5 hardest players to defend in the NHL

The National Hockey League is rife with high-end talent at both ends of the ice, but there are a handful of players that have proven to be most difficult to contain night in and night out.

Here's a look at the five hardest players to defend in the game today.

5. P.K. Subban

P.K. Subban is as close to a complete player as there is in the NHL today. The Montreal Canadiens defenseman can hit, shoot and handle the puck as well as any at his position, and better than most forwards to boot.

What makes him so hard to defend, then, is the fact he can beat opposition in so many different ways, whether it be off a rush from the defensive zone, a breakaway sprung by his rocket speed or a straight up bomb from the point.

Add it all up and Subban's one of the most dangerous players on the ice at any given time.

4. Pavel Datsyuk

One doesn't earn a nickname like "The Magician" by being easy to figure out, and Pavel Datsyuk of the Detroit Red Wings has certainly proven to be highly elusive over the years.

His ability to concoct something out of seemingly nothing was on full display during the 2014 playoffs, when he plucked the puck out of thin air and managed to get the best of the Boston Bruins' top defensive players.

Datsyuk can do things with the puck that seem to defy logic, making him one of the hardest players to defend in the history of the game.

3. Erik Karlsson

The Ottawa Senators captain is without question one of the most talented defensemen in the NHL and he possesses a skill set that is unequalled among his peers. 

What makes Erik Karlsson such a special player, and incredibly hard to defend, is his ability to lead the rush out of the defensive zone and straight into enemy territory. 

To wit, this effort in Edmonton last season wherein Karlsson's speed and dexterity left the Oilers defense completely befuddled.

2. Alex Ovechkin

Alex Ovechkin is the most prolific goal scorer in the game today, and even though everyone knows it, he quite simply can't be stopped.

The Washington Capitals' superstar is one of the most dangerous shooters the game has ever seen, ranking fifth on the all-time goals per game leaderboard, with an average greater than Wayne Gretzky's.

Not only can he get his shot off as quick and as hard as any player in the game, but Ovechkin's size, speed and stickhandling skills make him virtually unstoppable off the rush, giving him the ability to essentially score at will.

In short, Ovechkin is the definition of, "You can't stop him, you can only hope to contain him."

1. Sidney Crosby

By definition, the hardest players to defend are those that consistently put up the highest offensive numbers. Sidney Crosby, then, must top the list as the NHL's active points per game leader. 

Even in a year where his production is off that pace, he remains in the hunt for the Art Ross Trophy and leads the league in points per game at 1.104. 

One aspect of his game that makes Crosby especially dangerous is his vicious backhand, as evidenced on this goal from Dec. 29 where he eluded a host of New Jersey Devils defenders and rocketed a shot past one of the better goalies in the league.