The Top 10 Current Lines in the NHL

Hockey is a sport that requires every single player on a particular team to work to the best of their ability in order to reach a certain goal.

Yet throughout a team, each player is defined by their particular role. The producer, the checker, the enforcer.

The scorers are those who are generally on the top two lines of a team. In this article, I will count down the top 10 lines in the NHL.

No. 10: Los Angeles Kings, A. Frolov-A. Kopitar-J. Williams

The top trio for the surprising Los Angeles Kings comes in at No. 10 on the list. They have a combination of size and skill, making them a dangerous line.

Another factor that makes this line so effective is its ability to change. Justin Williams and Dustin Brown can be switched for one another from line to line to change the look of this top trio.

Current Stats:

GP G A P +/- PIM PP SH GW
Anze Kopitar: 36 16 22 38 4 8 5 0 0
Alexander Frolov: 35 9 15 24 -8 20 2 0 0
Justin Williams: 31 8 16 24 4 27 1 0 1

No. 9: Calgary Flames, R. Bourque-O. Jokinen-J. Iginla

The top unit of the Flames, which has been suffering with the injury problems of Renee Bouruqe, comes in at No. 9.

Jarome Iginla is still one of the most dominant players in the game, Olli Jokinen has done well complimenting him, although he is inconsitant at times, and Renee Bourque is developing, if not already developed, into a legitimate top four winger.

Current Stats:
GP G A P +/- PIM PP SH GW
Jarome Iginla: 33 17 16 33 2 35 5 0 3
Olli Jokinen: 33 7 15 22 1 27 2 0 1
Renee Bourque: 27 10 17 27 4 37 2 2 0

No. 8: Atlanta Thrashers, I. Kovalchuk-N. Antropov-M. Afinogenov

This trio is near the top of the Southeast Division in terms of powerhouse lines, as they only trail a trio hailing from Washington.

The big powerful Kazakh center is flanked by two speedy Russian wingers. They have a proper balance of size in Antropov, speed in Afinogenov, and pure skill in Kovalchuk

Current Stats:
GP G A P +/- PIM PP SH GW
Ilya Kovalchuk: 25 17 14 31 -3 41 7 0 1
Nik Antropov: 31 4 21 25 8 6 1 0 1
Maxim Afinogenov: 31 11 15 26 -1 24 2 0 1

No. 7: New Jersey Devils, Z. Parise-T. Zajac-J. Langenbrunner

One of the smaller lines on this list, the Devils trio is all about size, skill, and grit.

They have one of the most skilled players in the league in Zach Parise, a solid two way center in Travis Zajac, and a veteran leader in Langenbrunner. This line is complimented by a strong second unit, but still gets things done in the Meadowlands.

Current Stats:
GP G A P +/- PIM PP SH GW
Zach Parise: 31 15 20 35 18 8 2 1 1
Travis Zajac: 31 9 18 27 14 12 3 0 0
Jamie Langenbrunner:31 7 21 28 11 12 1 1 2

No. 6: Pittsburgh Penguins, C. Kunitz-S. Crosby-B. Guerin

This is the line that contains, in my opinion, the best player in the game.

Sidney Crosby leads this trio made up of a long time veteran and a tough and gritty scorer. The same line that led the Penguins to the Cup last year has been able to cope with an injury to Kunitz this year .

Current Stats:
GP G A P +/- PIM PP SH GW
Chris Kunitz: 21 3 9 12 1 27 1 1 0
Sidney Crosby: 33 21 20 41 13 39 6 1 3
Bill Guerin: 34 8 13 21 6 28 3 0 3

No. 5: Chicago Blackhawks, T. Brouwer-J. Toews-P. Kane

The young top line of the strong Chicago Blackhawks just makes it into the top half of our list.

This line is made up of two perennial all-stars and one checking winger. Together, these three form a combination that strikes fear into teams around the league. It's a line that can hit, pass, and score.

Current Stats:
GP G A P +/- PIM PP SH GW
Troy Brouwer: 31 7 6 13 2 26 4 1 3
Jonathan Toews: 25 9 10 19 13 10 5 0 0
Patrick Kane: 31 10 20 30 9 10 1 0 2

No. 4: Vancouver Canucks, D. Sedin-H. Sedin-A. Burrows

The most dominant cyclers in the league enter the list at the No. 4 slot. Even though two thirds of this unit dont't have career best stats, one must realize that Daniel Sedin was injured for a large portion of this year.

Once Daniel returned, this line has been the most dominant in the NHL. The only reason for their low position is due to the injury to Daniel. The grit of Burrows compounded with Sedin's skill, makes this an elite line in the NHL.

Current Stats:
GP G A P +/- PIM PP SH GW
Daniel Sedin: 15 7 12 19 9 4 1 0 3
Henrik Sedin: 33 14 28 42 9 24 3 1 3
Alexandre Burrows: 33 10 13 23 8 44 1 0 0

No. 3: Anaheim Ducks, C. Perry-R. Getzlaf-B. Ryan

Even though their team is having an off season in terms of their high standards, this trio has been consistently producing throughout the season.

Corey Perry holds the longest point streak in the NHL this season. This all-North America line combines the aspects of grit, size, and most importantly skill to make them successful as a unit.

Current Stats:
GP G A P +/- PIM PP SH GW
Corey Perry: 32 16 21 37 4 37 3 1 0
Ryan Getzlaf: 32 6 30 36 3 31 3 0 0
Bobby Ryan: 32 14 11 25 4 18 5 0 1

No. 2: Washington Capitals, A. Ovechkin-N. Backstrom-A. Semlin

This young unit is by far the most skilled in the NHL and one of the most dangerous as well.

Time and time again, this trio has proved that they can lead their Capitals to victory. With Backstrom's amazing passing ability and the scoring abilities of Ovechkin and Semin, this line, which only lacks some size, comes in at No. 2 on this list.

Current Stats:
GP G A P +/- PIM PP SH GW
Alex Ovechkin: 26 21 17 38 17 46 6 0 4
Nicklas Backstrom: 34 11 28 39 12 12 4 0 1
Alex Semin: 25 13 15 28 7 20 4 0 1

No. 1: San Jose Sharks, D. Heatley-J. Thornton-P. Marleau

The all-Canadian trio playing for the San Jose Sharks is the No. 1 line in the NHL.

These three offensive dynamos, who are all candidates for the 2010 Canadian Olympic Roster, have been consistently dominating throughout the year and were put together due to an injury to Devin Setoguchi.

The best passer in the league is Thornton, they have a pure sniper in Heatley, and the perfect balance of the two in Marleau make this super line the best in the NHL.

Current Stats:
GP G A P +/- PIM PP SH GW
Dany Heatley: 34 21 16 37 7 20 10 1 4
Joe Thornton: 34 7 37 44 6 8 2 0 1
Patrick Marleau: 34 20 14 34 9 4 5 2 3