MuleFHL’s Forward Rankings

These rankings are based only on overall ratings of the top two lines for each team, disregarding player positions (so basically the top 6 forwards on each team).

1. Ottawa Senators (82.3avg):

- Joe Sakic(88OV), Mario Lemieux(87OV), Zigmund Pallfy(82OV), Daniel Alfredsson(82OV), Petr Schastlivy(78OV), Todd White(77OV)

- With two of the Olympic Gold Medal team’s top players, this team is the obvious choice for top offense. With other stars in Ziggy Pallfy and Daniel Alfredsson, as well as some up-and-comers, the Senators’ powerful offense seems to be one that will be maintained for many years.

2. New Jersey Devils (82.0avg):

- Patrick Elias(86OV), Eric Lindros(83OV), Petr Sykora(82OV), Steve Yzerman(82OV), Joe Thornton(81OV), Brad Isbister(78OV)

- Although this offense looks stacked on paper, problems always seem to arise during the season. It’s almost inevitable that Lindros will get injured (he is currently out for 2-4 months with yet another concussion) and there always seem to be underachievers, Joe Thornton being the obvious one this year. Needless to say, Patrick Elias continues to keep this offense rolling at a very high standard.

3. Philedelphia Flyers (81.7avg):

- Paul Kariya(86OV), Brendan Shanahan(83OV), Theoren Fleury(81OV), Keith Primeau(80OV), John LeClair(80OV), Mark Recchi(80OV)

- Some might argue that this is the best offense in the MuleFHL, and those people will likely find many supporters. This flurry of North American talent is perfectly suited to the Eastern Conference style of play and is one that can frighten any defence in this league.

4. Colorado Avalanche (80.7avg):

- Peter Forsberg(86OV), Jerome Iginla(84OV), Marian Hossa(80OV), Steve Sullivan(79OV), Alex Tanguay(78OV), Radim Vrbata(77OV)

- The Avs have a great mix of age here, with established superstar, Peter Forsberg, followed by four of the league’s best young forwards. Iginla could very well dominate for many years to come. Hossa’s potential is only beginning to show, while Tanguay and Vrbata are two players with tremendous upsides. Also, the oft underrated Steve Sullivan continues to work his magic, being out of the spotlight once again in Colorado.

5. Anaheim Mighty Ducks (80.3avg):

- Pavel Bure(84OV), Mats Sundin(81OV), Milan Hejduk(80OV), Tony Amonte(80OV), Chris Drury(79OV), Bill Guerin(78OV)

- This could very well be the most explosive offence in the MuleFHL. This team has 6 great individual talents rounding out their top 6, including some of the best snipers that can be found (Bure, Sundin, Guerin, Hejduk). Any one of these players can break a game open in an instant, which is what makes this offense so dangerous.

6. Buffalo Sabres (80.2avg):

- Jaromir Jagr(89OV), Jaroslav Kristek(81OV), Anson Carter(79OV), Jan Hlavac(78OV), Ilya Kovalchuk(77OV), Vaclav Varada(77OV)

- It seems obvious here that Smitty wants European Superstars. He’s already got Europe’s best player in Jaromir Jagr, and Jaroslav Kristek is well on his way to becoming yet another European Superstar. This team also has the player who is arguably the best young player in the NHL, Ilya Kovalchuk, as few people doubt that this player will become one of the top players in hockey.

7. St. Louis Blues (79.8avg):

- Pavol Demitra(82OV), Keith Tkachuk(81OV), Jamal Mayers(81OV), Pierre Turgeon(80OV), Reid Low(78OV), Bryan Smolinski(77OV)

- The Blues have a very good combination of both size and skill on their top 2 lines. With guys like Jamal Mayers and Reid Low, nobody wants to “mess” with anybody else that may happen to be on the ice at the same time. This really gives the skilled players, Demitra and Turgeon, the opportunity to showcase their talent with minimal interference.

8. Toronto Maple Leafs (79.2avg):

- Sergei Samsonov(82OV), Alexei Kovalev(82OV), Mark Parrish(79OV), Miroslav Satan(78OV), Brendan Morrison(77OV), Ron Francis(77OV)

- The leafs have a great leader in Sergei Samsonov, who will no doubt improve with the likes of Alexei Kovalev teaching him how to snipe. Their top 6 is filled with very respectable players, most of which tend to get less recognition than they deserve.

9. Dallas Stars (79.0avg):

- Mike Modano(85OV), Peter Bondra(80OV), Brian Savage(78OV), Dean McAmmond(78OV), Joe Nieuwendyk(77OV), Brett Hull(76OV)

- Mike Modano is one of the best forwards in hockey and he’s all this team needs to contend. Snipers Peter Bondra, Brian Savage, and Brett Hull add to the scoring punch here, but a true playmaker seems to be something that would be a welcome addition.

10. Pittsburgh Penguins (78.8avg):

- Ryan Smyth(82OV), Radek Bonk(80OV), Martin Havlat(80OV), Boris Prostenko(78OV), Milan Kraft(77OV), Toby Petersen(76OV)

- Look out for the Penguins. This offense is one that is going to be on the rise for many years. Smyth and Bonk are still reaching their prime, while Martin Havlat is one of the league’s best young players. Boris Prostenko is currently the league’s Calder Watch leader, and there is no shortage of talent down on the farm. The Pens will contend very soon.

11. Montreal Canadiens (78.3avg):

- Mike Peca(80OV), Luc Robitaille(80OV), Martin Straka(80OV), Sami Kapanen(77OV), Vincent Damphousse(77OV), Marcel Hossa(76OV)

- This offense has come a long way over the past season. With stars in Peca, Robitaille, and Straka, this offense is one that can contend with the best of them. These guys will get the job done, while Straka and Kapanen provide the “flash.” Marcel Hossa has really improved over the past season and could be a key element to this team in the near future.

12. Washington Capitals (78.3avg):

- Teemu Selanne(80OV), Jason Arnott(80OV), Adam Deadmarsh(78OV), Mikael Renberg(78OV), Ulf Dahlen(78OV), Marian Cisar(76OV)

- With Selanne’s new found grittiness, this offense is one that is built for playoff hockey. It is well known that Jason Arnott and Adam Deadmarsh are players who rise to the occasion, while Mikael Renberg and Ulf Dahlen bring experience. Marian Cisar has been a pleasant surprise this season, helping this gritty offense produce some points.

13. Edmonton Oilers (78.2avg):

- Doug Weight(82OV), Simon Gagne(79OV), Mike Comrie(78OV), Saku Koivu(78OV), Jere Lehtinen(76OV), Todd Marchant(76OV)

- Very good combination of experience and youth, as well as offensive-minded players and defensive-minded players. With Lehtinen and Marchant, the Oilers have two of the league’s best defensive forwards, while the top 4 are all very respectable players, two of which are only beginning their great careers.

14. San Jose Sharks (78.Oavg):

- Owen Nolan(81OV), Jeremy Roenick(80OV), Petr Nedved(78OV), Jeremy Adduono(77OV), David Gossellin(76OV), Patrick Marleau(76OV)

- With three very well-established players quarterbacking this offense, the Sharks can compete with the best of them, although adding another top-liner wouldn’t hurt. However, the talent on their second line is young and inexperienced, despite having very good potential.

15. Vancouver Canucks (78.0avg):

- Markus Naslund(80OV), Andrew Cassels(79OV), Todd Bertuzzi(78OV), Daniel Sedin(77OV), Henrik Sedin(77OV), Peter Schaefer(77OV)

- This offense is very similar to that of the San Jose Sharks, but their top line isn’t as powerful. However, their young, second line talent is currently slightly better and exhibits much better potential.

16. Calgary Flames (77.8avg):

- Sergei Fedorov(80OV), Craig Conroy(79OV), Benoit Gratton(78OV), Steve Begin(77OV), Marc Savard(77OV), Andrew Brunette(76OV)

- With two very good defensive forwards in Conroy and Fedorov being the team’s top two forwards, this team could use an offensive star to boost it to the next level. However, this offense is currently one that will compete night in and night out.

17. Detroit Red Wings (77.7avg):

- Jeff O’Neill(80OV), Scott Gomez(78OV), Jeff Friesen(78OV), Martin Lapointe(77OV), Daymond Langkow(77OV), Radek Dvorak(76OV)

- The Wings’ young stars, Jeff O’Neill and Scott Gomez, will allow this team to compete for many years. These players are backed up by some gritty, but skilled forwards in Friesen, Lapointe, and Langkow.

18. Tampa Bay Lightning (77.5avg):

- Brad Richards(81OV), Alexander Svitov(80OV), Vincent Lecavalier(78OV), Justin Williams(78OV), Nikita Alexeev(74OV), Sheldon Keefe(74OV)

- Say hello to the next wave of MuleFHL superstars. Although this team is having difficulty this year, it is one that will improve consistently over the next few years and has the resources to become the league’s best offense at some point.

19. New York Islanders (77.3avg)

- Alexei Yashin(83OV), Alexander Mogilny(80OV), Mariusz Czerkawski(78OV), Dave Scatchard(75OV), Oleg Saprykin(74OV), Gary Roberts(74OV)

- A very good offensive first line including Yashin and Mogilny can win a lot of games for the New York Islanders. However, their lack of depth on offense will come back to haunt them on a regular basis.

20. Phoenix Coyotes (77.2avg):

- Jason Allison(84OV), Shane Doan(78OV), Claude Lemieux(76OV), Krys Kolanos(75OV), Slava Kozlov(75OV), Sergei Berezin(75OV)

- Allison and Doan are two players that any team in this league would love to have on its first line. However, after this, the talent seems to thin out, despite the young Krys Kolanos.

21. Nashville Predators (77.0avg):

- Scott Hartnell(79OV), Greg Watson(79OV), Pavel Brendl(77OV), Brian Sutherby(77OV), Adam Hall(75OV), Jan Bulis(75OV)

- Although there is young talent on forward, the Predators’ top two forwards won’t score an overwhelming amount of points. Watson and Hartnell are two young players who are extremely responsible in their own end and will be stars because of it…and Brian Sutherby is following in their footsteps as well. Pavel Brendl will be looked upon to produce a lot of offense, despite the fact that many people still doubt his consistency.

22. Boston Bruins (77.0avg):

- Aaron Asham(78OV), Adam Oates(78OV), Brian Rolston(78OV), Michal Handzus(77OV), Shawn Bates(76OV), Brad May(75OV)

- Although this offense isn’t going to score many goals, it is a gritty, defensive minded group that could be very dangerous come playoff time.

23. Columbus Blue Jackets (76.8avg):

- Ray Whitney(79OV), Robert Lang(78OV), Matthieu Darche(77OV), Geoff Sanderson(77OV), David Vyborny(75OV), Espen Knutsen(75OV)

- Whitney and Lang will put up points, but after these two, the Blue Jackets’ offensive talent thins out. Guys like Vyborny and Knutsen will be expected to overachieve to make the Blue Jackets’ offense competitive.

24. Florida Panthers (76.8avg):

- Mike York(78OV), Donald Audette(78OV), Valeri Bure(77OV), Kristian Huselius(76OV), Viktor Kozlov(76OV), Eric Boguniecki(76OV)

- This offense is filled with small, quick, flashy players who can really excite the fans. They play an energy game, and if the Panthers gain momentum, they will be tough to stop…however, this kind of offense is very prone to cold streaks.

25. Atlanta Thrashers (76.5avg):

- Tim Connolly(80OV), Norm Milley(77OV), Jay Legault(76OV), Wes Mason(76OV), Dan Snyder(75OV), Frederik Sjostrom(75OV)

- The Thrashers have a gem in Tim Connolly, as he is on his way to MuleFHL stardom. Norm Milley and Frederik Sjostrom are also two bright spots for this franchise, which seems to be trying to build it’s offense through the farm.

26. Los Angeles Kings (76.5avg):

- Jason Spezza(77OV), Jozef Stumpel(77OV), Eric Belanger(77OV), Yanick Lehoux(77OV), Adam Mair(76OV), Dainius Zubrus(76OV)

- The Los Angeles Kings’ offense screams only of potential. IF these players can develop as many hope they will, the Kings will have one of the league’s top offenses, but if they don’t develop as expected, this team’s offense will be merely average. Putting the weight of the team on an 18 year old’s shoulders isn’t likely to produce immediate results, but it could pay off big-time in the future.

27. Chicago Blackhawks (76.3avg):

- Eric Daze(80OV), Alexei Zhamnov(78OV), Kyle Calder(76OV), Casey Hankinson(76OV), Mark Bell(74OV), Michael Nylander(74OV)

- The Chicago Blackhawks have a strong base of talent with Daze and Zhamnov, giving them the ability to develop the rest of their offense in the farm. By the looks of it, this team is on it’s way to having one of the most well-rounded groups of forwards in the MuleFHL.

28. Carolina Hurricanes (76.3avg):

- Jonathan Cheechoo(79OV), Yanic Perreault(78OV), Darcy Tucker(76OV), Josef Vasicek(75OV), Maxim Balmochynkh(75OV), Shane Willis(75OV)

- Jonathan Cheechoo’s development this season has been key to this team’s offense, seeing as it was obviously pretty weak prior to the season. With a future star in place, the Carolina Hurricanes can now concentrate on filling other needs that exist.

29. Minnesota Wild (75.3avg):

- Marian Gaborik(80OV), Mikko Koivu(76OV), Jim Dowd(76OV), Stacey Roest(74OV), Mikko Elomo(73OV), Sergei Krivokrasov(73OV)

- Marian Gaborik is arguably the best young player in hockey, so for a rebuilding franchise, he is the ideal franchise player. The Wild will likely make him the definition of “franchise player” by building their team around this rising superstar.

30. New York Rangers (73.0avg):

- Steven Heinze(76OV), Mark Messier(75OV), Ryan VandenBussche(73OV), Jamie Wright(73OV), Alexander Selifanov(71OV), Michal Grosek(70OV)

- Although the Rangers are near the top in terms of defence and goaltending, their offense is abysmal. They are going to need to acquire some young offensive talent if they want to follow in the footsteps of many championship teams, who built their teams from goaltendingàout.