If Crosby didn't have his injury history, he'd definitely be the clear cut number one for me. Even though he won the Hart this year, I still feel like what he did this year was really under appreciated. As much as I hate the guy, he's a hell of a player and the best in the game.
- JFlyers00

Maybe, but I figure it would take 4-5 years to make the franchise a contender and Crosby would be 31 by then, with his concussion history that would worry me a lot.

no stamkos?
- jak521

Touche. Yes, he should be on the list.

If Crosby didn't have his injury history, he'd definitely be the clear cut number one for me. Even though he won the Hart this year, I still feel like what he did this year was really under appreciated. As much as I hate the guy, he's a hell of a player and the best in the game.
- JFlyers00

He makes it so effortless. What he is doing, year after year, is unreal.

You'll likely never see me say this again, but Crosby is a machine, and it's criminal that Pittsburgh has yet to give the guy a Jari Kurri while Evgeni Malkin had James Neal riding shotgun for some very productive years.

As for Giroux, I think he's one of the top seven players in the sport. What he does for the Flyers...I don't mean to insult professionals, but sometimes, I wonder if they truly stop and think about where the Flyers would be if Giroux missed a season.

Believe me, that thought frightens me above all else regarding this franchise, at this moment in time.

You'll likely never see me say this again, but Crosby is a machine, and it's criminal that Pittsburgh has yet to give the guy a Jari Kurri while Evgeni Malkin had James Neal riding shotgun for some very productive years.
- AllInForFlyers

Crosby has Kuntitz duhhhh

That's pretty hard to believe. Giroux not even being mentioned on that list!
- 3flyerkids

Agreed. I'm surprised he didn't make the list, but it's hard to argue against the top three on the list.

Crosby has Kuntitz duhhhh
- Streit2ThePoint

Ha! Not sure if you are serious, but I don't rate Chris Kunitz very highly. Good player, but looks far better than he would if Crosby were a league average center.

That isn't a crime, for him to be that. I feel Crosby does wonders for him, though. Just my opinion.

Ha! Not sure if you are serious, but I don't rate Chris Kunitz very highly. Good player, but looks far better than he would if Crosby were a league average center.

That isn't a crime, for him to be that. I feel Crosby does wonders for him, though. Just my opinion.
- AllInForFlyers

Sorry, was not being serious I agree with you.

Sorry, was not being serious I agree with you.
- Streit2ThePoint

Ha! That's cool!

I don't put too much stock on those little GM polls.
- johndewar

The blatant bias toward anglophone Canadians is pretty telling, though.

Anybody who isn't a polite, unassuming, uncontroversial, factory of bland quotes, and covered in maple leaves, doesn't stand much of a chance.

Johnny Toews is the epitome.

I start with Stamkos every time.

You'll likely never see me say this again, but Crosby is a machine, and it's criminal that Pittsburgh has yet to give the guy a Jari Kurri while Evgeni Malkin had James Neal riding shotgun for some very productive years.
- AllInForFlyers

I'm loving how that they just ripped Neal away from Geno, too.

Toews is a great hockey player, so is Kane, but from what I have heard they are both pretty selfish arrogant entitled young men. I think he is a terrible person but a great hockey player.

I would probably go withsomething like Crosby, Stamkos, Tavares, Toews, Weber without giving it that much thought.

Dan Carcillo

Dan Carcillo
- BulliesPhan87

Toews is a great hockey player, so is Kane, but from what I have heard they are both pretty selfish arrogant entitled young men. I think he is a terrible person but a great hockey player.

I would probably go withsomething like Crosby, Stamkos, Tavares, Toews, Weber without giving it that much thought.
- Peterg

Not sure what you heard, or where from. But teams, especially Stanley Cup winning teams, don't normally name selfish, arrogant, entitled young men Captain of their team.

Not sure what you heard, or where from. But teams, especially Stanley Cup winning teams, don't normally name selfish, arrogant, entitled young men Captain of their team.
- MJL

If they score goals they do

Bill Meltzer: Meltzer's Musings: Giroux, Draft Re-Entries and More
- bmeltzer

Alex Ovechkin to me is still the second greatest offensive threat in the league only to Crosby. I still think Ov is better then Stamkos. During the half season he was the only player in the league to reach 30 plus and this was a season where during the first half where the guy looked like he didn't care or wasn't trying but managed to turn on the afterburners.

While Giroux isn't getting enough credit for having a winger on the same level as him, Ovechkin isn't getting his due by simply being able to score from anywhere at will. It's a shame.

I'm loving how that they just ripped Neal away from Geno, too.
- Tomahawk

I get why Neal had to go -- the guy's just a loose cannon, at times -- but at the same time, stuff like that does matter.

Sure, a player is going to be in that spot and they will likely be productive. I'm not disputing that. But sometimes, in a league where the gap between top and bottom seems to get narrower every year, a league-average player having an elevated season isn't enough to overcome that team who benefits from having an above-average player in the same spot.

That's one of the things I'm curious about, with Stamkos this year. It's not that I don't think he's going to score. He is. He's going to score a lot.

But will he score as much as he would with Martin St. Louis, and just as important, will St. Louis' replacement be even close?

That's one of the things I'm curious about, with Stamkos this year. It's not that I don't think he's going to score. He is. He's going to score a lot.

But will he score as much as he would with Martin St. Louis, and just as important, will St. Louis' replacement be even close?
- AllInForFlyers

I don't think they trade MSL if they don't have Palat and Drouin in their back pocket... Drouin/Stamkos is probably going to be all kinds of terrific.

Alex Ovechkin to me is still the second greatest offensive threat in the league only to Crosby. I still think Ov is better then Stamkos. During the half season he was the only player in the league to reach 30 plus and this was a season where during the first half where the guy looked like he didn't care or wasn't trying but managed to turn on the afterburners.

While Giroux isn't getting enough credit for having a winger on the same level as him, Ovechkin isn't getting his due by simply being able to score from anywhere at will. It's a shame.
- SuperSchennBros

I'd take Stamkos 99 out of 100 times over Ovechkin.

If they score goals they do
- Streit2ThePoint

Not if they're selfish and arrogant, and have a sense of entitlemen they don't.

Alex Ovechkin to me is still the second greatest offensive threat in the league only to Crosby. I still think Ov is better then Stamkos. During the half season he was the only player in the league to reach 30 plus and this was a season where during the first half where the guy looked like he didn't care or wasn't trying but managed to turn on the afterburners.

While Giroux isn't getting enough credit for having a winger on the same level as him, Ovechkin isn't getting his due by simply being able to score from anywhere at will. It's a shame.
- SuperSchennBros

I wouldn't take Ovechkin. He may score a lot of goals, but they score many more against his team when he is on the ice. A one dimensional player who doesn't play in his own end is not a good player to build my team around.

I would take Weber first.

I get why Neal had to go -- the guy's just a loose cannon, at times -- but at the same time, stuff like that does matter.

Sure, a player is going to be in that spot and they will likely be productive. I'm not disputing that. But sometimes, in a league where the gap between top and bottom seems to get narrower every year, a league-average player having an elevated season isn't enough to overcome that team who benefits from having an above-average player in the same spot.

That's one of the things I'm curious about, with Stamkos this year. It's not that I don't think he's going to score. He is. He's going to score a lot.

But will he score as much as he would with Martin St. Louis, and just as important, will St. Louis' replacement be even close?
- AllInForFlyers

I cannot remember who I had the same argument with about Stamkos having St Louis. St Louis has been a top point collecter for years and he most definitely helps Stamkos. However these two didn't see much of one another this season so it will be interesting how both respond. My point at the time was Giroux doesn't have the same benefit of having a partner in crome at his level.