and MacKinnon? those guys are elite players but there's nothing to convince me that they're more valuable right now. I'm not picking on those two at all, it's just an awful list. Just like you can't convince me that the gap between Hedman and Doughty is that large.
 

bionic

Registered User
Sep 5, 2009
3,271
1,020
markham
Matthews 17
Laine 19
Eichel 40



Seems legit.

Throw either of them on 31st offense and team with girgensens and pominville do they put up 121 pts in there last 128? Pretty sure they didn’t even do that on the top 5 scoring teams there on now. Then there’s the injuries and playing for a rookie head coach in his first year and disco dan.

I think Matthews should be ahead but id rank Eichel around 25 myself. Austin’s spot
Is okay but Laine should be around top 30 but certainly not ahead of Eichel. Laines
Claim to fame is goals and Eichel in just 67 games put up just two less even strength goals. Meanwhile Jack had 13 more assists in 16 less games against much tougher competition then Laine faces.

It’s okay, after this year he will be top 20 by next years rankings.



Cue jets fans quoting me telling me “yea but Laine is a teenager” when he’s been an adult for 3 years, plays on the best team in the west with the most talented players and playmakers that perfectly suit the type of goal scoring talent he is.

Personally, I don’t see how Laine doesent do better. 26 assists in 82 games with all those guys? And he’s top 20 in the NHL?




Yeah, ok.




that being said there’s arguments to be made all over.

Mackinnon is insanely high seeing as he’s had one great season and a few mediocre ones.

How is he ahead of Matthews when he hasn’t (Matthews) even had one average season?
Agreed switch Laine and Eichel around and you get closer to the truth. Laine fell into a great situation with a team that shouldn't have been drafting that high. It's crazy they him ahead of Eichel, let alone over 20 spots ahead.
 

Alf the dwarf

Registered User
Jul 20, 2018
243
188
This listing seems very accurate and nice, well done. Wouldn't change anything.

Laine will be probably in top 3 after next year. Eichel maybe 46 or something.
 
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mja

Everything was beautiful, and nothing hurt
Jan 7, 2005
12,577
28,809
Lucy the Elephant's Belly
Im baffled how underrated giroux is every single year

It's been comical for years and years now. It started early and has never stopped. People first didn't want to believe he had PPG talent, then they didn't want to believe he had PPG+ talent, then they didn't want to believe he had 100+ point talent.

He's not big, he's not fast, and doesn't have an elite shot. He used to dangle quite a bit but he's streamlined that part of his game as he's gotten older. What he has is one of the best brains in the business combined with fantastic hand-eye coordination. That, and he's really competitive. He's 2nd in points scored this decade, a mere 7 behind Crosby. He's 5th in PPG over that time not counting Barzal this season, behind only Crosby, McDavid, Malkin, Stamkos, & Kane. He has 3 top 4 Hart finishes.

Literally, Tavares has accomplished nothing over Giroux throughout their careers except being drafted 1st overall and he's 10 spots higher.
 

Foppberg

Registered User
Nov 20, 2016
24,089
26,539
Summerside, PEI
Bolded = too high
Underlined = too low

1. McDavid
2. Crosby
3. Kucherov
4. Karlsson

5. Hedman
6. Hall
7. Bergeron
8. MacKinnon
9. Scheifele
10. Ovechkin
11. Kopitar

12. Bobrovsky
13. Tavares
14. Malkin
15. Wheeler
16. Kuznetsov
17. Matthews
18. Marchand
19. Laine
20. Stamkos
21. Jones
22. Hellebuyck
23. Giroux
24. Subban
25. Vasilevskiy
26. Kane
27. Panarin

28. Seguin
29. Byfuglien
30. Doughty
31. Barkov
32. Burns
33. Gaudreau

34. Pastrnak
35. Fleury
36. Benn
37. Forsberg
38. Carlson
39. Price
40. Eichel
41. Barzal
42. Rantanen

43. Kessel
44. Quick
45. Josi
46. Tarasenko
47. W. Karlsson
48. Marner
49. Couturier

50. Monahan

Getzlaf, Suter, Pietro being the biggest omissions.
 
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