While looking through the NHL’s top scorers this season, you need to go a ways down the list in order to find a true power forward. This season, the only players who are performing as true power forwards while also frequently finding the back of the net are Flyers pest Wayne Simmonds and Patrick Maroon of the Oilers. While there are several players such as Alexander Ovechkin and Jamie Benn who have a physical component to their all-around game, the role of the true power forward has consistently decreased over the last several years. So, what has happened in the game that has caused this role to diminish?

Speed and youth immediately come to mind when approaching this issue. Every year we are seeing more and more capable veterans get cut, and often find themselves unable to make a new team because the league is trending toward younger, faster, less experienced players who require a far lower salary cap hit. When you think about the rationale, it makes perfect sense; would you rather have a guy in his early 30s who was an all-star two to three years ago on your team, or a young, fast kid who is on the verge of taking the next step? NHL teams are saying yes to the second option. However, the dying role of the power forward has caused teams to risk leaving their star players unprotected. The power forward role is important because they put the puck in the back of the net and protect the team at the same time. The power forward plays a valuable role in the NHL, yet power forwards are few and far between on NHL rosters. So, I want to look at a few of the top power forwards this season who are still best embodying the role in the current NHL.