Jere Lehtinen is the best of the players who are generally called "defensive forwards". Fedorov, Forsberg, Sakic and Modano are the best two-way offensive players.
I'd usually say Fedorov Modano and Forsberg, even though they all have either been injured or are having off years. Lehtinen and Peca are the best defensive forwards.
I'm a huge canucks fan... and really like Morrison a lot... but there is no way you can put Morrison in a top 5 list of best 2-way players in the game... I don't see him in a top 10... maybe top 20 - maybe...
but then again, you've got Derek Roy - a rookie who's hardly proven himself in the NHL long enough and yet he's a better 2-way player than Fedorov or Forsberg??
Doesn't two way imply offense and defense? What's with all the non-scoring defensive players?
Lehtinen is tired at 290th in the league in scoring.
He seems to be totally lacking this year in one of the two ways relevant to this discussion. In the past, sure. But right now? No way.
Sure, the past is relevant, but the present more so. And right now he is isn't the top two way player in the game.
Madden's not a two way player, he's a defensive specialist 1st and foremost. I'd love to have him on my team, but again, no where near enough offensive from him to be called a top two-way player. He's had some decent scoring years where he could nudge his way into a discussion like this, but this year isn't one of them.
Elias, now thats a two way player. Near the top in goals and hustles and gives effort on D. He's a +25.
This season aside, I think Mike Modano is the player that is able to excel at both ends of the ice the best. A guy like Jere Lehtinen is great defensively, but not a world beater offensively. Joe Sakic is great offensively, but great in his own zone? No way.
Doesn't two way imply offense and defense? What's with all the non-scoring defensive players?
Lehtinen is tired at 290th in the league in scoring.
He seems to be totally lacking this year in one of the two ways relevant to this discussion. In the past, sure. But right now? No way.
Sure, the past is relevant, but the present more so. And right now he is isn't the top two way player in the game.
Madden's not a two way player, he's a defensive specialist 1st and foremost. I'd love to have him on my team, but again, no where near enough offensive from him to be called a top two-way player. He's had some decent scoring years where he could nudge his way into a discussion like this, but this year isn't one of them.
Elias, now thats a two way player. Near the top in goals and hustles and gives effort on D. He's a +25.
Look at the number of games Lehtinen has played. He's lacking in offense because he's been injured.
Doesn't two way imply offense and defense? What's with all the non-scoring defensive players?
Elias, now thats a two way player. Near the top in goals and hustles and gives effort on D. He's a +25.
I was just going to say Patrik. His defensive game gets overlooked, and he does not get too much recognition for a guy carrying his team offensively, and currently sixth in the NHL in goals. His +25 on a very low scoring team is pretty awesome too... one of the top +/- in the entire league.
Overall, though, I think that Fedorov, Modano, and Forsberg are the three best 2-way forwards in the NHL.
