Frozen Fantasy: Greatest of Them All

Friday night, TSN.ca released its top 25 of all time. So, needless to say, I was distracted by it. I agree, but disagree.

Then again, you're used to that by now.

TSN ranks Wayne Gretzky, Bobby Orr and Gordie Howe as one-two-three. Super Mario Lemieux is four, while Maurice Rocket Richard is fifth.

TSN says the top four are virtually interchangeable. All are worthy. Bobby Orr is still my number one, even though I have no specific memory of ever seeing him play. He revolutionized the position. Period. Dead stop.

Number five is interesting. Habs' fans will go snaky, but it's the one spot that's set to change.

Sorry, Rocket. But hey – if it means anything, you would have been a worthy winner of the trophy now named after you.

There are three active players on the list – Sidney Crosby (eight), Alex Ovechkin (16) and Jaromir Jagr (23). And the question is, how high can Sid go?

Which gets me back to number five.

Sid the Kid has a remarkable trophy case, including those three Cups. He won't finish with the Rocket's gaudy number of all-star berths or even Cups, but Sid can come close to the dominance of Super Mario.

And he can take fifth.

Alexander the Great is a great player. But even with 750 goals, he won't move ahead of Mark Messier who sits at 13. Jaromir Jagr is 86 points from 2,000, but that's still 857 behind Wayne Gretzky. Twenty-three is his ceiling.

Like TSN says, Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews might someday make the list. But that's if the stars align for very long careers.

Check out TSN's take and let me know what you think. Now, let's take a look at who caught my eye this week.

Mark Barberio, D, Colorado (0 percent Yahoo! owned) – Rewind to 2013-14 and Barberio was a hot sleeper pick with the Bolts. He had come off two great AHL seasons – 61 and 42 points, respectively – and a fabulous Calder Cup run with 22 points in 21 games. And like a lot of fantasy owners, I bit. Hard. Before long, it felt like I'd bit my tongue. Barberio's skill in the offensive zone has never been in question, but his own-zone work is an adventure. In Colorado, his game is still sketchy, but he's getting a chance to play. And since sitting in the press box on Dec. 5, Barberio has four points in his last five games. The points are hollow – there's nothing on the power play and he has but a single shot in that span. But Barberio is one of the hottest rejects on a really thin wire. I was desperate – how about you?

Oliver Bjorkstrand, RW, Columbus (5 percent Yahoo! owned) – He's hot again, so roll the dice. Bjorkstrand is uber-talented and he has woken up over his last five games – to the tune of a goal and six assists. He's still inconsistent, but he's up to 21 points in 32 games. That's a mid-50s finish if he keeps going at his current overall pace. That's value in 95 percent of leagues.

Ryan Ellis, D, Nashville (41 percent Yahoo! owned) – Go scan your wire – despite his high ownership, Ellis just might be out there. He was in my Yahoo! Friends and Family League. Ellis is back at practice and on target for a return in the next couple weeks. Remember, he hit career highs of 16 goals and 38 points last season. Stash him now before someone else wakes up and grabs him, especially if you have an open IR spot. #FreeStar

Michael Frolik, RW, Calgary (3 percent Yahoo! owned) – Frolik has become a shooting machine in December – more than a third of his 79 shots (28) shots have come in his last seven games. His totals are otherwise pedestrian, but this volume shooter can inject some life into that category for you, at least short term.

Erik Haula, LW/C, Vegas (18 percent Yahoo! owned) – Haula has been in my crosshairs before, so I won't belabor my point. He's valuable, so what are you waiting for? Haula enters play this weekend on a five-game, seven-point, 18-shot streak. That's as hot as they come.

Alex Kerfoot, RW/C, Colorado (11 percent Yahoo! owned) – I have been watching Kerfoot from afar since the start of the season, mostly because I own fellow Av Tyson Jost in a couple of formats. Kerfoot wasn't even on my radar, but that soon changed. So far, 23-year old is far more productive than my man Jost and should continue that once he is activated from IR. Yes, he will rack up some kind of ugly in plus-minus, but remember, Kerfoot has put up close to half of his 21 points on the power play. That's elite.

Esa Lindell, D, Dallas (12 percent Yahoo! owned) – Lindell is the second-half of one of the NHL's top-five defensive pairings. He and John Klingberg are dominant in both the neutral and defensive zones, and are outlet pass machines. Klingberg has long been an offensive force, but partner Lindell has been slow to gain fantasy relevance. Until now. Lindell has four assists in his last four games, including a pair Friday night against Jersey. He also fires a ton of shots, so he has taken Mike Green's spot on my roster. I need as much help on the blue line as I can get.

Nicholas Merkley, RW/C, Arizona (0 percent Yahoo! owned) – Merkley is a former 90-point junior player who has been exceling as an AHL rookie. The 20-year-old, who picked up 12 goals and the same number of assists in just 20 AHL games, was called up Friday and could slot into the lineup Saturday. The 'Yotes seem to eat their young, but maybe this guy will be different. I'm not sure I believe what I just wrote, but I'm willing to watch and see. Even if it is like watching a car crash.

Anton Stralman, D, Tampa Bay (13 percent Yahoo! owned) – Stralman is your guy if you need plus-minus. Seriously. He already sits at plus-24 in 31 games, including plus-9 in his last six games. I sit at the top of plus-minus in the Friends and Family league, so I don't need Stralman. But the team that sits in second place would have gained 1.5 points on the league leader if the Swede had been in his lineup. Category dominance can win leagues. Use Stralman – he can vault you to new heights.

Trevor van Riemsdyk, D, Carolina (1 percent Yahoo! owned) – TVR has been quietly productive over his last five games with a goal, three assists, six PIM and a plus-7 rating. Van Riemsdyk doesn't have his brother's hands or talent, but he's no slouch, either. And he can help if you need plus-minus … especially if you need a counterweight for a guy like, hmmmmm, Erik Karlsson (minus-10 in the last couple weeks) or Nathan McKinnon (minus-7 in the same span).

Back to the top 25. Don't get me wrong, I love Wayne Gretzky. As a kid, I used to cut his headlines out of the newspaper to fill my scrapbook of his exploits. I can still see the yellowed newsprint that said 50-in-39.

His records won't be broken. Today's game is different, so there will be no opportunities to crack those numbers.

But, I will look back in 15 years to see where McDavid and even Matthews sit on the list of 25.

Top-15? Top-10? Or will McDavid change the complexion of the top five again.

Until next week.