NHL History: Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier and the 50 Smoothest Players Ever

Throughout its history, the NHL has had some brilliantly smooth players excite us with their wonderful skating ability that allows them to almost glide on the ice.

These players make playing the game of hockey look easy, and make amazing goals look almost effortless.

Let's look at the 50 smoothest players in NHL history. If you feel I forgot someone, please mention that player in the comment section.

Joe Nieuwendyk

Joe Nieuwendyk was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame on Monday, and was one of the better skaters in his era.

His 564 career goals is quite impressive, as is the fact he won three Stanley Cups on three different teams: Calgary in 1989, Dallas in 1999 and New Jersey in 2003.

Joe Sakic

Joe Sakic is one of the best players ever, and compiled 1,641 points during his brilliant career.

He won two Stanley Cups with the Colorado Avalanche and is one of the best pure skaters ever.

Pavel Datsyuk

Pavel Datsyuk is one of the greatest players ever and is arguably the smoothest players in hockey right now.

He is a highly skilled player who makes very difficult moves and situations look quite easy.

Jacques Lemaire

Jacques Lemaire's brilliant skating and offensive ability helped the Montreal Canadiens win eight Stanley Cup championships from 1968 through 1979.

Mats Sundin

Mats Sundin scored 564 goals with 785 assists during his wonderful career, primarily with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Sundin's smooth skating and play allowed him to be a top playmaker for many seasons.

Henri Richard

Henri Richard scored 1,046 points in his career and is one of the better Montreal Canadiens in team history.

He is often overshadowed by his brother, but he was a tremendous player in his own right.

Luc Robitaille

Luc Robitaille's smooth play helped him score 684 career goals and be a top offensive player for many seasons.

He played in eight all-star games and won the Stanley Cup in 2002 with the Detroit Red Wings.

Jarri Kurri

Jarri Kurri was a very smooth player and a tremendous goal scorer for the Edmonton Oilers.

Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier get much of the credit for the amazing Oilers teams of the 1980s, but Kurri was a major part of why those teams were successful.

Steve Yzerman

Steve Yzerman is the greatest captain in NHL history and is also one of the smoothest to ever play the game.

A tremendous skater and offensive player, Yzerman won three Stanley Cups with the Detroit Red Wings in his amazing career.

Adam Oates

Adam Oates was a fantastic NHL player and it's a crime that he's not in the Hockey Hall of Fame yet.

His 1,079 assists is an amazing number, and it shows why he was a top playmaker for much of his career.

Bobby Orr

Bobby Orr is the greatest player in NHL history. He revolutionized the defenseman position with his unbelievable puck handling and scoring ability.

Orr would glide through the ice and blow by forwards like no one else ever had in history. Certainly one of the smoothest players ever.

Teemu Selanne

Teemu Selanne has been an amazing player for the Anaheim Ducks for a long time and has scored almost 650 career goals.

His smooth skating and great puck-handling has made him a top player and future hall of famer.

Paul Coffey

Paul Coffey is one of the greatest defensemen ever; he won three Norris Trophies during his career. 

His 1,531 points trail only Ray Bourque in the history of the NHL.

Jaromir Jagr

Jaromir Jagr is one of the most exciting players in the history of the game and his smooth skills allowed him to be one of the best pure scorers for many years.

He currently plays for the Philadelphia Flyers.

Dennis Potvin

Denis Potvin was a major reason the New York Islanders won four Stanley Cups between 1979 and 1983, and his 1,052 career points ranks seventh best among NHL defenseman.

Marcel Dionne

Marcel Dionne's 734 career goals are fourth best all-time and because he didn't win a Stanley Cup with the Los Angeles Kings he is often unmentioned as one of the best ever.

A very underrated player.

Frank Mahovlich

Frank Mahovlich was a dominant player for the Montreal Canadiens, winning multiple Stanley Cup titles with the team and playing in an astounding 15 all-star games.

He scored 533 goals in his career.

Guy LaFleur

Guy LaFleur was a five-time Stanley Cup champion for the Montreal Canadiens and won the Hart Trophy twice.

He's one of the best offensive players ever and a highly skilled forward who dominated as a goal scorer.

Mike Bossy

Mike Bossy won four Stanley Cups with the New York Islanders and his 1.497 points per game average is third all-time behind a few good players named Mario Lemieux and Wayne Gretzky.

Jean Beliveau

Jean Beliveau is one of the greatest Montreal Canadiens ever. He was a two-time Hart Trophy winner and lifted the Canadiens to 10 Stanley Cup championships.

He was a tremendous skater and a top goal scorer throughout his storied career.

Martin St. Louis

Martin St. Louis is a very underrated player, but even in his mid- to late thirties he is still a top offensive player.

St. Louis is one of the fastest and most graceful skaters in the NHL, and is a joy to watch with the passion he plays the game.

Doug Harvey

One of the greatest defensemen before Bobby Orr, Doug Harvey won seven Norris Trophies and brought great offensive play and skill to the position.

Maurice 'Rocket' Richard

Maurice Richard was an incredibly skilled player who won eight Stanley Cup titles with the Montreal Canadiens, and was the first player in NHL history to score 500 career goals.

Mario Lemieux

Mario Lemieux is one of the top three best NHL players ever because he was one of the smoothest, most offensively talented players ever.

He scored 690 goals and dished out 1,033 assists in just 915 career games.

Wayne Gretzky

Wayne Gretzky is the most dominant player in hockey history and holds many records, some of which will likely never be broken, like his 92 goals in a single season.

He won multiple Stanley Cup championships with the Edmonton Oilers and was the greatest offensive player ever, with an astounding 2,857 career points.

Pavel Bure

Pavel Bure is a future hall of famer and one of the most exciting and skilled players to ever play the game.

He scored 50 goals or more in a season five times.

Peter Forsberg

Peter Forsberg is one of the greatest forwards of the last 25 years. He was a feared offensive player for the Colorado Avalanche.

Certainly a very smooth player; every time he touched the puck fans got excited.

Alexander Ovechkin

Arguably the best player in the NHL today, Alexander Ovechkin excites every time he touches the puck, and his combination of speed and skill moves is amazing.

Evgeni Malkin

Evgeni Malkin, when healthy, is perhaps the smoothest player in the NHL today.

His elite skating skills and playmaking ability heighten the play of all of his teammates.

Ilya Kovalchuk

Ilya Kovalchuk is one of the smoothest players in recent memory, and has been an elite goal scorer for almost his entire career.

He is very dangerous with the puck on his stick, and has the smooth skating skills to breeze past defensemen.

Milan Hejduk

Milan Hejduk was an important player for the Colorado Avalanche during their Stanley Cup run in 2001 and was recently named the captain of the team for this season.

Hejduk is a magical player who excels with his smooth skating ability.

Marian Gaborik

Often underrated, Marian Gaborik is an elite goal scorer with a very smooth and polished game.

Injuries have hurt him stay healthy for full seasons, but when healthy he is a top scorer.

Igor Larionov

One of the most skilled players in a long time, Igor Larionov was well respected for his ice awareness and vision.

His was an amazing skater and a very intelligent hockey player.

Paul Kariya

Paul Kariya's speed and quickness made him an amazing skater; he was a great offensive player, too.

One of the best players in Anaheim Ducks history, he should definitely be considered for the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Valeri Kamensky

Valeri Kamensky was an immensely skilled player who scored beautiful goals and skated so smoothly.

He came to the NHL later than most during his hockey career, but he was a top player for several seasons.

Gilbert Perreault

Gilbert Perreault led the Buffalo Sabres to their first Stanley Cup Final ever in 1975, and was a tremendous offensive talent.

Mark Messier

One of the greatest players and captains ever, Mark Messier won multiple Stanley Cups with the Edmonton Oilers then ended decades of Cup misery in 1994, helping the New York Rangers win the Cup.

He is third in NHL history with 1,193 career assists.

Sidney Crosby

Due to concussion issues, Sidney Crosby is not on the ice right now for the Pittsburgh Penguins, but when he is many think Crosby is the top player in the game.

He's always thinking a few passes ahead of his opponent and is an amazing skater and playmaker.

Reggie Leach

Reggie Leach was one of the best scorers of the 1970s, and one of the greatest Philadelphia Flyers ever.

The 1970s Flyers teams are often remembered for their toughness, which is why Leach's offensive skills sometimes go unnoticed.

Sergei Fedorov

Sergei Fedorov is one of the most skilled forwards in recent memory, and he used great speed and an impressive repertoire of moves to move right around opposing players.

He was also very good defensively.

Alexei Kovalev

One of the most talented and offensively gifted players ever, Alexei Kovalev was a top goal scorer for many seasons and was very creative with the puck on his stick.

Kent Nilsson

Kent Nilsson has amazing puck handling skills and excited fans every time the puck was on his stick.

Nilsson was a great scorer and racked up 19 points in 21 playoff games for the 1987 Edmonton Oilers en route to a Stanley Cup title.

Alexander Semin

Alexander Semin is a very smooth-skating forward and a talented goal scorer for the Washington Capitals.

He has good speed and some tremendous moves to get past opponents.

Sergei Samsonov

Sergei Samsonov has been a very good skater and offensive player for much of his career. He was a quality goal scorer who used his great speed to his advantage.

Patrick Kane

The way Patrick Kane skates with the puck is just so exciting and makes you want to watch Chicago Blackhawks games whenever you can.

Kane has great speed and has many effective moves to get past defenders with ease and score goals.

Maxim Afinogenov

Maxim Afinogenov was a very talented skater and had a solid repertoire of moves and dekes to fool goalies and score goals.

Denis Savard

Denis Savard was an amazingly skilled player and had a variety of great moves and dekes to get around opposing defenseman. He is certainly one of the smoothest players ever.

He won the 1993 Stanley Cup with the Montreal Canadiens.

PK Subban

PK Subban is a brilliant skater with the ability to take the puck coast-to-coast with ease. He also has good speed for a defenseman.

Valeri Kharlamov

Valeri Kharlamov is one of the best Russian-born players ever and used amazing speed and puck handling to dart through opponents toward the opposing goaltender.

Erik Karlsson

Erik Karlsson is an underrated player with fantastic moves and good speed that allows him to create great scoring chances for himself and his teammates.