Top 100 SHL Players of Today! - Printable Version

Top 100 SHL Players of Today! - Printable Version

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- ArGarBarGar - 05-04-2018

Welcome back everyone, to the seasonal top 100 players of today. So for those who do not know, this is the 22nd edition of this article, awarding the top 100 players heading into the 41st season.

I'd like to give a big thanks to everyone who has helped me over the years and who has helped keep the players and teams accurate each season.

I used a points system which graded over 130 players, narrowing the list down to 100 and ranking those elite 100 players of the SHL.

I'd like to ask the media grader to wait for my PM before grading this article. Also please grade my top-100 article from like a month ago.

100. (S35) G (Winnipeg Jets) - Artom Zhumbayev || New Entry
Grade: 70.50
Past Seasons: None

Starting off the top-100 is Artom Zhumbayev of the Winnipeg Jets, entering his first season in the top-100 with a respectable run with the Jets. Zhumbayev went 27-10-7 with a .902 save percentage and 2.84 goals against average, which isn't half bad, and he still has room to grow.

99. (S31) D (Manhattan Rage) - Kornel Kašpárek || -3
Grade: 70.90
Past Seasons: S38-92, S39-64, S40-96

At 99 is Kornel Kašpárek of the Rage, remaining a somewhat productive but not all that much so, scoring 3 goals and 17 points in S40 with a lot of physicality but not too much else. About the epitome of a stay-at-home defenseman.

97. (S29) C (Los Angeles Panthers) - Nicolas Winter || -4
Grade: 71.20
Past Seasons: S33-73, S36-91, S37-72, S38-51, S39-84, S40-93

At 97 is Panthers center Nicolas Winter, who is looking like a veteran in this day and age, but not necessarily for the better. Winter is stuck in the 90s for the second straight season, although his production seems to have improved a bit with 12 goals and 33 points on the year.

98. (S38) RW (Toronto North Stars) - Bobby Watson || New Entry
Grade: 71.20
Past Seasons: None

At 98 is Bobby Watson of the North Stars, a new entry on a team that has had some major struggles when it comes to prodictive players. Watson scored 21 goals and 37 points, although his -17 isn't going to win him any Jeff Dar trophies any time soon.

96. (S36) LW (New England Wolfpack) - Oisin Fletcher || -10
Grade: 71.30
Past Seasons: S40-86

At 96 is Oisin Fletcher of the Wolfpack, dropping a bit on the list with his 16 goals and 33 points on a team that also has had its share of issues to a degree. Fletcher is still pretty young, and is developing his game to where he could still be a valuable piece of the Wolfpack core, but whether he does so remains to be seen.

95. (S30) D (Los Angeles Panthers) - Victor Lindstrom || -31
Grade: 71.70
Past Seasons: S39-88, S40-64

At 95 is Panthers defender Victor Lindstrom, jumping from the Pride to the Panthers in the middle of the season and not really doing well with either team. He scored 5 goals and 17 points between the two teams, and there wasn't really anything about his game that inspired confidence that the Panthers picked up a solid piece.

94. (S27) RW (Los Angeles Panthers) - Jaxson Reynolds || Even
Grade: 71.90
Past Seasons: S34-61, S35-34, S36-28, S37-66, S38-50, S39-85, S40-94

At 94 is Panthers winger Jaxson Reynolds, who himself is having some struggles getting back into the swing of things, though all things considered he has remained a productive player in the league. Reynolds scored 18 goals and 35 points, making him a solid piece of the Panthers core, but considering how old he is right now it is only a matter of time before his number start to seriously decline.

93. (S22) D (Winnipeg Jets) - Big Manious || -5
Grade: 72.10
Past Seasons: S27-42, S28-41, S29-45, S30-32, S31-22, S32-68, S33-41, S34-11, S35-32, S36-39, S37-31, S38-21, S39-17, S40-88

At 93 is Jets defender Big Manious, one of the oldest veterans still in the league at this point. Manious still has what it takes to make himself known as a top-100 player, but he certainly isn't getting any better the older he gets. Manious scored 7 goals and 21 points, still a solid production for a defender, though only two players scored less on the Jets, and neither of them played over 20 minutes.

92. (S34) C (New England Wolfpack) - Xander Green || +7
Grade: 72.40
Past Seasons: S40-99

At 92 is Xander Green of the Wolfpack, moving up a little bit but still a 90s player. Green scored 10 goals and 35 points for the Wolfpack, one of their best scorers actually, and pulled off a solid physical season which was overlooked by a lot of people during the season. And in the end it helped the Wolfpack make the playoffs.

91. (S30) C (Texas Renegades) - Steven Stamkos Jr. || -39
Grade: 73
Past Seasons: S33-92, S34-29, S35-71, S37-63, S38-76, S39-75, S40-52

At 91 is Renegades center Steven Stamkos Jr., dropping back on the list with a decent season, but not all that much better than a lot of other players on his own team, and worse than a good chunk as well. The center scored 11 goals and 32 points, all while being relegated to the winger position and taking very few faceoffs on the season.

90. (S36) C (Los Angeles Panthers) - Yuri Boyka Jr. || New Entry
Grade: 73.20
Past Seasons: None

At 90 is new entry Yuri Boyka Jr., joining a list that his father used to be a part of back in the day, and doing so with a top-notch offensive season where he scored 13 goals and 39 points. Boyka certainly has a lot more growing to do, and with this being his first season among the top-100, he will need to demonstrate consistency to prove this season wasn't an anomaly.

89. (S36) G (Los Angeles Panthers) - Evgueni Marmeladov || New Entry
Grade: 73.40
Past Seasons: None

At 89 is Panthers young goaltender Evgueni Marmeladov, taking a spot on this list for the first time with a respectable season, going 22-15-6, earning a .904 save percentage, and a 3.04 goals against average. Not often you see rookies come up and take the starting mantle so quickly, but with so many seasons in juniors that should be somewhat expected.

88. (S21) RW (Edmonton Blizzard) - Theo Kane || -3
Grade: 73.4
Past Seasons: S23-75, S24-77, S25-56, S26-76, S27-57, S28-20, S29-32, S30-1, S31-13, S32-10, S33-12, S34-1, S35-10, S36-12, S37-18, S38-35, S39-59, S40-85

At 88 is veteran Theo Kane, back with the team that drafted him and still productive in his advanced age, scoring 14 goals and 32 points while with the Renegades. Though Kane is certainly on his last legs and no longer a top-10 talent, he could still hang around on this list for a little while longer.

87. (S32) C (Edmonton Blizzard) - Teodors Cukurs || -28
Grade: 73.60
Past Seasons: S39-56, S40-59

At 87 is Blizzard center Teodors Cukurs, dropping back on the list but still productive even without the physical play to add to it, where he scored 14 goals and 34 points, and was a solid +15. Cukurs is close to regression, however, which means his chances at cracking that top-50 are going to be slimmer every season from now on.

86. (S36) LW (Edmonton Blizzard) - Teddy Cuddles || New Entry
Grade: 73.90
Past Seasons: None

At 86 is another new entry, Teddy Cuddles in the house. Cuddles came out of the gate flying in S40, scoring regularly and finishing with 13 goals and 42 points. His physicality was on point as well, registering 197 hits and being one of the fiercest two-way players coming up among the young stars.

85. (S30) C (Texas Renegades) - Beau Bent || New Entry
Grade: 74.10
Past Seasons: None

At 85 is Beau Bent of the Renegades, his prime seasons coming and going without a look on this list, but finally being able to crack it with his 17 goals and 34 points. Not much else to say about him, as just about every other facet of his game is mediocre, but with him just now making the list while into regression, maybe he is one of those players who gets better with age.

84. (S33) C (Buffalo Stampede) - Viktor Vorkämpfer || New Entry
Grade: 74.10
Past Seasons: None

Yet another new entry is Viktor Vorkämpfer of the Stampede, having to do the heavy lifting on a team that was absolutely dreadful in general. Vorkämpfer scored 15 goals and 39 points, leading the team, and his -3 was among the best on a team that had minus players in the double digits. Add that to his 141 hits, and he was about the only positive thing you could talk about with the Stampede last season.

83. (S24) LW (New England Wolfpack) - Patrikov Bure || Returning Entry
Grade: 74.30
Past Seasons: S31-12, S32-13, S33-14, S34-16, S35-17, S36-35, S38-67, S39-45

At 83 is Patrikov Bure, still kicking as one of the few remaining S24 players even in the league, let alone on this list. Bure scored 15 goals and 40 points in S24, much better than the season previous, and earned him a spot right back on the list, where he could very well fall right back out again considering his age.

82. (S23) D (Calgary Dragons) - Michael Boychuk || -2
Grade: 74.70
Past Seasons: S28-97, S29-67, S30-53, S31-41, S32-25, S33-67, S34-57, S35-50, S36-50, S37-59, S38-45, S39-71, S40-80

At 82 is Michael Boychuk, surprisingly sticking around on this list despite one of the worst performances of his career, scoring 4 goals and 24 points. Though his efforts in the regular season and playoffs did lead to a Challenge Cup victory, so perhaps he was doing just the right things to earn his team wins each night.

81. (S36) RW (Texas Renegades) - Colton Hagan || New Entry
Grade: 75.10
Past Seasons: None

At 81 is Colton Hagan of the Renegades, another new entry with his performance getting better and better every season. This being his third, he has made major strides, scoring 20 goals and 39 points, while being a solid physical contender with 179 hits on the year and only getting better each and every season.

80. (S29) LW (Manhattan Rage) - Harry Hans || -18
Grade: 75.50
Past Seasons: S33-42, S34-45, S35-24, S36-16, S37-33, S38-72, S39-51, S40-62

At 80 is Rage winger Harry Hans, reuniting with his old team trying to get back the old spark. Hans did not have a good run with the Blizzard in S40, scoring only 15 points in 34 games, which ended up resulting in a trade late in the season back to his old team. From there he scored 15 points in 17 games, getting his act together and going from a possibly disastrous season to an okay one where he scored 8 goals and 30 points on the year.

79. (S35) D (West Kendall Platoon) - Finn Krüger || -2
Grade: 75.70
Past Seasons: S39-82, S40-77

At 79 is Finn Kruger, not really moving from the spot he held last season where he scored 5 goals and 33 points. Krüger did a little worse in some areas, a little better in others, as he scored 7 goals and 31 points in S40. All things considered his career has been pretty damn steady so far, and if he never improves I think the Platoon will be perfectly fine with that.

78. (S33) D (Minnesota Chiefs) - Eero Hämäläinen || +6
Grade: 75.70
Past Seasons: S38-99, S39-100, S40-84

Eero Hämäläinen enters the list at 78, his highest spot to date, which doesn't say a lot for the young defenseman considering he was brought in to be a little bit more of a stable piece on the Chiefs blue line. Hämäläinen scored 7 goals and 18 points, and his cup run may have been a bit of a factor in him making the list at this point.

77. (S31) RW (Hamilton Steelhawks) - Brennan Kennedy || +1
Grade: 75.90
Past Seasons: S35-78, S38-49, S39-62, S40-78

At 77 is Brennan Kennedy of the Steelhawks, a player who has fallen off a bit in recent years after his first top-50 appearance on the S38 list. Kennedy scored 12 goals and 23 points, which is pretty mediocre and not what we have come to expect at times from Kennedy, which makes us wonder what is going to happen with him now that he is already regressing.

76. (S31) D (Buffalo Stampede) - Brynjar Tusk || +5
Grade: 76
Past Seasons: S37-75, S38-95, S39-69, S40-81

At 76 is Brynjar Tusk of the Stampede, jumping back up on the list due to his intangible qualities, even with him struggling offensively with 5 goals and 18 points, as well as a very poor plus minus. In his defense that minus 28 is due to him playing some seriously difficult minutes on a team with literally no support at forward or defense.

75. (S26) D (Edmonton Blizzard) - Mattias Holmberg || -22
Grade: 76.10
Past Seasons: S33-80, S34-96, S35-92, S38-90, S39-92, S40-53

At 75 is Mattias Holmberg, dropping back with one of his worst seasons, yet. Holmberg scored 2 goals and 20 points, and even for a defender that is not very good. Also keeping in mind that he was not utilized very often, playing less than 20 minutes a game and only blocking 54 shots.

74. (S35) G (Buffalo Stampede) - Jordin Fourfour Jr. || -32
Grade: 76.30
Past Seasons: S40-42

At 74 is Jordin Fourfour Jr., dropping back but still doing what he can for his team. While his .908 save percentage wasn't exactly going to win him any awards, Fourfour had the struggle of playing on a team that couldn't luck into a win if it tried. Fourfour Jr.'s final record was 16-26-2, and even with that in mind he had a respectable goals against average of 2.84.

73. (S32) LW (Winnipeg Jets) - Kyle Kylrad || -22
Grade: 76.70
Past Seasons: S35-100, S36-75, S37-20, S38-34, S39-44, S40-51

At 73 is Kyle Kylrad, dropping back on the list a few spots and falling further out of the top-50, scoring 14 goals and 36 points on the year. A pretty unremarkable seasn all things considered, but some times even if you are unremarkable some seasons you still produce for your team, and he still has one more year before he starts to see his play suffer.

72. (S31) G (Minnesota Chiefs) - Olli O'Koivu || -45
Grade: 77.60
Past Seasons: S38-86, S39-89, S40-27

At 72 is Olli O'Koivu of the Chiefs, responding to his first Challenge Cup (and the Chiefs first Challenge Cup since S12) with a decent but nothing special season. O'Koivu did go 20-14-8, enough to earn the 4th seed in the Eastern Conference, but his .906 save percentage and 2.85 goals against average was not what we expect from this kind of goaltender.

71. (S31) RW (San Francisco Pride) - Jacob Renninger || -6
Grade: 77.70
Past Seasons: S39-93, S40-65

At 71 is Jacob Renninger of the Pride, with a bit of a drop but with a solid showing where he scored 18 goals and 40 points. Renninger appears to be one good season away from cracking the top-50, but what separates the good from the great on this list is consistency, and that is one of the hardest things to maintain in this league.

70. (S35) LW (Hamilton Steelhawks) - Angelo Odjick || New Entry
Grade: 77.80
Past Seasons: None

At 70 is new entry Angelo Odjick, who had himself an impressive season where he scored 17 goals and 39 points on the Steelhawks, as well as registering 116 hits which made him a solid force to be reckoned with for Hamilton. He even did all that with limited minutes (only 19 minutes a game), which means he could seriously explode in production if he is given a chance to.

69. (S33) RW (Minnesota Chiefs) - Halfdan Thorstein || +5
Grade: 77.90
Past Seasons: S37-83, S38-81, S39-76, S40-74

At 69 is Halfdan Thorstein of the Chiefs, rising steadily as he gets closer and closer to his peak. Thorstein scored 22 goals and 41 points last season, this being his third 40+ point season in the last 5 years. He has been very consistent and while his physical play has not shown up so far in his career, he is learning how to produce in other ways.

68. (S36) D (Winnipeg Jets) - Karl Hefeweizen || New Entry
Grade: 78
Past Seasons: None

At 68 is Karl Hefeweizen of the Jets, with his best season to date and earning his first spot on the list as a result. Hefeweizen scored 7 goals and 34 points on defense, ending up as one of the most reliable and steady defenders for Winnipeg. His defensive game needs to certainly improve, but his youth is a major advantage as he attempts his climb into the top-10 of the rankings.

67. (S30) D (Los Angeles Panthers) - Danny Foster || Returning Entry
Grade: 78
Past Seasons: S33-77, S34-99, S35-80, S36-98

At 67 is Panthers defender Dany Foster, who surprisingly has not been on this list since S36, and him coming back is quite a shock to many. However, Foster has produced two straight 29 point seasons in a row, bringing him back up to speed and potentially putting the three seasons previous behind him. His major physical presence was also a huge factor in his return and his jump, and with regression continuing it will be interesting to see if he can continue.

66. (S36) RW (Edmonton Blizzard) - Tigole Bitties || New Entry
Grade: 78.10
Past Seasons: None

At 66 is another new entry and youngster, Tigole Bitties, whose name has certainly raised eyebrows but his play has began to get people taking serious notice. Bitties scored 19 goals and 46 points, finishing second among Blizzard skaters in scoring (first if the team had not traded for Redding late in the season). Bitties could be a new rising star, and the biggest hurdle will be if he can replicate the monster season he had.

65. (S37) D (San Francisco Pride) - Jack Tanner || New Entry
Grade: 78.20
Past Seasons: None

Another new entry enters the list at 65, Jack Tanner of the Pride. Tanner himself has already made quite a mark in his early career, with his rookie season featuring a 31 point bout (not seen often among rookies) and his sophomore season being more of the same. With 7 goals and 31 points, Tanner is beginning to make a name for himself among the new defensive superstars who could be in the league's future, even if it comes with major defensive problems.

64. (S27) RW (New England Wolfpack) - Raven Silverwing || -19
Grade: 79
Past Seasons: S33-52, S34-37, S35-18, S36-33, S37-24, S38-37, S39-24, S40-45

At 64 is Wolfpack winger Raven Silverwing, dropping back a few spots surprisingly after what was considered quite a performance. Silverwing scored 21 goals and 40 points, which ended up second among Wolfpack skaters, and all in all was able to somewhat rebound from his lesser season in S39 where he only scored 38 points compared to the 53 beforehand.

63. (S31) G (San Francisco Pride) - Jeff Kirkstone || -16
Grade: 79.20
Past Seasons: S35-57, S36-53, S37-69, S38-31, S39-13, S40-47

At 63 is goaltender Jeff Kirkstone, who despite some problems in the beginning of the season finished with a 19-17-6 record, a .909 save percentage, and a 2.83 goals against average. He was shown a number of shots during the season, but was still a solid goaltender even if he didn't quite hit the mark that he hit in S39.

62. (S31) C (San Francisco Pride) - Isaac Kaiser || +11
Grade: 79.40
Past Seasons: S39-77, S40-73

At 62 is Isaac Kaiser of the Pride, the center who has started to get himself together, despite the fact that regression has now started to begin and it is possible this is the best we have seen from him. Even if he falls back down to his early days, the fact he was able to shape a solid few seasons in a career most thought was over after the first three years, that is something to behold.

61. (S24) C (Calgary Dragons) - Randy Randleman || -58
Grade: 79.40
Past Seasons: S27-64, S28-58, S29-20, S30-39, S31-36, S32-29, S33-47, S34-8, S35-8, S36-5, S37-2, S38-1, S39-8, S40-3

One of the biggest drops this season comes from Randy Randleman of the Dragons, falling out of the top-10 and out of the top-50 with his 61 ranking in S41. Randleman spent seven years as a complete juggernaut of a player, registering points and hits like it was nothing. However S40 was probably the first time in a long time we have seen Randleman as human. 14 goals, 36 points, and a very surprising 7 hits on the year. His shooting percentage was down the tubes as well, so it will be interesting to see if it was just a lack of luck or he is finally starting to regress.

60. (S31) D (Los Angeles Panthers) - Matthew Leetch || +19
Grade: 80.50
Past Seasons: S39-94, S40-79

At 60 is Matthew Leetch of the Panthers, moving closer and closer to the top-50 with his S40 performance where he scored 7 goals and 32 points. Leetch has seen his upward progression in production come in plateaus, and it seems like this is the latest one before he potentially rises to the next. However, regression may have something to say about that for him.

59. (S35) LW (Calgary Dragons) - Mike Izzy || -3
Grade: 81
Past Seasons: S40-56

At 59 is Dragons winger Mike Izzy, with a bit of a drop after a chunk of production went missing where he scored 20 goals and 40 points. Still not too shabby, and what he really contributed to the team was an intense physical play that was sorely needed when Randleman was unable to produce in that regard.

58. (S32) D (Minnesota Chiefs) - Noctis Caelum || +12
Grade: 81.40
Past Seasons: S37-97, S38-79, S39-37, S40-70

At 58 is Noctis Caelum of the Chiefs, still out of the top-50 but taking steps to get back in it. S39 was quite a disappointment when he scored only 3 goals and 25 points, however in S40 he was able to bounce back a bit and score 8 goals and 32 points. Defensively he struggled a bit, but overall was able to get back to the things that got him his 49 point season two years earlier.

57. (S35) C (Hamilton Steelhawks) - Robert Phelps || -20
Grade: 81.50
Past Seasons: S39-66, S40-37

At 57 is Steelhawks center Robert Phelps, who somehow dropped a whole 20 points despite his consistent play (four straight 40 point seasons). Phelps may need to up his intangible qualities and keep the improvements coming, because this current era is one with a lot of scoring, and 10 goals and 43 points just might not be enough.

56. (S25) C (Edmonton Blizzard) - Nikolaus Scholz || -23
Grade: 81.80
Past Seasons: S31-69, S32-47, S33-17, S34-28, S35-30, S36-24, S37-39, S38-13, S39-23, S40-33

At 56 is Nikolaus Scholz, Blizzard center who has had one of the more underrated careers. Not being a big name for the award contenders, but with multiple 50+ point seasons to his name and 9 straight 40+ point seasons, something that is very difficult to do when you are a center with other responsibilities and your assist production relies a lot on the teammates you have.

55. (S32) D (Buffalo Stampede) - Charles Walker || +40
Grade: 81.90
Past Seasons: S39-81, S40-95

Charles Walker comes in at 55, whose production has been somewhat consistent, but his play with Buffalo appears to have reduced his ability to truly break out. He finished 2nd on the team in scoring in S40, but the team in general could not score, and that made it much more difficult for him to get a lot of looks at offense.

54. (S35) RW (Los Angeles Panthers) - Sophia Bennett || +44
Grade: 82
Past Seasons: S40-98

At 54 is Sophia Bennett, a somewhat young Panthers winger who is starting to forge her place as a major offensive contributor. Bennett scored 25 goals and 49 points, finishing second on the team in scoring, and even though she was not a physical player, she is showing the kind of moves you see from a superstar. She will just need to get that going on a regular basis over her career.

53. (S37) G (West Kendall Platoon) - Beaujeaux Biscuit || New Entry
Grade: 82.10
Past Seasons: None

At 53 is Beaujeaux Biscuit of the Platoon, with his first showing on the list and first really productive season for the Platoon, as he went 28-14-2 and earned a number 1 seed in the Conference. Biscuit's .912 save percentage was also the best of his career, and despite the lack of shutouts he produced pretty consistently most nights.

52. (S31) LW (Winnipeg Jets) - Corey Bearss || -20
Grade: 82.10
Past Seasons: , S37-55, S38-9, S39-2, S40-32

At 52 is Corey Bearss, who has taken a serious slide after hitting number 2 in the rankings for S39. Bearss isn't scoring 50+ points any more, but his 18 goals and 40 points in S40 was good enough for fifth among Jets scorers. He even kept up his physical play where he registered 127 hits, and was still good in most everything else.

51. (S34) RW (Calgary Dragons) - Dani Forsberg || New Entry
Grade: 82.70
Past Seasons: None

At 51 is Dani Forsberg of the Dragons, her first entry on the list and she has come onto the list with quite the bang. In just her fourth SHL season she scored 19 goals and 50 points, making her a major staple in the Dragons offense and 2nd on the team in scoring. Not only that, her efforts in the Challenge Cup Finals were instrumental in their Championship.

50. (S25) C (Minnesota Chiefs) - Jonathan Lundberg || +11
Grade: 82.70
Past Seasons: 30-82, S31-94, S32-65, S33-59, S34-49, S35-27, S36-30, S37-58, S38-36, S39-27, S40-61

At 50 is an older player in Jonathan Lundberg, still sticking with it even though his career has had its shares of ups and downs. Lundberg scored 16 goals and 44 points in S40, keeping things about as they have been for the last few seasons and not missing a beat despite moving on to the Chiefs.

49. (S36) D (Calgary Dragons) - Roman Augustus || +34
Grade: 83.30
Past Seasons: S40-83

At 49 is Roman Augustus of the Dragons, moving into the top-50 in just his third SHL season so far. Augustus has come into his own as of late, scoring 12 goals and 36 points, about where he was last season as well, but this time demonstrating his consistency as a defender and being one of the big reasons the Dragons were able to win their Challenge Cup.

48. (S29) G (Calgary Dragons) - Richard C. Hocolate || -29
Grade: 83.40
Past Seasons: S38-94, S39-98, S40-19

At 48 is Richard C. Hocolate, a major playoff performer as we saw in the S40 Challenge Cup Finals where he dominated the field and was able to win a narrow seven game series against the Chiefs. In the regular season he was also very good, posting a 27-12-5 record with a .903 save percentage and 2.78 goals against average.

47. (S30) LW (Texas Renegades) - Conklin Owen || -41
Grade: 83.40
Past Seasons: S35-85, S37-57, S38-57, S40-6

At 47 is Conklin Owen of the Renegades, moving back after being unable to repeat the dominant performance he had in S39 where he scored 60 points on the year coming off a break in S38. Owen still did very well, scoring 20 goals and 40 points, even if his plus minus wasn't all that great.

46. (S25) RW (Minnesota Chiefs) - Lord Pretty Flacko || Even
Grade: 83.60
Past Seasons: S30-70, S31-11, S32-1, S33-1, S34-6, S35-2, S36-1, S37-1, S38-2, S39-5, S40-46

At 46 is Chiefs winger Lord Pretty Flacko, sticking to the same spot he had last season with a similar performance as well from the year before. Pretty Flacko scored 15 goals and 45 points, good for third on the team in scoring, and his +14 wasn't too shabby, either. All in all he did just about everything very well, even if he isn't the dominant player of a couple seasons ago.

45. (S32) RW (Minnesota Chiefs) - Terrance Nova || -38
Grade: 83.60
Past Seasons: S34-83, S35-28, S36-36, S37-56, S38-24, S39-15, S40-7

At 45 is another Chiefs winger, Terrance Nova. Nova also had a pretty similar season to S39, although the offensive contributions were not quite there from before, as he scored 21 goals and 43 points. Not a huge drop, but with only 54 hits that can be problematic with the way the league is changing.

44. (S28) RW (New England Wolfpack) - Dieter Dominique || -21
Grade: 83.7
Past Seasons: S34-51, S35-86, S36-59, S37-73, S38-59, S39-50, S40-23

At 44 is Dieter Dominique of the Wolfpack, an MVP for the Wolfpack even if he isn't quite as dominant in the SHL as a whole. Dominique scored 22 goals and 43 points, registered 102 hits, and did so only averaging 21 minutes a night. Not too shabby for someone already in regression.

43. (S33) LW (Hamilton Steelhawks) - Zanarkand Abes || -29
Grade: 84.30
Past Seasons: S39-68, S40-14

At 43 is Zanarkand Abes of the Steelhawks, poised for greatness a season ago, but falling short with a solid but not up to his standards performance where he scored 22 goals and 43 points. The Steelhawks were happy to have him, though, as he finished third on the team in points and almost registered 200 shots on the year.

42. (S35) RW (Calgary Dragons) - Louie Garrett || +6
Grade: 84.40
Past Seasons: S40-48

At 42 is Dragons winger Louie Garrett, who is moving on up with both his points and his ranking on this list. Garrett scored 19 goals and 48 points, not quite what we saw from him in Seattle, but on the Dragons you have to earn your ice time and he did so in spade in S40.

41. (S22) D (Manhattan Rage) - Bubba Nuck || +46
Grade: 84.60
Past Seasons: S24-98, S26-59, S28-51, S29-74, S30-63, S31-3, S32-40, S33-69, S34-73, S35-14, S36-10, S37-4, S38-14, S39-20, S40-87

Bubba Nuck makes a return to the top-50 with his spot at 41, scoring 11 goals and 38 points and rebounding from what many considered to be the death knell for an aging former superstar. However, Nuck refuses to go out into the sunset, and remains a vital piece to the Rage despite his advanced years and lack of a physical game.

40. (S31) D (New England Wolfpack) - Toivo Kosonen || +20
Grade: 84.60
Past Seasons: S36-76, S37-76, S38-84, S39-46, S40-60

At 40 is Toivo Kosonen of the Wolfpack, with a sizeable jump and a solid return to form as he looks to receive a little more recognition for his abilities. Kosonen scored 9 goals and 34 points, continuing his 30+ point streak ever since he started it in his sophomore season. Kosonen also has been ramping up the physicality, which may not last long with regression right on his heels.

39. (S32) RW (West Kendall Platoon) - Leafer Rielly || +5
Grade: 84.90
Past Seasons: S39-95, S40-44

At 39 is Platoon winger Leafer Rielly, who has had a pretty consistent career, moving up consistently, improving on skills consistently, and being given increased minutes consistently. In S40 this continued with Rielly scoring 19 goals and 47 points, the best of his career so far, and looking like he could continue that trend with his first 50+ point season in S41.

38. (S37) G (Hamilton Steelhawks) - Jay Bae || New Entry
Grade: 85
Past Seasons: None

At 38 is Steelhawks goaltender Jay Bae, who comes into the list with gumption and a top-tier performance, going 25-12-7, earning a .915 save percentage and 2.43 goals against average. Can Bae keep this up? It is unknown considering this young goaltender has a very young career so far, but we will be keeping our eye out regardless.

37. (S31) LW (West Kendall Platoon) - Alex Light || +12
Grade: 85.20
Past Seasons: S37-74, S38-80, S39-53, S40-49

At 37 is Platoon winger Alex Light, with his highest ranking so far, and with good reason as this was arguably his best ever season in the SHL. Light scored 22 goals and 47 points, as well as registering 102 hits and 244 shots, making him a hound in front and around the net at wing and a valuable piece for the Platoon and their romp as the #1 team in the East.

36. (S28) D (New England Wolfpack) - Mia Landvik || +27
Grade: 85.6
Past Seasons: S35-56, S36-60, S37-, S38-65, S39-40, S40-63

Mia Landvik enters the list at 36 with another solid season on defense, scoring 4 goals and 34 points, keeping up with other defensive teammates in Clayton and Kosonen despite playing fewer minutes. Landvik is hitting regression, however, and it is a question how long she will be able to keep this up despite father time catching up to her.

35. (S27) LW (Los Angeles Panthers) - Maximilian Wächter || +20
Grade: 85.90
Past Seasons: S32-98, S33-79, S34-56, S35-22, S36-13, S37-16, S38-39, S39-47, S40-55

At 35 is Panthers winger Maximilian Wächter, back on his hunt to make it to the top-10 for the first time after a lowly couple of seasons getting acclimated to his new team. In S40 he got back on track, scoring 19 goals and 48 points, and could be poised for a breakout and his best season yet in S41 if he continues the offense and ramps up the physicality even further (he registered 173 hits in S40).

34. (S25) D (Toronto North Stars) - Jasper Clayton || +7
Grade: 85.90
Past Seasons: S29-99, S30-84, S31-66, S32-22, S33-8, S34-19, S35-8, S36-8, S37-12, S38-25, S39-14, S40-41

Jasper Clayton comes in at 34, one of the most underappreciated defenders of this era, and incredibly consistent through the majority of his career. Clayton has scored 30 or more points in the past 11 seasons, doing so with solid defense and a commitment to a team that has responded in kind and provided him with multiple championships. Clayton scored 9 goals and 35 points, blocked 70 shots, and remains a top defenseman despite getting up there in age.

33. (S31) D (Buffalo Stampede) - Alexis Metzler || -20
Grade: 86.40
Past Seasons: S36-66, S38-44, S39-35, S40-13

At 33 is Alexis Metzler of the Stampede, so close to the top-10 spot but falling off a bit with his 8 goals and 32 points. Granted, Buffalo as a team was out of sorts in S40, but either way Metzler was a part of that problem even if he can only do so much as a defenseman. He did finish with "only" a -13 on the year, while multiple players were sporting minuses in the 20s.

32. (S30) C (Los Angeles Panthers) - Jean-Luc Reflieux || +36
Grade: 86.50
Past Seasons: S34-96, S35-97, S36-99, S37-43, S38-73, S39-61, S40-68

At 32 is Panthers center Jean-Luc Reflieux, in the top-50 again and earning it with his best season. Reflieux scored 20 goals and 51 points, leading the Panthers in that regard and doing so registering 117 hits and playing all kinds of minutes. Reflieux has been an ultimate two-way contributor for the Panthers, and even with regression starting to hit he continues to push on.

31. (S31) D (West Kendall Platoon) - Ludwig Koch Schröder || -13
Grade: 86.60
Past Seasons: S33-98, S34-92, S35-82, S36-71, S37-11, S38-32, S39-32, S40-18

At 31 is Ludwig Koch Schröder of the Platoon, a defenseman who has had some high moments but not quite able to string them together for more than a season. Schröder scored 4 goals and 34 points in S40, a far cry from the 17 goals and 50 points he had a season ago. But even still, 78 blocked shots is still a solid run for a team that is as good as West Kendall.

30. (S30) D (Edmonton Blizzard) - Viatcheslav Orlov || +6
Grade: 86.80
Past Seasons: S37-90, S38-47, S39-31, S40-36

At 30 is Blizzard defenseman Viatcheslav Orlov of the Blizzard, another defenseman who himself has had some high moments in his career, but his consistency has been a little bit better as of late. Orlov scored 4 goals and 33 points in S40, still lower than S39 where he scored 41, but he did do that registering 125 hits on the year and playing limited minutes at times.

29. (S35) D (Manhattan Rage) - Shoyu Kikkoman || New Entry
Grade: 87.30
Past Seasons: None

At 29 is Rage defenseman Shoyu Kikkoman with his first entry on the list after an impressive run where he scored 10 goals and 42 points, double the amount the previous year. Kikkoman has spent a pretty short time in the league and hasn't quite shown that much so far before this season, so it will be interesting to see if this last season was an aberration or a sign of things to come.

28. (S30) LW (San Francisco Pride) - Kelly Rivet || +10
Grade: 87.60
Past Seasons: S36-86, S37-888, S38-41, S39-29, S40-38

At 28 is Pride winger Kelly Rivet, moving up on the list with another 40 point season and showing major consistency in his peak years. Rivet scored 18 goals and 49 points with the Pride, second on the team in points only to Geronimo Otto, and he did it while registering 145 hits to boot.

27. (S33) D (Winnipeg Jets) - Isaac Cormier-Hale || +49
Grade: 87.70
Past Seasons: S40-76

At 27 is Isaac Cormier-Hale of the Jets, with another big season which appears to be proof that the Cormier-Hale of S39 is the one we should be expecting from now on. Cormier-Hale scored 9 goals and 39 points, even getting some hits and blocked shots into the mix, and could still improve on those intangible aspects of his game before regression hits him.

26. (S28) G (New England Wolfpack) - Mikke Laukkanen || +41
Grade: 87.90
Past Seasons: S32-61, S33-30, S34-17, S35-25, S36-27, S37-34, S38-75, S39-49, S40-67

At 26 is Mikke Laukkanen, coming back into form with a 23-15-6 record and a .914 save percentage on the Wolfpack. Laukkanen is starting to get up there in years, and we may not see these types of seasons from him again, but he is certainly keeping himself relevant in the league.

25. (S31) C (Hamilton Steelhawks) - Ronnie Westbrook || -21
Grade: 88.30
Past Seasons: S34-97, S35-83, S37-40, S38-27, S39-25, S40-4

At 25 is Ronnie Westbrook of the Steelhawks taking a bit of a fall from grace after his first top-10 finish last season. Westbrook scored 11 goals and 46 points, nowhere near the 18 goals and 59 points the previous year and shy of the 18 goals and 53 points the year before. Westbrook is going to see these fluctuations in his game when you get these major scoring seasons, especially when you are about to regress.

24. (S25) C (Texas Renegades) - Jack Durden || -8
Grade: 89.10
Past Seasons: S30-76, S31-24, S32-37, S33-33, S34-38, S35-20, S36-15, S37-15, S38-20, S39-19, S40-16

At 24 is Jack Durden, out of the top-10 and further away from his first top-10 spot. Durden scored 18 goals and 52 points in S40, and considering his track record in the last 7 or so years Durden has been one of the most consistent top-tier players in the league. Six 50+ point seasons in the last 7 years,10 40+ point seasons in a row? That is impressive. The only thing holding him back is the lack of any seasons where he was considered the best offensive player in the league.

23. (S31) RW (Edmonton Blizzard) - Ace Redding || -12
Grade: 89.10
Past Seasons: S34-78, S35-42, S36-8, S37-8, S38-15, S39-16, S40-11

At 23 is Ace Redding, who himself has had a great series of seasons in recent memory, and despite dropping a few spots he is still one of the best players in the league at this moment in time. Redding led the Blizzard in scoring (even though he wasn't as effective with Edmonton after being traded there) with 26 goals and 49 points, a few shy of the previous season, but marking his 7th 40+ point season in a row.

22. (S26) D (Edmonton Blizzard) - Wyatt Wøllker || +17
Grade: 89.80
Past Seasons: S29 -94, S30-100, S31-50, S32-66, S33-34, S34-15, S35-6, S36-3, S37-7, S38-10, S39-11, S40-39

At 22 is Blizzard defenseman Wyatt Wøllker, being very productive with his new team and back on track with his solid defensive and offensive numbers. Wøllker scored 16 goals and 39 points, a hell of a year despite not being nominated for the Stevens, and continuing his run of consistency as a top-tier player in the league, even if his physical play has toned down a fair bit since regressing.

21. (S31) LW (Winnipeg Jets) - Pietra Volkova || +14
Grade: 89.90
Past Seasons: S36-93, S37-98, S38-85, S39-41, S40-35

At 21 is Pietra Volkova of the Jets, with another 50+ point season and demonstrating some serious consistency needed to stick around up in the top-50. Volkova scored 26 goals and 51 points, third on the team in scoring, and a +26 to go along with 169 hits shows this Jets winger was not all about offense, but could boast a solid two-way game.

20. (S34) LW (Hamilton Steelhawks) - Noro Wozy || +10
Grade: 90.10
Past Seasons: S37-88, S38-68, S39-58, S40-30

At 20 is Steelhawks winger Noro Wozy, a player who is still relatively young but has already made his mark offensively with some arguably elite numbers. In S40 Wozy scored 24 goals and 55 points, leading the team in scoring and enjoying his fifth 40+ point season despite his career only spanning five seasons so far. Wozy could be the next great forward in the SHL, as long as he can continue to improve and make these 50+ point seasons a regularity.

- ArGarBarGar - 05-04-2018

19. (S33) D (Toronto North Stars) - Zander Rhys || -14
Grade: 90.70
Past Seasons: , S37-99, S38-54, S39-10, S40-5

Zander Rhys comes into the list at 19, falling out of the top-10 after two straight seasons with superb play. Rhys scored 12 goals and 36 points in S40, which is still mighty impressive, even if it wasn't up to the 40+ or 50+ seasons prior. Rhys is still in his prime years, too, which means it is unlikely he will be out of the top-10 for very long.

18. (S31) G (Manhattan Rage) - Jason Aittokallio || +39
Grade: 90.80
Past Seasons: S35-99, S36-94, S37-54, S38-48, S39-28, S40-57

At 18 is Jason Aittokallio of the Rage, jumping to his highest ranking since joining the list back in S35. Aittokallio had one of his best seasons ever in S40, going 22-17-5 and posting a .920 save percentage, and posting two shutouts to boot. Despite regression can Aittokallio ride the wave and make it to the top-10 next season?

17. (S34) LW (Toronto North Stars) - Elias Lindstrom || +12
Grade: 91.40
Past Seasons: S40-29

At 17 is North Stars winger Elias Lindstrom, who has made a quite rise to the top ranks of our list, scoring 26 goals and 54 points in S40. In addition he was a +16, tied for first on the team, and despite the team's lack of many solid players was able to be a part of one of the most potent offensive groups in the league. Due to his play Chris York was able to have arguably his best SHL season, and one of the best individual seasons in SHL history.

16. (S28) RW (West Kendall Platoon) - Mikko Linna || +8
Grade: 91.40
Past Seasons: S32-76, S33-81, S34-98, S35-61, S36-48, S37-48, S38-17, S39-38, S40-24

At 16 is Mikko Linna of the Platoon, his highest ranking ever as well, remaining a top-40 player for the last four seasons and looking ever closer to making the top-10 for the first time. Linna scored 25 goals and 55 points in S40, his best season in S37 where he scored 60, but over the last five seasons has averaged just under 50 points, making him an incredibly consistent player.

15. (S30) D (Hamilton Steelhawks) - Ben Dover || Even
Grade: 91.40
Past Seasons: S33-88, S34-34, S35-62, S36-29, S37-30, S38-5, S39-6, S40-15

At 15 is Steelhawks defender Ben Dover, staying put at 15 and not back into the top-10 just yet. Dover scored 11 goals and 40 points, really solid and an elite season for sure, but didn't quite have the season to prop him back up. However, it isn't often we see a player score the same number of goals and points in consecutive years, so congrats for that at least.

14. (S31) RW (WInnipeg Jets) - Zach Evans || -6
Grade: 91.50
Past Seasons: S36-62, S37-23, S38-7, S39-4, S40-8

At 14 is Zach Evans, out of the top-10 but still right on the edge. Evans scored 22 goals and 53 points in S40, surprisingly beating the season from previously where he only scored 15 goals and 47 points. His physicality has dropped from previous years, which is something we expect considering he is seeing regression in his rear-view mirror, but he still remains one of the top wingers in the league.

13. (S31) LW (West Kendall Platoon) - Trevor Wilson || -1
Grade: 92.10
Past Seasons: , S37-82, S38-56, S39-39, S40-12

At 13 is Trevor Wilson of the Platoon, dropping back a couple spots. He is playing the best hockey of his career right now, and in S40 he continued his streak of 50 points, scoring 24 goals and 53 points on the season. Wilson also continued his physical play, registering 116 hits, and even blocked a few shots to boot.

12. (S32) LW (Edmonton Blizzard) - Cory Knouse || +22
Grade: 92.40
Past Seasons: S37-100, S38-96, S39-70, S40-34

At 12 is Cory Knouse of the Blizzard, a winger who did a solid job at wing due to his overall great two-way play and consistency. Knouse scored 21 goals and 39 points, which is an interesting sight considering it isn't often you see players outscore their assist totals like that (funny enough teammate Ace Redding did the same thing).

11. (S31) C (Winnipeg Jets) - Jasson Visser || +17
Grade: 93.10
Past Seasons: S36-49, S37-6, S38-4, S39-3, S40-28

At 11 is Jason Visser of the Jets, who continues to have an unheard of streak of elite consistency not seen often in this league. Visser scored 24 goals and 59 points in S40, back to his elite ways from a couple of seasons ago, and surprisingly only his third best scoring season in his career. Visser's two-way game remains solid, and even with regression about to hit he isn't expected to slow down any time soon.

10. (S28) G (Edmonton Blizzard) - Michael McFadden || +11
Grade: 93.70
Past Seasons: S31-73, S32-73, S33-56, S34-58, S35-21, S36-26, S37-42, S38-16, S39-26, S40-21
<div align="center"> [Image: IQoYqe8.png]

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The first player in the top-10 is Michael McFadden of the Edmonton Blizzard, his first ever appearance on the list after a number of close calls in the last few seasons. McFadden has been the epitome of elite between the pipes lately, with a .908 save percentage in S39 and a .920 save percentage in S40, winning a total of 49 games between the two seasons, a very impressive feat. McFadden is currently undergoing regression, but is the kind of goaltender who gets better as he gets older, so it doesn't really effect him.

9. (S32) D (Winnipeg Jets) - Max Weber || +22
Grade: 93.80
Past Seasons: S36-74, S37-29, S38-12, S39-9, S40-31
<div align="center"> [Image: xG7k55A.png]

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At number 9 is Max Weber of the Jets, the defenseman with an attitude and a lot of offensive flair to top it off. Weber enjoys his second time being placed in the top-10, both of them in the 9 spot, and for good reason. Weber over the last five seasons has scored 40 or more points, throwing a 50+ point season in there and finishing S40 with 10 goals and 41 points. Weber is still in his prime, too, which means we could see him as a regular contender for the #1 spot in the future.

8. (S21) D (Minnesota Chiefs) - Alonzo Garbanzo || +14
Grade: 95.10
Past Seasons: S23-59, S24-76, S25-18, S26-30, S27-13, S28-3, S29-15, S30-6, S31-4, S32-4, S33-9, S34-2, S35-5, S36-2, S37-3, S38-3, S39-7, S40-22
<div align="center"> [Image: WT6uqPu.png]

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At number 8 is Alonzo Garbanzo, a late-thirties defenseman of an old era who still is able to put up elite numbers. Garbanzo has been on the list a total of 12 times, and in S40 he was able to climb back into the top-10 with his 11 goals and 47 points, a feat that got him his fifth Stevens Trophy and was the 16th 30+ point season in a row for the veteran defenseman.

7. (S31) D (Calgary Dragons) - Adam Kaiser || +18
Grade: 95.8
Past Seasons: S38-88, S39-42, S40-25
<div align="center"> [Image: z18mCR5.png]

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At number 7 is Adam Kaiser of the Calgary Dragons, making the top-10 for the first time and doing so on a new team. Kaiser scored 9 goals and 46 points in S40, a career high, and topped off with his 156 hits he has been starting a streak of great offensive play and impeccable physicality. Kaiser's season and consistency makes him the best defenseman on this list going into S41.

6. (S31) C (San Francisco Pride) - Geronimo Otto || +2
Grade: 96.50
Past Seasons: S36-90, S38-69, S39-36, S40-8
<div align="center"> [Image: n3nYZ23.png]

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At number 6 is Pride center Geronimo Otto of the San Francisco Pride, continuing his dominance with his third 50+ point season in a row, beating his previous career high in the process. Otto scored 29 goals and 59 points, was +8,. registered 71 hits, and did so with major important minutes. Otto has shown serious consistency in nearly all aspects of his game, and minus the lack of physicality is one of the best centers in the league.

5. (S31) G (Texas Renegades) - Ekaterina Rudnikova || +85
Grade: 96.60
Past Seasons: S39-80, S40-90
<div align="center"> [Image: iR5tPGp.png]

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At 5 is Renegades goaltender Ekaterina Rudnikova, making possibly the biggest jump in SHL history, with a 26-11-6 record and a .921 save percentage. Texas needed her skills very badly during S40, and thanks to her they were able to make the playoffs, making her the MVP of the team. She is no spring chicken, though, so it will be even harder for her to stay in the top-10 for long.

4. (S20) RW (Toronto North Stars) - Kristian Eriksson || -2
Grade: 97.80
Past Seasons: S22-96, S23-77, S24-57, S25-40, S26-11, S27-30, S28-55, S29-39, S30-55, S31-30, S32-5, S33-20, S34-20, S35-38, S36-55, S37-71, S38-40, S39-22, S40-2
<div align="center"> [Image: E1XaLAp.png]

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Kristian Eriksson is one of the most confounding careers in SHL history. Despite playing over 20 years in the league, Eriksson continues to surprise with his ability to put points on the board, coming in at number 4 on the list. Eriksson scored 26 goals and 59 points in S40, not quite up to the season he had before, but this is the fourth 50+ point season in a row, coming from a player who previously only had 3 50+ point seasons to his name (that is over 16 seasons). Can he keep up this pace? Unlikely, but it was unlikely we would be talking about this in the first place, so you never know.

3. (S32) LW (Manhattan Rage) - Luke Atmey || +7
Grade: 98.20
Past Seasons: S34-93, S36-51, S37-14, S38-8, S39-21, S40-10
<div align="center"> [Image: PWI4dJM.png]

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At number 3 is Luke Atmey of the Manhattan Rage, moving up in the top-10 with his second top-10 finish in a row and first top-3 finish. Atmey scored 24 goals and 62 points, leading the Rage in that regard, while registering 108 hits to boot. Atmey has been pretty damn consistent through his entire career, particularly with the Rage, as he has scored 50 or more points 5 out of the last 6 seasons. Not many players can attest to that in this league.

2. (S31) RW (Calgary Dragons) - Joe Kurczewski || +24
Grade: 98.30
Past Seasons: S37-44, S38-18, S39-18, S40-26
<div align="center"> [Image: fhwg8ut.png]

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At number 2 is Joe Kurczewski of the Dragons, stepping up to the plate while teammate Randleman starts to fall back as two-way monster of the Dragons. Kurczewski has learned well, scoring 29 goals and 66 points in S40, his first 60+ point season to add to the multiple 40+ and 50+ seasons he has had over the recent years. He doesn't quite have the consistency, yet, but his two-way game and ability to put up big numbers is something that cannot be ignored.

1. (S33) RW (Toronto North Stars) - Chris York || Even
Grade: 99
Past Seasons: S39-34, S40-1
<div align="center"> [Image: VtbMBAA.png]

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Number one on the list is Chris York of the North Stars, his second number one ranking in a row, and with good reason. York scored 36 goals and 78 points in S40, third most goals in the current era and second most points to boot (only one behind the great VLAD). York has steadily increased his production over the last three years, unsurprisingly as he was entering his prime. Is it possible that York could take the number one spot for the third straight time (which has never been done before) by breaking the all-time point scored record of this era?

- Zoone16 - 05-04-2018

Massive props to you for soldiering on with this for 22 seasons.

- crutch - 05-04-2018

one of the best articles on the site, year in and year out.

- DeletedAtUserRequest - 05-04-2018

Quote:Originally posted by crutch@May 4 2018, 05:15 PM
one of the best articles on the site, year in and year out.

- ArGarBarGar - 05-07-2018

100. (S35) G (Winnipeg Jets) - Artom Zhumbayev || New Entry
Grade: 70.50
Past Seasons: None

Starting off the top-100 is Artom Zhumbayev of the Winnipeg Jets, entering his first season in the top-100 with a respectable run with the Jets. Zhumbayev went 27-10-7 with a .902 save percentage and 2.84 goals against average, which isn't half bad, and he still has room to grow.

99. (S31) D (Manhattan Rage) - Kornel Kašpárek || -3
Grade: 70.90
Past Seasons: S38-92, S39-64, S40-96

At 99 is Kornel Kašpárek of the Rage, remaining a somewhat productive but not all that much so, scoring 3 goals and 17 points in S40 with a lot of physicality but not too much else. About the epitome of a stay-at-home defenseman.

97. (S29) C (Los Angeles Panthers) - Nicolas Winter || -4
Grade: 71.20
Past Seasons: S33-73, S36-91, S37-72, S38-51, S39-84, S40-93

At 97 is Panthers center Nicolas Winter, who is looking like a veteran in this day and age, but not necessarily for the better. Winter is stuck in the 90s for the second straight season, although his production seems to have improved a bit with 12 goals and 33 points on the year.

98. (S38) RW (Toronto North Stars) - Bobby Watson || New Entry
Grade: 71.20
Past Seasons: None

At 98 is Bobby Watson of the North Stars, a new entry on a team that has had some major struggles when it comes to prodictive players. Watson scored 21 goals and 37 points, although his -17 isn't going to win him any Jeff Dar trophies any time soon.

96. (S36) LW (New England Wolfpack) - Oisin Fletcher || -10
Grade: 71.30
Past Seasons: S40-86

At 96 is Oisin Fletcher of the Wolfpack, dropping a bit on the list with his 16 goals and 33 points on a team that also has had its share of issues to a degree. Fletcher is still pretty young, and is developing his game to where he could still be a valuable piece of the Wolfpack core, but whether he does so remains to be seen.

95. (S30) D (Los Angeles Panthers) - Victor Lindstrom || -31
Grade: 71.70
Past Seasons: S39-88, S40-64

At 95 is Panthers defender Victor Lindstrom, jumping from the Pride to the Panthers in the middle of the season and not really doing well with either team. He scored 5 goals and 17 points between the two teams, and there wasn't really anything about his game that inspired confidence that the Panthers picked up a solid piece.

94. (S27) RW (Los Angeles Panthers) - Jaxson Reynolds || Even
Grade: 71.90
Past Seasons: S34-61, S35-34, S36-28, S37-66, S38-50, S39-85, S40-94

At 94 is Panthers winger Jaxson Reynolds, who himself is having some struggles getting back into the swing of things, though all things considered he has remained a productive player in the league. Reynolds scored 18 goals and 35 points, making him a solid piece of the Panthers core, but considering how old he is right now it is only a matter of time before his number start to seriously decline.

93. (S22) D (Winnipeg Jets) - Big Manious || -5
Grade: 72.10
Past Seasons: S27-42, S28-41, S29-45, S30-32, S31-22, S32-68, S33-41, S34-11, S35-32, S36-39, S37-31, S38-21, S39-17, S40-88

At 93 is Jets defender Big Manious, one of the oldest veterans still in the league at this point. Manious still has what it takes to make himself known as a top-100 player, but he certainly isn't getting any better the older he gets. Manious scored 7 goals and 21 points, still a solid production for a defender, though only two players scored less on the Jets, and neither of them played over 20 minutes.

92. (S34) C (New England Wolfpack) - Xander Green || +7
Grade: 72.40
Past Seasons: S40-99

At 92 is Xander Green of the Wolfpack, moving up a little bit but still a 90s player. Green scored 10 goals and 35 points for the Wolfpack, one of their best scorers actually, and pulled off a solid physical season which was overlooked by a lot of people during the season. And in the end it helped the Wolfpack make the playoffs.

91. (S30) C (Texas Renegades) - Steven Stamkos Jr. || -39
Grade: 73
Past Seasons: S33-92, S34-29, S35-71, S37-63, S38-76, S39-75, S40-52

At 91 is Renegades center Steven Stamkos Jr., dropping back on the list with a decent season, but not all that much better than a lot of other players on his own team, and worse than a good chunk as well. The center scored 11 goals and 32 points, all while being relegated to the winger position and taking very few faceoffs on the season.

90. (S36) C (Los Angeles Panthers) - Yuri Boyka Jr. || New Entry
Grade: 73.20
Past Seasons: None

At 90 is new entry Yuri Boyka Jr., joining a list that his father used to be a part of back in the day, and doing so with a top-notch offensive season where he scored 13 goals and 39 points. Boyka certainly has a lot more growing to do, and with this being his first season among the top-100, he will need to demonstrate consistency to prove this season wasn't an anomaly.

- Ace - 05-07-2018

Ilike

- Insayne - 05-07-2018

WE BACK

- kckolbe - 05-07-2018

Bobby Watson, from the same draft class as me, scored exactly the same amount of points in S40 as I did in S39 and S40 combined. Oh well, at least now I have hope for making this list next year.

- DeletedAtUserRequest - 05-07-2018

Cheers

- TheRealBK - 05-07-2018

I swear to god, if Brett Kennedy doesn't make the list this year...

- Zoone16 - 05-07-2018

Maybe that last season pushed me up? :thinking:

- Ace - 05-13-2018

Excited to see 80-89...

- ArGarBarGar - 05-13-2018

Quote:Originally posted by Ace@May 13 2018, 07:29 AM
Excited to see 80-89...

Be patient, now. I burned myself out on the NHL 2004 project, so I took a couple days to recharge and will be back at this tomorrow.

- Symmetrik - 05-13-2018

I wonder if I make it this year