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In a recent poll, a handful of NHL executives, coaches, and players were asked to rank their top-5 franchise players in the league by point value.
No. 1 on that list? Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews.
“He puts my franchise on the map,” one executive told ESPN.com. “On a scale of 1 to 10 for his skill, he’s probably a seven. His skating is a six. But his compete is a 10. His hockey sense is a 10. His defensive play is a 10. His character is a 10. His will is a 10. He’ll do things franchise-wise not only to make the guys on the ice better, but to make the team better.”
Toews totaled 43 points and earned six first-place votes in the poll. Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby arrived in a close second with 41 points, collecting four first-place votes.
“Jonathan Toews has ownership of that team. He makes everyone accountable. He makes everyone better,” an Eastern Conference executive said. “There aren’t a lot of guys in the NHL you can say that about. He might be the only one.”