Every NHL Team's Greatest Player

Part IV of a series.

Anaheim Ducks, 1993-2020: Teemu Selanne. Even having started his career in Winnipeg can't dislodge the Finnish Flash from this honor.

Arizona Coyotes, 1997-2020: Shane Doan. Winnipeg, Jets, 1972-1996: Bobby Hull. Jets/Coyotes overall, 1972-2020: Hull. Doan was the last active player for the old Jets, and edges Teppo Numminen among 'Yotes.

Boston Bruins, 1924-2020: Bobby Orr. He only played 10 seasons for them, and only enough games to add up to 8 full seasons. But it says a lot about them that professional sports have been played atop North Station in Boston for 92 years, and there's only 2 athletes honored with statues there: Bill Russell, who won 11 titles with the Celtics, and Orr, who won just 2, but revolutionized the sport, and did as much as any human being, living or dead, to popularize it in America.

Buffalo Sabres, 1970-2020: Gilbert Perreault. The team's all-time leading scorer did more for them than Dominik Hasek did. Don't tell me how great Hasek was: He was never even the 2nd-best goalie in the NHL, because he was always stuck behind Patrick Roy and Martin Brodeur.

Calgary Flames, 1980-2020: Jarome Iginla. Atlanta Flames, 1972-1980: Tom Lysiak. Flames overall, 1972-2020: Iginla. It's hard to overlook the 1989 Stanley Cup winners, including Lanny McDonald, Theoren Fleury, Joe Nieuwendyk, Al MacInnis and Mike Vernon. But Iginla, who may have been cheated out of the 2004 Cup, is the team's career leader in most offensive categories.

Carolina Hurricanes, 1997-2020: Rod Brind'Amour. Hartford Whalers, 1972-1997: Ron Francis. Whalers/'Canes overall, 1972-2020: Francis. Francis isn't quite the best player if you count only the Carolina years, but he's close.

Chicago Blackhawks, 1926-2020: Bobby Hull. The Golden Jet's stats have been surpassed by many, including his son Brett. But he replaced Maurice Richard as hockey's most exciting player.

Colorado Avalanche, 1995-2020: Joe Sakic. Quebec Nordiques, 1972-1995: Peter Stastny. Nords/Avs overall, 1972-2020: Sakic. Patrick Roy might be the greatest goaltender of all time, but his career was split in half between Montreal and Denver, and so he's not the greatest player ever for either.

Columbus Blue Jackets, 2000-2020: Rick Nash. He was with them for only 7 years, but is still their career leader in most offensive categories.

Dallas Stars, 1993-2020: Mike Modano. Minnesota North Stars, 1967-1993: Neal Broten. Stars overall, 1967-2020: Modano. He might be the best forward American hockey has ever produced. The best American player? See the Rangers' entry.

Detroit Red Wings, 1926-2020: Gordie Howe. Mr. Hockey is still the greatest player ever. Don't tell me Orr was: He played his last game at 30. Don't tell me Wayne Gretzky was: When he was 38, he had to retire; when Howe was 38, he was still 1 of the top 5 players in the game.

Edmonton Oilers, 1972-2020: Wayne Gretzky. It's easy to forget that they won the 1990 Stanley Cup without him. But even Connor McDavid will not surpass him.

Florida Panthers, 1993-2020: Roberto Luongo. It was a tough choice between him and Pavel Bure. If either had spent his entire career in South Florida, that would have clinched it. Luongo was there longer.

Los Angeles Kings, 1967-2020: Marcel Dionne. Maybe one of the 2012 and '14 Stanley Cup winners will overtake him, possibly Dustin Brown, Anze Kopitar, or Jonathan Quick. Then again, we thought Luc Robitaille might, and he didn't. Wayne Gretzky? He was only a King for 7 1/2 seasons, and he wasn't nearly for them what he was for Edmonton.

Minnesota Wild, 2000-2020: Marian Gaborik. Hard to pick one for this team, especially since Mikko Koivu, their all-time scoring leader, doesn't really jump out at you. But Gaborik remains their all-time goalscorer, and was a fantastic player.

Montreal Canadiens, 1909-2020: Maurice Richard. Maybe the Habs have had a player or two who was more talented than the Rocket, but not greater. In Quebec, he is still L'idole d'un peuple -- "the idol of a people," or "the idol of a nation."

Nashville Predators, 1998-2020: David Legwand. He's their all-time leader in points, assists, games and seasons, so he's an easy choice.

New Jersey Devils, 1982-2020: Martin Brodeur. Colorado Rockies, 1976-1982: Lanny McDonald. Kansas City Scouts, 1974-1976: Wilf Paiement. Scouts/Rockies/Devils overall, 1974-2020: Brodeur. Marty's better.

New York Islanders, 1972-2020: Denis Potvin. Mike Bossy was more spectacular, but Potvin was not only more important, but better.

New York Rangers, 1926-2020: Brian Leetch. Mark Messier had the better career (which is true for all but maybe 10 players, ever), and he certainly had the franchise's greatest moment. But Leetch was a Ranger for longer, including said moment, when he, not Messier, won the Conn Smythe Trophy as Playoff MVP, the 1st American to win the award. He may still be the best American-born player ever.

Ottawa Senators, 1894-1934 and 1992-2020: Daniel Alfredsson. It's hard to judge players of the original "Silver Seven" team's era against today's players -- the very name, implying 7 players on the ice, as was the case until around 1910 or so, proves that it was a different game. Maybe King Clancy would be the all-time Ottawa player had he not left for Toronto in 1930.

Philadelphia Flyers, 1967-2020: Bobby Clarke. Dirty? Yes. Great anyway? Yes. You try playing 15 seasons in the NHL with both diabetes and a bullseye on your back.

Pittsburgh Penguins, 1967-2020: Mario Lemieux. I don't care what Sidney Crosby achieves, he won't be better than Lemieux.

St. Louis Blues, 1967-2020: Brett Hull. He may not have come close to a Stanley Cup until after he left St. Louis, but he's ahead of Garry Under, Bernie Federko, Al MacInnis and Keith Tkachuk. It will be a while before we can determine that one of the 2019 Stanley Cup winners has surpassed him.

San Jose Sharks, 1991-2020: Patrick Marleau. He scored 508 goals for them. The next-closest player is Joe Pavelski with 355.

Tampa Bay Lightning, 1992-2020: Steven Stamkos. Ahead of Martin St. Louis and Vincent Lecavalier, without having won a Stanley Cup as they did in 2004? For peak, definitely, yes. For a career, if it's not a yes yet, it will be.

Toronto Maple Leafs, 1917-2020: Frank Mahovlich. The Big M was the scoring star of their biggest, best, and last dynasty.

Vancouver Canucks, 1970-2020: Pavel Bure. Trevor Linden might be Mr. Canuck, but, in this case, spectacular performance beats long-term excellence.

Vegas Golden Knights, 2017-2020: Marc-Andre Fleury. Although he'll be better remembered as a Pittsburgh Penguin, he'll be VGK's 1st Hall-of-Famer.

Washington Capitals, 1974-2020: Alexander Ovechkin. Go ahead and say nice words for Rod Langway, Mike Gartner and Adam Oates, but this one is easy.

Winnipeg Jets, 1972-1996 and 2011-2020: Bobby Hull. Atlanta Thrashers, 1999-2011: Ilya Kovalchuk. Thrashers/Jets overall, 1999-2020: Kovalchuk. If you have to name a member of the "New Jets," it's Blake Wheeler. But if you have to name a single overall Jet, it's the man whose Golden Jet nickname gave the team its name. Sure, it was the WHA, but Hull, more than Gordie Howe of the Houston Aeros, dominated that league.