So far, who would you say has been the best hockey player this decade?

Question

I would go with Nick Lidstrom. He is the front runner to win his sixth Norris Trophy this decade, and odds are he would have won it during the lockout season too.

Answer 1

Lidstrom no question.

He is the poster boy for consistency.  He has five Norris Trophies and really deserved a few others in the years before his first one.  The year Pronger won it, Lidstrom had 20 goals, 53 assists.  Pronger had 14 goals, 48 assists.  Pronger's physical play.  Pronger did have a great edge in +/-, and he won it because his Blues won the Presidents Trophy.

The one he for sure should have won was in '98 when Rob Blake won it.  Lidstrom had 59 points and +22.  Blake 50 points -3, a minus defenseman should NEVER win the Norris.  The only reason he didn't win it that year was because the league wasn't ready to give the Norris to a non-physical defenseman.

Nick has been a Norris winner or runner-up every year except 2004 from 1998-2008.  His offensive numbers dropped that year because the Wings used Mathieu Schneider as the go to shooter on the power play, and the forwards took over more of the scoring.  He was still outstanding on defense.

Never more than 50 PIM, before the "new" rules he never had more than 38 PIM and only had more than 30 twice.

Best player, most consistent player in the last 15 years.

Answer 2

Honestly....(I know i'll get shot here) Crosby and Ovechkin have to be the most influential players this decade. (I know I'll get many thumbs down on this.....but I'm going to continue anyways)....

First I'll start with Crosby. (See I'm more focusing on influential and not "the best" because IMO the most influential IS the best)......He pretty much saved a franchise. Hockey in Pittsburgh was starting to die down. I mean there were still a lot of fans, I being one of them, who still attended a lot of games, but we never really got out money's worth....let me say. We had gone through a lot.....Jagr left us, and we had Lemieux who had every illness under the sun. Then along came Crosby.........He was runner up for the Calder trophy, won the Art Ross and Hart and became the league's youngest captain all in three years. Hockey is forever changed in our beloved town. All the fans are still here, but NOW the media is starting to realize we have a team.

Ovechkin......Ovie is a one of a kind player. Years from now we'll be talking about him like we talk of Mario Lemieux and Wayne Gretzky; one of the greatest ever. I still can't even explain what Ovechkin has done and will do for the league. He's one fun player to watch.....his happiness and attitude after a game is easy to feed off of, so it's easy to feel happy for him. Also like Crosby, he has brought a lot of attention to his team. He won the Calder trophy his rookie year, he's won the Art Ross trophy this year, probably will win the Hart, was the first player to score 60+ goals in one season since Lemieux and Jagr, won a gold medal with team Russia this year, and could possibly be a captain next year. Who knows what will happen with Clark, and Ovie sounds like a good choice. He deserves it.

Answer 3

Foward: Jarome Iginla

Defensemen: Nick Lidstrom

Goalie: Martin Brodeur

Those are my picks...

Answer 4

Defense- Lidstrom

Goalie- Brodeur

Forward- Yzerman

Answer 5

Goalie: Patrick Roy (retired 2000)

Forward: Joe Thorton

Defenseman: Nick Lidstrom

Roy is questionably the greatest goalie of all time, Thorton has been among the leader boards in almost every stat for the past few years, and Nick Lidstrom has been voted to many times to count. I think its a safe bet to go with these three

Answer 6

Nick Lidstrom!

also Steve Yzerman

Answer 7

Peter Forsberg

Answer 8

Definitely Niklas Lidstrom.  He has filled the skates of the Captain very nicely...

Answer 9

Goalie: Brodeur, Giguere (conn smythe, cup)

Defence; Lidstrom

Forward: Heatley (calder 02, all-star mvp, 2 50goal seasons)

Answer 10

If Thornton can win a cup in the next couple years I think he would be a good candidate.  Adding him to the Sharks made the Sharks a tough team overnight.  Its really a hard one to pick though because so many players have been successful.  Lidstrom, Forsberg, and Iginla have all been great players for a while.  I Think a lot of the judging my come down to who wins the most cups.

Answer 11

I'm with you, Nick Lidstrom for sure.