Best First Units in NHL Franchise History
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Postseason overtime hockey is cooler than Clint Eastwood in “Dirty Harry.” It’s your best against my best for the whole shebang. Do you feel lucky, punk?
Let’s make OT cooler yet. We've picked the best lineup of all time for each team, the six guys who would be on the ice with their season on the line. Then, we seeded them from worst to best. To be considered, a player had to spend a minimum of three full seasons or thereabouts with a team. To keep it real, forwards were eligible only at their primary spot — center or either wing — so they couldn’t play out of position. Defensemen were interchangeable, and goalies were on their own. Statistics with asterisks are incomplete.
It’s time to settle the score...
31. Columbus Blue Jackets
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Left wing: Rick Nash (674 games played/289 goals/258 assists/-71 plus-minus rating)
Center: Ryan Johansen (309/79/114/-16)
Right wing: Cam Atkinson (627/213/189/+17)
Defense: Seth Jones (381/50/173/0)
Defense: Zach Werenski (342/67/128/+14)
Goalie: Sergei Bobrovsky (213 wins-130 losses-0 ties-27 overtime losses)/2.41 goals-against average)/.921 save percentage)
Bottom line: Thanks for playing, CBJ. We have a lovely participation trophy for you...
30. Minnesota Wild
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Left wing: Zach Parise (558/199/201/+21)
Center: Mikku Koivu (1,0284/205/504/+70)
Right wing: Marian Gaborik (502/219/218/+54)
Defense: Jared Spurgeon (714/90/217/+46)
Defense: Ryan Suter (656/55/314/+62)
Goalie: Devan Dubnyk (177-113-0-28/2.41/.918)
Bottom line: You had us at Wild. There has never been anything wild about the Wild offense. Giant Pandas are more wild than the Wild offense. (Paging Karill Kaprizov — your career is ready for take-off...)
29. San Jose Sharks
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Left wing: Jeff Friesen (512/149/201/-19)
Center: Joe Thornton (1,104/251/804/+161)
Right wing: Owen Nolan (568/206/245/-34)
Defense: Brent Burns (722/162/381/+4)
Defense: Marc-Edourd Vlassic (1,092/73/261/+112)
Goalie: Evgeni Nabokov (293-178-29-37/2.39/.912)
Bottom line: This franchise has been center-driven over the years, what with Thornton, Logan Couture, Patrick Marleau and Joe Pavelski there. But there’s a reason that they don’t serve liquid beverages at SAP Center — no Stanley Cups. We don’t want any part of Black and Teal in a big game. None.
28. Florida Panthers
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Left wing: Jonathan Huberdeau (598/171/336/+10)
Center: Aleksander Barkov (536/183/289/+52)
Right wing: Pavel Bure (223/152/99/+12)
Defense: Aaron Ekblad (500/85/156/+43)
Defense: Keith Yandle (371/30/201/-24)
Goalie: John Vanbiesbrouck (106-108-43-0/2.58/.912)
Bottom line: We bet die-hard Broward County fans would love to see Bure and Barkov perform their Euro magic together. Yeah, all 12 of ‘em.
27. Nashville Predators
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Left wing: Filip Forsberg (504/181/210/+15)
Center: David Legwand (956/210/356/+19)
Right wing: Martin Erta (723/163/318/+5)
Defense: Roman Josi (687/129/335/+60)
Defense: Shea Weber (763/166/277/+48)
Goalie: Pekke Rinne (369-213-0-75/2.43/.917)
Bottom line: These are the top five scorers in the rather brief history of the franchise. Don’t feel tingly all over? Smashville was built from the goal on out, and in a short series, it could be a tough out. No, really, we're serious.
26. Vegas Golden Knights
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Left wing: Max Pacioretty (187/80/80/+28)
Center: Jonathan Marchessault (286/93/133/+56)
Right wing: Mark Stone (140/47/91/+47)
Defense: Alec Martinez (66/11/31/+33)
Defense: Shea Theodore (270/40/115/+37)
Goalie: Marc-Andre Fleury (117-60-0-14/2.41/.917)
Bottom line: Shame on the franchises behind them on this list. It took the Knights only four seasons to get this far. And the seafood buffet at Caesars Palace isn’t bad, either.
25. Carolina Hurricanes
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Left wing: Blaine Stoughton (357/219/158/-59)
Center: Ron Francis (1,186/382/793/-91)
Right wing: Kevin Dineen (708/250/294/-19)
Defense: Mark Howe (213/51/147/+14)
Defense: Ulf Samuelsson (463/31/144/+71)
Goalie: Cam Ward (318-244–0-84/2.70/.909)
Bottom line: Most of these guys were Hartford Whalers who were dragged down by their supporting casts. Expect them to play better than their numbers. Cue “Brass Bonanza” here. You know, the addictive Whalers anthem, puck heads.
24. Winnipeg Jets
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Left wing: Ilya Kovalchuk (594/328/287/-84)
Center: Mark Scheifele (577/201/308/+78)
Right wing: Marian Hossa (222/108/140/+21)
Defense: Dustin Byfuglien (609/122/294/+7)
Defense: Jacob Trouba (408/42/137/+37)
Goalie: Connor Hellebucyk (175-104-0-28/2.65/.916)
Bottom line: The franchise formerly known as the Atlanta Thrashers is sneaky good. If Kovalchuk can find directions to the defensive end, you don’t want any part of these underdogs in round one.
23. Vancouver Canucks
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Left wing: Daniel Sedin (1,306/393/648/+147)
Center: Henrik Sedin (1,330/240/830/+165)
Right wing: Pavel Bure (428/254/224/+17)
Defense: Ed Jovanovski (434/57/177/-3)
Defense: Jyrki Lumme (579/83/238/+21)
Goalie: Roberto Luongo (252-137-0-50/2.46/.913)
Bottom line: We considered a break-up of the Sedin twins, blasphemous as it might be, but their chemistry and two-way play convinced us not to do it. The pedestrian backline is far more of a concern here. We don’t know; maybe we should have picked Garth Butcher and Harold Snepts...
22. Arizona Coyotes
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Left wing: Keith Tkachuk (640/323/300/+25)
Center: Dale Hawerchuk (713/379/550/-93)
Right wing: Teemu Selanne (231/147/159/-11)
Defense: Phil Housley (232/64/195/-32)
Defense: Fredrik Olausson (496/86/249/-56)
Goalie: Ilya Bryzgalov (130-93-0-27/2.54/.917)
Bottom line: Hey, wait — these aren’t the Arizona Coyotes. Everyone except the goalie played with the Winnipeg Jets. That’s because the ‘Yotes are the former Winnipeg Jets, who were the WHA Winnipeg Jets before they joined the NHL as an expansion franchise and kept their name. That was before the Atlanta Thrashers became the current Winnipeg Jets. OK, we better stop now.
21. Anaheim Ducks
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Left wing: Paul Kariya (606/300/369/+52)
Center: Ryan Getlaf (1,108/279/707/+110)
Right wing: Teemu Selanne (966/457/531/+120)
Defense: Hampus Lindholm (528/52/150/+70)
Defense: Scott Niedermayer (371/60/204/-5
Goalie: Jean-Sebastian Giguere (206-163-23-36/2.47/.914)
Bottom line: The backline is only so-so, but there’s enough talent up front and between the pipes to be competitive. Win or lose, this would be a fun bunch to watch.
20. St. Louis Blues
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Left wing: Brian Sutter (779/303/333/-66)
Center: Pavol Dimitra (494/204/289/+99)
Right wing: Brett Hull (744/527/409/-16)
Defense: Al MacInnis (613/127/325/+132)
Defense: Chris Pronger (598/84/272/+140)
Goalie: Jordan Binnington (76-32-0-16/2.43/.915)
Bottom line: Some would say it’s a tad early to anoint Binnington, who’s in the second period of his career. But the guy has already hoisted a Stanley Cup, and who else in franchise history can make that claim right now? (Answer: nobody.) Put MacInnis and Pronger in front of him, and the Blue Notes are no pushovers; that’s for sure.
19. Washington Capitals
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Left wing: Alex Ovechkin (1,202/735/595/+80)
Center: Nicklas Backstrom (1,011/258/722/+119)
Right wing: Peter Bondra (961/472/353/+74)
Defense: John Carlson (814/115/409/+87)
Defense: Scott Stevens (601/98/331/+90)
Goalie: Braden Holtby (282-122-0-46/2.53/.916)
Bottom line: Stevens, Sergei Gonchar or Rod Langway for the final D spot? There is no wrong answer here. But with snipers Peter Gun and Ovie on the wings (read: defense optional), a physical presence such as Stevens is needed here, no?
18. Ottawa Senators
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Left wing: Dany Heatley (317/180/182/+82)
Center: Jason Spezza (686/251/436/+54)
Right wing: Daniel Alfredsson (1,178/426/682/+153)
Defense: Zdeno Chara (299/51/95/+109)
Defense: Eric Karlsson (627/126/392/-36)
Goalie: Craig Anderson (202-168-0-46/2.84/.914)
Bottom line: No doubt their chances would be better with Dominik Hasek between the pipes, but he didn’t spend enough time in O-Town to make the cut. Even so, the mix is good enough to be competitive, especially with Chara in his athletic prime.
17. New York Rangers
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Left wing: Vic Hadfield (841/262/310/+16)
Center: Mark Messier (698/250/441/+74)
Right wing: Rod Gilbert (1,065/406/615/+38)
Defense: Brian Leetch (1,129/240/741/+24)
Defense: Brad Park (465/95/283/+178)
Goalie: Henrik Lundqvist (459-310-0-96/2.43/.918)
Bottom line: Messier was the toughest call here. But, you know, 19-40! Our only guarantee: Some will argue that Jean Ratelle should be in the middle of his GAG Line co-conspirators, but we’ve muted these people already. (How ‘bout a stick tap for Hall of Fame d-man Harry Howell, who might be here if not for so many lame teams?)
16. Dallas Stars
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Left wing: Jamie Benn (871/311/413/+58)
Center: Mike Modano (1,459/557/802/+118)
Right wing: Brett Hull (218/95/101/+8)
Defense: Darryl Sydor (714/69/265/+82)
Defense: Sergei Zubov (839/111/438/+103)
Goalie: Ed Belfour (160-95-44/2.19/.910)
Bottom line: If we had our way, there would be six Minnesota North Stars here. Oh, and Norm Green still stinks.
15. Buffalo Sabres
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Left wing: Rick Martin (512/149/201/-19)
Center: Gilbert Perreault (1,104/251/804/+161)
Right wing: Alexander Mogilny (568/206/245/-34)
Defense: Phil Housley (722/162/381/+4)
Defense: Mike Ramsey (911/73/256/+166)
Goalie: Dominik Hasek (293-178-29-37/2.39/.912)
Bottom line: These snipers will score goals. Lots of goals. They had better, because there’s not much jam here. See, that’s where Hasek enters the equation. On the assumption that The Dominator steals a game or three, this is our sleeper pick of the tournament.
14. Philadelphia Flyers
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Left wing: Bill Barber (903/420/463/+312)
Center: Bobby Clarke (1,144/358/852/+507)
Right wing: Tim Kerr (601/363/287/+93)
Defense: Mark Howe (594/138/342/+351)
Defense: Eric Desjardins (738/93/303/+143)
Goalie: Bernie Parent (231-141-102/2.43/.917)
Bottom line: If we were complete jerks, we would have picked Dave Schultz, Mel Bridgman, Paul Holmgren, Glen Cochrane, Andre Dupont and Ron Hextall. Goons, everyone of ‘em. But since we're kind, compassionate servants of the people, we'll sign off with this: Have you ever seen the Flyers win the Cup?
13. New Jersey Devils
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Left wing: Zach Parise (502/194/216/+57)
Center: Patrik Elias (1,240/408/617/+172)
Right wing: John MacLean (934/347/354/+43)
Defense: Scott Niedermayer (892/112/364/+172)
Defense: Scott Stevens (956/93/337/+282)
Goalie: Martin Brodeur (1,259-688-105-49/2.24/.912)
Bottom line: Look, we don’t care how many Stanley Cups that Jacques Lemaire-coached teams won with the natural zone trap or left wing lock or whatever the hell you want to call it. Seriously, they put Nodoz to sleep.
12. Toronto Maple Leafs
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Left wing: Frank Mahovlich (720/296/301/+96)
Center: Dave Keon (1,062/365/493/+139)
Right wing: George Armstrong (1,188/296/417/*+101)
Defense: Tim Horton (1,184/109/349/*+151)
Defense: Borje Salming (1,099/148/620/+150)
Goalie: Turk Broda (304-222-102/2.53/NA)
Bottom line: All except Salming and Broda were mainstays with a trio of 1960s Stanley Cup teams. Hey, when a franchise hasn’t hoisted one since then, the glory days look better every day. (Paging Auston Matthews — your plane is boarding...)
11. Tampa Bay Lightning
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Left wing: Ondrej Palat (558/128/251/+130)
Center: Steven Stamkos (848/443/433/+45)
Right wing: Nikita Kucherov (518/222/329/+128)
Defense: Dan Boyle (394/66/187/-25)
Defense: Victor Hedman (823/114/411/+121)
Goalie: Andrei Vasilevskiy (193-85-0-20/2.51/.919)
Bottom line: It's hard to believe that this much top-end talent has been assembled in barely four decades. And if Kucherov and Martin St. Louis hadn’t played the same position, the group would be better yet.
10. Calgary Flames
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Left wing: Gary Roberts (585/257/248/+225)
Center: Joe Nieuwendyk (577/314/302/+135)
Right wing: Jarome Iginla (1,219/525/570/+46)
Defense: Al MacInnis (803/213/609/+239)
Defense: Gary Suter (617/128/436/+93)
Goalie: Miikka Kiprusoff (305-192-4-64/2.43/.917)
Bottom line: Have we underrated these guys? Maybe so. They can kick your butt any which way, whether it’s at equal stretch (check out those plus-minus numbers) or with the man advantage. Mind you, Theo Fleury, Phil Housley, Joe Mullen, Kent Nilsson and Mike Vernon didn’t make the cut. (Miss you, Hakan Loob.)
9. Los Angeles Kings
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Left wing: Luc Robitaille (1,077/557/597/+30)
Center: Marcel Dionne (921/550/757/+105)
Right wing: Dave Taylor (1,111/431/638/+186)
Defense: Rob Blake (805/161/333/-88)
Defense: Drew Doughty (979/126/417/+31)
Goalie: Jonathan Quick (336-250-0-70/2.41/.913)
Bottom line: Through thick and thin, Kings fans have had at least one great player to root for over the years. These six cover every decade that the franchise has been in existence except the first one. Some dang good players didn’t make the final cut, too — Anze Kopitar, Bernie Nicholls, Rogie Vachon and that Gretzky guy.
8. Colorado Avalanche
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Left wing: Michel Goulet (813/456/490/+40)
Center: Joe Sakic (1,378/625/1,016/+30)
Right wing: Milan Hejduk (1,020/375/430/+101)
Defense: Rob Blake (322/62/146/+55)
Defense: Sandis Ozolinsh (333/72/181/+19)
Goalie: Patrick Roy (336-250-0-70/2.41/.913)
Bottom line: Adam Foote was in the conversation on the backline, but Blake did so much in so little time, he couldn’t be ignored. (And, no, we would not pick ring-chaser Ray Bourque under any circumstances.) Even without Peter Forsberg, the No. 5 scorer in franchise history, this is a stellar group.
7. Chicago Blackhawks
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Left wing: Bobby Hull (1,036/604/549/*+259)
Center: Stan Mikita (1,396/541/926/*+329)
Right wing: Patrick Kane (1,034/405/688/+55)
Defense: Duncan Keith (1,192/105/520/+144)
Defense: Doug Wilson (938/225/554/+121)
Goalie: Glenn Hall (276-229-107/2.60/.916)
Bottom line: Somehow, these underachievers won only one Stanley Cup in the 1960s decade, when Hall, Hull and Mikita were the best at their positions. Call us gluttons for disappointment, but in six-against six, we'll still take our chances with them.
6. Pittsburgh Penguins
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Left wing: Kevin Stevens (522/260/295/-40)
Center: Mario Lemieux (915/690/1,033/+114)
Right wing: Jaromir Jagr (806/439/640/+207)
Defense: Larry Murphy (336/78/223/+102)
Defense: Kris Letang (867/134/452/+78)
Goalie: Marc-Andre Fleury (336-250-0-70/2.41/.913)
Bottom line: Where are Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and/or Ron Francis? So what if they played the same position! Who made these rules, anyway?! Even without the three current/future Hall of Fame centers — you know, Mario — this is a stacked lineup that numbers 13 Stanley Cup rings between them.
5. New York Islanders
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Left wing: Clark Gillies (872/304/359/+244)
Center: Bryan Trottier (1,123/500/853/+467)
Right wing: Mike Bossy (752/573/553/+380)
Defense: Stefan Persson (622/52/317/+176)
Defense: Denis Potvin (1,060/310/742/+456)
Goalie: Billy Smith (304-230-104/3.16/.895)
Bottom line: Hey, isn’t this the core of the five-time Stanley Cup championship teams? You got it. Kinda tells you two things: 1) The Island boys were pretty good back in the day, and 2) they’ve been sorta sucky before and since then.
4. Edmonton Oilers
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Left wing: Esa Tikanen (807/322/398/+249)
Center: Wayne Gretzky (696/583/1,086/+553)
Right wing: Jarri Kurri (754/474/569/+373)
Defense: Paul Coffey (532/209/460/+275)
Defense: Kevin Lowe (1,037/74/309/+240)
Goalie: Grant Fuhr (226-117-54/3.69/.883)
Bottom line: Ryan Smythe would have been a legit pick at the left wall, but how much offense is too much? We like their chances better with the physical, two-way play of Tikanen, who could score the odd goal as well. We would like them with Mark Messier on the roster even more.
3. Boston Bruins
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Left wing: Brad Marchand (807/322/398/+249)
Center: Phil Esposito (625/459/553/+306)
Right wing: Cam Neely (525/344/246/+137)
Defense: Ray Bourque (1,518/395/1,111/+493)
Defense: Bobby Orr (631/264/624/+574)
Goalie: Gerry Cheevers (226-103-76/2.89/*.901)
Bottom line: Bourque and Orr on the same backline? That’s the definition of too many men on the ice. There should be a rule against this power play as well. If the big, bad Bruins won the whole shootin’ match, we would not be the least bit surprised.
2. Detroit Red Wings
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Left wing: Ted Lindsay (862/335/393/*+10)
Center: Steve Yzerman (1,514/692/1,063/+184)
Right wing: Gordie Howe (1,687/786/1,023/*+151)
Defense: Red Kelly (846/162/310/*-9)
Defense: Nicklas Lidstrom (1,564/264/878/+450)
Goalie: Terry Sawchuk (350-245-132/2.44/*.904)
Bottom line: The Winged Wheels have it all and then some — talent, speed, grit and a championship pedigree. And if that doesn’t work, Mr. Hockey will plant an elbow in your face and/or stick in your groin.
1. Montreal Canadiens
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Left wing: Steve Shutt (871/408/368/+413)
Center: Jean Beliveau (1,125/507/712/*+117)
Right wing: Maurice Richard (978/544/422/*+18))
Defense: D0ug Harvey (890/76/371/*+53)
Defense: Larry Robinson (1,202/197/698/+692)
Goalie: Jacques Plante (314-133-107/2.22/*.920)
Bottom line: Their 24 Stanley Cups runneth over. The franchise has had so much star power, especially in its Original Six days, their second team of Mats Naslund, Henri Richard, Guy Lafleur, Guy Lapointe, Serge Savard and Ken Dryden would be on the shortlist. We believe this is called "effrayant bon" in French.