Top 12 Power Play Performers of 2009-10

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With the 2010-11 season just a few weeks away, I thought it would be fun to look back on the top twelve power play performers of the 2009-10 season.

Special teams are becoming more and more important to an NHL teams playoff chances, making players that can perform on the power play a very important part of a teams success.

Here are the top twelve power play performers of 2009-10:

12—Joe Thornton: Centre, San Jose Sharks

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Known as one of the NHL’s premier set-up men, Joe Thornton has been a staple on the San Jose Sharks power play for five seasons.

Blessed with a keen eye for spotting the open man and the ability to thread passes through traffic, Thornton scored four goals and added 25 assists, for a total of 29 power play points.

Look for Thornton to put up similar numbers in 2010-11, with an outside chance of hitting 30 assists.

11—Patrick Kane: Right Wing, Chicago Blackhawks

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Blessed with lightning speed and a nose for the net, Patrick Kane punished opposing penalty kills with a combination of his wicked shot and playmaking abilities.

Kane registered nine goals and added 20 assists for a total of 29 power play points. Kane had scored 13 and added 22 assists for a total of 35 power play points in 2008-09.

Look for him to climb back into the 35-40 point range, as his role on the power play will likely increase in 2010-11 given all of the changes in Chicago.

10—Dany Heatley: Right Wing, San Jose Sharks

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Blessed with one of the better shots in the NHL today, Dany Heatley is no stranger to producing big numbers on the power play.

Heatley has scored a total of 86 power play goals in the past five seasons and a total of 117 power play markers in 589 career NHL games.

In 2009-10 Heatley scored a total of 18 power play goals (third best in his career) and 12 assists for a total of 30 power play points.

With the benefit of another season alongside premier set-up man Joe Thornton, look for Heatley to hit the 20 goal mark on the power play, with a 25 goal season not out of the question.

9—Daniel Alfredsson: Right Wing, Ottawa Senators

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Known for his tremendous on-ice vision and gritty play, Daniel Alfredsson had yet another great season on the power play, netting a total of four goals and adding 27 assists for a total of 31 power play points.

If Alfredsson had got any kind of support from the likes of under-achiever Alexei Kovalev he may have been in the 40 point range, sadly, Kovalev struggled on the power play last season, netting a disappointing four goals.

Look for Alfredsson to hit the 35 point mark this season, with 40 a real possibility if Kovalev shows up in 2010-11.

8—Mike Richards: Centre, Philadelphia Flyers

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Few NHL players bring the intensity and drive that Mike Richards does, night-in, night-out.

It doesn’t matter if he’s playing five-on-five or on the power play, Richards brings his “A” game, and it shows in his power play point totals.

Richards notched a total of 13 power play markers and a total of 31 power play points—just two points off his 33 points in 2008-09.

With Richards’ game ever improving, look for him to hit the 35-40 point mark this season, with as many as 15-20 goals.

7—Sidney Crosby: Centre, Pittsburgh Penguins

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With a focus on scoring more goals in 2009-10, Sidney Crosby used his power play time to notch 13 of his league-leading (tied with Steven Stamkos) 51 goals.

Crosby’s 13 power play markers was just three off his career high of 16, set in his rookie season (2005-06).

Crosby’s 34 power play points was six off the 40 power play points in 2008-09. Look for him to re-establish himself as a top-five performer in 2010-11, netting close to 40 points, 25 of which should be assists.

6—Alex Ovechkin: Left Wing, Washington Capitals

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The only Left Winger in the top twelve, Alex Ovechkin was a little bit of a disappointment on the power play in 2009-10, netting just 13 goals and a total of 36 points—six goals off the 19 he scored in 2008-09 and nine off his career high of 22 set in 2007-08.

Having lost the NHL scoring title, Rocket Richard Trophy and netting such a low total of power play goals, look for Ovechkin to light the lamp at a torrid pace in 2010-11, with 20 goals a real possibility.

5—Martin St. Louis: Right Wing, Tampa Bay Lightning

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His seven goals, 30 assists and 37 points on the power play earned Martin St. Louis a place in the NHL”s top five power play performers and helped him to a 94 point season—the most points St. Louis had registered since the 2006-07 season.

The addition of Steven Stamkos to Tampa’s first power play unit was a stroke of genius for the Lightning, which translated into 39.4 percent of St. Louis’ points total in 2009-10.

With the Lightning expected to put more emphasis on their offensive game, look for St. Louis to put up similar numbers in 2010-11, with an outside shot at 40 points.

4—Niklas Backstrom: Centre, Washington Capitals

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Playing on the same power play unit as Alex Ovechkin and Mike Green, Niklas Backstrom registered a total of 11 goals and 37 points.

With Ovechkin expected to raise his totals in 2010-11 and with the continued support on the point from Green, look for Backstrom to continue to dominate opposing penalty kills, with a similar number of points in 2010-11, possibly emerging as the league leader.

3—Anze Kopitar: Centre, Los Angeles Kings:

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Centering one of the league’s most potent power play units, Anze Kopitar netted a total of 14 power play goals (a career high), finishing third overall with 38 power play points.

With the Kings’ ever improving roster set to tear up the NHL this season, one can safely expect Kopitar to be amongst the NHL’s top performers on the power play in 2010-11.

2—Brad Richards: Centre, Dallas Stars

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An elite set-up man, Brad Richards used his prowess on the power play to help him post a career high in points (91).

Richards posted a career high 13 power play goals and posted a total of 40 power play points, just one point off the NHL lead.

Playing in a contract year, look for Richards to continue to post big numbers, but with the Dallas Stars looking like a team that will struggle a bit in 2010-11, I doubt he will post the 40 points on the power play that he did last season.

Steven Stamkos: Centre, Tampa Bay Lightning

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Blessed with a quick one-timer, Steven Stamkos made opposing goaltenders pay with a total of 24 power play goals and 41 points—the most amongst all NHL players in 2009-10.

Stamkos, a sophomore, was the 2009-10 co-winner of the Rocket Richard Trophy with a total of 51 goals. He is expected to put up similar numbers in 2010-11, with another 20 power play goals all but expected.

The Lightning’s depth up front is as good as it comes in NHL circles, that depth should allow Stamkos to remain fresh on the ice, which, in turn, should allow him to spend significant minutes on the first power play unit.