Chip Alexander did his usual in the NandO recently, but let's take a hard look at a six man all decade team. Two wingers, one center, two D and one goaltender. Biggest impact in the actual decade, not potential and not history. Starting in the 2010-11 season and running through this one. Sound fun? It shouldn't because it's actually quite hard to do and more than a little depressing.
Wingers
Jeff Skinner, Teuvo Taravainen ... the best pure scorer and the best overall. For me this wasn't particularly close. Skinner may have been lost in the defensive zone for most of his time here, but the guy scored goals. Lots of them, and often at crucial moments. He also won the only major award of the decade when he took the Calder in 2011. Turbo takes the nod for my other slot despite only having three and a half seasons of service by sheer impact. He was always one of the Canes best defensive wingers and has grown into one of the better setup wings in the NHL.
Honorable mention ... Jussi Jokinen, Tuomo Ruutu, Justin Williams
Center
Tough call, but sticking to my own rules I think you have to give it to Eric Staal over Aho. Aho will be the more impactful over a 2-3 year period, but Staal carried this team through the majority of the decade ... even if he often broke under the weight. I wouldn't be too upset if you chose quality over quantity and went with Aho. It's close, but the kind only has 3.5 seasons to look at ... one of which was spent on the wing.
Defense
Joni Pitkanen and Jaccob Slavin ... and yeah, this one got rough. Hamilton simply has too small a body of work to fit here, and plenty of other reliable bangers and all-arounders kinda, sorta fit the bill. But I went with sheer class and I'm sticking to it. Slavin is working on season 5 and has been an impact defender right from day one. Now he's reached the sublime column and the smart folks around the league are actually starting to notice what we've known down here in the boondocks for some time now ... this guy is REALLY good at his job. Pitkanen is probably more controversial because he only got 3 seasons in this decade, one of which was a lockout year and one of which was cut short by an effectively career ending injury. Still, the guy was a true No. 1 on team that perpetually needs one and did everything asked of him at a very, very high level.
Honorable mentions ... Hamilton, Pesce, Hainsey, Gleason
Goaltender
Cam Ward ... default. Seriously, who else? Mrazek has played what amounts to one full season, and Khudobin had a good year and a half. Everybody else was either terrible or a backup ... or a part time backup. Ugh.
There you have it. Shoot your shots.
Wingers
Jeff Skinner, Teuvo Taravainen ... the best pure scorer and the best overall. For me this wasn't particularly close. Skinner may have been lost in the defensive zone for most of his time here, but the guy scored goals. Lots of them, and often at crucial moments. He also won the only major award of the decade when he took the Calder in 2011. Turbo takes the nod for my other slot despite only having three and a half seasons of service by sheer impact. He was always one of the Canes best defensive wingers and has grown into one of the better setup wings in the NHL.
Honorable mention ... Jussi Jokinen, Tuomo Ruutu, Justin Williams
Center
Tough call, but sticking to my own rules I think you have to give it to Eric Staal over Aho. Aho will be the more impactful over a 2-3 year period, but Staal carried this team through the majority of the decade ... even if he often broke under the weight. I wouldn't be too upset if you chose quality over quantity and went with Aho. It's close, but the kind only has 3.5 seasons to look at ... one of which was spent on the wing.
Defense
Joni Pitkanen and Jaccob Slavin ... and yeah, this one got rough. Hamilton simply has too small a body of work to fit here, and plenty of other reliable bangers and all-arounders kinda, sorta fit the bill. But I went with sheer class and I'm sticking to it. Slavin is working on season 5 and has been an impact defender right from day one. Now he's reached the sublime column and the smart folks around the league are actually starting to notice what we've known down here in the boondocks for some time now ... this guy is REALLY good at his job. Pitkanen is probably more controversial because he only got 3 seasons in this decade, one of which was a lockout year and one of which was cut short by an effectively career ending injury. Still, the guy was a true No. 1 on team that perpetually needs one and did everything asked of him at a very, very high level.
Honorable mentions ... Hamilton, Pesce, Hainsey, Gleason
Goaltender
Cam Ward ... default. Seriously, who else? Mrazek has played what amounts to one full season, and Khudobin had a good year and a half. Everybody else was either terrible or a backup ... or a part time backup. Ugh.
There you have it. Shoot your shots.
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