25. Dany Heatley, Ottawa Senators—Because of a shoulder injury, Heatley's offense suffered a little, netting only 41 goals and just over 80 points, but when he's healthy, Heatley can offer Ottawa a dynamic 100-point winger that can do it all.

24. Daniel Briere, Philadelphia Flyers—Although he was a big letdown during the regular season following a 90-point campaign with the Sabres the previous year, Briere turned it on when it mattered in the playoffs. He really dropped off in his assist totals last year, but as he gains confidence and becomes comfortable in Philadelphia, his chemistry with his teammates will improve, and so will those assist totals.

23. Marian Gaborik, Minnesota Wild—It'll really be interesting to see what Gaborik does this season. Does he flourish in a contract year, or does he suffer because of the on-going drama between himself and the Minnesota Wild. One thing is for sure though, Gaborik, like Parise and Bouchard, is a prime offensive talent, trapped in the system of the offensively-stunted step-sisters within the NHL, whether it's assisted his two-way game or not.

22. Brian Campbell, Chicago Blackhawks—Campbell is an excellent puck-moving defenseman, but he still has some work to do in the defensive zone. If everything had worked out, and Campbell had stayed in San Jose (and Ron Wilson wasn't fired) you'd probably see Campbell develop into a more well-rounded talent. Be that as it may, Campbell will still give Chicago everything they paid him for this season.

21. Zdeno Chara, Boston Bruins—Isn't the flashiest offensive defenseman, but still can get his huge frame behind a huge shot. Chara has the ability to dominate almost anyone in the NHL (See: Bryan McCabe, rag doll for more proof). Chara is a beast. 'Nuff said.

20. Anze Kopitar, Los Angeles Kings—In the first few drafts of this list, I had Kopitar ranked in the top 18 each time, while some may not even believe he's top 20, let alone to 35. Kopitar has the tools though, and he's going to produce like a fiend in L.A. this season. Watch out for him.

Sure these guys aren't Mario Lemieux...but who is?

19. Dion Phaneuf, Calgary Flames—Um....so he hits. So he has a big shot. So he's already been a Norris Trophy candidate and if it wasn't for Nick Lidstrom he may have won one already. So he's only 23.

So what?

18. Brendan Morrow, Dallas Stars—Morrow really had a coming out party last year. His first 30-goal season, a solid 70-point campaign, and a riveting playoff run. Now I'm not biased like Ken Armer is, but I think Morrow is one of the premier leaders in the game. He's in for a big year.

17. Ilya Kovalchuk, Atlanta Thrashers—

You're currently logged into Facebook

Do you want to share your Bleacher Report activity on Facebook?