NHL Power Rankings: Your Team’s Greatest Modern Player

I’m-a let you finish, Peter Bondra, Mike Gartner and Rod Langway, but Alex Ovechkin is already the greatest Capital of all time — and he’s only 31. By the time he’s done, it won’t even be a conversation worth having.

Tough one. Marian Gaborik was the most effective offensive star to wear a Wild sweater (.871 points per game over 502 outings), but we’re giving current captain Mikko Koivu the nod for his two-way play, loyalty and longevity: 808 games, 590 points all in a Minny uni. Still effective at age 33.

With 289 goals, 258 assists and 674 games for the young club that drafted him first overall in 2002, Rick Nash is the man. (If Sergei Bobrovsky keeps standing on his head, we’re saying he has a chance at the throne.)

Joe Thornton, one of the greatest passers to ever tape a stick, is the greatest Shark. His points per game (1.04) are far superior to Patrick Marleau’s (0.73), and Brent Burns and Joe Pavelski are too young to overtake him at this point.

Denis Savard is the most dangerous scorer in Blackhawks history (1.24 points per game), Jeremy Roenick was untouchable in NHL 94, and the current mini dynasty is filled with greats — Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Marian Hossa — with more juice in the tank. Three Cups, two Norris Trophies and a Conn Smythe earn Duncan Keith this spot.

Mario over Sid and Jaromir. Lemieux’s 1.88 points per game average is the stuff of myth and video games.

Since we’re focusing on post-expansion here (regrettably, we never saw Newsy Lalonde live), Patrick Roy beats Guy LaFleur and Larry Robinson by a nose. Three Vezinas, four Jennings, two Conn Smythes, two Cups.

The Oilers stole too many of Mark Messier’s good years, so we’re siding with defenceman Brian Leetch: 981 points over 1,129 games while logging major minutes on the blue line.

We’re tempted to give this spot to Paul Kariya (please consider him, Hockey Hall of Fame) or Scott Niedermayer, but we’ll hand it to Teemu Selanne — the franchise leader in goals (457), points (988) and game winners (77).

Wayne Gretzky, keeping an eye on his rear-view mirror.

Daniel Alfredsson (1,108 points) is the Senators’ godfather, but let’s reconvene in a couple years. He’ll eventually sacrifice his GOAT status to two-time Norris winner and every-year candidate Erik Karlsson.

He never scored 10 points in one game, but Mats Sundin carried many bad Leafs squads. The Original Six franchise’s leader in goals (420) and points (987) also scored 30 more game-winners (79 to 49) than “Greatest Leaf of All-Time” Dave Keon.

We see you, David Legwand and Martin Erat, but until The Trade, Shea Weber was Nashville. (Note: Pekka Rinne is only 34. If he wins a Cup, he takes this spot.)

Bernie Federko deserves more love here, but he was a career minus-124 player. So we’re rolling with sniper extraordinaire Brett Hull and his club-best 527 goals, 70 of them game winners.

Dominik Hasek, the greatest goaltender. Period.

One of the toughest decisions on the board. The two-way play of Bryan Trottier gives him a slight nod over shooter Mike Bossy, D-man Denis Potvin, and Pat Lafontaine. John Tavares is screaming up this list like a bullet, though.

Marcel Dionne over Luc Robitaille in a horse race. (Drew Doughty is only 27.) The franchise leader in points won two Lady Byngs and two Lester B. Pearson Awards. The last to win an Art Ross Trophy before the 14-year reign of Gretzky-Lemieux.

Pavel Bure streaked through the West Coast like a comet, but the Sedins are the Canucks. Forced at gunpoint to choose one, we eeny-meeny-miny-moe and land on Henrik. Hart Trophy, first to 1,000 points, captain.

Robert Gordon Orr. Game changer.

Gordie Howe’s career stretched into the post-’67 era but he was named to the NHL’s original group of 33. So we’re going with Niklas Lidstrom, a.k.a. the Swedish Dmitry Orlov. A man who could control a game like no other and still put up points like a forward. (Don’t catch feelings, Pavel. We still love you.)

Bobby Clarke scored at will and was as nasty as he wanted to be. He played more than twice as many games in a Flyer uniform than Eric Lindros, who could’ve given him a run with a longer stay.

Considered squeaking Pavel Bure in here, but prodigal son Roberto Luongo gets the nod. A franchise-best 190 wins, 34 shutouts, and .921 save percentage — and it’s not even close.

Martin St. Louis, the undrafted little guy who won one Hart, two Art Rosses, three Lady Byngs, and a Stanley Cup.

Because we crowned Selanne king of the Ducks, we’ll give this one to Dale Hawerchuk, who averaged 1.3 points a game over 713 games and would get way more props had he not shared the Smythe Division with Gretzky.

Long-serving captain and Cup champ Eric Staal is the franchise leader in pretty much any stat you can think of: goals (322), assists (453), points (775), penalty minutes (678), power-play goals (105), shorthanded goals (16) and game winners (47).

The second American drafted first overall, Mike Modano led the franchise to the 1999 Cup and holds franchise marks in goals (557), assists (802) and points (1,359). Skated like the wind.

Martin Brodeur, owner of three Stanley Cups and the only goalie in history with eight 40-win campaigns. The winningest goalie in history spent 21 seasons in Jersey before becoming a St. Louis Blue.

Lots of worthy choices make this a tough call, but we’re so frightened of Al MacInnis’s slap shot, we’ll give him the honour. Put up 822 points in 803 games and played a tough position with nastiness.

Keith Tkachuk and Jeremy Roenick had more potent stretches, but the longevity and loyalty of Shane Doan makes him our pick. Doan is at 943 points (and counting) as a Coyote. Roenick is second with 379.

As dazzling as Peter Forsberg is, we’re going with the steady threat that is Joe Sakic (the player, not the GM). Tops all Avs with 1,015 points over 870 games.