The 50 best NHL players, as ranked by Sportsline’s Wes Goldstein

Let me just pick out a few here…

1. Jaromir Jagr
2. Joe Thornton

While I think Jagr belongs in the top five, I don’t think he should have been numero uno. Joe Thornton, on the other hand, totally belongs in the top five.

5. Ilya Kovalchuk

Whuh? WTF is he doing on the list? I’d switch him for Ovechkin.

11. Nicklas Lidstrom

Was this guy asleep during the Olympics? This guy totally belongs in the top ten! (Yes, I know we’re talking NHL; but a lot of these guys also played in the Olympics this year, and in the past, so I think bringing it up is totally valid.)

12. Alexander Ovechkin

Like I said…switch him and Kovalchuk. I mean, come on. Ovechkin is a one-man machine, not to mention he is probably single-handedly responsible for neither the US nor Canada medalling at the Olympics this year. Actually, I’d dare say he should’ve been number one.

13. Sidney Crosby

The ranking is alright, I think (maybe a little higher); but I still will never understand why Team Canada gave him the shaft for that sonofabeehive, Todd Bertuzzi.

21. Martin Brodeur

Probably one of the best goalies in the league, and he’s not in the top ten? Good lawd. I mean, yeah, Kipprusoff is good, but so is Marty (despite that he plays for one of the teams I loathe with a passion–the New Jersey Devils).

40. Mats Sundin

What. The. Hell? Mats is easily top ten or twenty material. And once again, was this guy asleep during the Olympics? Not to mention Mats has a few things it seems several players lack, in my book–among them, class and maturity.

Meanwhile, why isn’t Jose Theodore on the list? Another one of the best goalies in the league. And what about Stevie-Y (who retired after this season)?

So for my top five…

1) Ovechkin
2) Thornton
3) Crosby
4) Brodeur/Theodore (haven’t figured it out yet)
5) Sundin