theScore's top 100 NHL players: 20-11
Leading up to the start of the 2018-19 season, theScore will be counting down the top 100 players in the game today, as voted on by four of our NHL editors. We'll reveal 10 players every weekday until the top 10 is unveiled on Oct. 3.
100-91 | 90-81 | 80-71 | 70-61 | 60-51 | 50-41 | 40-31 | 30-21 | 20-11 | 10-1
20. Brent Burns, Sharks| Wegman | O'Leary | Gold-Smith | Hagerman |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | 23 | 21 | 27 |
Since 2015-16, Burns has the 19th-most points in the NHL, ahead of premier forwards such as Mark Scheifele, Vladimir Tarasenko, Taylor Hall, and Nathan MacKinnon. In that span, only Alex Ovechkin has more shots. Giveaways are his Achilles heel, but when a rugged, 6-foot-5 blue-liner is annually posting forward-like numbers, the turnovers are tolerable. -- Wegman
19. Steven Stamkos, Lightning| Wegman | O'Leary | Gold-Smith | Hagerman |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | 19 | 20 | 22 |
After being limited to just 17 games in 2017, Stamkos returned to his elite self in 2018. He tallied 86 points, forming one of the top duos playing alongside Nikita Kucherov. Now healthy, his shot from the half wall is as good as ever and his speed remains a killer. -- Hagerman
18. Tyler Seguin, Stars
Tom Pennington / Getty Images Sport / Getty| Wegman | O'Leary | Gold-Smith | Hagerman |
|---|---|---|---|
| 29 | 16 | 17 | 20 |
Since joining the Stars in 2013-14, Seguin has recorded 384 points in 387 games, while his 173 goals over that span trail only Alex Ovechkin. His production gets somewhat overlooked, but there's no denying that the 26-year-old is one of the best centers in the league and is worth every penny of the $78.8-million extension he signed in September. -- O'Leary
17. Brad Marchand, Bruins| Wegman | O'Leary | Gold-Smith | Hagerman |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18 | 26 | 16 | 17 |
When he's not licking or elbowing opponents, Marchand is one of the NHL's best left-wingers. The talented pest trailed only Connor McDavid, MacKinnon, and Evgeni Malkin among qualified players in points per game last season, pouring in 85 over 68 contests. He plays on the edge at times, but there's no denying his offensive skills. -- Gold-Smith
16. Mark Scheifele, Jets
Hannah Foslien / Getty Images Sport / Getty| Wegman | O'Leary | Gold-Smith | Hagerman |
|---|---|---|---|
| 23 | 13 | 18 | 19 |
Scheifele has been a point-per-game player over the past two seasons and showed he has the ability to elevate his game when it matters most by burying 14 goals in 17 playoff contests over the spring. The 25-year-old has entered his prime as a player, and he's cemented his name as one of the league's best players. -- O'Leary
15. John Tavares, Maple Leafs| Wegman | O'Leary | Gold-Smith | Hagerman |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | 17 | 15 | 13 |
Tavares is already firing on all cylinders with his new team, and he has Toronto Maple Leafs fans salivating thinking about what he'll accomplish when the games count. The superstar forward averaged 34 goals and 76 points over his final four seasons with the New York Islanders, and he could top that playing on a loaded Leafs power-play unit. -- Gold-Smith
14. Patrick Kane, Blackhawks
Bill Smith / National Hockey League / Getty| Wegman | O'Leary | Gold-Smith | Hagerman |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26 | 12 | 14 | 10 |
His numbers might have dropped last season, but there is no getting around the fact that few NHLers possess the skill set of Kane. He can stick handle in a phone booth, appears at times to have eyes in the back of his head, and has a wicked release to boot. He's still a wizard with the puck. -- Hagerman
13. Drew Doughty, Kings| Wegman | O'Leary | Gold-Smith | Hagerman |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 15 | 13 | 15 |
Doughty's natural offensive abilities are well documented, but what he has that some of the league's other top defensemen lack is a mean streak. He'll hack, whack, dish out physical punishment, and play with a chip on his shoulder. This drives opponents up a wall and makes him very unpleasant to play against. -- Wegman
12. Patrice Bergeron, Bruins
Maddie Meyer / Getty Images Sport / Getty| Wegman | O'Leary | Gold-Smith | Hagerman |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | 11 | 12 | 8 |
There isn't a thing Bergeron can't do. He centers what is arguably the best line in the NHL, alongside Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak, he's a wizard in the faceoff dot, and last season put up 63 points in 64 games, good enough for the best points-per-game mark of his career. He's everything you could want in a centerman. -- Hagerman
11. Victor Hedman, Lightning| Wegman | O'Leary | Gold-Smith | Hagerman |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 10 | 10 | 11 |
Hedman's mobility, high-end skill, and instincts are just simply unfair when you remember he's 6-foot-6, 223 lbs. He has the ability to take control of a game the same way some of the best blue-liners of all time have. Despite Nikita Kucherov, Steven Stamkos, and Andrei Vasilevskiy's importance, Hedman is the Lightning's most valuable player. -- Wegman
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