NHL Power Rankings: Top 50 Forwards in the NHL Today
The 2010-2011 NHL season has had a wild first half to say the least.
When the season started, the top 50 forwards list looked greatly different.
Some great players have dropped in the rankings and some young players have jumped right up into the mix.
There have been some strange happenings and some hard hits, but the following list is of the best forwards in hockey right now.
Enjoy!
50. Tuomo Ruutu
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Tuomo Ruutu is on pace for the best season of his career.
Ruutu has 40 points through his first 50 games and his previous career high was 54 points two years ago.
Ruutu has been good for the Hurricanes and he will have to continue to play well for Carolina to make the playoffs.
49. Tomas Plekanec
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Tomas Plekanec has had to be big for the Montreal Canadiens this year with the injuries of players like Mike Cammalleri.
The Canadiens are in the middle of the playoff hunt and the team’s success has been very dependent on the play of Plekanec.
With 40 points through 49 games, he has been one of the most consistent players on the Canadiens, but he has to keep the stats up.
48. Mikhail Grabovski
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For a Toronto team that has been full of disappointments, Mikhail Grabovski hasn’t been one of them.
With 37 points through 48 games, Grabovski is second on the Maple Leafs in points and leads the team with seven power-play goals.
If Toronto ever wants to win, it needs to keep its young, talented core together.
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47. James Neal
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One of the biggest reasons for the Dallas Stars' success this season is the development of their young players.
Neal has been one of the best young players and has helped Dallas be one of the best teams in the league.
Through 50 games, Neal has 37 points and has been willing to play in any situation Stars head coach Marc Crawford has asked him to.
46. Patrice Bergeron
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Patrice Bergeron has been the best player on the Boston Bruins in more ways than one.
Not only is Bergeron the leading scorer on the Bruins, but he is also one of the best two-way players in the league.
The Bruins forward has 40 points through 50 games and is a plus-21 overall on the season.
45. Ryane Clowe
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The San Jose Sharks have not been playing all that well this season, but it’s not Ryane Clowe’s fault.
Clowe has really started to come on as a scorer and it has been one of the reasons the Sharks are still in contention.
With the struggles of San Jose's top scorers like Joe Thornton and Dany Heatley, players like Clowe have added depth to help keep the ship afloat.
With 38 points through 48 games, Clowe has been good for the Sharks.
44. Justin Williams
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Justin Williams has been playing well in Los Angeles this year and the team has needed it.
The Los Angeles Kings have struggled somewhat in the first half of the season, and a big reason they are still in contention is the play of Justin Williams.
Williams has added 39 points and has been surprisingly good this season.
43. Jussi Jokinen
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Jussi Jokinen has been big for the Hurricanes this season.
The Hurricanes have needed the additional depth and scoring talent, and Jokinen has supplied it.
With 38 points through 44 games, Jokinen is on pace for one of his best seasons and can help Carolina make a push towards the playoffs.
42. Evgeni Malkin
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The league expects better out of Evgeni Malkin.
The Penguins expect more too.
Malkin was in the top 10 in points at the beginning of the season but has steadily dropped.
With just 37 points, the Penguins will need more production out of him, especially with the absence of Sidney Crosby due to a concussion.
41. Ryan Getzlaf
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The Ducks have kept themselves in the right direction following the injury to Ryan Getzlaf.
With Getzlaf on the mend, the Ducks are in a good position in the playoff hunt.
In the 40 games that Getzlaf has played, he has 38 points and he will be a huge key for a successful Ducks playoff run.
40. Andrew Ladd
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Does the front office in Chicago regret letting Andrew Ladd go?
They should.
The Atlanta Thrashers have found a real stellar forward for cheap with the acquisition of Ladd.
Ladd has kept Atlanta in contention this year and has 39 points through the first 51 games.
39. Brandon Dubinsky
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Brandon Dubinsky is one of the best two-way forwards in the league, and, before his injury, he was red hot.
He has been a big key to the continued success and future contention for the Rangers.
Dubinsky has 38 points through 47 games and has been the most versatile player on the team so far this season.
38. Clarke MacArthur
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One of the brightest stars on a bad team, Clarke MacArthur is a big part of Toronto’s future.
MacArthur has been given the chance to make his mark and he hasn’t failed.
The young Maple Leafs forward has 40 points through the first 49 games and has been a solid forward throughout the season.
37. Patrick Kane
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Patrick Kane is one of the best players in the NHL but he has struggled with inconsistency and injuries.
If the Blackhawks can keep Kane healthy, then they will be in line for another deep playoff run.
In the 41 games Kane has played so far this season, he has 37 points and has been a minus-eight.
36. Dustin Brown
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Dustin Brown is the leader of the Kings and he uses his play to show it.
The Kings have been lucky with all of the young talent they have brought in, but they will need continued success from Brown to succeed.
Brown has 37 points on the season and is a plus-14.
35. Bobby Ryan
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Bobby Ryan has been the pillar that has weathered the storm of injuries that the Ducks faced and has obtained 39 points so far this season.
With the return of Ryan Getzlaf to the lineup, Ryan should be looking for a big bump in statistics and Anaheim will be looking for a bump in the standings as well.
34. Thomas Vanek
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Believe it or not, the Buffalo Sabres are still in the playoff hunt.
Even with all of the injuries, the team is still in contention.
Thomas Vanek is a big part of the reason the Sabres have weathered a tough part of the season.
Vanek has 41 points through his first 49 games and he will need to continue that success in the second half of the season if Buffalo wants a chance to make the playoffs.
33. Mikko Koivu
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Mikko Koivu has been the best forward for the Minnesota Wild this season and has been the biggest highlight on a bad team.
Koivu has 43 points through 49 games and he has the ability to keep the scoring pace up and have the best year of his career.
32. Jeff Skinner
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The kid is 18 years old!
Jeff Skinner has been amazing this season and has really benefited from the solid offensive play around him.
Skinner leads all rookies with 40 points.
31. Paul Stastny
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Paul Stastny is one of my favorite players and he doesn’t get the credit he deserves.
Stastny is one of the best all-around centers in the league and has 43 points to complement all of the other intangibles he brings to the ice.
30. Dany Heatley
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Dany Heatley should be higher on this list, but his lack of offense this season has lowered him greatly.
Heatley has only 43 points over the first 50 games.
If the Sharks want to stay in contention in the tough Western Conference, they need to get more offensive production from their top guys.
29. Teemu Selanne
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I am almost 20 years the junior of Anaheim’s Teemu Selanne and he is in 20 times better shape than me.
He has had a great season for the Ducks and he has remained one of their top forwards even at 40 years old.
Selanne has 45 points in 43 games and he will need to keep up the big scoring for the Ducks to have another shot at a Cup.
28. Milan Hejduk
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John Lennon sang about a revolution.
I don’t think he meant Hejduk’s season, but he would’ve been a lot cooler if he did.
With 42 points in 43 games, Hejduk is having one of his best seasons of his career and has become relevant again.
27. Jonathan Toews
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Jonathan Toews has had a disappointing first half of the season and the Blackhawks will need him to step up for Chicago to make the playoffs.
With only 40 points this season, Toews has been stifled in the offensive zone and needs to shake the defenders and start making more plays.
26. Joe Thornton
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Joe Thornton and the San Jose Sharks have been very disappointing at even strength this season.
“Jumbo” Joe Thornton has scored 44 points this season but is a minus-14.
The Sharks need more to stay in contention.
25. Pavel Datsyuk
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You can expect another Selke Award if he comes back healthy and plays well.
Pavel Datsyuk has been one of the best two way defenders of our generation and he continues to do it night-in and night-out.
Datsyuk, in only 33 games this season, has scored 39 points.
24. Jeff Carter
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With 44 points including 23 goals, Jeff Carter has helped the Flyers climb to first in the Eastern Conference.
The whole team has played well, but they need Carter to keep up the goal scoring to be a danger in the playoffs.
23. Mike Ribeiro
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Let me start by saying I hate Mike Ribeiro.
He is a diver and faker and is a disgrace to hockey.
With that said, he has been great for the Stars this year.
Ribeiro has 46 points and is sixth in the league with 36 assists.
22. Martin Havlat
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Martin Havlat went from having his playing time cut by the coaches to playing great recently.
The Wild made the right choice keeping him and he has paid off.
Havlat has 44 points and is quietly having a solid year.
21. Matt Duchene
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Matt Duchene has become one of my new favorite players because of his fun attitude at the All-Star draft and during the game and skills competition.
Duchene has been a big part of the offensive effort in Colorado, scoring 45 points through the first 50 games.
20. Nicklas Backstrom
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Nicklas Backstrom has caught some slack for starting slow, but he has had to make up for the lack of offense from teammate Alex Ovechkin.
Backstrom has 46 points and is ninth in the league in assists with 34.
19. Danny Briere
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Danny Briere has been playing great with the Flyers this season.
His 26 goals put him fifth in the league and his 45 points have helped the Philadelphia Flyers to the top of the Eastern Conference.
18. Patrick Sharp
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Patrick Sharp has forced himself into the discussion of the best forwards in the league this season.
While the rest of the team falters off the starting blocks, Sharp carried the team.
Sharp has 26 goals with eight power-play goals (second in the NHL), two short-handed goals (eighth in the NHL) and six game-winning goals (first in the NHL).
17. Rick Nash
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Rick Nash has been playing solid again this season and he has kept the ship steady in Columbus again.
With 43 points, Nash is on pace for another solid season.
The Blue Jackets will need more production, though, if they want to make the playoffs.
16. Loui Eriksson
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Loui Eriksson is another Dallas forward who has exceeded all expectations.
Through 49 games, Eriksson has 49 points and has added on the power play too.
15. Mike Richards
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Mike Richards is one of the best defensive forwards in the league and he is also one of the best offensive forwards.
That makes him great all around.
With his 47 points this season coming on any situation, he is not only one of the most talented forwards, but he is also one of the most versatile.
14. Anze Kopitar
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Dustin Brown may be the captain of the Kings, but Anze Kopitar leads by example.
Kopitar is one of the best players in the NHL and his 49 points rank him 11th in the league.
13. Jarome Iginla
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Jarome Iginla has been solid…again.
I don’t know if it’s the trade rumors swirling or the continued pressure from the fans and management, but he has answered the bell.
This season Iginla has 47 points and has tried to keep the Flames in contention.
12. Corey Perry
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Corey Perry has been stealing the show in Anaheim this season.
Perry has 51 points, including 25 goals. Nine of his goals have come on the power play as well.
11. Ryan Kesler
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Ryan Kesler has been a big part of the success of the Canucks this season.
Kesler has 47 points including 27 goals. His goal total puts him in third in the NHL.
10. Alex Ovechkin
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Alex Ovechkin has been very disappointing this season.
He needs to score more and be more aggressive again like before he got suspended.
Ovechkin has 51 points this season, which is good, but it’s not Ovechkin good.
9. Claude Giroux
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Claude Giroux has been one of the biggest surprises of the NHL season so far, and the Flyers have needed him.
Giroux has 47 points, but it’s the fact that he will play in any situation that makes him so valuable.
The Flyers will need a lot more help from Giroux if they want to bring the Stanley Cup home.
8. Eric Staal
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Eric Staal helped make the All-Star game enjoyable this year and he deserves a lot of credit for that.
Staal has also helped his Hurricanes stay in contention, compiling 52 points, which is eighth in the league.
Stall has to lead by example and play stronger defense to supplement their strong offense.
7. Brad Richards
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Brad Richards has my vote for surprise player of the year.
The Dallas Stars also get my vote for surprise team.
Richards is third in the NHL in assists with 37 and sixth in the league with 57 points.
6. Henrik Zetterberg
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Henrik Zetterberg is one of the best offensive players in the NHL right now.
He has shown his unbelievable talents over and over again and the Red Wings are thankful.
Zetterberg is seventh in the NHL with 53 points and has to keep it up with all of the injuries the Wings have faced.
5. Martin St. Louis
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They call Martin St. Louis, "Mighty Mouse."
He is too good to call him a mouse, but on the stage at the All-Star draft he did look small!
He has 20 goals and 40 assists for 60 points.
4. Henrik Sedin
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Henrik Sedin is the defending Hart Trophy winner and is playing fantastic hockey again.
He is one of the most unselfish players in the league, and his rapport with his brother is something that can’t be replicated.
Henrik Sedin has 50 assists, which leads the NHL, and the 61 points he has ranks him in fourth.
3. Sidney Crosby
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Sidney Crosby has spent his time off well. He has complained the whole time.
Even with being out as long as he has, he is still toward the top of the point charts and will be right back in the mix when he comes back.
Crosby is in the top 10 in goals, assists, points and power-play points and hasn’t played in a while.
2. Daniel Sedin
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Daniel Sedin is the scorer of the family.
If you look up the league leaders in offensive statistics, Daniel Sedin has his name all over the top of every list.
Sedin is third in goals, assists and points while adding 11 power-play goals.
1. Steven Stamkos
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Steven Stamkos is the undisputed heavyweight champion of the power rankings.
Stamkos has been the most consistent offensive forward on the season and he has played a huge role in the success of the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Stamkos is first in the league with 38 goals and first in the league with 67 points. He is also first in power-play goals and game-winning goals with 15 and six accordingly.
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