A new generation of speed and finesse has swept the NHL, and it has given the opportunity for new faces to be regarded as the top 3 players in the NHL.
In what was once a violent and brutal league, the NHL has transitioned over the years to become an elegant and masterful sight to behold, as the new strategies of the game today are focused on flow and creativity, while still maintaining the unmatched toughness the sport had built its foundation upon.
In the new age of the NHL, the gladiators that had once dominated the ice, are no longer roaming the league. In their place, is a wave of younger players who possess the same toughness, but can skate at speeds reaching over 25 MPH.
They can score a goal from anywhere on the ice, make impossible passes look simple, and have incredible athleticism and hand-eye coordination to create highlight-reel plays with their dekes and puck tricks.
Because of the new speed and finesse era that’s sweeping the sport around the world, it leaves players who were once dominant superstars as the odd ones out, as they are slowly being aged out of the NHL.
Since 2007, the league has maintained a stagnant order of the Top 3 best players in the NHL, led by Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby as the clear cut number one guy, followed by Capitals left winger Alex Ovechkin at number two, and former Ottawa Senators defenseman Erik Karlsson at number three.
With these players leading the NHL as the best of the best, there are honorable mentions of Chicago Blackhawks right winger Patrick Kane (number four), Boston Bruins center Patrice Bergeron (number five), and Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin (number six). All of whom were the founding fathers of the new generation of hockey players. With this list in mind, let’s shift over to see who cracks the list of the Top 3 players in the NHL today.