The surprise here is not really who comes first. When more than 70 per cent of the players select Sidney Crosby, it's pretty clear what everyone thinks.

It is intriguing that 40-year-old Nicklas Lidstrom gets more votes as the person to build a franchise around than Alex Ovechkin who many say could be the best player of his generation.

Questions for the poll were written by Hockey Night in Canada and the National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA). The questions were circulated to players by the NHLPA. The responses were compiled by staff members of the NHLPA and forwarded to Hockey Night in Canada. 318 players responded to the questionnaire.