I would be stunned to find somebody that could conjure up a legitimate argument against this choice. As of this writing, Ovechkin either leads the league or is placed second in every major statistical category. Not only does he lead the league in points, but the discrepancy between him and the second place player in points per game is a healthy margin. Unfortunately for other top players in the league, Ovechkin’s spike in dirty hits this season doesn’t diminish his steady dominance.

After losing his starting job to Jonas Hiller last season, Giguere wanted to be dealt. After months of looking for a taker, the Ducks finally granted his wish and sent him to his home country of Canada to the bottom-feeders in the east, the Toronto Maple Leafs. The trade reunited Giguere with GM Brian Burke and goalie coach Francois Allaire. Although Toskala will not be a starting goaltender, he does get the chance to play on a team with a talent level that can push them to the playoffs. He will be a serviceable backup to the surging Hiller. Blake, 36, who was a big disappointment to the fans in Toronto after signing a big deal after his 40 goal season in 2006-07, gets a fresh start in Anaheim where he can play with young stars like Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry.