Every NHL Team’s Top Player So Far Heading Into 2015
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In today’s NHL, there are two crucial things you need to be successful: Depth in skill (on both offense and defense) and strong leadership. The best way to lead is by example. With that said, here is every team’s top player so far heading into the new year.
Anaheim Ducks: Ryan Getzlaf
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Anaheim Ducks: Ryan Getzlaf
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Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf has had an outstanding start to the 2014-15 season. With 42 points in 37 games, he’s been tearing it up offensively. The Ducks certainly have to be a top contender when both Getzlaf and Corey Perry are both playing.
Arizona Coyotes: Keith Yandle
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Arizona Coyotes: Keith Yandle
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The Coyotes have had a rough start to the season, and things are definitely not on the upswing either. Team captain Shane Doan is coming towards the end of his career at 38 years old, and now the new top dog in Arizona is Keith Yandle. His 23 points lead the team, and he plays huge minutes every night on the top defensive pairing.
Boston Bruins: Patrice Bergeron
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Boston Bruins: Patrice Bergeron
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The Boston Bruins have been a strong contender every year for the last few seasons. They’ve stumbled out of the gate a little this year, but they still have a roster that can make an impact in the playoffs. Bergeron is the best two-way centerman in the game. In 36 games this season, he has 27 points, good for the team lead.
Buffalo Sabres: Zemgus Girgensons
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Buffalo Sabres: Zemgus Girgensons
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He doesn’t lead the team in points, but 19 points in 36 games is not too bad. He is the Sabres‘ best player because he has managed to hold a plus-one rating on a streaky team, he has two shorthanded goals, and scores on nearly 15 percent of his shots. Girgensons is looking like a strong NHL player for years to come.
Calgary Flames: Mark Giordano
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Calgary Flames: Mark Giordano
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Mark Giordano not only leads the Flames in points, he leads the NHL in points by a defenseman. He’s the leader of the Calgary Flames both on and off the ice, and has been playing far better than anyone expected him to. He must be in serious consideration for the Norris Trophy at this point in the season.
Carolina Hurricanes: Eric Staal
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Carolina Hurricanes: Eric Staal
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Staal has been the face of the Hurricanes since his 100-point season in 2005-06. His 19 points in 30 games has him sitting second in team scoring, one point behind Justin Faulk. It’s looking like Staal will continue to lead the Hurricanes for the foreseeable future.
Chicago Blackhawks: Jonathan Toews
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Chicago Blackhawks: Jonathan Toews
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The Chicago Blackhawks are one of those teams with almost too much talent to choose from. Jonathan Toews plays a complete game and has outstanding leadership skills, which is why he is my choice. In the end though, you could really flip a coin between Toews and Patrick Kane.
Colorado Avalanche: Matt Duchene
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Colorado Avalanche: Matt Duchene
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The Avalanche made the playoffs last year when no one thought they would. Things aren't looking great this year, but they do have some solid players including Matt Duchene, who posses outstanding offensive abilities. With 21 points this season, he is only one point back of both Nathan MacKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog.
Columbus Blue Jackets: Nick Foligno
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Columbus Blue Jackets: Nick Foligno
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Foligno’s 31 points this season has him in a tie with Ryan Johansen for the team lead, but what separates Foligno is his 17 goals. He has been on a scoring rampage this season. He is tied for the league lead in power play goals with nine, and is scoring at an impressive 23 percent.
Dallas Stars: Tyler Seguin
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Dallas Stars: Tyler Seguin
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It’s pretty hard to argue with 43 points in 34 games on a struggling Stars team. Seguin leads the league in goals scored and is second in points. He’s only 22 years old, so get used to seeing this guy at the top of the leaderboards for years to come.
Detroit Red Wings: Pavel Datsyuk
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Detroit Red Wings: Pavel Datsyuk
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After missing the start of the season due to injury, Datsyuk returned without missing a step. He has 26 points in 25 games along with a plus-four rating. Datsyuk has the best hands in the NHL and is still going strong at 36 years of age.
Edmonton Oilers: Taylor Hall
Edmonton Oilers: Taylor Hall
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The Oilers have been notoriously bad despite having three No. 1 draft picks on their roster, including Taylor Hall, who is the best of them all. With 21 points in 30 game this season, he is second in team scoring.
Florida Panthers: Nick Bjugstad
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Florida Panthers: Nick Bjugstad
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In his second full season with the Panthers, Bjugstad has posted 20 points in 33 games compared to his 38 in 76 games last season. He has seen up to 20 minutes of ice time per game as the team’s No. 1 centerman. At 6-foot-6, he has a big body capable of making a big impact.
Los Angeles Kings: Anze Kopitar
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Los Angeles Kings: Anze Kopitar
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Yet another team with lots of skill, the Kings are in third place in what is a competitive Pacific Division. They are in a tough Western Conference full of size and skill, much like Anze Kopitar. At 6-foot-3, 224 pounds, Kopitar is the kind of guy you want anchoring your top line in the West. He is still producing offensively, sitting second in team scoring with 25 points.
Minnesota Wild: Zach Parise
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Minnesota Wild: Zach Parise
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With 13 goals and 27 points, Parise is the top gun on Minnesota’s offense. At 30 years of age, he is a leader in the Wild locker room, and he also has at least a few more good years of hockey left in him. Look for him to remain consistent in 2015.
Montreal Canadiens: Carey Price
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Montreal Canadiens: Carey Price
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There is no goalie more singlehandedly responsible for his team’s success in the NHL than Carey Price. As he goes, so do the Canadiens. With 19 wins, a 92.6 save percentage and a 2.23 goals against average, he is having yet another strong year in net. The Habs now have some skill in front of Price and are becoming a top contender in the Eastern Conference.
Nashville Predators: Pekka Rinne
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Nashville Predators: Pekka Rinne
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Pekka Rinne has posted amazing numbers this season. He was 23 wins, only six regulation losses, and a 1.81 goals against average to go along with a 93.5 save percentage. If he keeps this up for the rest of the season, it’s hard to see anyone else winning the Vezina Trophy.
New Jersey Devils: Adam Henrique
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New Jersey Devils: Adam Henrique
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With 20 points in 20 games played, Henrique is tied for the lead in the Devils scoring race with Jaromir Jagr. At 24 years old, Henrique has the speed and skill to be a force in the NHL for years to come. He is lucky to be playing alongside Jagr, who is already an NHL great.
New York Islanders: John Tavares
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New York Islanders: John Tavares
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Tavares is one of the best overall players in the NHL today, and is proving that again this year with 31 points, tying him with Kyle Okposo for the team lead. 15 of Tavares‘ 31 points are goals, and fans can expect to see him putting the puck in the net for years to come.
New York Rangers: Rick Nash
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New York Rangers: Rick Nash
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It looks like Rick Nash has finally settled in with the Rangers. He had 39 points in 65 games last season, and already has 36 this season. Nash’s 23 goals are impressive, and one can’t help but wonder what could’ve been if Nash produced like this in last year's playoffs.
Ottawa Senators: Erik Karlsson
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Ottawa Senators: Erik Karlsson
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Karlsson has been one of the top offensive defensemen for the last few seasons, and the trend looks like it will continue in 2015. He is tied for the Senators' lead in scoring with 23 points alongside Kyle Turris. Expect Karlsson to be the anchor on Ottawa’s blue line for years to come.
Philadelphia Flyers: Jakub Voracek
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Philadelphia Flyers: Jakub Voracek
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Voracek is on pace to destroy his career-high 62 points that he posted last season. He leads the league in both points with 46, and assists with 32. It will be tough to keep it up, but Voracek has been solid all year to this point.
Pittsburgh Penguins: Sidney Crosby
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Pittsburgh Penguins: Sidney Crosby
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He is the best player in the NHL right now, so surely he is the Penguins’ top player heading into 2015. With 37 points in 32 games, he is second in team scoring behind Evgeni Malkin, who has 41 points in 35 games. The key for Crosby and the Penguins is to stay healthy. Pittsburgh has been hit hard by injuries all season, and losing Crosby would be the ultimate blow.
San Jose Sharks: Joe Pavelski
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San Jose Sharks: Joe Pavelski
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Pavelski is proving that last season's career-high 79 points was no fluke. He has 30 points in 36 games this season, 17 of which are goals. He, along with Logan Couture and Joe Thornton, comprise the engine of San Jose’s offense. Those three need to have a strong second half if the Sharks want to be in the playoff picture.
St. Louis Blues: Vladimir Tarasenko
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St. Louis Blues: Vladimir Tarasenko
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Tarasenko has already produced multiple highlight-reel goals this season, and with 38 points, he is the top offensive contributor on the Blues. He will most definitely break his career-high 43 points, which he posted last season. At 23 years old, he's just getting started.
Tampa Bay Lightning: Steven Stamkos
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Tampa Bay Lightning: Steven Stamkos
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Healthy once again, Stamkos is back to his normal form of ripping the puck past goalies around the NHL. He is fourth in NHL scoring with 19 goals, and is second in points for the Lighting with 36. Expect Stamkos to do what he does best during 2015, and that is putting the puck in the net.
Toronto Maple Leafs: Phil Kessel
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Toronto Maple Leafs: Phil Kessel
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There is no better player than Phil Kessel when it comes to shooting the puck on the break. He has a lethal snapshot, and is using it to his advantage once again this year with 17 goals. He also leads the Maple Leafs in points with 38, and continues to be the heartbeat of Toronto’s offense.
Vancouver Canucks: Daniel and Henrik Sedin
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Vancouver Canucks: Daniel and Henrik Sedin
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There really is very little difference between these two players. Daniel has 30 points, Henrik has 29. Henrik has 23 assists, Daniel has 22; no matter how you cut it, it’s hard to chose which one is better. Either way, they are two of the best players on the Canucks and as they go, so does Vancouver. Look for them to continue to lead the Canucks in 2015.
Washington Capitals: Alex Ovechkin
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Washington Capitals: Alex Ovechkin
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Even though he doesn’t lead his team in points right now, Alex Ovechkin is still one of the best pure goal scorers in the NHL today. With 16 goals this season, the trend is continuing. Ovechkin is also still a top threat on the power play with seven PP goals this year.
Winnipeg Jets: Bryan Little
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Winnipeg Jets: Bryan Little
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As one of the Jets’ top centermen, Bryan Little has been excelling this year. He is third in team scoring with 25 points, and has the most goals of any Jets players with 14. He is playing big minutes every night, and could be considered a dark horse on Winnipeg’s offense. Keep your eye on him in 2015.
Shaun Lavery is a Calgary Flames writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter, or add him to your network on Google.
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