Detroit Red Wings: Pavel Datsyuk Is the Best Player in the NHL

Detroit Red Wings forward Pavel Datsyuk is the best player in the NHL because not only is he the most skilled offensive player in the game, he is the best defensive forward in hockey.

It's really unfair how good he is. No one in the NHL has the hand-eye coordination that Datsyuk does, and the different kinds of skills he has in his repertoire make him stand out as the game's best player.

Bruins defenseman Adam McQuaid addressed the skill of Datsyuk after Boston was defeated 3-2 in a shootout to the Red Wings in front of a national television audience Friday.

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"We all know how skilled he is. He’s probably one of the most skilled, if not the most skilled, players in the league. You try and make sure that you’re playing the body, because if you’re watching the puck, he’s going to go around you."

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Not only does Datsyuk have great stick handling, he has deceptive speed that opponents do not often prepare for. Fall asleep for just a second and he's passed you headed toward goal.

One of the better quotes of Friday's game I collected was from Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask, who said the following about how difficult shootouts are.

"No I mean you saw what happened there right? That first guy coming in…I don’t know. Pretty good guy."

Want to take a guess at who the first shooter was? Take a look at the video.

Rask, a very good goaltender, is completely helpless in his effort to stop the Red Wings star. Fortunately for the young Finnish goalie, Datsyuk does this to a lot of players.

One of the most impressive parts of Datsyuk's game is his consistency. He has totaled at least 50 points in every season since 2002-03, and from 2005-06 through 2008-09 he racked up at least 59 assists and 87 points.

He led the Red Wings in scoring for six straight seasons prior to last year, when he managed just 56 games due to injury, yet still put up 59 points.

Datsyuk is a goalscorer, a playmaker and makes all his teammates around him better, which is the true example of greatness.

Todd Bertuzzi has really benefited from playing with Datsyuk this season, and having someone like him on your line just makes everyone's job easier.

Where Datsyuk separates himself from the best offensive players is his defensive ability. From 2008 through 2010, Datsyuk won three straight Frank J. Selke awards as the NHL's best defensive forward.

It comes as no surprise that Datsyuk's plus-minus numbers are always solid.

Datsyuk's record 144 takeaways during the 2007-08 season is likely a mark that won't be broken for a long time. This is a new stat (kept from 2005-06), but is an accurate representation of a player's strength in being able to battle for the puck and their speed which is essential at thieving the puck from players quickly.

Datsyuk is regularly among the league leaders in takeaway differential, which shows how many pucks you takeaway versus how many you give up. Since Datstuk often plays against other top lines and many team's better defensive players, the fact that he can still be a leader in this stat category is truly remarkable.

I'd love to see Sidney Crosby or Alexander Ovechkin pull of a steal like that then deke for the goal. Look at Datsyuk's reaction, he knows he just made the Predators look real bad.

Datsyuk is simply the best two-way player in the game, and is the most skilled talent in hockey. His style of play wins games for the Detroit Red Wings, and he is a major reason the team has won two Stanley Cups during his career in Detroit.

One day he will be in the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, but for now he will continue to dominate the NHL and continue to be the league's best player.

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Nicholas Goss is a Boston Bruins featured columnist for Bleacher Report and was the organization's on-site reporter for the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals in Boston. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained first-hand.