Top 50 players in the league #5

who is the 5th best player in the league?

  • Mikko Rantanen

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Mitch Marner

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Jonathan Huberdeau

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Brayden Point

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Mathew Barzal

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Sebastion Aho

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Ryan O'Reilly

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Patrice Bergeron

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Sean Couturier

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Anze Kopitar

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Alex Pietrangelo

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Roman Josi

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Connor Hellebuyck

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Mark Scheifele

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Charlie McAvoy

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    219
  • Poll closed .

Namikaze Minato

Registered User
Apr 30, 2009
4,858
5,990
Beautiful B.C.
Kind of shocked by this poll result.

I really don’t understand Hedman going 5th. He’s the 3rd best defenceman, but somehow is the 5th best player overall? I wouldn’t have him go off the board until around 10th.
Hedman is absolutely the best Dman in the league, that doesnt necessarily mean he had the best season but his overall body of work and talent level is higher than any other dman currently. Thats not to say Makar/Fox/Heiskanen cant overcome him at some point but they havent proven enough yet to be ranked above him based on one season of being better.
 

Northern Avs Fan

Registered User
May 27, 2019
21,970
29,648
Hedman is absolutely the best Dman in the league, that doesnt necessarily mean he had the best season but his overall body of work and talent level is higher than any other dman currently. Thats not to say Makar/Fox/Heiskanen cant overcome him at some point but they havent proven enough yet to be ranked above him based on one season of being better.

Personally, I wouldn’t say his talent level is the highest. I get what you’re saying in terms of body of work. If that’s a key factor for you, I understand the decision.

Crosby will probably go in front of Panarin in this poll too, which doesn’t make sense to me for the same reasons I’d have Makar/Fox ahead of Hedman.
 

Nico Hughes

Registered User
Jun 28, 2021
453
288
Kind of shocked by this poll result.

I really don’t understand Hedman going 5th. He’s the 3rd best defenceman, but somehow is the 5th best player overall? I wouldn’t have him go off the board until around 10th.
Hedman is the best defenseman in the league when its not a covid-riddled season

two shortened seasons where he was still a candidate doesnt change that
 

North Cole

♧ Lem
Jan 22, 2017
11,351
12,585
I just googled best player in the NHL 2010 and the first list has Malkin below 5.

The 10 best NHL players of the decade

Not really seeing the issue tbh. Also he isn't second. He's fourth.

Still No. 1: Connor McDavid tops Top 50 NHL Players list for fourth straight year - TSN.ca

This list has him at 3, excluding Kucherov since he was going to miss the season. So its not that unreasonable where he is the poll.

Brophy: Ranking the Top 50 players - Sportsnet.ca

This list from 09 has Malkin at 3 also....
 

Zamknij kurwa ryj

Registered User
Feb 22, 2021
1,542
2,522
The fact that one dimensional Matthews is getting a single vote over guys like Hedman, Panarin and Vas is a laugh.
 

Regal

Registered User
Mar 12, 2010
24,545
13,840
Vancouver
Personally, I wouldn’t say his talent level is the highest. I get what you’re saying in terms of body of work. If that’s a key factor for you, I understand the decision.

Crosby will probably go in front of Panarin in this poll too, which doesn’t make sense to me for the same reasons I’d have Makar/Fox ahead of Hedman.

I think you're putting too much stock into a shortened season. Hedman's Conn Smythe run last year was better than anything Makar or Fox have done. It's not a Crosby situation where he hasn't been at his best for awhile and probably gets too much leeway for past accomplishments based on his name and career. Hedman is still in his prime and injury seems to be the only reason he didn't perform up to his usual level this year.
 

Northern Avs Fan

Registered User
May 27, 2019
21,970
29,648
I think you're putting too much stock into a shortened season. Hedman's Conn Smythe run last year was better than anything Makar or Fox have done. It's not a Crosby situation where he hasn't been at his best for awhile and probably gets too much leeway for past accomplishments based on his name and career. Hedman is still in his prime and injury seems to be the only reason he didn't perform up to his usual level this year.

I feel like I come off anti-Hedman sometimes because I’m against the consensus on this debate, but I love Hedman as a player.

The main argument seems to be that Hedman wasn’t himself this year and will unquestionably return to top form, where as Makar and Fox, I guess, have plateaued, or will get worse. I just don’t think it makes a lot of sense to believe that a soon to be 31-year old who was worse this season, is going to be better than the 22 and 23-year old phenoms next season.

We can certainly go back two years. These are the numbers combined from the last two seasons. One season from where Hedman is banged up and two seasons from Makar just breaking into the league.

Hedman:

Regular season:
100 points in 120 games
.83 PPG
+32

CF%: 53.44
GF%: 57.22
XGF%: 53.91%

Playoffs:
40 points in 46 games
.86 PPG
+14

Makar:

Regular season:
94 points in 101 games
.93 PPG
+29

CF%: 56.21
GF%: 61.63
XGF%: 57.35%

Playoffs:
25 points in 25 games
1.0 PPG
+12
 
Last edited:
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Steven Toast

Registered User
Apr 3, 2019
1,695
2,626
Sol System
I feel like I come off anti-Hedman sometimes because I’m against the consensus on this debate, but I love Hedman as a player.

The main argument seems to be that Hedman wasn’t himself this year and will unquestionably return to top form, where as Makar and Fox, I guess, have plateaued, or will get worse. I just don’t think it makes a lot of sense to believe that a soon to be 31-year old who was worse this season, is going to be better than the 22 and 23-year old phenoms next season.

We can certainly go back two years. These are the numbers combined from the last two seasons. One season from where Hedman is banged up and two seasons from Makar just breaking into the league.

Hedman:

Regular season:
100 points in 120 games
.83 PPG
+32

CF%: 53.44
GF%: 57.22
XGF%: 53.91%

Playoffs:
40 points in 46 games
.86 PPG
+14

Makar:

Regular season:
94 points in 101 games
.93 PPG
+29

CF%: 56.21
GF%: 61.63
XGF%: 57.35%

Playoffs:
25 points in 25 games
1.0 PPG
+12
Good write up. I will say again it surprises me Hedman is widely considered the best defenceman in the league. For me its Makar. Undoubtedly some recency bias with TB's latest cup run. I doubt Hedman would have been considered the best on this forum had a poll been done 6 weeks ago.
 

Sidney the Kidney

One last time
Jun 29, 2009
55,519
46,242
Good write up. I will say again it surprises me Hedman is widely considered the best defenceman in the league. For me its Makar. Undoubtedly some recency bias with TB's latest cup run. I doubt Hedman would have been considered the best on this forum had a poll been done 6 weeks ago.

The difference between the two, at least at this point in their respective careers, is Hedman at his best is a beast in all three zones. Makar's still got a lot of room to improve in his own zone before he'd be considered on par with Hedman defensively.
 

ManofSteel55

Registered User
Aug 15, 2013
31,864
11,992
Sylvan Lake, Alberta
coming from a guy who was voting FlyByDrai as the 2nd best player in the league :laugh:.
Matthews defensive metrics look selke caliber compared to Draisaitl's

So someone is clearly living in the past. Draisaitl's defensive game is very good. Trying to put Matthews above Draisaitl by claiming defensive superiority is an interesting angle to take.
 

Zamknij kurwa ryj

Registered User
Feb 22, 2021
1,542
2,522
coming from a guy who was voting FlyByDrai as the 2nd best player in the league :laugh:.
Matthews defensive metrics look selke caliber compared to Draisaitl's

Yeah, he's mad. But what do you expect from someone who voted Matthews as the #4 player in the league. :laugh:

Love the fact that Draisaitl triggers you so much. If Matthews was as good as Draisaitl (which he's not), maybe the Leafs would be able to make it out of the first round.
 
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ManofSteel55

Registered User
Aug 15, 2013
31,864
11,992
Sylvan Lake, Alberta
Good write up. I will say again it surprises me Hedman is widely considered the best defenceman in the league. For me its Makar. Undoubtedly some recency bias with TB's latest cup run. I doubt Hedman would have been considered the best on this forum had a poll been done 6 weeks ago.
At the mid point of the season some were talking about Hedman as the clear front runner to the Norris and possible Hart finalist. It isn't recency at all.
 

McVespa99

Registered User
May 13, 2007
5,929
2,696
1) Connor Mcdavid
2) Nikita Kucherov
3) Nathan MacKinnon
4) Leon Draisaitl (AKA: FlyByDrai)

comment who to add next
add:
Mirro Heiskanen x3
Steven Stamkos x4
Kirill Kaprizov
Thomas Chabot
Jakob Chychrun
Johnny Gaudreau


Is it coincidence that you put Matthews at the top of the page?
 
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