My All-Time 26 Best Forwards | 40 YEARS WITH STAN

No question; this is my toughest challenge since I began tackling the Devils 40th anniversary topics.
Calling this "My 26 All-Time Best Forwards" severely tests The Maven's measuring meter. My ratings take into consideration scoring prowess, I.Q. (as in Intensity Quotient), and the ability to play the 200-foot game. Clutch-ability and grit are key elements as well as leadership. But, uppermost -- at all times -- I'm dealing with both the quality and quantity of each candidate's output. Without further ado, let's drop the puck and chase the action. Here goes from 26 to 1; with a short bonus at the end.

25. MARK JOHNSON:

His name may not mean much to young fans but the 1980 Olympic Gold Medalist was a Devils hero in the 1988 first playoff run. A veritable Kid Lightning, iconic Badger Bob Johnson's son was a scoring ace in the Cinderella Spring of '88. Likable and savvy, he was one of my favorite interviews as well.

24. JAY PANDOLFO:

No Devils forward ever worked harder -- game in and game out -- than this native New Englander. His penalty-killing -- along with John Madden -- became a model for students of defensive hockey. Low-key but well-liked, he was an underrated ace. Occasionally, he'd even flash the red light.

23. ADAM HENRIQUE:

Had he played but two games at The Rock, Adam still would be well-remembered. In the spring of 2012, he scored not one but a pair of iconic playoff overtime goals. His OT Rangers-killer remains unforgettable. Although he never became a star, Henrique's impact remains indelible.

22. BRENDAN SHANAHAN:

He was a top Draft choice and fan favorite who eventually made it to the Hall of Fame. The first real star obtained on Lou Lamoriello's watch, Shanny could fight as vigorously as he could score. Although he wasn't a Devil for that long, his gung-ho game was unforgettable.

20. TRAVIS ZAJAC:

If ever the Garden Staters boasted a workhorse whose dependability never was in question this Winnipeg native is it. After more than a thousand games played with grim determination, he was toasted by fans who appreciated what is known as a dauntless 200-foot player.

19. JAMIE LANGENBRUNNER:

When the Z-Z-Pops line of Langenbrunner, Zajac, and Zach Parise was romping through enemy defenses, the leadership[ of Langenbrunner was in the de luxe category. A respected captain, who led by example, he's remembered for returning to the playoffs only days after knee surgery. That's another definition of true grit

18. KIRK MULLER:

It was challenging for a guy to be drafted right after Mario Lemieux, but dependable Kirk did a workmanlike job and fully earned the team captaincy. He was integral in helping the team's maturation during the 1988 playoff adventure that pushed all the way into a seventh game of the third playoff round.

17. JOHN MADDEN:

If it wasn't for the likes of Mad Dog Madden it's possible that the Devils would have looked at 1999-2000 as a rebuilding year. Instead, the rookie center out of Michigan U. became the archetypical defensive center with a wonderful scoring knack as a sidebar. Teamed with Jay Pandolfo, John redefined defense-offense as a weapon. Two Cups underlined the point.

16. PATRICK SUNDSTROM:

"The Quiet Man" was someone to be heard from during the 1988 playoffs against the Washington Capitals. After a stunning eight-point night it was impossible for the Swede to slip under the radar anymore. Sunny was the first player acquired by Lou Lamoriello when he took over in 1967. He would emerge as one of the NHL's top talents.

15. RANDY MCKAY:

A virtual "gift" from the Red Wings, McKay was a rugged individualist who found a home on Bobby Holik's Crash Line along with Mike Peluso. Randy fooled the critics by turning into a clutch scorer who would just as soon drop the gloves as light the red lights. He was a quiet intimidator but foes grew to know that his shot was as effective as his fists.

14. PETR SYKORA:

An early injury during the final game of the Devils' 2000 Cup conquest of Dallas deprived this marvelously skilled Czech of celebrating at the game's end. That said, fans knew very well that the famed "A-Line" never would have been as much of a threat if Patrik Elias and Jason Arnott lacked Sykora's sharpshooting from the wing.

13. JASON ARNOTT:

In order for the "A-Line" to be the best trio in Devils history, it required a very special talent at center. Large Jason worked seamlessly with Sykora and Patrik Elias. "Devils fans had never seen such offensive production," says historian George Falkowski. The topper, of course, was Arnott's iconic overtime Cup-winner at Dallas in June 2000.

12. STEPHANE RICHER:

Like fellow French-Canadian Hall of Famer Jean Beliveau, Steph was the total offensive package in a large fuselage. Imported from Montreal by Lamoriello, Richer blossomed into a star during the first unlikely Cup run in 1995. All clutch, Stephane was at his best during the critical opening round when he terrorized the Bruins. "He was an assassin in the post-season," says Falkowski.

11. ALEXANDER MOGILNY:

This gift from Russia was an offensive marvel who starred for the 2000 Cup winners. The bad news is that Garden Staters didn't get enough of the whiz-banger. He ranks among the best of Lamoriello's deadline deals, giving New Jersey remarkable offensive balance. A first-liner on almost any other NHL club, the speed merchant was quite content to do his magic on the second unit.

10. BILL GUERIN:

If ever New Jersey had a forward who possessed the qualities of legendary Canadiens hero Maurice (Rocket) Richard, Billy Guerin was that man. Fiery -- almost to a fault -- who handled his stick like a hockey howitzer, Battlin' Billy always will be remembered as one of the prime heroes of New Jersey's first Cup win in 1995. He was one of those rare ones who could brag that "A Bill Guerin Day" was held in his honor at Wilbraham, Massachusetts, home of the Guerin family.

9. ILYA KOVALCHUK:

No player in Devils history owned the variety of moves in his offensive arsenal as the handsome Russian. His shot had cannon quality and his skating was flawless. In terms of superstar quality, he ranks in the upper echelon; the kind that would lift fans out of their seats. Yet, as outstanding as he was, Ilya was an enigmatic personality, leaving you not so certain you knew whether he was happy or not. His unexpected exit still bothers Devils fans.

8. BRIAN GIONTA:

The Rochester, New York native epitomized the little-guy-with-big heart better than any Devil in history. Brian's battles with the Bruins' resident giant, Zdeno Chara, were classic and rarely did New Jersey's Lilliputian lose a battle. As a Boston College product, he played some of his best hockey in Beantown. Gionta could score from anywhere and made a name for himself as a youngster on the last Cup champions. He also was one of my favorite interviews.

7. ZACH PARISE:

The son of oft-acclaimed J.P. Parise was challenged in his first game at The Meadowlands. It also happened to be the debut of future Hall of Famer and very highly-touted Sidney Crosby. Believe it or not, Parise outplayed the Penguins ace and would impress thereafter. Speed was a major asset -- still is -- along with character, leadership, and accountability. Zach's crescendo reached its peak when he inspired the Devils all the way to the 2012 Final.

6. TAYLOR HALL:

New Jersey fans never raved more over a successful trade than when Hall moved from Edmonton to the Garden State in exchange for defenseman Adam Larsson. Almost overnight Taylor became the best forward on the team. Furthermore, he would continue in that role through the 2017-18 season at such a high tempo that he won the Hart Trophy as the NHL's most valuable player. As pal George Falkowski recalls, "Hall literally carried the team to the playoffs and authored the single greatest season by a Devils forward in team history."

5. PAT VERBEEK:

One of the earliest and best New Jersey Draft choices, Pat had the strength and maneuverability of a Sherman Tank. Apart from scoring skills, which were abundant, Verbeek packed a battle level second to none and never seemed to be at any strata but high. To the Faithful's delight, he played his most intense and hurtful games against the Rangers.
Those who recall his rookie year never will forget his splattering of Blueshirts defenseman Dave Maloney into the Meadowlands Arena glass nor his punch out of Hall of Fame backliner Brian Leetch. Patty was so tough you never realized how undersized he actually was; (knee-high to a grasshopper!)

4. CLAUDE LEMIEUX:

The irascible French-Canadian came to New Jersey from Montreal where he already had established himself as a clutch menace. Fortunately for the Devils, Claude never changed. His magic first was apparent at The Meadowlands when he spearheaded the four-straight Final win upset over Detroit in 1995. After exiting Exit 16, he returned with still more clutch goals during the run for the 2000 Cup. Always, the Lemieux goals were accompanied by a devil-may-care style that inevitably drove the opposition nuts. His classic goals were innumerable but my personal favorite was the long shot that beat Ron Hextall and the Flyers in Game Five of 1995 that proved the springboard for the first Cup triumph.

3. BOBBY HOLIK:

If one player could be labeled "The Conscience Of The Devils," this robust Czech center was the man. It is a measure of his greatness that -- working alongside Randy McKay and Mike Peluso -- he was able to orchestrate The Crash Line into what surely was the best fourth unit in NHL annals. An intellectual off the ice, Holik used his brains to constantly confound his foes while employing his brawn to bounce them from boards to boards and blue line to blue line. He was a vital member of the 1995 and 2000 Cup-winning teams and a dedicated disciple of coach Jacques Lemaire's theories about turning defense into offense. Because of his size and naturally aggressive style, he intimidated many a foe.

2, JOHN MACLEAN:

The ultimate hero, Johnny Mac owns a dossier of big goals that's a mile long. That is both playoffs and regular season. But when it comes down to the red light that flashed the most brightly, one tops the list. That was the puck that flew past Chicago Blackhawks goalie Darren Pang in the spring of 1988 that thrust New Jersey into its first playoff round. As a power forward, John runs number two in virtually every offensive category in team history. What's more, he accomplished his goals with an admirable touch of class. He remains one of the most popular players in New Jersey's sports history.

1. PATRIK ELIAS:

In ranking the able Czech on top of the list, I'm also taking into consideration that Elias nearly died before ending his Devils career. Few were aware how terribly sick Patrik became during the full-season lockout of 2004-05 when many NHL players took their skills to Europe. Patty wound up contracting a serious case of hepatitis. In fact, it had become so threatening that Elias' player agent at the time, Todd Diamond, had to fly him back to America where he was cured but left in a weakened condition. Despite missing a season-and-a-half recuperating, he remains the franchise leader in just about every category. One can say that Elias was an "Equal Opportunity" offensive star; equally adept as a scorer or playmaker. His "blind" pass to Jason Arnott leading to the 2000 Cup-winning goal at Dallas remains one of the best one-two goal creations in playoff history.
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A HAT TRICK OF TOP-NOTCH CONTEMPORARIES

3. JESPER BRATT: It's still hard to believe that he was a sixth-round Draft pick but so he was. Teaming with Jack Hughes, Jesper has helped provide New Jersey with one of the best high-scoring duets since the Devils' Stanley Cup era.
2. NICO HISCHIER:Almost unobtrusively -- and with little fuss or fanfare -- this Swiss product has given the Garden Staters persuasive leadership and abundant production which is so important to a growing team. There's a Hart Trophy in his future.
1. JACK HUGHES: A multiplicity of skills have jelled to provide the Devils with one of the most gifted young performers in decades. Jack's ability to synchronize speed, stickhandling, and shooting defies credulity. Should his growth as a pro continue, he could become the club's all-time scorer.