ESPN’s Top 25 NHLers of the 21st Century

[Chet Manley]

The list is okay, but if I was building a team based on the 21st century it would have Mario Lemieux on it. He was still magnificent coming out of retirement. Probably Peter Forsberg and Jonathan Toews too but there aren't a lot of players to be bumped off that list.

 

[Golden_Jet]

The list is okay, but if I was building a team based on the 21st century it would have Mario Lemieux on it. He was still magnificent coming out of retirement. Probably Peter Forsberg and Jonathan Toews too but there aren't a lot of players to be bumped off that list.

I don’t think Mario played enough, about 2 seasons worth in games.

 

[DearDiary]

MAF who was the biggest reason for no Penguins cups from 2010 to 2015 is a top 25 player? Absurd

 

[shakes the clown]

Keith WAY too low, should be comfortably top 10.

Also remove all goalies, they shouldn’t be ranked with hockey players.

 

[frontsfan67]

Should Price be there?

If he had a longer prime yeah. Had a phenomenal year or two one of the highest peaks here but then fell off the face of the earth and hasn’t done anything since.

It’s like in the nba with d rose where he had his mvp year and then wasn’t the same afterwards lol

How is he better/higher than Dats?

Awards

im taking prime datsyuk over prime Bergeron though

 

[Rodgerwilco]

I don't frequent the non hockey portion of this site. Good to see another Berry enjoyer here.

Absolutely man. Been binging everyone of his shows since I discovered him about 6 months ago now.

Just changed my NHL24 player name to Clem Fandango the other day lol.

 

[Dotter]

Looks like retired players lose rank even though they are top of everyone else listed.

Dumb list.

 

[eviohh26]

Datsyuk > Bergeron
Keith > Chara

 

[Bertuzzzi44]

Malkin, Keith too low. No Doughty yikes.

Blackhawks were
1. Keith
2. Kane
3. Toews
4. Seabrook
5. Hossa/Sharp/Buff/Saad

 

[KaseMeOutside]

How in the f*** is Chris Pronger not on here. He went to 3 different teams and in his first year they were in the SCF every single time. I don't think Chara should even be rated above him sorry HF

 

[Hasbro]

Stupid ESPN put three WNBA players on the list!

 

[HFpapi]

Fleury is actually crazy. I don't even have him above guys like Luongo, Price, Miller, Holtby, Thomas who themselves have no business on this list.

Toews became so "overrated" in peoples eyes he's swung back around to underrated. He should be on this list near the bottom in the 18-25 range IMO.

Hot take alert but if I am drafting them at age 18 knowing what we know now I think I draft Toews over both Thornton and Stamkos. Peak Toews was everything you could ever want in a hockey player.

MAF being on the list is laughable. He shouldn't even be in the top 100, never mind top 25. Talk about a player who lucked out on playing for good teams to improve his reputation dramatically.

And he wasn't even good on those good teams. Very good, cup contending, Pens teams crapped out of the playoffs multiple times almost exclusively due to his poor play.

 

[Felidae]

I actually think Kane is the most egregious placement (outside of MAF). No way he should be ahead of Malkin, Brodeur, Lidstrom. Even a few others are debatable.

Lidstrom and brodeur should round out the top 5.

 

[Aladyyn]

Top 5 should be Crosby, Ovechkin, McDavid, Malkin, Lidstrom. No clue what the argument is for Kane to be 5 spots ahead of Malkin and however many above Kucherov. Same with Bergeron and Kopitar...

 

[Puckstuff]

How in the f*** is Chris Pronger not on here. He went to 3 different teams and in his first year they were in the SCF every single time. I don't think Chara should even be rated above him sorry HF

Pronger played 57 % of his career post 2000 so you can make a case. I'd be fine with him in the top 25 over MAF.

 

[SimpleJack]

How the hell is Kucherov so low?

Not sure how much this should factor in to the debate….but fwiw Kucherov, despite being an incredible hockey player, just seems to come off as a rather unlikeable person/personality outside of hockey itself.

 

[TruePowerSlave]

The list goes off the rails immediately with Kane at #4

 

[Aladyyn]

Not sure how much this should factor in to the debate….but fwiw Kucherov, despite being an incredible hockey player, just seems to come off as a rather unlikeable person/personality outside of hockey itself.

He's unlikable as a hockey player too, not that it should matter for this.

 

[BTO]

The list goes off the rails immediately with Kane at #4

Agreed. Lidstrom is either the 2nd or 3rd best defenseman of all time. Is Kane the 2nd or 3rd best winger of all time?

Top 5 should be Crosby, Ovechkin, McDavid, Malkin, Lidstrom. No clue what the argument is for Kane to be 5 spots ahead of Malkin and however many above Kucherov. Same with Bergeron and Kopitar...

Agreed, but I’d put Lidstrom at 4th. Actually 3rd. For now.

 

[Three On Zero]

He's unlikable as a hockey player too, not that it should matter for this.

Huh? He has one of the best personalities in the NHL. Bit of a stretch to says he’s unlikable as a hockey player

 

[Midnight Judges]

The list is okay, but if I was building a team based on the 21st century it would have Mario Lemieux on it. He was still magnificent coming out of retirement.

Really? You would take 170 sporadic games of old Mario Lemieux over 1300+ games of Ovechkin/Crosby?

Agreed, but I’d put Lidstrom at 4th. Actually 3rd. For now.

For total career, maybe, but certainly not for only the seasons he played after the turn of the century.

 

[BTO]

Really? You would take 170 sporadic games of old Mario Lemieux over 1300+ games of Ovechkin/Crosby?



For total career, maybe, but certainly not for only the seasons he played after the turn of the century.

He won 7 Norris Trophy’s in 11 years (course the final one was stolen from Chara but still). How’s that not better than Kane?

 

[CupofOil]

Damn, even as an Avs fan Mack>Malkin is insane. Might catch some heat, but Bergeron at 10 is pretty wild as well.

I'd take MacKinnon over Malkin too, I don't think it's that controversial.

Bergeron over Draisaitl, Thornton and Matthews seems wrong to me (although Drai and Matthews have only played about half of their careers thus far).
And Datsyuk at 22, 12 spots below Bergeron? Wild

 

[John Mandalorian]

Agreed. Lidstrom is either the 2nd or 3rd best defenseman of all time. Is Kane the 2nd or 3rd best winger of all time?


Agreed, but I’d put Lidstrom at 4th. Actually 3rd. For now.

Stop with this. Half his career was in the 90s. If people continue with this nonsense, ESPN will probably put Mia Hamm at #5 just to make a point.

 

[Nico Cauzuki]

Malkin way too low and MAF does not belong in that list