Four Chicago Blackhawks players made Sportsnet’s Top 100 NHL players list of the 2018-19 season this week.
Winger Patrick Kane was the highest rated Chicago player at No. 14. Center Jonathan Toews also made the top 50 portion at No. 50, while defenseman Duncan Keith and goaltender Corey Crawford cracked the list at Nos. 63 and 97, respectively.
Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid took the No. 1 spot, followed by Pittsburgh Penguins centers Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman and Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon to round out the top five. Washington Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin was the top ranked winger at No. 8.
Kane, 29, had another down year since winning the Hart Trophy as league MVP in 2016 with 106 points. He scored 27 goals — second on the team to rookie Alex DeBrincat’s 28 — and 76 points.
Toews put up a modest stat line last season with 52 points (20 goals, 32 assists). It’s a slight dip in production from the past two seasons when he tallied 58 points.
Keith saw a substantial drop last season from the 2016-17 season, with 21-point decrease in points. Crawford still made the cut after missing the majority of the season with a head injury. He posted a 2.27 goals-against average and .929 save percentage in 28 games before being injured before Christmas.