Who is the greatest stickhandler of all time?

Greatest stickhandler of all time?

  • Pavel Datsyuk

  • Patrick Kane

  • Mario Lemieux

  • Alex Kovalev

  • Pavel Bure

  • Wayne Gretzky

  • Connor McDavid

  • Alex Barkov

  • Alex Ovechkin

  • Evgeni Malkin

  • Denis Savard

  • Sidney Crosby

  • Peter Forsberg

  • Nathan MacKinnon

  • Auston Matthews

  • Sergei Fedorov

  • Jaromir Jagr

  • Nikita Kucherov


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JasonRoseEh

Registered User
Oct 23, 2018
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2,346
Even the greats say Kovalev so I can't argue with them. Other than that Kane is right there. In terms of pure fundamentals and looking smooth as silk, Datsyuk.
 
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OppositeLocK

Registered User
Nov 18, 2017
1,587
2,097
Datsyuk is my favorite player of all time but I think Kovalev had the better hands. It was the only way he got to 1,000 points with zero heart.
 

bleedgreen

Registered User
Dec 8, 2003
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colorado
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Lemieux is my favorite player for watching overall skill, but this particular skill comes down to Kovalev vs Datsyuk to me. Everyone on the list is tremendously skilled but those two were on a different level. I'd lean towards Datsyuk in the end though it was a touch prettier to watch Kovalev.

Honorable mention to the underrated toe drag/dangle king young Steve Yzerman. Once he "changed" you never saw it anymore - and its too old to have many youtube videos about it but mid 80's to early 90's Yzerman was as slick as goose shit. He had really soft mitts and made people look dumb every night. I learned how to drag by videotaping sportscenter and pause/unpausing my way through his highlights...then taking it out to the garage to practice.
 

FrozenJagrt

Registered User
Dec 16, 2009
10,446
4,488
You've missed the Dipsy Doodle Dandy from Delisle. Very restricted list. Hockey started before 1980.
True, but how many people on this site can speak to the stickhandling abilities of a guy who played when most were only exposed to his talents via radio? I've heard great things about Bentley, but have only actually seen a small handful of clips of him playing.
 

Iapyi

Registered User
Apr 19, 2017
5,072
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Canadian Prairies
True, but how many people on this site can speak to the stickhandling abilities of a guy who played when most were only exposed to his talents via radio? I've heard great things about Bentley, but have only actually seen a small handful of clips of him playing.

True. Not that it's about me or my view on things but I sort of get defensive when I see the title 'greatest of all time' which then provides a limited option of choices. Perhaps saying who is the best of the listed players would be better. I get that I'm anal about it. :)
 

FrozenJagrt

Registered User
Dec 16, 2009
10,446
4,488
True. Not that it's about me or my view on things but I sort of get defensive when I see the title 'greatest of all time' which then provides a limited option of choices. Perhaps saying who is the best of the listed players would be better. I get that I'm anal about it. :)
Nah, it's totally okay! It's all a matter of opinion, you're well within your right to bring up a guy like Max Bentley and it think it's pretty cool. It might get a younger fan to think "I've never heard of that guy, I'm gonna look him up" and passing that history along is good for everyone.
 

Iapyi

Registered User
Apr 19, 2017
5,072
2,361
Canadian Prairies
Nah, it's totally okay! It's all a matter of opinion, you're well within your right to bring up a guy like Max Bentley and it think it's pretty cool. It might get a younger fan to think "I've never heard of that guy, I'm gonna look him up" and passing that history along is good for everyone.

Cheers. I guess it's the best we can do, to many people scoff at the thought of players that are not their age contemporaries and it really is their loss and shows a certain ignorance.
 

OppositeLocK

Registered User
Nov 18, 2017
1,587
2,097
Cheers. I guess it's the best we can do, to many people scoff at the thought of players that are not their age contemporaries and it really is their loss and shows a certain ignorance.

I don't think it's as much as ignorance as it is that the game has changed a whole lot since guys like Max Bentley played it.
 

Iapyi

Registered User
Apr 19, 2017
5,072
2,361
Canadian Prairies
I don't think it's as much as ignorance as it is that the game has changed a whole lot since guys like Max Bentley played it.

While that is obviously true the ignorance I'm talking about is the dismissal of players who come before their own time and the attitude that these players from history are to be mocked. It's quite prevalent.
 

Thenameless

Registered User
Apr 29, 2014
3,854
1,788
If we're talking purely tricks or some kind of skills competition, then I'll go with Kovalev. If we're talking about actual game effective stick handling, then I'll go with Lemieux.
 

Regal

Registered User
Mar 12, 2010
24,540
13,832
Vancouver
For overall ability within a game probably either Kane or Datsyuk. For placing a puck just out of reach, Lemieux. For doing it a ludicrous speed, McDavid. In practice, Kovalev.

I like this description. I've generally considered Lemieux the most effective stickhandler even if it's not as pretty or technical as some others. You'll see a lot of plays where a guy dekes someone out of their jock but then doesn't end up getting themselves or the puck in a much more dangerous position, so what use was it really?
 
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Mickey Marner

Registered User
Jul 9, 2014
19,225
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Dystopia
I like this description. I've generally considered Lemieux the most effective stickhandler even if it's not as pretty or technical as some others. You'll see a lot of plays where a guy dekes someone out of their jock but then doesn't end up getting themselves or the puck in a much more dangerous position, so what use was it really?

He's the most economical I've seen, both in terms of beating the defender and the goalie. Certainly not as polished as a few others, but no flash at the expense of effectiveness either and it obviously didn't hinder his ability to make highlight reel plays.
 

Albatros

Registered User
Aug 19, 2017
12,274
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Ostsee
Kovalev and I don't think it's that close even between him and Datsyuk. But Pavel was the most effective in putting his advanced skills to use.
 

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