My franchise list: Pacific Division

Wednesday, August 27, 2008 | Feedback | Print Entry

It has been a while, eh? After chasing Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band to Spain and getting some quality time at the beach, I figured it was time to get back to work.

Nothing much has changed in the past few weeks. We're still waiting for the Ducks to trade defenseman Mathieu Schneider (Devils?), the Hawks to deal goalie Nikolai Khabibulin (Kings?) and, of course, we're still waiting on Mats Sundin. The sensitive Swede still can't decide if he wants to play. One source told me Sundin is having a tough time seeing himself out of a Leafs sweater. I think he should try harder. Sundin can still play and should find a good situation (Montreal!).

While I continue to wait for this inevitable preseason player movement, I've decided to put a little list together. Everybody likes little lists, right? I'll offer my thoughts on the best players in the history of each franchise. I've broken it down to best forward, best defenseman and best goalie. It's a little summer exercise to get ready for training camp.

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Mike Modano

Scott Rovak/US Presswire

Mike Modano has been with the Stars organization his entire career.

I'll start with the Pacific Division teams:

ANAHEIM DUCKS
Best forward: Teemu Selanne. The Finn's second stint in Orange County pushes him past former linemate Paul Kariya.

Best defenseman: Scott Niedermayer. You didn't think I was going with Fredrik Olausson, did you?

Best goaltender: Jean-Sebastien Giguere. Although I love saying the name Guy Hebert, this was a no-brainer.

DALLAS STARS
Best forward: Mike Modano. I must say I did give a lot of consideration to Neal Broten. Still, Mo's the man.

Best defenseman: Sergei Zubov. They got him in a steal of a deal from Pittsburgh for Kevin Hatcher. If the Pens would have waited a week, they might have gotten K-Hatch on the waiver wire.

Best goaltender: Ed Belfour. Although Cesar Maniago's hockey card was a prize possession of my youth, the Eagle is the clear choice.

LOS ANGELES KINGS
Best forward: Wayne Gretzky. His stint on the left coast wasn't as long as Marcel Dionne's, but, in my opinion, he had more impact. Plus, Gretzky's Kings made the franchise's only trip to the Cup finals.

Best defenseman: Rob Blake. Even before he returned and left again a second time, he was the club's all-time best defender.

Best goaltender: Rogatien Vachon. I give Rogie a slight edge over Kelly Hrudey in a two-goalie race. No, I didn't consider Roman Cechmanek.

PHOENIX COYOTES
Best forward: Dale Hawerchuk. He had six 100-point seasons in Winnipeg. Enough said.

Best defenseman: Teppo Numminen. The Finnish-born defender spent 15 years between Winnipeg and Phoenix. He was a steady star in both locales.

Best goaltender: Nikolai Khabibulin. The Russian stopper rates an edge over '80s keeper Bob Essensa.

SAN JOSE SHARKS
Best forward: Joe Thornton. With a tip of the lid to Owen Nolan, I'll go with the lanky playmaking wiz. After all, Thornton has won a scoring title and a Hart Trophy.

Best defenseman: Mike Rathje. The third overall pick in 1992, Rathje was a steady defensive defenseman in San Jose. In a few years, newly acquired Dan Boyle might get the nod.

Best goaltender: Evgeni Nabokov. While Arturs Irbe enjoyed some success in northern California, Nabokov is an obvious choice.

Thursday: the Northwest Division.

NHL, Anaheim Ducks, Dallas Stars, Los Angeles Kings, Phoenix Coyotes, San Jose Sharks

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  • E.J. Hradek E.J. Hradek

    E.J. Hradek is a senior writer at ESPN The Magazine, joining the staff prior to its launch in 1998. He began covering hockey as a writer/editor for Hockey Illustrated in 1989. The following year, he beat the Stars to Dallas (by three years), taking over as the editor of Beckett Hockey Monthly. When the Stars finally did arrive in Big D, he hosted a weekly hockey radio show and tried (unsuccessfully) to convert ESPN's Skip Bayless to the greatest game on ice.

    In 1996, Hradek left Dallas, but not the Stars. Relocating back to the New York area, he became a part-time pro scout for the club, seeing more than 100 NHL/AHL games for each of the next two seasons. The scouting gig was a great learning experience, offering a different view of the game.

    Hradek grew up in Tuckahoe, N.Y., about a 40-minute train ride from New York City. Despite the proximity to the Rangers, Hradek embraced the Islanders when the expansion franchise debuted in 1972. Eight years later, he was part of the sellout crowd at the Nassau Coliseum that witnessed the Islanders' first Stanley Cup championship.


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