Best Slideshows - League

The NHL playoffs are right around the corner. In a league with 30 teams only 16 make it. Eight teams from each conference earn the right to compete for Lord Stanley's Cup.

This slideshow is going to do something a little different. Instead of focusing on the teams and players in the playoffs, I am going to take a look at the top 10 players out of the playoffs.

Every year there are players left on the outside looking in. So let's take a look at the top 10 players we would love to see, but won't.

NHL fans regularly dream about blockbuster trades they'd like to see, but rarely do they actually happen.

It sure is fun to think about, though, especially with all of the marquee players who have been speculated to be available at the right price.

Here are 15 deals that we'd love to see, with varying degrees of realistic-ness. I've rated them from one to 10, 10 being most realistic and one being just a dream.

The deals are in no particular order, and some use the same pieces as others.

Since the National Hockey League expanded to 12 teams in 1967, the game has blossomed into a sport that's more about finesse and skill, and less about simply outmuscling and intimidating the opposition.  With the addition of European talent in the 1980's and early 90's, the NHL became an even more skilled league as a whole.  The superstars of each of these eras were traditionally the most skilled players, as their superior skating and stickhandling abilities pushed them to the top of the sport. 

Until last season, there has always been a lot of focus on goaltending heading into the playoffs. Whether it is glorious performances by the likes of Ken Dryden, Patrick Roy or Martin Brodeur, having a stud between the pipes instantly tips the odds on the spreadsheet. 

However, when the Chicago Blackhawks and Philadelphia Flyers met in the finals last year, that theory was put into question, as Antti Niemi and Michael Leighton competed for the cup. In fact, three of the final four teams were using goalies that started the regular season on the bench.

Each team has at least one worthless player who is dragging them down. 

Every fan has that one "ham sandwich" on their favorite team that just makes them pull their hair out. Sometimes teams need to make additions by subtraction by trimming the fat.

Here is each franchise's "fatty excess" that must be severed in order to create a leaner, meaner team.  

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The best time of year for hockey fans is almost here: the Stanley Cup playoffs.

We've followed our teams all season, wishing and hoping that this could be their year. Since the beginning of this year, we've religiously watched highlights, followed stats, injury and trade updates to see which teams have the best chances, and which teams will be our team's biggest foe in the playoffs.

Now the time is almost here. The playoffs aren't set just yet, with spots still to be clinched in both conferences.

European players, especially over the last few decades, have had a significant impact on the game of hockey.

Although the game of hockey is filled with Americans and Canadians, 30 percent of the NHL's players come from outside North America.

Some of the league's greatest players have come from across the pond. Nicklas Lidstrom, Jaromir Jagr and company has certainly paved the way for future European hockey players.

Here are the best European born players to ever play in the NHL. 

Now that the NHL playoffs are just three weeks away, the talk of potential match-ups starts to swirl around in the media.

Some of these potential first-round match-ups are solid, but the teams don’t have a history or the intrigue isn’t there.

Other match-ups are steeped in rivalries or there has been plenty of competition in the best that has breeded anger and spite.

While all of the first-round series will be fun to watch, certain series could be absolutely epic.

Enjoy!

On every team in the NHL, at least one player is performing above the level he did in the 2009-10 season. Whether he has more goals or has gotten more defensively responsible, this player's improvement has paid off for his team.

As the 2010-11 regular season draws to a close, I decided to look around the league and showcase the most improved player from every team in this slideshow.

As a kid, one of the coolest things about hockey for me was the designs on the helmets of the goalies.

From the time goalies started to wear masks, designing them in unique ways was a way for them to separate themselves from other netminders.