Ovechkin v Benn: Who's the NHL's best left-winger?
Who's the NHL's best left-winger - Alex Ovechkin or Jamie Benn? Cast your vote on the banner below.
Alex Ovechkin is the NHL's best left-winger
Project his statistics for the lockout shortened 2012-13 campaign out over 82 games and Ovechkin would have finished with 54 goals. That would give him three consecutive seasons of 50-plus goals - no other player's put together a 50-goal campaign in that span. Still at the top of his game at age 30, Ovechkin's on pace to win his fourth consecutive Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy as the league's leading goal-scorer. Unlike Benn, whose rise to fame has been flanked by an All-Star centerman, Ovechkin's ascent to stardom has been less reliant on the quality of his linemates.
Jamie Benn is the NHL's best left-winger
Playing alongside Tyler Seguin has certainly helped propel Benn's game to new heights, but his skill set as a goal-scorer, playmaker, and physical force are undeniable. He's a throwback to a dying breed: a true power forward. A powerful skater with a big frame, Benn contributes at both ends of the ice, using his body to separate opposing players from the puck and create offense from defense. He's been better than a point-per-game player for the Stars over the last three seasons, and at 26 years of age, is only now entering his prime.
Who do you think is the NHL's best left-winger - Alex Ovechkin or Jamie Benn? Cast your vote on the banner below.