NHL's "BEST" superlatives

[slapshot2 0]

I remember a long time ago when I was a kid, I think it was hockey news, did a couple pages on the "best of" of NHL players.

It included skills like hardest slapshot, most accurate, best backhand. I figured It'd be cool if we all posted ours. Feel free to add to the list.

SHOOTING

Hardest Slapshot- ?

Most accurate shot - ?

Hardest wrister - Semin/Kovalchuk

Quickest release - Ovechkin

Best backhand - Crosby

One Timer -

Shootout magic -

Best Skater - Gaborik

Best Hitter - Phaneuf

Best Stickhandler - Maybe Datsyuk

Best Passer - Backstrom

I've watched the Caps far too much, Im a bit biased. Im sure some will come up with better ones I havent been exposed to alot of the West.

[mack 44]

For the slapper I'm going with Shea Weber. At least the Olympics gave more people an indication of how hard he can shoot.

[EBondo 233]

One-timers have to go to Kovalchuk as well. Shootout magic would have to be Jokinen, Datsyuk, or Slava Kozlov.

[Chadd 916]

One-timers have to go to Kovalchuk as well.

Stamkos

[goaliemanshark 6]

Im not sure about Gaborik being the best skater, maybe J-Bo? How does one define best skater? Fastest? Most agile? Smoothest? Quickest acceleration?

Thornton is up there with Backstrom too, at least in my opinion. Epic passers, both of them.

[hoonking 0]

Hardest Slapshot- Shea Weber

Most accurate shot -

Hardest wrister - Semin/Kovalchuk

Quickest release - Hossa

Best backhand - Crosby

One Timer - Stamkos

Shootout magic - Aucoin

Best Skater -

Best Hitter -

Best Stickhandler - Datsyuk

Best Passer - Henrik Sedin

[EBondo 233]

Stamkos

Ohh completely forgot about him. He does have a rocket.

[Nightcast 0]

Hardest Slapshot- Weber

Most accurate shot - ?

Hardest wrister - Kovalchuk

Quickest release - Ovechkin

Best backhand - ?

One Timer - ?

Shootout magic - Datsyuk

Best Skater - ?

Best Hitter - Kronwall(because I'm a wings fan and really don't pay attention to others)

Best Stickhandler - Datsyuk

Best Passer - Backstrom

[TBLfan 25]

Hardest Slapshot- Weber or K. Foster... Foster has at least 5 panes of glass and one skate protector guard thing broken this season.

Most accurate shot - Stamkos

Hardest wrister - Semin

Quickest release - Fedotenko! haha... Kovalev, Stamkos

Best backhand - Crosby, St Louis, Getzlaf

One Timer - Stamkos, Kovalchuk

Shootout magic - Datsyuk

Best Skater - Modano

Best Hitter - Ohlund is my surprise pick because I didn't realize how good he is at timing his hits.

Best Stickhandler - Datsyuk

Best Passer - Crosby

Best Leader - Lidstrom

Best Fighter - Boogaard

Best Grinder - J. Staal

Goalies - Miller

[vek 0]

For the slapper I'm going with Shea Weber. At least the Olympics gave more people an indication of how hard he can shoot.

It was pretty funny watching Heatley get repeatedly pegged in front of the net by Weber in the Olympics, and stagger back to the bench like he'd gotten hit by a car.

If Holmstrom played for the Preds, he'd probably be dead by now.

[mug25 2]

Hardest Slapshot- Weber

Most accurate shot - ??

Hardest wrister - Kovalchuk

Quickest release - Stamkos

Best backhand - Crosby

One Timer - Stamkos

Shootout magic - Lundqvist ;)

Best Skater - Gaborik

Best Hitter - ??

Best Stickhandler - Teows (has made some sick moves)

Best Passer - Backstrom

You left so much out. Best Leader, Best Fighter, Best Grinder and what about Goalies?

[Big Jim 1]

Hardest Slapshot-

Most accurate shot -

Hardest wrister - Semin, can't believe the speed of this guys wrister, holy crap

Quickest release - Crosby, Ovi

Best backhand - Crosby

One Timer - Stamkos

Shootout magic - Datsyuk, love "the datsyuk", coolest move in hockey IMO

Best Skater -

Best Hitter- Orpik, Kaleta is my hometown favorite

Best Stickhandler - Datsyuk, Crosby, Ovi

Best Passer - Crosby

Best Leader - NOT RIVET LULZ

Best Fighter - I miss Rob Ray

Best Grinder - J. Staal, Grier hometown fav

Goalies - Miller(will never be Hasek however)

BEST VISION- Crosby

Yes I'm a Crosby sackrider

[mug25 2]

Damn Big Jim, I liked you before you said that.

JK but I enjoyed doing this...

http://www.easports.com/media/play/video/17451797

[slapshot2 0]

^^^oh yea i forgot biggest whiner :P

I think asshole/cocky might have to go to Ribiero, wait no, avery lol

[mack 44]

It was pretty funny watching Heatley get repeatedly pegged in front of the net by Weber in the Olympics, and stagger back to the bench like he'd gotten hit by a car.

I don't know if that was intentional, but I loled.

[Big Jim 1]

Damn Big Jim, I liked you before you said that.

JK but I enjoyed doing this...

http://www.easports.com/media/play/video/17451797

LOL. Shit man, I love Crosby, but I love Ovi and Datsyuk and all them too. Hell I just like good hockey players, although Crosby is probably my favorite. There's only a couple guys I really don't like. Rutuu, Jarko I think? Guy that plays for Ottawa. Can't stand that asshole. He bit Peters a couple years ago and has pulled some other dirty shit on guys on Buffalo before as well. He's consistent I'll give ya that.

[dsjunior1388 81]

I think Kovalev has to have the accuracy award, hes a witch doctor with some of the things I've seen him do. Then again, like almost everything else he does, he's most impressive in practice

[xrickyb86x 1]

Best skater is EASILY Scott Niedermyer. That guy is as graceful as it gets.

[Allsmokenopancake 0]

Best skater is EASILY Scott Niedermyer. That guy is as graceful as it gets.

See in terms of smooth stride, I think Zubrus is up there, he is seamless on the ice.

But he is not the fastest, so I don't know what the definition is.

Neidermeyer is another good one

As for the actual list....

Hardest Slapshot- Chara (weber might have the best, but Chara has a beast of a shot, as does Juice)

Most accurate shot - Semin. I'm biased here but I also see more of him than any of the other "contenders"

Hardest wrister - Semin again, it's laser like

Quickest release - Ovechkin, although I'm not sure if it's that his release is so quick as it is he can release off balance on his back foot and still get the power behind the shot so it looks like it's a quick release

Best backhand - Crosby

One Timer - Stamkos

Shootout magic - Datsyuk, although Kris Letang has some moves up his sleeve and hasn't been mentioned here either

Best Skater - Zubrus

Best Hitter- Ovechkin (again, homer bias)

Best Stickhandler - Semin, for me when he is on game there are very few in the game who can touch him, and it's best stickhandler, not best stickhandler...consistently!!!

Best Passer - Backstrom

Best Leader - Ovechkin (I know I know, but factor in that before he was named captain the caps were 5 points out of first place in the east, since then they have clinched the eastern conference before any other team had solidified a playoff berth) But that aside, I like Morrow

Best Fighter - I don't know, honestly, the caps have a bunch of middleweights who get beat up regularly, so I don't really follow the fight leaders

Best Grinder - Apart from his inability to convert breakaways with the caps I love me some Mike Grier on any sort of grind line (I also miss steve konowalchuk!!!)

Goalies - Miller there is no other goalie in the NHL at the minute who I think is as good as Miller. Brodeur is getting old and shows it more frequently, Luongo and Kipper have been inconsistent, Halak is showing promise but the playoffs will be the tell for him. Miller is the cream of the crop right now

[chippa13 1844]

Best Backhand has to go to Kariya, his is harder than many guys' snappers.

Savard has to get some consideration for Passer although Thornton wins (he's made 40 goal scorers out of some very pedestrian NHLers, witness Murray and Cheechoo).

Slapper? Johnny Boychuk will be in this category after another season. He has a bomb and he hits the net.

[SuperMan3 1]

Hardest Slapshot- Chara, sure Shea Wheber blew a hole in the net, but that is a thing that rarely happens, how many times do you see it happen a season? Campoli did it last year, did he have the hardest shot last year?

Most accurate shot - Pat Kane, everytime I see him he picks corners, and not just because I saw him pick one on Kipper yesterday, but because he legimately is a threat from anywhere he can get a good shot from.

Hardest wrister - Heatley

Quickest release - Ovechkin, This one speaks for itself

Best backhand - Crosby

One Timer - Kovalchuk, awesome release, hard, accurate, deadly on the poweplay.

Shootout magic - Datsyuk, hes just amazing

Best Skater - Lombardi, hes got wheels and knows how use them, may not be THE fastest, but he is amazing at getting around defenders and reading bounces off the boards for breakaways, too bad hes got hands of stones, definently making a name for himself in Phoenix.

Best Hitter- Kronwall, everytime I watch him, he hits the guy, and takes the puck away, not just the big highlight reel hit.

Best Stickhandler - Datsyuk(Look above)

Best Passer - Thornton, He regurlarly misses a pass, ask Marleau.

Best Leader - Jarome Iginla, ever since Mess and Steve retired, Theres no other player in the league comes close, cannot believe he hasn't been on anyones list, east coast bias?

Best Fighter - Godard, I haven't watched him fight in a while, but he used to tear it up, destroyed Boogard

Best Grinder - Has to be Burrows, you might argue hes also the best pest, but he also works hard in the corners, and playing with the Sedins, gives them tons of room using his body, being a Flames fan, hate his guts, but have to have a little respect for him.

Goalies -Bryzgalov. This is a hard pick, good goalies usually have good teams, Miller Kiprusoff, Luongo, and Broduer is the biggest example, if you pick a goalie based on stats alone (GAA, Save%, GP, SO, not necessarly wins or losses) Kiprusoff is near the best, and without him the flames would not win, ever. Lots of people would pick Luongo, but his atheletism is questionable, hes one of those goalies that are blown up by the media(Broduer) hes nothing special. But my pick is going to be Bryzgalov, the Yotes will definently not be fourth in the west, pushing for first now.

I'm not even going to mention Broduer, because if he played on any other team, he would definenly be the backup or play 30 games, max, he is a sieve without the trap and a good defensive team in front of him.

[adam14 182]

Coming from somebody that doesnt like Crosby very much as a player, but respects him and repects what he does, how is it that nobody has given him credit for shootout magic? hes 8/10 in shootouts this season which is ridiculous.

[K9 Unit 1]

^^^oh yea i forgot biggest whiner :P

I think asshole/cocky might have to go to Ribiero, wait no, avery lol

cocky definitely go to ribiero

jussi jokinen's definitely the best at shootouts when it comes to stats but datsyuk is more fun to watch for sure

backhand only person i think of is sundin before crosby but i dunno if we're doing retired players

and i can't be bothered to debate on the others :P

[Speedz98 15]

I'm not even going to mention Broduer, because if he played on any other team, he would definenly be the backup or play 30 games, max, he is a sieve without the trap and a good defensive team in front of him.

Foolish statement. EVERY team plays the trap. But not like how it use to be. Devils, aren't trap heavy any more. There are teams that trap more. If you really knew your stuff you'd know that every team in the NHL pretty much plays the same system, or similar ones. Brodeur has proved that since the lockout, he can put up number without the trap. Boston Traps more than the Devils.

Teams playing pretty much the same has been acknoledged by coaches.

Also, Brodeur has one a gold medal as canadas starter in 2002, and a World Cup of Hockey. Your going to tell me Team canada was trapping??

Trapping is just a form of defense. Every team does it.

[xrickyb86x 1]

I'm not even going to mention Broduer, because if he played on any other team, he would definenly be the backup or play 30 games, max, he is a sieve without the trap and a good defensive team in front of him.

LOL wut