Which group of 5 do you take to build around at the age of 18

[centipede2233]

Which group of 5 would you take to build a team around in today’s NHL?

Pretend you are getting these players at 18 same time and knowing what you know now about them.

 

[HighNote]

I like 2. Hasek and Lidstrom on the backend is nuts, and all 3 forwards are Selke winners and finalists in other years. Defense wins championships. Ridiculous defense and goaltending, elite scoring, elite on the dot, strong leadership.

 

[tabness]

Wings ainec

I guess not as ainec because Oilers got Messier and Coffey but otherwise yeah

 

[wetcoast]

Can't go wrong with any group here really.

it's the we know what we know part that throws a monkey wrench into the equation as that's still subjective.

Do all the same injuries occur?

One could run each player from 18 to see where the crossover "best seasons " are but the past was also somewhat team dependent, how does that translate to our alternate universe here?

 

[wetcoast]

Murphy and Fleury for the Pens seems weird as Murphy wasn't drafted d by Pittsburg and MAF is the weakest link of any player here really.

 

[Fatass]

They’re all great. But I’ll take the one with Hasek. If Dryden or Tretiak were on the other groups then I’d need to ruminate on it.

 

[tabness]

Murphy and Fleury for the Pens seems weird as Murphy wasn't drafted d by Pittsburg and MAF is the weakest link of any player here really.

Yeah but if you just going by drafts then Forsberg, Roy, and Hasek also out.

Although after Hasek Murphy is the player least associated with his franchise in this thing given his short time in Pittsburgh as well as how he had real good years in Washington and even Detroit, even if his best was in Pittsburgh. Then again Roy probably has his best years in Montreal also, but he is strongly associated with the Avs too, Hasek really isn't a Wing for his career.

 

[biturbo19]

Really tough between the Penguin group and the Detroit guys for me. It's kind of hard to argue against that Wings dynasty group bolstered with the next generation, and Hasek is a pretty compelling tipping point that swings it. But that Penguins group is so darn good as well. Also, if you're getting them at 18, i think you're getting more "instant impact" than the Wings group who mostly had to sort of "grow into it".

 

[Regal]

I took the Avs over the Wings because all of them were stars by at least 22 in the NHL. Meanwhile, Datsyuk wasn’t elite until his late 20s and Hasek wasn’t elite in the NHL until his late 20s either, though he was a star in Europe so it’s hard to know how things would have played out. Both teams also offer a nice mix of rounded players and goaltending.

The forwards are intriguing for the Pens and the Oilers probably have the best skaters, but it’s hard to pass up an elite goalie. Fuhr was good but he wasn’t Roy.

 

[Schennanigans]

You’re winning a cup with any of these. It doesn’t really matter.

 

[centipede2233]

Really tough between the Penguin group and the Detroit guys for me. It's kind of hard to argue against that Wings dynasty group bolstered with the next generation, and Hasek is a pretty compelling tipping point that swings it. But that Penguins group is so darn good as well. Also, if you're getting them at 18, i think you're getting more "instant impact" than the Wings group who mostly had to sort of "grow into it".

I like this answer.

 

[GlitchMarner]

Red Wings.

Oilers if I can have Gretzky instead of Mess.

 

[HansonBro]

Murphy and Fleury for the Pens seems weird as Murphy wasn't drafted d by Pittsburg and MAF is the weakest link of any player here really.

I sort of thought the opposite. The OP said "in today's NHL". With MAF we already know he can play. I also considered Fuhr to be the weakest link.