NHL Fantasy: Creating Two Top Power Play Units

The NHL is a league full of high octane action and players. There are many different facets of the game that make it exciting and thrilling.

The man advantage—better known as the "power play"—is one of these thrilling moments. Teams can have the opportunity of playing 5-on-4, 5-on-3 or 4-on-3 hockey.

The team with the most man advantages usually has the best chance of winning a game. While this may not always be the case, power plays are always exciting, as team's get to throw out their top players in a dream lineup.

This slideshow will assembly two power play units with active players. Statistics like career power play goals, overall goals and assists will be considered in this ranking.

The age of the players is not a major factor, as I am compiling the lineups based on the power play skills. This is an opinion piece, and I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments section.

Sit back and watch, because you're about to take the ice for the power play.

LW- Ilya Kovalchuk

Key Stat: 126 Career Power Play Goals

Ilya Kovalchuk has arguably one of the deadliest one-time slappers in the league today. Kovalchuk has a knack for drifting away from defenders into the slot, signaling for a pass, and then throwing his entire body weight into a slapper that sends him to his knees.

Out of Kovalchuk's 370 career goals, 126 have come on the man advantage. That averages out to 34.05 percent.

It is his deadly slap shot, his ability to pass the puck, and overall offensive proficiency which makes Kovalchuk a power play threat.

C- Joe Thornton

Key Stat: 115 Career Power Play Goals

Jumbo Joe Thornton seems to always be in the discussion when it comes to the league leaders in assists.

For the past six seasons, Thornton has ranked in the top 10 for assist leaders. This includes a stretch from the 2005-06 season to the 2007-08 campaign where Thornton led the league.

Having a player who can pass and shoot the puck is always great on a power play. Thornton also has scored 115 career power play goals of his 306 career goals which factors to be 35.62 percent of all his goals.

Thornton brings size and skill which allows him to assist others on goals, deflect goals in front of the net, and it allows him to just fire a shot from the point.

RW- Teemu Selanne

Key Stat: Sixth Overall in NHL history with 236 Power Play Goals

Teemu Selanne may be 42 years of age, but don't let that fool you. The wily veteran happened to score 80 points last season. That put him in the top 10 of all scorers in the league.

The Finnish Flash will unquestionable go down as one of the league's great power play skaters and one of the league's top right wingers.

Selanne holds a few records in the NHL and is currently sits sixth overall with 236 power play goals. Selanne should move quickly into fifth place past current league disciplinarian Brendan Shannahan who has 237 career power play goals.

Selanne is a player who relied on his speed early in his career. He has slowed down a bit but is still a threat to score on the power play.

Left Point- Steven Stamkos

Key Stat: 50 Power Play Goals in only Three Seasons Thus Far

Stamkos is another player like Kovalchuk who has a deadly one timer. He has really been one of the NHL's rising stars.

Stamkos is a good skater and has a great shot. If you watched last night's Tampa Bay Lightning game against the Washington Capitals, you got a good look at the torque Stamkos has on his shot.

He may have only three years of experience under his belt but Stamkos is emerging as a top talent in the NHL. Putting him on this top unit would round out an impressive power play unit.

Right Point- Nicklas Lidstrom

Key Stat: 855 Career Assists 

Nicklas Lidstrom is another aging veteran who has still can keep up with the kids of the NHL. Like Selanne, Lidstrom will go down as one of the league's all-time greats.

Most teams ice a power play unit that consists of four forwards and one defenseman. Lidstrom brings a strong offensive and defensive presence to the power play. He ranks eight overall in active leaders with 128 power play goals.

Lidstrom's most valuable asset is his hands. Having him on your top power play unit allows the players around him to get into a scoring position while Lidstrom locates them with pin point accurate passes.

Bottom line, Lidstrom is still a threat even in his elder age.

Top Unit Career Statistics

The top unit of Kovalchuk, Thornton, Selanne, Stamkos and Lidstrom packs an offensive punch. The balance of scoring from top to bottom is quite impressive.

Here are the combined totals for the top power play unit.

Goals: 1686

Points: 4389

LW- Daniel Sedin

Key Stat: Led League in Power Play Points (42) and Goals (18) during 2010-11 season.

Last season, Daniel Sedin led the league in power play points (42) and power play goals (18). Sedin and his brother Henrik seem to have an uncanny ability to find each other on the ice.

Daniel is the better scorer of the two and that was displayed with his 63 assists and 104 overall points in the 2010-11 season.

With all things considered, Sedin is a great player to have on your power play unit.

C- Sidney Crosby

Key Stat: 66 points in only 41 regular season games in the 2010-11 season

Love him or hate him, Sidney Crosby is a talented passer and shooter. His ability to find his teammates on the ice is simply uncanny. 

Before succumbing to a concussion, Crosby had tallied 66 points in only 41 games. In his career, Crosby has scored 65 power play goals. If he can recover and get back to 100 percent, there is no reason why he shouldn't return to form.

Crosby's 357 assists in 412 games is a pretty impressive start to his promising career.

RW- Jaromír Jágr

Key Stat: 181 Power Play Goals

Jaromír Jágr has returned to the NHL and appears to be picking up where he left off. Jágr returned to the NHL after a brief stint with Avangard Omsk of the KHL. 

Jágr currently ranks second behind Selanne with 181 power play goals. Jágr's best year on the power play came in 2005-06 when he scored 24 of his 54 goals on the power play for the New York Rangers.

Jágr's shot and elusiveness made him a steady threat for the Pittsburgh Penguins and their power play in the early 90s.

Regardless of his age, Jágr can still find space to score and is a top threat.

Left Point- Zdeno Chara

Key Stat: 65 Power Play Goals

After watching the above video, does anything more really need to be said about the Bruins captain? Zdeno Chara has a blistering slap shot. Just ask Ryan Callahan how his ankle felt after taking the brunt of a slapper.

Callahan proceeded to miss the playoffs. Chara' size and shot makes him a towering threat and viable fear for goaltenders. When you put this gargantuon defender at the point, you will have someone who is always a threat to score.  

Right Point- Alex Ovechkin

Key Stat: Two Time Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy Winner- 2008 (65 goals), 2009 (56 goals)

Selecting Alex Ovechkin for this spot over Dany Heatley was tough. Heatley has more power play goals overalll than Ovechkin (128 to 99) but Ovechkin has emerged as an offensive power house in his young career.

Ovechkin also has a very accurate shot as displayed in the video above.

Ovechkin is one of the league's complete players. He scores goals, can assist others, and he throws a mean body check.

A player with Ovechkin's speed, shot, hands, and body is suited for the power play.

Second Unit Career Statistics

The unit of Sedin, Crosby, and Jágr upfront with Chara and Ovechkin on the points is a unit that would succeed if paired together in the NHL.

These lines may appear to only be possible in EA NHL 12, but it's still something fun to consider.

Here are the career stats for the second unit:

Goals- 1537 

Points- 3848

I had a lot of fun compiling this slideshow. This was just my opinion, but I would love to hear yours. Leave a comment in the section below to get the conversation going.

Tom Urtz is an NHL Featured Columnist. For more NHL free-agent news, updates and alerts about players: