Top Ten Best players all-time (aesthetically)

[VanIslander]

One of the arguments, however serious they may be, for a player is that they simply look like they are a better hockey player skill-wise, size-wise, speed-wise etc... in other words "the eye test". Mario vs. Wayne is a prime example (a big man with a soft hands and a full toolkit of goalscoring wizardry vs. a skinnier forward with average speed).

Who are the Top Ten players all-time (aesthetically)?

Some candidates:

Mario
Jagr
Ovechkin
McDavid
Lindros
Bobby Hull
Bure
Orr
M. Richard

Jagr was not the hockey gods of Gretzky & Lemieux.

He also was clearly head & shoulders above the opposition: a demi-god.

Until Hasek.

 

[VanIslander]

Bure? No. Wheels, yeah. Wait,,, aesthetically...

Forsberg, Hawerchuk, Palffy, Datsyuk clearly weaved the puck in traffic exceptionally.

 

[VanIslander]

I can't say Hasek cuz he did everything wrong aesthetically speaking... everything looked wrong.

Sergei Berezin, Vincent Lecavalier, Seth Jones, Dan Hamhuis, Jesse Puljujarvi looked right.

 

[sr edler]

Bure? No.

Jesse Puljujarvi looked right.

What.

 

[Michael Farkas]

There was a person that came out of nowhere that gave us his top 17 players of all time list recently...and that list there might actually be more random. Hamhuis and Seth Jones on the same track. VL4 and Poolparty.

It's like, "man, I sure love oranges...that's why I always buy vanilla ice cream when it's on sale"

 

[Nick Hansen]

Between his skating, stickhandling and shot arsenal I always found Kovalchuk quite appealing to watch. Russian (star) forwards in general I find to be aesthetically pleasing.

 

[MadLuke]

I think Kovalchuk could have had the most spectacular one timer slapshot from the blueline, the way he winded it, timed it, the flow, how often it ended with a ring of the puck hitting a post with no time to get what happened, obviously there would be competition Hull from a bit anywhere, Ovechkin, etc... but Kovalchuk video compilation of them could be the best one.

 

[JackSlater]

In addition to the many players mentioned, Rousseau and Cournoyer fit the bill in old games I've seen. Hull looks, to me, like the most aesthetically pleasing player of the 1960s overall.

I'd love to have actual first hand knowledge of this but according to reputation Morenz should fit in here.

 

[Hippasus]

Bure, Hemsky, Malkin, Havlat, and Ovechkin were/are aesthetically-pleasing to me.

 

[JianYang]

Okay, players the most pleasing to the eye. I'm just going throw out some names in no particular order.

Gretzky
Lemieux
Kovalev
Datsyuk
Orr
Coffey
Niedermayer
Makarov
Beliveau
Jagr

Honorable mention to the sedins as a tandem.

To me, the players that are most pleasing to watch are the ones that have certain blend of extraordinary talent, who seem two steps ahead of everyone in the game of chess, and make it look effortless.

Neidermayer might stick out like a sore thumb on this list, but I just couldn't ignore his skating stride.

 

[Hippasus]

I realize I missed some:

Coffey
Datsyuk
Lemieux
Kovalev

 

[authentic]

I think Kovalchuk could have had the most spectacular one timer slapshot from the blueline, the way he winded it, timed it, the flow, how often it ended with a ring of the puck hitting a post with no time to get what happened, obviously there would be competition Hull from a bit anywhere, Ovechkin, etc... but Kovalchuk video compilation of them could be the best one.

Kovalchuks highlights look like a top 10 player ever. The skating and size combined with those hands and shooting ability looked absolutely unstoppable. I really think he had 60+ goal potential.

 

[RussianShark]

Not in order

Ilya Kovalchuk
Joe Pavelski
Marty Turco
Robert Esche
Kyle McLaren
PK Subban
Alex Ovechkin
Antione Vermette
Jussi Jokinen
Pavel Datsyuk

 

[Bijelo]

Bure ranked greater than Fedorov correct.

 

[Overrated]

Between his skating, stickhandling and shot arsenal I always found Kovalchuk quite appealing to watch. Russian (star) forwards in general I find to be aesthetically pleasing.

Also Kovalev. I keep going back to this video.

 

[Hippasus]

McDavid and Kane. I like the crafty stickhandlers a lot.

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

In addition to the many players mentioned, Rousseau and Cournoyer fit the bill in old games I've seen. Hull looks, to me, like the most aesthetically pleasing player of the 1960s overall.

I'd love to have actual first hand knowledge of this but according to reputation Morenz should fit in here.

Might say the same for Eddie Shore. In a whole different way.

He was the big ticket item in the late 1920's and 1930's. Puck rushing Dman that loved to hit, and consequentially be hit. Could score, would fight, would be dirty. Loved and hated. Gave the fans their money's worth and then some.

Kovalchuks highlights look like a top 10 player ever. The skating and size combined with those hands and shooting ability looked absolutely unstoppable. I really think he had 60+ goal potential.

Highlights are definitely Kovalchuk's strong point.

 

[sdf]

Sudenly a lot of people thinks chook has great highlights, f***ing ridiculous, the only seriously nice moment of him is that play vs philadelfia, outside of that there is tons of players with much more awesome and slick goals and plays

 

[authentic]

Sudenly a lot of people thinks chook has great highlights, f***ing ridiculous, the only seriously nice moment of him is that play vs philadelfia, outside of that there is tons of players with much more awesome and slick goals and plays

He looked like a smoother skating Ovechkin with better hands in his prime. Never heard anyone say he doesn’t have great highlights before

 

[klefbombs shoulder]

Interesting prompt for a thread. My list is heavily skewed to the era and teams I have watched (western conference post 2002ish). In no order:

Lindros
Coffey
McDavid
Lemieux
Ovechkin
Bure
McDavid
MacKinnon
Datsyuk
Forsberg

HM to Modano, Malkin, Draisaitl, and Hasek.

 

[dalewood12]

Honestly, Kovalev might crack the Top 10. When he was on, he made it look effortless.

 

[Staniowski]

There's several ways of looking at this. One is overall variety of talent - players like Harvey, Orr, Makarov, Crosby. These guys are fun to watch in general.

Beautiful skaters and puckhandlers, like Orr, McDavid, Malkin, Bure, etc.

Beautiful passers - Makarov, Gretzky, Lemieux, Forsberg, Kucherov.

Shooters, like Bossy, MacInnis, M. Howe, Pastrnak, etc.

But the most aesthetically beautiful movements is easily young Mogilny. His skating, stickhandling, shooting...he had a deftness of movement that no other hockey player has ever had.

 

[Mickey Marner]

I always found Yzerman to be an aesthetically pleasing skater. Head up, smoothly slicing through traffic on an angle. I think his profile would make for a great NHL logo similar to Jerry West.

 

[Offtheboard412]

Sudenly a lot of people thinks chook has great highlights, f***ing ridiculous, the only seriously nice moment of him is that play vs philadelfia, outside of that there is tons of players with much more awesome and slick goals and plays

He has two absolutely ridiculous goals against Carolina. His highlight reel is much more than just that play against Philly

 

[Bijelo]

Top 10:

Makarov
Lemieux
Gretzky
Orr
Kurri
Messier
Hasek
Chelios
Tretiak
Jagr