The best active NHL player at every jersey number, 1 to 97

Keith was the workhorse on the Blackhawks' defense during each of their three Stanley Cup runs in the last decade. It's not a stretch to argue he's the most important player on a team with Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane.

Jones needed a couple seasons to fulfill his lofty NHL potential. As the No. 1 defenseman on a 108-point Blue Jackets team in 2016-17, he's just about there.

While plenty of outstanding players like Ryan Ellis, Cam Fowler and Niklas Hjalmarsson wear No. 4, Heiskanen is emerging as the top. The young defenseman hit the ground running as a rookie and is now arguably the Stars best defenseman and one of the top in his division to boot.

Giordano has gained some competition at the top as he progresses into his 30s, but the steady Flames captain continues to fend off Aaron Ekblad, who took an unexpected step back in 2016-17.

Weber's demise was greatly exaggerated in 2016-17, his first with the Canadiens. His title as one of the most feared NHL defensemen is very much intact.

The son of Keith and brother of Matthew, Brady Tkachuk is making his own impact at the NHL level as one of the core members of the Ottawa Senators.

The No. 8 is one of the most hotly contested in hockey, but it was Ovechkin's name that forged its fame. Honorable mentions go to Drew Doughty and Joe Pavelski.

The Sabres captain is making the most of No. 9, on an absolute tear and making all the difference as Buffalo looks to return to the playoffs. While Taylor Hall was a close runner-up, Eichel is the best to wear No. 9 right now at this point in time.e

"The Breadman" is one of the best in the league at what he does, able to pass, shoot or make a big play on offense when necessary. Now, he's bringing his talents to Broadway and making the most of his opportunity with the Rangers.

Kopitar had a 2016-17 to forget but he's still one of the best three-to-five best centers in the sport. He’s Jonathan Toews in Evgeni Malkin’s body.

With over 1,500 games played and 500 goals scored, Marleau is back where his career began with the San Jose Sharks after a short stint in Toronto, where he still managed to have a huge impact both on and off the ice.

Pavel Datsyuk had a stranglehold on the No. 13 for the last decade. Now that he's winding down his playing days in the KHL, it's Gaudreau's to lose for years to come.

Benn is one of the best all-around players in the league, and the captain of a team out to prove 2016-17 was a gross anomaly.

Ryan Getzlaf finished 2016-17 as one of the hottest players in hockey, helping him to delay the inevitable beginning of Jack Eichel’s reign as the best No. 15.

An injury-plagued 2016-17 masks the fact that Barkov achieved elite center status during the games he did play. He should be able to hold off Mitch Marner for the foreseeable future. 

After a rough start to his career with the Coyotes, many wondered if Strome would meet his expectations after going third overall in 2015, especially without Connor McDavid on his team. However, he's silenced his critics after being traded to the Chicago Blackhawks,where he's now a top-6 guy capable of 50-plus points a season.

Ondrej Palat hasn't always been given the credit that's due for his contributions to the Lightning's "Triplets" line. Those days are over.

There are at least three potential Hockey Hall of Fame members wearing No. 19 right now, but with all respect to Joe Thornton and Nicklas Backstrom (world-class centers as well), Toews is the choice.

Suter isn't getting any younger, but his contributions are still Norris Trophy-caliber.

The list of wings who have averaged more points per game than Okposo the past three seasons includes Patrick Kane, Jamie Benn, Alex Ovechkin, Joe Pavelski and Taylor Hall (and Benn and Pavelski have spent time at center).

The offensive defenseman is still surging and rocking No. 22 with the Tampa Bay Lightning, where he's performing up to standards after a rough stretch with the New York Rangers that ended in a buyout.

OKL is one of the NHL's most prolific defensemen as the Coyotes are making a case to return to the playoffs in 2019-20.

Dumba is a top-4 puck-moving defenseman who has been hitting strides with the Minnesota Wild.

That van Riemsdyk's career renaissance coincided with a number swap probably means nothing. Thank the kids (and Borje Salming).

Is there a more underrated forward in the NHL? The Jets captain now has back-to-back 70-point seasons to his credit.

McDonagh has the upper hand on both Alex Pietrangelo and Dougie Hamilton, but it's close.

A nightmare of a 2016-17 season behind him, Giroux is still among the top 12-15 centers in the NHL.

The Leon Draisaitl vs. Patrik Laine debate sure will be a fun one over the next 10 years. Laine may soon become the NHL's best pure goal scorer, but Draisaitl has the edge right now.

It won't be long now until Matt Murray stakes his claim, but Lundqvist is still king.

There's not a goalie in the NHL more single-handedly tied to the success of his team than Price.

Quick is not one of the top three or four goaltenders in the NHL, regardless of how many Kings fans or ex-players who talk about hockey on television say so, but he is above-average and capable of producing spurts of spectacular work.

He’s even better than the traditional offensive stats suggest, and those alone would make him a top-15 defenseman. Stick tap to Henrik Sedin, who would have been in this spot for several years.

Matthews was preordained for NHL stardom, but no one predicted a 40-goal rookie season. The No. 34 will be locked up for a long time.

Rinne is one of the most underrated goalies and is a consistent performer, having boasted above a .918 since 2016. He's also won the Vezina and finished in the top three in voting four times and is a two-time All-Star.

He’s gone from on the fringe of the Rangers’ plans (he opted to stay in Russia after the lockout ended in 2013 until the KHL season was over) to one of their most indispensable players.

The top two-way center in the league in the post-Pavel Datsyuk prime era.

Jenner couldn't replicate his 30-goal season in 2016-17, but he's an important piece of the Blue Jackets' future.

A wonderfully talented two-way player on a team that is seeking a return to the Stanley Cup Final.

Rask remains a top-five goaltender, even as the Bruins' defense corps has crumbled around him.

Anderson, 36, has been an ageless wonder whose incredible 2016-17 helped prop up the Senators, both on and off the ice.

Manson emerged as a major player in the Ducks' shutdown defensive corps. His offensive numbers are nothing sexy, but he's highly coveted around the league.

Kadri is finally established as a critical piece to the Leafs' young core, perhaps the biggest beneficiary of the Mike Babcock era.

Vlasic’s reputation as an “offensive” defenseman took a big step forward when it became well known that the Sharks have the puck a lot when he’s on the ice.

He’s a talented offensive-minded defenseman who is yet another example of the Ducks' embarrassment of riches on the blue line.

Krejci went from underappreciated to overrated, but he remains a consistent producer even if it'll never match the monster contract the Bruins gave him.

Is it a prerequisite to wear a number in the 40s if you're a talented Ducks defenseman?

Hertl has really lost steam since a stellar rookie campaign, but he’s still a young forward with plenty of potential and personality.

He’s settled in as a useful No. 2 center for a young Hurricanes team on the rise. Plus, good luck finding many other good No. 49s around.

Crawford has won the Stanley Cup twice and the Jennings Trophy (team with the lowest goals against average) twice but hasn't yet been able to nail down top Vezina consideration. 

Gardiner could become a cap casualty in the Maple Leafs' long-term plans, but right now he's a fixture for the up-and-comers.

He has never had more than four goals of 15 points in a season, but did spend a few seasons as a top-pairing defenseman on a playoff team.

It wasn't his greatest sophomore season, but Gostisbehere is on his way to becomming one of the NHL's most prolific defensemen as soon as he figures everything out.

McQuaid played more games (77) in 2016-17 than all the other No. 54s combined, so he wins by default.

Scheifele is one of the NHL's bright young stars, if not its most unheralded one. The future of No. 55 is in good hands.

Haula can reach the highest gear there is, but all of that speed hasn’t translated into a place higher up the lineup yet.

Before missing most of last season, Myers was a consistent minutes-eater as a solid, if slightly overrated, No. 3 or 4 defenseman.

The Penguins went and won a Cup without their top defenseman last season. Imagine if he can stay healthy.

He’s the best defenseman on the league's best defense, which includes P.K. Subban, and among the top 10 in the league.

As the sole No. 60 in the NHL during the 2016-17 season, Granlund hasn't had a lot of competition for this honor of late.

Make that three consecutive 20-goal, 50-point seasons for one of the more underrated wings in hockey.

He's taken a step back after breaking onto the Pittsburgh scene as one third of the "HBK Line," but he's still a critical role player for the champion Penguins.

Marchand once again re-upped his career bests with a 39-goal, 85-point showing in 2016-17. Once merely a pint-sized, petulant act, he's become one of the NHL's premier goal scorers.

Granlund finally took the next step offensively with career highs in goals (26) and points (69) to couple with his excellent two-way talent.

Drew Doughty is a fabulous defenseman, but the best player on the planet at the position is Karlsson, who's been jipped of his third Norris Trophy more than once.

Pacioretty proved worthy of the Canadiens' captaincy with his fourth straight 30-goal season and fifth in six years.

The end of an era as Jaromir Jagr may have taken his final NHL skate in No. 68. Hoffman is a capable successor, at least. It's not an easy number to live up to.

Holtby is a perennial Vezina finalist. The Capitals' postseason shortcomings are no fault of his own.

His inability to avoid injury (just like his greatness, at times) has been overshadowed by Sidney Crosby, but he’s failed to play 70 games in every season since 2008-09 but one, and in that one he still only played 75. Still, when healthy, Malkin is a Hart-caliber talent.

Allowing that Bobrovsky deserves a mulligan for his terrible 2015-16 because of injury and the awfulness of the team in front of him, he bounced back in a big way, winning the secon Vezina of his career.

Toffoli is one of the best young wingers in the league, and he’s been a consistent source of offense the past two seasons when his team has struggled to score at times.

He’s been his team’s No. 1 defenseman for a while now, and the Capitals are going to need him healthy to once and for all make a deep run in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Reaves takes his No. 75 and all the grit to the Penguins this season. 

Subban may no longer be the No. 1 defenseman on his own team, but he's easily top 10 and probably top five in the league.

While Hedman might lack Chris Pronger’s propensity of surliness, he is the closest comparison to Pronger’s combination of size and skill on defense in the league.

With Andrei Markov off to the KHL, Ferland assumes the mantle of top No. 79 by default.

Here's a picture of Kessel holding his second Stanley Cup, Leafs fans.

White has all of two NHL games to his name entering the 2017-18 season, but we'll give it to him based on pedigree. The other options aren't great.

Beagle, at 31, is coming off possibly the best season of his professional career. He may be in for a bigger role with all of the free agency departures.

Perreault has been an analytics darling who has drifted between center and the wing for the Jets, though he’s run into some shooting percentage-driven issues of late.

Kucherov took over in the absence of Steven Stamkos and hasn't stepped off the gas. He's a bona fide star and won the Art Ross and Hart in 2019 after he ran away with the points lead and helped Tampa Bay to the Presidents' Trophy.

Maybe the most interesting question here is when will another great player wear this number? Kids all over North America wear it when they’re little, but trying to be the next No. 87 is going to be a lot of pressure for a teenager.

A Hart Trophy in his pocket, Kane followed with an 89-point year, though it'll be on him and Jonathan Toews to get the razor-thin Blackhawks back on a Stanley Cup track.

Gagner turned into a nifty role player for the Jackets after a career-high 50 points in 2016-17.

The 2019 Conn Smythe winner was arguably the most important part of the Blues' Cup run (along with Jordan Binnington) and has continued to make his mark in St. Louis after being traded by the Sabres prior to the 2018-19 campaign.

This is arguably the hardest number, with Tyler Seguin, Vladimir Tarasenko and John Tavares all checking in as world-class No. 91s (it is the new No. 19). Stamkos stayed in Tampa and is primed to deliver a Cup after a season lost to injury.

Also a tough one because Evgeny Kuznetsov and Gabriel Landeskog are also great, young players. Johansen has proven he can be a legit No. 1 center, and Kuznetsov is very close to doing so. It’s almost a toss-up.

Voracek is still a top 10 winger in the league, a dynamic offensive player who fits so well next to Claude Giroux.

Rantanen slid to the Avs at 10th overall in 2015 and potted 20 goals in his first NHL season. Expect more from the big, talented winger as the team improves around him.

McDavid is already one of the very best players in the world, if not No. 1. Let's see what he does to build on his first Hart Trophy and scoring title.