Top 50: Zetterberg's the complete package, just hitting prime

If you didn't realize how good Henrik Zetterberg is, don't feel bad. The best and the brightest minds in hockey weren't sure at first either, drafting 209 players before the Detroit Red Wings decided to gamble a seventh-round pick on him in 1999.

Talk about stepping it up.

Henrik Zetterberg tallied a career-best 92 points last season. (Getty Images)

Zetterberg broke in three years later on a team with had nine future Hall of Famers in the lineup and still managed to stand out enough to finish second in the Rookie of the Year voting. And his game has gotten better every year since, hitting a high last season when he picked up 92 points in 75 games when he also was a finalist for the Selke Trophy as the NHL's best defensive forward.

Can we say all-around game?

Go ahead. It's fair and it's accurate and it's the best there is right now in the NHL. Alexander Ovechkin or Sidney Crosby both have tremendous individual skills and make those around them better, but neither does everything as well -- at least not yet -- as Zetterberg. What's more, the Red Wings center will be only 28 years old when the new season begins and really just entering his prime.

Now that's a scary thought for anyone outside of Detroit.

Folks there know what they have, and the rest of the world might if the NHL's marketing machine gave him some of the muscle Crosby and Ovechkin have gotten since the lockout. The dynamic duo has definitely become the new faces of the game -- hockey's version of Magic and Bird -- and neither has hurt their cause by winning both a scoring title and MVP award in their first three seasons.

That's something Zetterberg can't say. But he can say he was the playoff MVP last spring, which meant he was the standout for a Red Wings team that ran to the Stanley Cup with machine-like efficiency and many believe can do it again this time around. And that makes him our choice as the top player in the NHL right now.

Here's the rest of the top 50. Let the arguments begin.

2. Alexander Ovechkin, LW: No one in the league can bring fans out of their seats like Ovechkin, who won the scoring title and MVP award last season as he carried the Washington Capitals on his back down the stretch to the playoffs.

3. Sidney Crosby, C: A high-ankle sprain cut into season in a big way and kept him from defending his scoring title, but Crosby was a point-producing machine when he was in the lineup, especially in the playoffs.

4. Nicklas Lidstrom, D: With six Norris Trophies in the last seven seasons (and three runners-up in the previous four), Lidstrom has dominated this critical position unlike anyone since Bobby Orr.

5. Vincent Lecavalier, C: His numbers dipped a little last season, but nowhere near what they could have considering how little support he had around him. The new captain of the Lightning also got what amounted to a contract for life -- for good reason.

6. Jarome Iginla, RW: One of the NHL's truly great ambassadors, there is no better power forward in the game and no one who is more consistent than the Flames captain and franchise player.

7. Evgeni Malkin, C: Ok, so he didn't have a post-season to remember, but Malkin is the real thing and he proved it with the way he stepped it up when Crosby went down.

8. Martin Brodeur, G: Call him a senior statesman if you like, but Brodeur took a so-so Devils team a lot farther than it deserved last season because he is still the best in the business. He's already locked up his Hall of Fame spot and will set a new record for career wins by mid-season.

9. Pavel Datsyuk, LW: All-world skill at both ends of the ice, just like his buddy and linemate Zetterberg. And yes, you can count on him to prove it at playoff time as well.

10. Joe Thornton, C: There's nothing he can't do on the ice, at least during the regular season. One of these years, he'll show off his talents in the playoffs and then everyone will figure just how good he is.

11. Dany Heatley, LW: One of the few players who is a serious threat to get 50 goals in any given season. Last season, he had only 41 because he missed 11 games, but he hit the mark in the previous two campaigns.

12. Roberto Luongo, G: He has come close to assuming the mantle as league best from Brodeur for a couple of seasons, but slipped back a bit last season behind a team that offered him little support

13. Zdeno Chara, D: Think the Senators aren't sorry they let this guy go? Especially after the season Chara had last year for Boston. No one in hockey is more intimidating than this guy.

14. Marian Hossa, RW: The rich got richer when Detroit landed Hossa at a bargain price this summer. Hossa is an electrifying talent and more important, has finally shaken the rap that he disappears in the playoffs.

15. Marian Gaborik, RW: How good would he be if he could stay healthy for an entire season? Even so, he puts up big, big numbers, but Gaborik will be a serious distraction in Minnesota until he signs a new contract or is traded.

16. Chris Pronger, D: It was a tough season injury-wise for Pronger and in general for the Ducks, but he's big, tough and impacting at both ends of the ice, so count on him on return to a Norris quality level.

17. Daniel Alfredsson: There was a time when the Ottawa captain's leadership qualities were in doubt. Not anymore though. Alfredsson does it all for the Senators and consistently.

18. Ilya Kovalchuk, LW: Is there any other reason to pay attention to the Thrashers?

19. Eric Staal, C: He was just a really talented kid when he played a major role in Carolina's 2006 Stanley Cup win, but now he's a true leader and a franchise player.

20. Martin St. Louis, RW: A little guy with a big heart and even bigger talent.

21. Henrik Lundqvist, G: His star has shined bright on Broadway since he broke in after the lockout. As he goes, so go the New York Rangers.

22. Dion Phaneuf, D: He is the current poster boy for punishing hits and he puts up big offensive numbers, too.

23. Mike Richards, C: The Flyers locked Richards up for the next dozen years and made him their captain this summer. He's a solid two-way player and a leader in the mold of Bobby Clarke.

24. Scott Niedermayer, D: His star may have faded a bit because he took so long to come back to play, but Niedermayer still has the skills that have made him one of the best of his era.

25. Daniel Briere, C: It took him a while to get comfortable in his new Philadelphia environment, but once he got on track, Briere proved why the Flyers spent so much money on him.

26. Brenden Morrow, LW: He's gritty, determined and he has a solid skill set to boot, but Morrow really made his mark by leading Dallas by example in the playoffs.

27. Sergei Gonchar, D: No one ever considers him seriously for a Norris, but he is always among the top producers among defensemen and the game he plays in his own end is not appreciated enough.

28. Ryan Getzlaf, C: The Ducks had one of the league's worst offenses last season, though no fault of this big, rangy center who put up 82 points in 77 games.

29. Brian Rolston, C: Rolston is a versatile forward with a big shot and leadership skills. Minnesota's loss will be New Jersey's gain.

30. Dan Boyle, D: The Sharks couldn't hang on to Brian Campbell, but Boyle will give them the kind of puck moving from the back end that will made a positive difference for the offense.

31. Rick Nash, LW: There aren't many players who have the pure scoring ability that Nash does and his overall game has improved under coach Ken Hitchcock.

32. Alexei Kovalev, RW: He's always been a player who could stickhandle in a phone booth but Kovalev has evolved into a leader and helped return the Canadiens to the brink of greatness.

33. Marc Savard, C: Is there another player who puts up his kind of numbers on a regular basis without anyone realizing it?

34. Marty Turco, G: A thinking man's goalie and one who no longer has to worry about critics slagging his playoff performances.

35. Olli Jokinen, C: The Panthers needed a scapegoat last season and he was it. But the Coyotes have picked up one of the most consistent producers around.

36. Joe Sakic, C: The Avs gave him all summer to decide whether he wanted to play a 20th season because he is still worth the wait.

37. Scott Gomez, C: He escaped from the suffocating defensive style that hampered him in New Jersey last season, and this time around, he'll be out of the shadow of Jaromir Jagr with the Rangers.

38. Daniel Sedin, LW: He's the higher profile half of the twins package in Vancouver because he can actually put the puck in the net, a rarity for the Canucks.

Poll Who is the best player in the NHL?   32%  Alex Ovechkin     28%  Sidney Crosby     10%  Nicklas Lidstrom     17%  Henrik Zetterberg     3%  Vincent Lecavalier     11%  You're missing the best     Total Votes: 7383

39. Zach Parise, C: Parise came to the Devils with good blood lines and bigger expectations three years ago and hasn't disappointed.

40. Andrei Markov, D: He's the most talented member of the Canadiens defense as well as its anchor, while putting up offensive numbers that aren't too shabby.

41. Ales Hemsky, RW: Great speed and great hands and the potential to improve on his 71 points from last season if he would just shoot more.

42. Anze Kopitar, C: He has highlight reel skill that would get noticed more if the Kings would win a few more games.

43. Jay Bouwmeester, D: He may be the best skating defenseman this side of Paul Coffey in his prime, but Bouwmeester's overall talent has been lost in the obscurity of Florida.

44. Ilya Bryzgalov, G: The Coyotes were a different team once they picked up Bryzgalov in November and nearly rode him to a playoff spot. They might this season.

45. Jonathan Toews, C: Had he not been injured for a long stretch, he might have won the rookie award that went to teammate Patrick Kane. Still he made the choice very tough.

46. Paul Stastny, C: The heir apparent to Sakic in Colorado seems to have come out of nowhere and is among the top young offensive players in the league.

47. Brian Campbell, D: One of the newest Blackhawks can skate, move the puck and spark an attack, which is why he was among the most sought after free agents this summer.

48. Mike Ribeiro, C: In Dallas, Ribeiro has blossomed into the offensive force he couldn't have while playing in his home town of Montreal.

49. Derek Roy, C: The Sabres lost their top two centers last season and Roy filled the void at both ends of the ice.

50. Nicklas Backstrom, C: While so much attention in Washington focused on Ovechkin, this rookie quietly picked up 55 points in the last 45 regular season games.