Yes, we know that this is taking a while!
As many of you know, we here at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the 50 of each major North American sports team. That being said, we have existing Top 50 lists out and we always consistently look to update them when we can and based on necessity. As such, we are very happy to present our post 2021/22 revision of our top Pittsburgh Penguins.
As for all of our top 50 players in hockey we look at the following:
1. Advanced Statistics.
2. Traditional statistics and how they finished in the National Hockey League.
3. Playoff accomplishments.
4. Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles not reflected in a stat sheet.
Last year, Pittsburgh were bounced in the first round of the playoffs, and they feature multiple player who are highly ranked.
As always, we present our top five:
3. Jaromir Jagr
5. Kris Letang
You can find the entire list here.
Crosby remains at #2 from last year, but is he close to overtaking Lemieux? He already is the all-time franchise leader in Point Shares.
At #4 is Malkin, who is super close to surpassing Jagr for #3, but Letang, who is in his second year at #5, will not likely pass Malkin or Jagr this year.
An All-Star last year, Center, Jake Guentzel, moved up to #23 from #29.
Right Wing, Bryan Rust debuts at #31, but we acknowledge that he should have been ranked when we did our first list last year. The addition of Rust knocks Ulf Samuelsson off the Top 50.
We welcome your input and comments and as always, we thank you for your support.
Drafted number one in the 2017 NHL Draft, Nico Hischier made history as the first player from Switzerland to be taken with the first pick by the New Jersey Devils, the team he is still playing for.
Hischier, as expected, made the opening day roster in his inaugural year in North American professional Hockey, and did well with 52 Points and a seventh-place finish for the Calder. The next three seasons were a struggle for Hischier, who had 104 Points in 148 Games in that time frame, and though he represented the Devils in 2020 in the All-Star Game, it was a disappointing run for the Swiss Center.
It turned around for Hischier last year, as he had 60 Points, showing improvement in all facets of his game,. In 2022-23, Hischier grew his Points tally to 80 and appears and had 67 last year showing that be is on the right path. Hischier may not have lived up to the expectations of a number one pick, especially considering that Cale Makar was taken in the same draft, but there is still time to prove that New Jersey took a top ten franchise player.
A mid-level draft pick in 2015 by the Ducks, Troy Terry had a very good amateur career in his home start of Colorado, playing at the state’s top level until he joined the University of Denver, where he led the Pioneers to a win in the 2017 Frozen Four. Following that title, Terry left for the team that drafted him, Anaheim.
Terry bounced back and forth between Anaheim and the Minors in his first two years, and was a full Duck in his third season, though he was mostly used on a lower line. What propelled Terry to this list was his last season, where he exploded with a 37-30-67 campaign, emerging as Anaheim’s top sniper, and an All-Star. The American had another 60-plus Point year two years ago, and had 54 last season.
Terry could be poised for a massive breakout year if the dominoes all fall his way.