Who Is The Best Player In The NHL Right Now?

The NHL season is well underway and there are already a few players who are standing out as the best of the best. Who do you think is the best player in the NHL right now?

Sidney Crosby

Sidney Crosby is the best player in the NHL right now. He is the captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins and has led them to three Stanley Cup victories. Crosby is a two-time Olympic gold medalist and is the youngest player to ever win the Stanley Cup.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Sidney Crosby, nicknamed “Sid the Kid,” is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who serves as captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL). He played junior hockey for the Rimouski Océanic of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) before being drafted first overall by the Penguins in 2005.

Crosby began his NHL career with the Penguins in 2005–06, winning the Stanley Cup with them in 2009. He earned MVP honors at the 2006 and 2013 NHL All-Star Games. A prolific scorer, Crosby has led the league in scoring twice and ranks third in all-time points per game for the regular season among active players (minimum 500 games played).

With 570 goals and 1,269 points through 1,052 career NHL games as of February 1, 2020, Crosby is sixth overall on Pittsburgh’s all-time goals and points list.

Stanley Cup

In the National Hockey League (NHL), the Stanley Cup is the championship trophy awarded to the playoff champion at the end of each season. The Stanley Cup is the oldest professional sports trophy in North America, and it is one of the most recognizable symbols in all of professional sports. It was first presented in 1893 to Montreal Canadiens players, and it has been associated with winning teams in the NHL since 1926. The Stanley Cup is also one of the most prestigious trophies in all of professional sports, and it is often referred to as “the ultimate prize” or “the Holy Grail” of hockey.

In order to win the Stanley Cup, a team must first make it through their respective league’s playoffs. The NHL playoffs are a single-elimination tournament that begins in April and ends in June. The teams that make it through the playoffs then compete for the Stanley Cup in a best-of-seven series.

The Stanley Cup is named after Lord Stanley of Preston, who was Governor General of Canada from 1888 to 1893. Lord Stanley’s sons were avid hockey players, and he was instrumental in getting hockey established as a sport in Canada. In 1892, he purchased a silver punch bowl for use as a trophy for a hockey tournament in Montreal. The bowl cost him $50, and it was later engraved with the words “From Stanley of Preston.”

Alex Ovechkin

In my opinion, the best player in the NHL right now is Alexander Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals. Ovechkin is currently in his 14th season in the NHL, and he shows no signs of slowing down. He is a 6-time Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy winner, 3-time Hart Memorial Trophy winner, and 2-time Art Ross Trophy winner. He is also a 3-time Stanley Cup Champion.

Washington Capitals

Ovechkin was born on September 17, 1985, in Moscow, Russia. He began playing hockey at the age of 4 and was quickly enrolled in a sports school. He made his professional debut with HC Dynamo Moscow of the Russian Superleague (RSL) at the age of 16. In his first season with the team, he had 5 goals and 10 assists in 59 games. After a year with Dynamo, he was drafted by the Washington Capitals with the first overall pick in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft.

Ovechkin made his NHL debut during the 2005–06 season, scoring 2 goals and 2 assists in a 3-2 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. He finished the season with 52 points (36 goals, 16 assists), winning the Calder Memorial Trophy as Rookie of the Year. In his second season, he improved to 106 points (46 goals, 60 assists), winning the Hart Memorial Trophy as League MVP and leading the Capitals to their first Stanley Cup Playoff appearance in five years.

Ovechkin has continued to be one of the league’s most productive players over his career. He has been named to 12 NHL All-Star Teams (2006-2017) and has won eight Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophies as the league’s leading goal scorer (2008-2015, 2017). He has also won four Ted Lindsay Awards as MVP as voted by his fellow players (2008-2011).

Calder Memorial Trophy

The Calder Memorial Trophy is an annual award given “to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition” in the National Hockey League. It is named after Frank Calder, who was the first president of the NHL. Serving as the NHL’s Rookie of the Year award, this version of the trophy has been awarded since its creation for the 1936–37 NHL season.

The voting is conducted by members of the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association at the conclusion of each regular season to determine which player most deserves the award.

Patrick Kane

Patrick Kane is an American professional ice hockey player for the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League. He has won three Stanley Cup championships with the Blackhawks, as well as the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL’s top rookie in 2008. Kane is also a two-time Olympic silver medalist, winning medals in 2010 and 2014.

Chicago Blackhawks

The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL). They have won six Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926. The Blackhawks are one of the “Original Six” NHL teams along with the Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs, Boston Bruins and New York Rangers.

Hart Memorial Trophy

The Hart Memorial Trophy, originally known as the Hart Trophy, is awarded annually to the “player judged most valuable to his team” in the National Hockey League (NHL). The original trophy was donated to the league in 1923 by David Hart, the father of Cecil Hart, the longtime head coach of the Montreal Canadiens. It was sculpted by Frank Car Examination of its distribution in past Hart Trophy winners suggests players who win it exhibit some combination of the following three attributes: elite offensive production; play for teams with good records; and superior individual plus-minus.

The Hart Memorial Trophy is voted on by members of the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association (PHWA) at the end of each regular season to determine which player is the most valuable to his team during that season.