22 (S17) LW (Hamiltion Steelhawks) Magnus Jakobsen +28
Grade: 40/45
Past Seasons: S20-48, S21-50

And with the a huge jump in a breakout season, a star became a superstar after already posting seventeen goals and twenty four assists he managed to increase that to an astounding twenty seven goals and thirty one assists, eighty more hits and sixty more shots and you have the league’s next dominant player for years to come.

NHL Player Comparison: Tyler Seguin




21. (S12) LW (Toronto North Stars) Adam Kylrad +13
Grade: 41/45
Past Seasons: S20-12, S21-34

A strange fluctuation over the last three seasons has Kylrad dropping down twenty two spots before regaining thirteen so perhaps this listing is a little skewed. After posting a total of twenty seven points, he nearly hit that in goals along with twenty five to go with twenty four assists. Thirty more hits, forty more shots and nearly double the powerplay totals shows a return to form for the former top star.

NHL Player Comparison: Matt Duchene



Thanks to Mac for that great write up, now I will take you the rest of the way, all the way to #1!!!



Ready for the top 20?!? Here's 20 to 16




20. (S16) G (Seattle Riot) - Dustin Rose +4
Grade 41/45
Past Seasons: S20-33, S21-24.

Dustin Rose has become one of the more dependable goaltenders in the league, and has earned his spot in the top 20. Playing on one of the stronger teams in the league for the past few seasons, he may not always get the credit he deserves with the lessened workload he gets on a nightly basis, due the Riot’s strong roster. However, when we take a look at his numbers, his 2.11 GAA is a league best, along with an 29-11-5 record, good for 1 point shy of the leader and his .913 SV% is also a very elite 2nd best in the league.

NHL Player Comparison: Corey Crawford


19. (S12) D/LW (Texas Renegades) - Shawn Velevra +9
Grade 41/45
Past Seasons: S20-36, S21-28

Shawn Velevra has evolved a lot during his last few years, climbing up from the top 40, to the top 30 and now the top 20. The 2- time champion from the Renegades has made a name for himself by playing both defense, and wing for his Texas based team. Velevra earned himself 18 goals and 32 points, good for the 50 point plateau last season, all while putting up 40 blocked shots.

NHL Player Comparison: Brent Burns


18. (S11) D (New England Wolf Pack) - Brandon Cant -1
Grade: 41/45
Past Seasons: S20-25, S21-17

A one spot drop for one of the more dependable defenseman in the league is nothing to be ashamed of. He has put up a great deal of points (44) and was an absolute rock on the blue line for the West Kendall Platoon with his 120 hits and 70 shots blocked. Cant was recentely traded to the New England Wolf Pack where he will be playing along side some elite defenders like Willie Weber, and that could propel him even higher this season.

NHL Player Comparison: Drew Doughty



17. (S8) D (Toronto North Stars) - Darian Scherbluk -9
Grade: 42/45
Past Seasons: S20-5, S21-8

Darian Scherbluk has been watching his years catch up to him slowly, but surely. One would consider his most recent year to be a slow one for his standarts, and that has dropped him 9 spots from last years 8 overall, and he was not able to find that top 5 form he had 2 seasons ago. However he remains in the top 20 and that is still among the elite defenders in the league, his offensive production is still of good quality with 36 points and his 72 shots blocked are still among the best

NHL Player Comparison: Christopher Letang




16. (S14) C (Los Angeles Panthers) - Brian Morley +3
Grade: 42/45
Past Seasons: S20-14, S21-19

Brian Morley has been the face of the Los Angeles Panthers for many seasons now. He has been up and around the the 15 to 20 mark for the past 2 seasons, and has hit that range again this season. Morley always puts up the offense, scoring 25 goals and 46 points leading the Panthers with a rookie coming in 2nd and a breakout player 3rd, one has to wonder if Morley could jump to the next step if he could get back the elite company he once had in LA.

NHL Player Comparison: Max Pacioretty


15. (S11) LW (Edmonton Blizzard) - Kyle Keenan +16
Grade 42/45
Past Seasons: S20-26, S21-31

Kyle Keenan is a big riser this year, climbing 16 spots into the top 15. Keenan has always been one of the more under-rated forwards in the league. His 2 way play has been one of the more elite, and his scoring has been surprisingly high considering we do not see his name in award talks year after year. However, he has put a 6th best 53 points this season for the Blizzard, and is one of the key parts to getting his team back to the dynasty days.

NHL Player Comparison: Jonathan Toews




14. (S9) (Hamilton Steelhawks) - Armin Brovalchuk -1
Grade: 42/45
Past Seasons: S20-23, S21-13.

Armin Brovalchuk is a veteran forward in search for a cup. His stats during the regular season are some of the top stats consistently year after year. This past season he managed 16 goals and 31 assists, for a total of 47 points for the puck handling playmaker. Brovalchuk plays in all situations, killing penalties and power play and has been able to do it all on all the teams he’s played for. He suits up this year with the Hamilton Steelhawks, where he has had a fantastic pre-season, and we expect nothing less than a repeat in production, but will he ever win that cup?

NHL Player Comparison: Pavel Datsyuk




13. (S14) LW (Manhattan Rage) - Daniel Merica +3
Grade: 42/45
Past Seasons: S20-32, S21-16

Daniel Merica slots in at #13. Get ready for a storm. One of the more out-spoken and controversial players in the league was upset about his 16th overall rank last season, and was very confident of cracking the top 10 this year. Although many might agree that he is deserving of a top 10 placement, the panel had him fall just short despite his 22 goals and his 53 points.

NHL Player Comparison: Patrick Kane



12. (S10) LW (West Kendall Platoon) - Ivo Willems -3
Grade: 43/45
Past Seasons: S20-11, S21-12.

After a breakthrough into the top 10, Ivo Williems has dropped just a couple spots outside this time around. He has found immense chemistry in West Kendall, which most would think would rise his value, proving he was capable of putting up similar numbers away from Joe McKeil. However his 23 goals and 49 points were not enough to keep him in the top 10.

NHL Player Comparison: Phil Kessel



11. (S9) D (New England Wolfpack) - Willie "The Destroyer" Weber -4
Grade: 43/45
Past Seasons: S20-10, S21-7.

Willie Weber is arguably the most fierce and scary defenseman to play against in the entire league. Most of his 168 hits are bone crushing, and his shot is among the hardest in the league. He has found the score sheet 40 times this year, and has continue his fantastic work defensively for the Wolf Pack, putting 77 blocked shots and averaging 25 minutes of ice time per game.

NHL Player Comparison: Shea Weber


10. (S7) RW (Seattle Riot) - David Winter -4
Grade: 43/45
Past Seasons: S20-24, S21-6

David Winter is one of the older players on the list, starting his pro career way back in season 7, and yet he still has the talent at his age to crack the top 10. His move from Hamilton after a bounce back to form year was a highly anticipated one for all Riot fans, and he delivered very solid numbers playing next to Chris McZerhl and Armin Brovalchuk. He will be expected to repeat his production from last season both in scoring and in the physical department.

NHL Player Comparison: Corey Perry



9. (S13) G (Edmonton Blizzard) - Jakub Aittokallio +6
Grade: 43/45
Past Seasons: S20-7, S21-15

Legendary goaltender Jakub Aittokallio is back in the top 10. Although his Blizzard didn’t have a very successful season, he proved to everyone that he is Edmonton’s top player. He dropped out of the top 10 last year after a difficult season for the entire club, however his play has proved that he does deserve to be considered one of the 10 best players in the entire league. After numerous of cups in the dynasty days for the Blizzard, Jakub is still around waiting for his team to get back to being true post season threats, he will be ready.

NHL Player Comparison: Henrik Lundqvist


8. (S8) C (Hamilton Steelhawks) - Joe McKeil -7
Grade: 43/45
Past Seasons: S20-2, S21-1.

Yes you read right, Joe McKeil has not only been dethroned, but he was booted out of the top 5! This may be shocking to most, however some members of the panel feel last year was the first year of his decline. Being a season 8 player, McKeil’s age has been a concern to some fans around the league, and it’s astonishing to say but his 19 goals and 56 points were not enough to keep him in the top 5. This is the first time that Joe does not finish 1st or 2nd, so he and his fellow Steelhawks will be disappointed with an 8th place finish.

NHL Player Comparison: Steven Stamkos



7. (S13) G (Winnipeg Jets) - Lauris Prikulis -3
Grade: 44/45
Past Seasons: S20-3, S21-4.

Another member of the top 5 falls out in this years’ edition, and with the announcement of Lauris Prikulis finishing 7th overall, this confirms the theory of a new goaltending champion! Lauris Prikulis’ play was still among the top of the league last season, but his Jets failed to make the playoffs and struggled to help Prikulis keep the puck out of the net. Prikulis is for sure a common name in the debate between who’s the best goaltender in the league, and for some he still wins that debate, however without help from his teammates he cannot continue to hold that title.

NHL Player Comparison: Pekka Rinne



6. (S14) D (Seattle Riot) - Chuck Winnfield +21
Grade 44/45
Past Seasons: S20-31, S21-27.

The highest climber in the top 10 this year is the new man in town for Seattle, Chuck Winnfield. Chuck’s move from LA to Seattle seemed to be the exact thing he needed to get to the next level. He finished first among all defenders in scoring with 52 points and he did so in just under 24 minutes per night, all while adding 126 hits.

NHL Player Comparison: P.K. Subban


5. (S8) C (Seattle Riot) - Chris McZerhl - Even
Grade: 44/50
Past Seasons: S20-4, S21-5.

Chris McZerhl has been in the top 5 every season for the entirety of this list’s existence. “McZ” is one of the leagues most valued stars, he currently holds the title for being the SHL’s all time leading scorer, with nearly 700 points thus far in his career. His Seattle Riot cherish his offensive and defensive play, he is an all around beast and continues to put up high scoring numbers (56 points last season) despite his age.

NHL Player Comparison: Sidney Crosby


4. (S14) G (Texas Renegades) - Jordin FourFour +7
Grade: 45/45 - Elite Grade: 19/32
Past Seasons: S20-16, S21-11.

The first player to receive a perfect 45 out of 45 grade is the newly crowned best goaltender in the league, Jordin Fourfour! Fourfour has won his 2nd straight Challenge cup last season, and with his league leading .917 Sv% and his league leading 30 wins there was no denying him the top goaltender position. Add on a 2.20 GAA, his 12-5 record in the playoffs with a .920 SV% and there was no denying him the perfect grade and 4ht overall on this list.

NHL Player Comparison: Carey Price


3. (S10) D (Texas Renegades) - Chris Partlow -1
Grade: 45/45 – Elite Grade: 20/32
Past Seasons: S20-6, S21-2.

Chris Partlow retains his title as the league’s top defenseman with a 3rd place finish. The Texas defender put up another great year statically winning another Challenge Cup, putting up 48 points and 16 playoff points. He also had an outstanding 78 blocked shots and added another 28 in the playoffs. The leader on the blue for the Renegades averages a league leading 29.11 minutes per game and that means nearly half the game of horror for opposing forwards.

NHL Player Comparison: Duncan Keith


2. (S8) C (Texas Renegades) - Jordan Hall +8
Grade: 45/45 - Elite Grade 22/32
Past Seasons: S20-13, S21-10.

Jordan Hall is a new member to the top 5, coming in just 1 short of being the league’s best player. Hall put up an outstanding league leading 67 points last season for Texas, he was 8 points ahead of the 2nd highest scorer. He also lead his team and was 3rd in the league for scoring in the playoffs with 17 points. He also put up 155 hits and a 55% face-off winning percentage.

NHL Player Comparison: Evgeni Malkin




AND YOUR NEW CHAMPION!




1. (S14) LW (New England Wolfpack) - Carter O'Callahan +2
Grade: 45/45 - Elite Grade: 23/32
Past Seasons: S20-1, S21-3

With Carter O’Callahan as the new best player in the league, he also becomes the first player to win that title for the 2nd time and he is also the best player so far in the history of the “Top 100 Players of Today” list. He is the only player to feature in the list’s top 3 in every edition, and he is this year’s new champion! His 26 goals and 59 points were good for 2nd in the league in both those categories, and he did so on a New England team that did not have a ton of offense compared to some of the other teams in the league. The 2nd and 3rd leading scorers for New England were 2 defenseman that ranked 26th and 33rd in scoring across the league, and the 2nd best forward in scoring to help O’Callahan put the puck in the net was Phil Schenn, having just barely made the top 40 with 36 points. O’Callahan has proven time and time again that his skill is hard to match and he does all of this while adding 174 hits and more PK minutes than any other player in the top 15 in scoring. Congrats to Caret O’Callahan for being this season’s best player!

NHL Player Comparison: Alex Ovechkin






Thanks to everyone who participated, it was a lot of work but it was all fun.

Make sure to get hyped up for the Top 100 players in history coming up soon by David Winter and his panel of experts!

Good night.