Top 5 Players In Each Organization

[JagerMeister]

who are the top 5 players in each organization?

[JagerMeister]

Buffalo Sabres              NJD                                    

1. girgensons         1. Schneider             

2.  girgensons        2. Larsson

3.  girgensons        3. Severson

4.  girgensons        4. Camalleri

5.  girgensons        5. Gomez( has best ppg in NJD right now, lol)

 

Philadelphia Flyers ( unfortunately, philadelphia only has a top 3)        Pittsburgh Penguins

1. giroux                                                                                                1. Malkin 

2. voracek                                                                                             2. Crosby

3. simmonds                                                                                         3. MAF( sorry notfondjane, but he is a good goalie regardless of what you think )

                                                                                                             4. Letang

                                                                                                             5. Hornqvist

[fishbulb]

If you're being serious, you should probably add Mason/Streit to the Flyers.

[flyercanuck]

Buffalo Sabres              NJD                                    

1. girgensons         1. Schneider             

2.  girgensons        2. Larsson

3.  girgensons        3. Severson

4.  girgensons        4. Camalleri

5.  girgensons        5. Gomez( has best ppg in NJD right now, lol)

 

Philadelphia Flyers ( unfortunately, philadelphia only has a top 3)        Pittsburgh Penguins

1. giroux                                                                                                1. Malkin 

2. voracek                                                                                             2. Crosby

3. simmonds                                                                                         3. MAF( sorry notfondjane, but he is a good goalie regardless of what you think )

                                                                                                             4. Letang

                                                                                                             5. Hornqvist

 

 

Brayden Schenn is 23 and has more points than the Devils top scorer. I wouldn't trade him for Camalleri, Gomez  AND Larsen.

[yave1964]

@JagerMeister

 

If that is all you boys got in Jersey,, ow. Just plain ugly. Mentioning Gomez is a joke, I think, I hope and pray, but Camalleri is simply a body at this point, nothing more or less. And Severson is young but is not rated on anyones radar as a top prospect in the league. Now I understand Lou signing all the old farts a bit more.....

 

Reading your question literally, best in the organization:

 

Philadelphia

 

Giroux

Voracek

Simmonds

Gostisbehere

Mason

 

DETROIT

 

Z

Pavel

Nyquist

Tatar

Kronwall or Pulkinnen

 

COLUMBUS

 

Bob

Johansson

Foligno

Ryan Murray

Wennberg/Rychel

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Leaving out Mason and Coutourier on the Flyers as top players on the team (such as it is) is just plain wrong IMO.

Also, for the NJD, Scott Gomez shouldn't be on there....i don't care WHAT his PPG this year is....now, if he continues that for the rest of this year and then does it again next year, MAYBE I believe he has found his way back. But until then, you know, even a blind squirrel finds the back of the net here and there.....

 

Also, how the hell is Adam Henrique NOT part of the NJD best players??

Cmon now....oh wait, I suppose some cockamamy numbers thing will show up.

Doesn't matter. He is part of the future of the team, will be a future captain, and will be long term, one of the better two way players the Devils have ever had.

Mark it.

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Ok...moving on to my teams...

 

Tampa Bay Lightning:

 

Tough to choose, but gotta go with the guys who really make the team go, and whom the Bolts can ill afford to not have in the organization.

 

1--Ben Bishop ....no explanation needed. Unless Andrej Vasilevekiy really is ready to depose him, Bishop is the man.

 

2--Victor Hedman...whenever he ISN'T in the lineup, too many other Bolts (particularly D-men) try to do too much. He is very stablizing, very consistent, and STILL developing. Can't wait to see when he is fully mature.

 

3--Steve Stamkos....Yea, I know, the team has done without him in the past, but who are we kidding? Stamkos, more than any other player on the Bolts occupies the oppositions strategies on gameday. And he is coming up for contract, and I suspect the Bolts will spend whatever needs to be spent to keep the face of the franchise in Bolts Blue.

 

4--Ondrej Palat.....A good all around do everything player. Whether he is playing with Stamkos, Johnson, Kucherov, Callahan...doesn't matter. Palat hits, he makes plays, he scores, gets in scrums, he literally does it all...and does it well. And he is only 22 or 23? Wow. No disrespect to his regular linemates in Johnson and Kucherov, but Palat is just the complete package and getting better everyday.

 

5--Valteri Filppula.....No one, and I mean NO ONE, stick handles and finds players on the ice in today's NHL like Valteri does. He makes plays out of nothing 5 on 5, he eats up a ton of time during PK's and any winger like knows, if Valteri is on the ice, just streak towards the net and he will get the puck to your stick...fast. Several other forwards have benefitted greatly from Filppula's puck handling skills even if it isn't always apparent to the casual onlooker. I laughed at this signing when it was made, glad to see I couldn't have been more wrong.

 

Honorable mentions to Tyler Johnson, Nikita Kucherov, and Alex Killorn and a couple others. Hard to pick just 5 when a team has so many candidates. I am just glad I finally have a team that is this deep to root for, and seemingly getting better all the time.

But make no mistake, just because I didn't mention guys like Johnson, Killorn, Kucherov, Stralman in an arbitrary 'top 5', DOESN'T mean they have no value to the team....for I would sure hate to see the Bolts trudge along without any of those guys.

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Minnesota Wild:

 

On defense--

 

1-- Ryan Suter.....really, the guys is probably overpaid (at his salary ANYBODY would be overpaid), but as of now, he is earning his keep. This contract may not look good at all 5 years from now, but for the here and now, Suter does everything you want out of a defenseman, and raises the play of any defense partner from Dumba to Prosser, that he plays with.

 

2--Marco Scandella.....Has become the Wild's go-to shut down guy, but who still possesses enough skating and playmaking ability that he can jump into the offensive rush. He has a bit of a mean streak, has good size, and definitely makes opposing forwards think twice before just rushing into Minnesota's zone carelessly whenever he is on the ice. He is still young and thus subject to some 'young player mistakes', but from what I've read, is very coachable, willing to learn, and applies his lessons on the ice......now, he DOES need to control some of that aggression at times....

 

Forward Units--

 

3-- Zach Parise.....He doesn't wear the 'C', but sure acts like it. He may have just gotten there as compared to other like longtime captain Mikko Koivu, but I believe he has the team's ear more than any single player. Parise simply  makes the Wild go.....he is always in the middle of everything from scoring plays to scrums and ALWAYS provides opportunities for teammates on the ice to make a play....whether they actually do or not is another story entirely....but his effort, heart, and ability cannot be questioned.

As much as I like Mikko Koivu, the real captain of this team is Zach Parise.

 

4-- Mikael Granlund.... Granlund has come a long way from his days when he would shy away from contact, shot only from the perimeter, and turned away from the net after taking his one shot.  Granlund, IMO, has become THE number one center on the team (even though his numbers this year say he has taken a step back), and without Granlund, other forwards are forced to play in lines or roles they probably are not best suited for.  He sees the ice unbelievably well, NO LONGER shies away from the contact, looks for rebounds and garbage goals after taking a shot, and more importanly, seems to always know where his linemates are and can distribute the puck accordingly. There is some question whether the Wild will keep him long term (due to the expected salary he will want), but even if it means having to unload some other pricey but useful vets, I say the Wild should try and keep this guy (sorry Koivu, Pominville, Vanek) long term and let him continue to grow with the team.

 

5-- Jason Zucker....He was much like Granlund in the sense that he avoided contact and always shot from the perimeter, but stints in the AHL have changed all that. While he is still primarily a goal scorer, he now checks reasonably well and can be used in many situations and on many lines from 1st to 4th.

But pair this guy with the right puck distributor and some fast linemates, and that's when you see what Zucker can really do.  He HAS to be one of the top 5 outright fastest skaters in the entire NHL and his sudden bursts of speed have caused more breakaway opportunities and close calls for the other team than probably any player the Wild have had in recent memory.  He is still young as well and still learning the game, but seems very determined to be one of the best players not only on his team but in the entire NHL and his work shows on the ice.

 

 

Honorable mentions to Nino Niedderreiter, Jared Spurgeon, Charlie Coyle, and Matt Dumba....four young guys who while not quite there yet, are sure to be viewed as some of the best at their respective positions sooner than later (and if they can stay injury free)....and the Wild are certainly glad to have them onboard.

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Top 5 for the currently streaking NY Rangers:

 

1-- Henrik Lundquist.....if anyone says NO here, I seriously have to question how well they actually pay attention to the NHL...

 

2-- Derek Stepan....I said it before, I will say it again, this guy is captain material and makes the Ranger 5 on 5 and special teams units THAT much better when he is on his game...which these days, is pretty often. Injury issues aside, the Blueshirts simply cannot do without having this guy playing well long term.

 

3--Rick Nash....FINALLY, he is playing like the guy who took over games in Columbus! Rick Nash SHOULD have been a perennial all star his entire career, and for whatever reason he hasn't been. Well, how he is playing now is no fluke. It's what he always had in him. Something finally clicked and he decided he wasn't going to hold back any longer. Rangers don't streak nearly as well without Rick Nash leading the charge. Plain n simple. He commands the kind of attention on the ice normally reserved for guys like Stamkos, Crosby, Kane, and Getzlaf.

 

4--Martin St. Louis....the greybeard of the bunch, but STILL an unbelievable player. He had to fill in Ryan Callahan's shoes, and while at first it looked like he wouldn't be able to, he has adjusted nicely, still brings 100% to the rink every game, stays healthy, is in unbelievable shape (probably better than many players 10 years his junior....I LOVE A MAN who takes care of himself!), and is still a top six player (top line even) with the burning desire to win and he certainly impresses that on his teammates.

 

5--Dan Girardi....The Rangers' do-everything defenseman. From shut down to checking to jumping into plays, he can be found doing it all. And he normally draws the opposition's best players as assignments....yet still manages to put up very good games on a consistent basis. And to him, it doesn't seem to really matter whether he is in a defensive system under John Tortorella or a more open system under Alain Vignault, he knows his position, knows his job, and does it very well

 

Honorable mentions to Kris Kreider, Ryan McDonagh and Marc Staal. Rangers may or may not be able to replace these guys, but smart money says they'd rather have them right where they are...playing for them!

[JagerMeister]

Brayden Schenn is 23 and has more points than the Devils top scorer. I wouldn't trade him for Camalleri, Gomez  AND Larsen.

 

@JagerMeister

 

If that is all you boys got in Jersey,, ow. Just plain ugly. Mentioning Gomez is a joke, I think, I hope and pray, but Camalleri is simply a body at this point, nothing more or less. And Severson is young but is not rated on anyones radar as a top prospect in the league. Now I understand Lou signing all the old farts a bit more.....

 

Reading your question literally, best in the organization:

 

Philadelphia

 

Giroux

Voracek

Simmonds

Gostisbehere

Mason

 

DETROIT

 

Z

Pavel

Nyquist

Tatar

Kronwall or Pulkinnen

 

COLUMBUS

 

Bob

Johansson

Foligno

Ryan Murray

Wennberg/Rychel

All the more reason to hate my team

[JagerMeister]

Leaving out Mason and Coutourier on the Flyers as top players on the team (such as it is) is just plain wrong IMO.

Also, for the NJD, Scott Gomez shouldn't be on there....i don't care WHAT his PPG this year is....now, if he continues that for the rest of this year and then does it again next year, MAYBE I believe he has found his way back. But until then, you know, even a blind squirrel finds the back of the net here and there.....

 

Also, how the hell is Adam Henrique NOT part of the NJD best players??

Cmon now....oh wait, I suppose some cockamamy numbers thing will show up.

Doesn't matter. He is part of the future of the team, will be a future captain, and will be long term, one of the better two way players the Devils have ever had.

Mark it.

Ever since gomez has joined, he has been our best forward....and thats downright embaressing. And about Henrique, yes i should have put him on and replaced him with Cam.

[JagerMeister]

Ok...moving on to my teams...

 

Tampa Bay Lightning:

 

Tough to choose, but gotta go with the guys who really make the team go, and whom the Bolts can ill afford to not have in the organization.

 

1--Ben Bishop ....no explanation needed. Unless Andrej Vasilevekiy really is ready to depose him, Bishop is the man.

 

2--Victor Hedman...whenever he ISN'T in the lineup, too many other Bolts (particularly D-men) try to do too much. He is very stablizing, very consistent, and STILL developing. Can't wait to see when he is fully mature.

 

3--Steve Stamkos....Yea, I know, the team has done without him in the past, but who are we kidding? Stamkos, more than any other player on the Bolts occupies the oppositions strategies on gameday. And he is coming up for contract, and I suspect the Bolts will spend whatever needs to be spent to keep the face of the franchise in Bolts Blue.

 

4--Ondrej Palat.....A good all around do everything player. Whether he is playing with Stamkos, Johnson, Kucherov, Callahan...doesn't matter. Palat hits, he makes plays, he scores, gets in scrums, he literally does it all...and does it well. And he is only 22 or 23? Wow. No disrespect to his regular linemates in Johnson and Kucherov, but Palat is just the complete package and getting better everyday.

 

5--Valteri Filppula.....No one, and I mean NO ONE, stick handles and finds players on the ice in today's NHL like Valteri does. He makes plays out of nothing 5 on 5, he eats up a ton of time during PK's and any winger like knows, if Valteri is on the ice, just streak towards the net and he will get the puck to your stick...fast. Several other forwards have benefitted greatly from Filppula's puck handling skills even if it isn't always apparent to the casual onlooker. I laughed at this signing when it was made, glad to see I couldn't have been more wrong.

 

Honorable mentions to Tyler Johnson, Nikita Kucherov, and Alex Killorn and a couple others. Hard to pick just 5 when a team has so many candidates. I am just glad I finally have a team that is this deep to root for, and seemingly getting better all the time.

But make no mistake, just because I didn't mention guys like Johnson, Killorn, Kucherov, Stralman in an arbitrary 'top 5', DOESN'T mean they have no value to the team....for I would sure hate to see the Bolts trudge along without any of those guys.

Out of curiousity, why do you not have tyler johnson on the list? he has been the teams best forward this year

[JagerMeister]

Top 5 for the currently streaking NY Rangers:

 

1-- Henrik Lundquist.....if anyone says NO here, I seriously have to question how well they actually pay attention to the NHL...

 

2-- Derek Stepan....I said it before, I will say it again, this guy is captain material and makes the Ranger 5 on 5 and special teams units THAT much better when he is on his game...which these days, is pretty often. Injury issues aside, the Blueshirts simply cannot do without having this guy playing well long term.

 

3--Rick Nash....FINALLY, he is playing like the guy who took over games in Columbus! Rick Nash SHOULD have been a perennial all star his entire career, and for whatever reason he hasn't been. Well, how he is playing now is no fluke. It's what he always had in him. Something finally clicked and he decided he wasn't going to hold back any longer. Rangers don't streak nearly as well without Rick Nash leading the charge. Plain n simple. He commands the kind of attention on the ice normally reserved for guys like Stamkos, Crosby, Kane, and Getzlaf.

 

4--Martin St. Louis....the greybeard of the bunch, but STILL an unbelievable player. He had to fill in Ryan Callahan's shoes, and while at first it looked like he wouldn't be able to, he has adjusted nicely, still brings 100% to the rink every game, stays healthy, is in unbelievable shape (probably better than many players 10 years his junior....I LOVE A MAN who takes care of himself!), and is still a top six player (top line even) with the burning desire to win and he certainly impresses that on his teammates.

 

5--Dan Girardi....The Rangers' do-everything defenseman. From shut down to checking to jumping into plays, he can be found doing it all. And he normally draws the opposition's best players as assignments....yet still manages to put up very good games on a consistent basis. And to him, it doesn't seem to really matter whether he is in a defensive system under John Tortorella or a more open system under Alain Vignault, he knows his position, knows his job, and does it very well

 

Honorable mentions to Kris Kreider, Ryan McDonagh and Marc Staal. Rangers may or may not be able to replace these guys, but smart money says they'd rather have them right where they are...playing for them!

I have a feeling Martin St Louis will age like teemu selanne in his 40s, but hopefully does even better and for longer

And i wouldnt put Derek Stepan so high. excuse my ignorance, but how is he captain material? Or even if he is how does that make him better then Nash, who has been there best offensive threat and two way player

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

By the way, the thread title reads "Top 5 players in each ORGANIZATION"....which means, that any intrepid HF forums poster who knows a thing or three about players in the minors can come up with some good names that can be considered the organizations best...not just team.

 

I am not that smart on prospects and almost NHL-ready players for most teams except maybe my own, so I will just stick to players currently on NHL squads...but just sayin...'organization' means the whole kit n kaboodle.....so if you guys know of players you would bet your mortgage on being the organization's best (even though they haven't seen light of day in the NHL yet), then I'd say they are just as fair to mention on here....

 

Anyways...my Florida Panthers Top 5:

 

1-- Roberto Luongo.....Let's face it, last season and this season, Florida is not known for their stellar defensive positioning and goal prevention. And they currently do not score enough to wipe out large deficits. Yet they find ways to stay in games and garner points. Why? Because of this man right here. Many felt Luongo's career would go right down the toilet playing for Panthers, but he was happy to go there and the team really, has a good up n coming core....all they needed was a guy to stop pucks regularly, and he certainly does that. He is EASILY the Panther's single best player for the time being.

 

2-- Erik Gudbranson....Big, tough, stud type defenseman. What every organization wants, what every organization looks for, what every organization has so very few of. He may not light up the scoreboard and in fact, still makes many rookie mistakes, but he is usually assigned to the opponent's top six forwards, seems to get better all the time I see him play, and in the long run, will be a guy who every other team will inquire to the Panthers about....and if Florida has any sense, they will laugh at them unless they are willing to part with some premium talent of their own. But that is down the line. For right now, he is still a pretty darned good D-man given his age and limited NHL experience. I'd certainly love to have this projected shut-down guy play for my teams....and so would you.

 

3--Aaron Ekblad....If Gudbranson is the guy who turns everyone else away from his own net, then Ekblad is one of the guys who helps keep the play about 200 feet away from Luongo, aiding the forwards attack with crisp passing and smart pinching in, and grabbing some goals himself along the way. He isn't prolific now, but this guy in short order, has shown he has the makings of an elite NHL defenseman...and one who can play and be trusted in almost all situations. Like many of his teammates, he is far too young at this point in time to be called top tier RIGHT NOW...but you know, he really isn't that far off from it, and the few Panthers fans that show up to games can see why.

Right now he is pretty good...but down the road, he could be like a Ryan Suter+...no lie.

 

4--Jonathan Huberdeau....This guy has been making plays, creating offense, and generally giving the Panthers some sort of spark well before the team got any other good linemates for him to play alongside. Now that some other Panthers players are coming of age and even be a place where quality free agents may want to sign, I can see this guy only getting better. Personally, I think he is a top line winger in the NHL...certainly on the Panthers. And he has put up somewhat decent numbers as such till now, but I expect him to continue to rise as a consistent point getter.  Perhaps his defensive game could use some work, but that is ok for now. He can continue to do what he does, then work a bit more on his two way game later...he is still one of Florida's better players.

 

5--Nick Bjugstad.... Making an immediate impact on this team this year, he certainly is the team's number one center, and don't be surprised if sooner than later, he is one of the NHL's top centers. He is huge, seems to have good instincts, and can play a real good finesse game. At only 22 years old, he is the team's leading goal scorer.....why do I get the feeling that will be pretty normal for him moving forward?

With the right linemates and good veteran supporting cast, I don't see why not.  He and Huberdeau are the Panther's version of the Bolts Johnson and Palat...and THAT is saying something.

 

Honorable mentions to Dmitry Kulikov, Sean Bergenheim (VERY underrated role player), and Vincent Trochek, who has found ways to play meaningful minutes whether on the top six or bottom six, and Jimmy Hayes who reminds me alot of Minnesota's Jason Zucker.

Hopefully, we will see Aleksander Barkov make the Panther's top player list soon.....he has been mostly bark-ov, no bite so far.....sorry, bad pun...but had to be dun.... ok, ok...I am done now...

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Out of curiousity, why do you not have tyler johnson on the list? he has been the teams best forward this year

 

Well, like I mentioned, it is hard to pick just 5 out of a very talented group, and the top 5 I DID pick were guys I thought the Bolts simply could not do without.

That said, yes, it was hard to leave Tyler Johnson out, and maybe you could even swap him in and take another player out of the top 5, but if you do, who would it be?

See my dilemma? 

 

Anyways, if there is one area where I think Tyler Johnson still needs some serious work on, is his overall rink awareness.

As good as he is, as fast as he is, he sometimes will just throw a behind the back pass, or blind pass something up the wings ASSUMING a teammate will be there, whereas a good veteran center will make SURE of it.

He also, on various occasions, looks to make a pass when a shot would better serve the team.

Also, his FO numbers could probably be improved just a bit more..he is still under 50% where most number one centers would be at 50% or greater.

 

Now these things are minor right now, given everything else he does well. And one could even call it nitpicking, or being too hard on him given the fact that he has played so well in his still short NHL career.

That's ok though. It's a testament right now to the Lightning as to the depth of their team.

 

Like I said, you could swap out a top 5 player I named and put Johnson in, and I would really have no issue with that.

As far as having centers, when you have Stamkos, Fillppula, Johnson (and even Killorn who can play center), that is glut and a logjam most teams would be HAPPY to have, no? 

[JagerMeister]

Well, like I mentioned, it is hard to pick just 5 out of a very talented group, and the top 5 I DID pick were guys I thought the Bolts simply could not do without.

That said, yes, it was hard to leave Tyler Johnson out, and maybe you could even swap him in and take another player out of the top 5, but if you do, who would it be?

See my dilemma? 

 

Anyways, if there is one area where I think Tyler Johnson still needs some serious work on, is his overall rink awareness.

As good as he is, as fast as he is, he sometimes will just throw a behind the back pass, or blind pass something up the wings ASSUMING a teammate will be there, whereas a good veteran center will make SURE of it.

He also, on various occasions, looks to make a pass when a shot would better serve the team.

Also, his FO numbers could probably be improved just a bit more..he is still under 50% where most number one centers would be at 50% or greater.

 

Now these things are minor right now, given everything else he does well. And one could even call it nitpicking, or being too hard on him given the fact that he has played so well in his still short NHL career.

That's ok though. It's a testament right now to the Lightning as to the depth of their team.

 

Like I said, you could swap out a top 5 player I named and put Johnson in, and I would really have no issue with that.

As far as having centers, when you have Stamkos, Fillppula, Johnson (and even Killorn who can play center), that is glut and a logjam most teams would be HAPPY to have, no? 

Yes... your team has so much talent..... sigh, being an NJD fan 

[J0e Th0rnton]

Sharks:

 

#1 Jumbo Joe Thornton. The man just drives possession for the team. He tilts the ice into the opposing end, takes most of the defensive zone faceoffs and just wills the puck into the offensive zone. The Sharks PP lives and dies through Thornton's ability to hold and move the puck. If the man shot more...........and he has a very good shot. but you rarely see it Only Keenan was able to get him to just shoot regularly, and he got out of that mindset in SJ.

 

#2 Little Joe Pavelski. Thornton's main triggerman and a hell of a player in his own right. Pavelski is a terrific overall hockey player. Can play center or either wing. Great defensively and great at faceoffs. Can shoot, pass. You name it. Not very fast, but his hockey sense is keen, so he gets back quick if danger arises.

 

#3 Marc-Edouard Vlasic. Best defensive defenseman in the NHL, and a HELL of a puck mover. Amazing first pass. Always makes the right play. Fast, accurate. If only he jumped into the play more. He is fully capable of it as he skates fast and occasionally surprises everyone, but he rarely does it as he HATES someone scoring against him.

 

#4 Logan Couture. Like Pavelski, a good all around player. Defensively smart, can shoot, pass and do everything but skate fast. His hockey sense let's him get away with his lack of footspeed. This season, he has regressed in the faceoff circle...Coots is also a bit of a beta, so a level down from Pavs.

 

#5 Ummmmmm. not sure. Brent Burns maybe? He is so bad defensively this season(He falls down often and forgets he is not a power forward anymore sometimes), but very good offensively. All we have offensively from the backend really. I would have said Braun, but something has been up the last month. He was basically Vlasic lite all last season and the start of this season, but is now regressing a bit.