Rookie Showcase poll: Choosing teammates

The NHL Players' Association Rookie Showcase in Toronto in August featured the top professional prospects hoping to make an impact in the League this year. In the second of a five-part series, NHL.com polled nine attending players on a variety of questions. Today, they debate who they would want as a teammate in the NHL.

There are more than 800 players in the NHL, which means the prospects who were asked at the NHLPA Rookie Showcase which player they'd most want as a teammate had plenty of choices.
Not surprisingly, there was a lot of support for Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby, a three-time Stanley Cup winner and two-time Conn Smythe Trophy winner as MVP of the playoffs.
"He was my favorite player growing up so that's not a hard question for me," Buffalo Sabres center Casey Mittelstadt, the No. 8 pick in the 2017 NHL Draft said.

Another Sabres prospect, center
Rasmus Asplund
(No. 33, 2016 NHL Draft) also favored Crosby.
"He's a player I've been watching growing up," Asplund said. "He looks like a really good leader on the ice and off the ice in interviews."
Added Florida Panthers center Henrik Borgstrom (No. 23, 2016 draft): "I liked Crosby
(No. 3, 2017 draft) also voted for the Penguins captain.
"Just growing up he was in my era as a kid and watching him win three Stanley Cups now is pretty awesome," Sikura said.
New York Islanders forward
Kieffer Bellows
(No. 19, 2016 draft) said he'd want to play with Washington Capitals captain and 2018 Stanley Cup Conn Smythe winner Alex Ovechkin.
"He was my favorite player growing up," Bellows said. "I just love the way he scores goals and the passion that he has for the game."
There was also some brotherly love among one of the prospects.
"I think it would be pretty cool to play with him," Ottawa Senators forward
Brady Tkachuk
(No. 4, 2018 NHL Draft) said of his brother, Matthew Tkachuk, a forward with the Calgary Flames.
Two defensemen also received votes. Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman
Timothy Liljegren
(No. 17, 2017 draft) voted for fellow Sweden native Erik Karlsson of the Ottawa Senators, and Edmonton Oilers defenseman
Evan Bouchard
(No. 10, 2018 draft) opted for the Los Angeles Kings' Drew Doughty.
RESULTS
Crosby (5); Doughty (1); Karlsson (1); Ovechkin (1); Matthew Tkachuk (1)
NHL.com correspondent Dave McCarthy contributed to this report