The National Hockey League is one of the most popular sports leagues in the country, and it always attracts hordes of loyal fans. The players are at the heart of the NHL, and they are some of the folk that make it what it is. Who are the best players we can see in the NHL in 2021?
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Nathan MacKinnon
Placing fifth in the NHL rankings with 93 points across 69 games, MacKinnon is a strong player worthy of his Hart Trophy win and Ted Lindsay Award finalist ranking. His nickname is either Nate the Great or The Dogg, and he has been known to dominate the ice – and, of course, the NHL odds each season.
He is the centre and alternate captain of the Colorado Avalanche. In the 2013 NHL Entry Draft, he was the first overall pick for the Avalanche and he has done great things for them. In 2020, he was also awarded the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy, a reward given to those players who can demonstrate sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct alongside their skills.
Leon Draisaitl
Draisaitl is a teammate of McDavid’s at the Edmonton Oilers, the team of a city that has always loved hockey, where he plays as another centre. He is a phenomenal player when on the ice with McDavid, but he is also able to pull his game to the next level when he has to play on his own.
He has averaged 1.55 points per game and also took first place amongst NHL forwards for average ice term per game, with his stats standing at 22:37. With hockey being such a competitive game, it is impressive to see him grabbing these kinds of stats. It will be fantastic to see what he can achieve in the future.
Artemi Panarin
Panarin is a Russian winger and alternate captain for the New York Rangers and carries the nickname of Breadman. He started playing in his native Russia before coming to the Americas and joining the NHL.
His NHL debut was in 2015, and he then joined the Rangers in 2019. In the 2020-21 NHL season, he scored 17 goals and 41 assists in 42 games. Though he has had a few injuries recently, he has still proven himself to be a powerful player.
Sidney Crosby
Often considered to be one of the best of all time, Crosby has racked up an impressive 15 seasons in the NHL. All of these have been with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Despite having a few injuries over the last season, this veteran is still a force to be reckoned with on the ice.
He has also been a key player in many of Canada’s international efforts in hockey. He has been part of many a gold-medal winning national team, and also scored the game-winning foal in the final against the USA in the 2010 Winter Olympics.
These are some of the biggest and most impressive players in the NHL at the moment. We should all watch their efforts in the next season.
Phillip Danault
The Stanley Cup Playoffs of 2020 and 2021 represented Danault’s time to truly ‘wow’ the spectators, and will likely go down in history as a career defining moment for him.
He now holds an enviable contract with the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League, and will likely continue going from strength to strength over the next six years – and to the tune of $33 million no less.
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