Welcome to the Hotstove! As always, I'm your host, Travis Yost.

For Wednesday, I brought forth a topic that had been requested by some of you a few weeks ago. Essentially, I forced the participating bloggers to take a side and pick the player they deem 'best' out of a grouping.

Three groups, three answers. But, easier said than done.

At the roundtable today: John Jaeckel of the Chicago Blackhawks, Todd Cordell of the New Jersey Devils, Adam French of the Phoenix Coyotes, Shaune Vetter of the Calgary Flames, Richard Cloutier of the Edmonton Oilers, Mark Spizziri of the Detroit Red Wings, Bill Meltzer of the Philadelphia Flyers and Ty Anderson of the Boston Bruins.

Make sure to make your selections in the comments below.

1. Nikolai Kulemin of the Toronto Maple Leafs, or Jamie Benn of the Dallas Stars?

Bill Meltzer: You couldn't go wrong with either player. I'm picking Benn primarily because he positively thrived when his team was fighting (ultimately unsuccessfully) for its playoff life in the second half of the season.

Secondly, the 22-year-old Benn is three years younger than Kulemin. The Russian is hitting his prime right now, Benn is still a couple years away, but is already good enough to be a fair debate subject vs. Kulemin.

Kulemin's 30-goal season was no fluke. He's very hard to take off the puck and he is a solid all-around player. But Benn is also a rather complete young player in his own right: good at both ends of the ice, skilled with the puck, and willing to drop the gloves from time to time.

Benn was the Stars' best player during the stretch drive, better than Brad Richards (post-concussion) and even better than Loui Eriksson (who was also hobbled at times after the All-Star break). Benn moved around -- often in the same game -- from wing to center and played stretches on several different lines without skipping a beat.

Plain and simple, Benn was arguably the biggest reason why the Stars were still in position to earn a playoff spot on the final day of the regular season. In his second NHL campaign, he came of age in the biggest games of the season.

In March, Benn put together a streak of scoring goals in eight of nine games. Many of the goals tied games or put the Stars ahead at the time they were scored. Two of them were shorthanded goals and several were dazzling displays of skill and speed.

Game in and game out, Benn was logging 20-plus minutes of ice time, and he had at least one point in 17 of the Stars' final 20 games. He looked a little fatigued in the final week of the season but it didn't detract from the run he had put together.

Kulemin was tremendous after a slow start last season. I'm not taking anything away from him. But I'll take Benn here by the narrowest of margins.

Travis Yost: Last season, I wrote on HockeyBuzz that Nikolai Kulemin was poised for a breakout season. And, for once in my life, I was right; Kulemin delivered in a big way for the Toronto Maple Leafs, scoring 30 goals and adding 27 assists on a respectable Toronto Maple Leafs attack.

That didn't do much to differentiate him from Jamie Benn(22G/34A with Dallas), but I think it speaks volumes about Kulemin as a player. In hockey, there's only a very small number of players who can absolutely dominate regardless of their linemates. That's the Sidney Crosby's and Alexander Ovechkin's of the world.

For top-six wingers, even with high-quality skill sets like Kulemin and Benn, a lot of the play is predicated on their centerman. And, no matter how you look at it, Benn was largely playing with a higher quality center on almost every shift. I don't necessarily fault Benn for having the likes of Brad Richards and Mike Ribeiro in the pivot, but I'm going to reward Kulemin for potting 30 on a team that was really devoid of strong center play.

Kulemin's not a one-hit wonder. He's an impressive finisher, and his work to remove that ugly stigma irresponsibly attached to Russian players is laudable.

Give me Kulemin.

Todd Cordell: Though I love Nikolai Kulemin, I am going to have to go with Jamie Benn. Benn is a rising star in this league and the sky is the limit for him. He can hit, score, fight, and will do anything he can to help the team win. He is also very versatile as he can play both center and left wing.

Shaune Vetter: Benn. He's younger by three years, is a more balanced player historically in terms of goals and assists, uses his size well and isn't afraid to be in the tough locations on the ice. His emergence made the trading of James Neal possible. Benn has shown he can be a solid top six performer, Kulemin has as well but on a lesser club.

Richard Cloutier: Kulemin. I am not sure Benn has the overall game Kulemin does, and 30 goal scorers don't grow on trees. Hey, next summer, Kulemin is a RFA, is he not? Usually means he's in for a big season this year.

Adam French: Look I love Kulemin as much as anybody, but Benn has just impressed me so much last season that I have to go with him. 56 points in 69 games on the second line, while still being somewhat physical and being a great two-way player is just fantastic from the 22 year old. Their both similar players but Benn is younger and is already looking to be his equal if not a slightly better player already.

Mark Spizziri: Although I am a big fan of both wingers, the 25 year-old Kulemin would be a better option in my opinion. Despite Benn likely being a better offensive player than Kulemin, the Russian winger can still contribute offensively as his 30 goals last season prove. More importantly, Kulemin is one of the most complete forwards in today’s NHL. Whereas the 22 year-old Benn isn’t known as a great skater and needs to work on his defensive game, Kulemin is strong in all facets of the game. He is a strong skater, is very responsible defensively and his strong work ethic makes him stand out as a leader amongst the Leaf forward group. The bottom line is Kulemin is a prototypical professional, willing and able to contribute in a plethora of ways to help his team win.

Ty Anderson: While I'm normally reluctant to invest my faith in the Russian forwards (Blame it on the Bruins-centered vision we get here in Boston), but Toronto's Nik Kulemin has sold me following the quietest 30-goal season I've ever seen.

Becoming one of Toronto's legitimized top-sixers in a topsy-turvy 2010-11 campaign, the 25-year-old become a serious threat, finishing the year with 14 goals and 10 assists in the final 33 contests of the season.

Call it the wow factor of Kulemin that sells me.

John Jaeckel: Kulemin. By a hair. I have not seen a lot of either player, but from what I have seen, I think his overall game and skills are slightly more refined than Benn’s.

Consensus: Kulemin(5), Benn(4).

2. Brad Marchand of the Boston Bruins, Tyler Ennis of the Buffalo Sabres, or Brooks Laich of the Washington Capitals?

Bill Meltzer: These really aren't apples to apples comparative players, but I'll take Ennis here.

Laich is my "favorite" player among these three in terms of the elements that he's proven year-in and year-out that he brings to the table for his Capitals team. He's also the biggest and strongest of the three by far and the type of player every team wants in trenches on the ice and as a presence in the locker room. But his new six-year contract with the $4.5 million cap hit made me lean toward one of the younger players here.

Ennis still has one season to go on his entry-level contract, so he carries a minimal cap hit right now ($875,000) but due for an extension before he hits RFA status next summer. He is coming off a 20-goal campaign in his first full NHL season and performed pretty well in the Philadelphia series. It doesn't matter that he's undersized. The kid flat out can play and has only begun to tap into the skills that made him a first-round pick in 2008. If you are talking long-term offensive upside here, Ennis is the guy.

Marchand had a good year and an outstanding playoffs for the Stanley Cup champion Bruins. There's no question that he gets under opposing teams' skin. How good will he be over the long haul? That remains to be seen. There are also some question marks about his off-ice maturity level.

Travis Yost: While Brad Marchand and Tyler Ennis do have a higher ceiling right now compared to Brooks Laich, I'll go with the more polished, more physical, and more versatile player any day of the week.

The reason why Laich is so successful in Washington isn't because the team has a need for two-way players or that their top-end scoring marginalizes weaker top-six forwards. It's the fact that - no matter the role - you can plug in Brooks Laich and pretty much rest easy.

He'll play the physical game, is an absolute terror with the stick, and does it all while sacrificing very little offensively. Last year, Laich had 48 points(16G/32A) on a Washington team that, quite frankly, wasn't very good offensively.

In fact, I'd argue that a lot of Washington's success was due to players like Laich, who stayed committed to their game and helped keep scoring margins low.

You can laud the defensive play all you want last year, but the forwards had a large part in it.

Todd Cordell: I am going to go with Tyler Ennis over Brad Marchand and Brooks Laich. In Ennis' short NHL career thus far, he has proved he is very capable of creating chances and producing goals. You have to score goals to win hockey games, and Ennis has the most offensive ability. For that reason I will go with him.

Shaune Vetter: Before the playoffs last year this question would have been a lot harder, but after Marchand tallied 19 points in 25 playoff games he proved that he's a big time performer in big-time games. Ennis could get there but he doesn't play with the physical edge Marchand does. Laich doesn't even enter the equation for me.

Richard Cloutier: Marchand. Not even close. Ennis is the next Cliff Ronning, so I have no interest in that. Laich has a name that makes no sense phonetically, so he's out. Marchand is the new Claude Lemieux. Everyone including Lemieux's parents hated him, but he sure was good at winning cups.

Adam French: Ennis. He is bursting with skill and speed, but what really takes the cake is his drive. Being a small guy in the NHL is never easy but his play showed me that he has the makings of a good top-6 forward sooner rather than later. What I really like is his underrated defensive game, he won’t be the guy who throws hits or blocks shots but his speed and hands make him excellent at forcing turnovers. Hell in the playoffs he was stealing the puck all over the place which was very encouraging (Led the team with 6).

Mark Spizziri: Selecting the best option amongst this group proves to be a tad more complicated. All three players bring a variety of skills to the table that can be useful to a hockey club. However, my option would be to go with diminutive, young forward, Tyler Ennis. With NHL rules embracing speed and high-end skill players of all sizes, the highly skilled Ennis should become a mainstay for many years to come amongst the top 25 in NHL point getters. Despite his size (5’9”, 165 lbs.) the feisty Ennis, who will turn 22 in three weeks time, has the instincts and skill set to be a contributor in a variety of situations. That being said, his greatest contribution will be in the offensive zone where he has shown the ability to produce at the junior, AHL and now NHL level.

This is not to say Marchand and Laich are not useful players. The 28 year-old Laich is entering the prime of his career and is a versatile forward who isn’t specatacular at anything, but seems to do everything well. Meanwhile, the 23 year-old Marchand is a spitfire of a forward, providing speed, hustle and energy to the lineup along with a decent scoring touch as evidenced in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Yet in my humble opinion though, Ennis has the highest ceiling of the trio and his impressive rookie campaign has me sold that he will be a top-line forward for years to come in the National Hockey League despite his lack of size and strength.

Ty Anderson: I think the success of any team starts down the middle. It's no secret when you look at the playoff success of the last three Cup winners in the Bruins, Blackhawks, and Penguins. All three clubs had unmatched depth down the middle, and that's why this one's an easy call for me when I pick Brooks Laich. The dude's put up 160 points over the last three seasons, has 23 points in 37 playoff games, and has become a strong two-way presence in Washington all the while.

John Jaeckel: Laich. All three players have similar production, but while Ennis and Marchand are younger and therefore might have more upside, I’ll take the bigger player. I also think he slightly edges out the other two in terms of versatility— situations where he can be effective.

Consensus: Ennis(4), Laich(3), Marchand(2).

3. Jimmy Howard of the Detroit Red Wings, or Jaroslav Halak of the St. Louis Blues?

Bill Meltzer: I was a tad disappointed in Halak's play as last season progressed in St. Louis, but he still has that magnificent 2010 playoff run with Montreal on his resume. He's done a little more with a little less around him than Howard has, and is also a year younger.

Howard has been a late bloomer in the Detroit system. There was a time not too long ago where I would have said that Daniel Larsson was the better Red Wings goaltending prospect. Obviously, Howard stepped up his game and has become a workhorse at the NHL level. He was actually better in the playoffs last season than during the regular season.

Both Halak and Howard are good goaltenders, but I'll go with the guy who is just a year removed from being a huge part of playoff upsets against the likes of Washington and Pittsburgh. I think St. Louis will be a playoff club in 2011-12, so it will be interesting to track Halak vs. Howard this season.

Travis Yost: I've seen enough of Jimmy Howard for him not to warrant a vote of confidence from me. As for Halak - last year was a down year, but I think many are buying into it as a statistical aberration.

Look, he didn't have much help behind a banged up Blues team top-to-bottom, and you could tell it took him some time to adjust and battle through a series of nagging injuries. That's why looking at the larger sample size is important here; Halak was otherworldly at times with Montreal, and even after a poor 2010-2011 run, his career splits are still identical to that of Jimmy Howard.

With almost equal career numbers, you have to take a strong look at the teams that Howard and Halak have played for, respectively. Montreal (and St. Louis) last year weren't bad teams, but Jimmy Howard's played for an elite Detroit Red Wings team year in and year out. Hence, potentially skewed numbers.

Howard's solid, but Halak is just as good with a lot larger of an upside.

Todd Cordell: I really like Halak, but I am going with Jimmy Howard. All throughout his career people have doubted him and said that the only reason he is still a number one goalie is because he plays for Detroit. In this past Stanley Cup playoffs, Howard proved everyone wrong and showed the NHL world that he is a very capable starter. I watched the whole series and in my opinion Howard was a key reason, if not the main reason, the Red Wings forced a game seven against the Sharks despite being in a 3-0 hole. Howard showed throughout that series, even in the first three games, that he is a very good NHL goaltender who can keep you in, and win, games single handedly. Though it is close, I'll take him over Halak.

Shaune Vetter: This is the toughest question of the three for me since both have been able to put up great numbers the past two seasons at the NHL level and their ages are just a year apart. That being said, Halak has proven that he can carry a team in the post-season. While Howard hasn't been the reason the Wings have faltered the past couple of seasons, he hasn't been able to vault his team to victory the way Halak has. That makes Halak the choice here.

Richard Cloutier: Halak. Why are these two being compared? Howard battles to be considered an okay goalie, and Halak can be Top 5 in the World quality when he is on his game.

Adam French: This one was very close as both are pretty similar in that they have each had one dominant year followed by a disappointing one. Aside from that I would take Halak, he’s played on worse squads than Howard and been his superior so far in his career. Both are far from elite goalies but they are quality starters. The deciding factor for me has to be that Halak has shown consistently strong performances at every level he has played and for the most part constant improvement. Halak has a lot to prove this season but I think he will get the Blues in the playoffs.

Mark Spizziri: Halak. This selection proved to be the most difficult to make. Both goalies have their flaws and can struggle with their consistency and fundamentals (i.e. rebound control). That being said, both goalies can get extremely red-hot for stretches. They have both excelled in junior/college, the AHL and now the NHL. As the blogger for the Detroit Red Wings at hockeybuzz.com, I have seen plenty of Jimmy Howard over the past couple of seasons. I’ve been one of his biggest supporters in discussions with Red Wing fans ever since he singlehandedly kept Detroit’s regular season alive during the 2009-10 campaign when Chris Osgood went down to injury. Howard’s stellar play allowed a banged up Red Wing team to remain in the playoff hunt during his rookie campaign. Although his sophmore regular season saw more inconsistent play than the previous year, he excelled toward the latter part of the season once his contract was extended by the Red Wings and during the playoffs he provided excellent goaltending for Detroit, proving without a doubt that he is a very good #1 goaltender in the NHL.

However, I have to give Jaroslav Halak the slight nod as the better option. Although he has only completed one full season as a bonafide #1 goaltender (compared to Howard’s two seasons), Halak has already shown a knack for standing tall in big games, when the pressure intensifies. His run with the Montreal Canadiens during the 2009-10 playoffs proved his capabilities, strapping the undermanned Habs on his back to the Eastern Conference Finals. Despite an up-and-down debut season with the St. Louis Blues, Halak seems poised to improve upon his opening act with the Blues after getting accustomed to the rigors and mental strain of being a #1 goaltender.

Ty Anderson: Out of all three head-to-head's, this one is the easiest for me. It's St. Louis' Jaroslav Halak. I find Jimmy Howard to be among the crop of most overrated goaltenders in the league. Sure, the 27-year-old sophomore posted a 2.26 goals-against-average in 2009-10, but where was that this past year? Despite winning 37 games for the second year in a row, Howard saw his goals-against-average go up .53 while his save-percentage dipped .016 points.

That's substantial.

Meanwhile, the 26-year-old Halak made the transition to a new conference and posted 27 wins and seven shutouts with a .910 save-percentage. Now while Halak's numbers don't exactly knock Howard's out of the park, the difference rests in the D, as Detroit's defense beats the hell of the Blues' any day of the week.

John Jaeckel: Halak. This one was easiest for me. No disrespect to Howard who I really like. But I love Halak. The only thing that remains in doubt about Halak is his endurance and consistency as far as avoiding injury over a full season. Let’s face it, over 5 or so seasons, he simply has not played a lot of hockey in the NHL yet. But, he’s one of the 4 or 5 guys in the league I consider to win me one game or one playoff series— along with Lundqvist, Niemi, Thomas and one or two others. And he’s certainly more than good enough, all else being equal, to get me to that game or playoff series. Put another way, if/when the Blues have the horses to make the second round, Halak is a guy who could take them to the Cup.

Consensus: Halak(8), Howard(1).

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