Ekman-Larsson, Monahan, Brown top current players to wear No. 23

Wayne Gretzky's No. 99 is retired throughout the NHL not only because he is considered the greatest player in League history, but because the number and his name are synonymous.

Though there is no debate over the best player to wear that number, there are 98 other numbers with more than one worthy candidate. That is where the "NHL's Who Wore It Best?" comes in.

NHL.com writers and editors have cast their votes, each selecting his or her top three for each number, with the top vote-getter receiving five points, second place getting three points and third place one point. Candidates will be debated, and the winners revealed in a weekly, five-part series first airing on Sportsnet, NHL.com and League platforms each Friday at 5 p.m. ET, and re-airing each Tuesday on NBCSN (5 p.m. ET) and NHL Network (6:30 p.m. ET). NHL.com will provide the list of winners each Friday at 5:30 p.m. ET, following the premiere of each episode.

Each Tuesday on NHL.com, selected writers will each make his or her case for which player in the history of the League wore a certain number best. Each Friday, in a companion piece, the debate will center on current players.

Today, the discussion focuses on the best current player to wear No. 23.

Pete Jensen, senior fantasy editor

There's something to be said for being a leader during good times and bad, and that is what Arizona Coyotes defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson has been all about. Ekman-Larsson, who replaced Shane Doan as Arizona's captain Sept. 13, 2018, was a part of the 2012 team that reached the Western Conference Final, the last time the Coyotes advanced to the Stanley Cup Playoffs before making the qualifying round this season. There have been some ups and plenty of downs for the Coyotes during Ekman-Larsson's career, but he still ranks fourth among defensemen in goals (125) since entering the NHL in 2010-11 behind elite players Brent Burns (172), who has played some forward during those seasons, Shea Weber (154) and Erik Karlsson (130). He has been a stable, two-way force on the ice, and his No. 23 is something Coyotes fans should be proud to honor.

David Satriano, staff writer

Although it's true that Ekman-Larsson is great leader, the same can be said of Calgary Flames forward Sean Monahan. The forward has been an alternate captain of the Flames since the 2015-16 season, his third in the NHL, which shows how respected he was and still is. Monahan has scored at least 22 goals in each of his seven NHL seasons and at least 60 points four times, including an NHL career-high 82 (34 goals, 48 assists) in 2018-19 to help the Flames finish with the best record in the Western Conference (50-25-7). Though Monahan may not be the flashiest player in the NHL, he gets it done. He's scored 40 game-winning goals, more than 20 percent of his 194 and 11 overtime winners in the NHL.

Shawn Roarke, Senior Director of Editorial

Fine young men, both Ekman-Larsson and Monahan. But that is what they are: young. They are still forging their legacy with the team that each started his NHL career. Forward Dustin Brown, meanwhile, is fully established after 16 seasons with the Los Angeles Kings. No player has played more games for the Kings than Brown (1,183), not even team icons Dave Taylor (1,111), Luc Robitaille (1,077) or Marcel Dionne (921). Brown has scored 653 NHL points, a number bettered only by Anze Kopitar (950) among current Kings. Impressive numbers, but let's not forget that Brown was the face of the Kings from the time he was named captain Oct. 8, 2008 until Kopitar took over June 16, 2016. I don't think there is a more accomplished No. 23 in the NHL today.

Satriano

I agree that Brown has something Ekman-Larsson and Monahan don't have: a Stanley Cup championship (two in fact). But let's not count out the heart and grit of Monahan. He's missed a total of 21 games in seven seasons, including 14 in the past six, and has played through numerous injuries. He missed the final seven games of the 2017-18 regular season after playing most of it in pain, and then had four -- yes four -- surgeries (wrist, two hernia, groin) after the season. Someone who plays through all of that for his teammates certainly gains the respect of his peers. And Monahan has scored 194 goals since he entered the NHL in 2013-14, tied with Buffalo Sabres forward Jeff Skinner for 15th. All in all, a solid resume for this No. 23.

Roarke

Leave it to Mr. Satriano to steal my closing argument and try to soften it with a pre-emptive strike. A solid debate tactic to be commended for sure, but it is not going to work this time. Brown has things every hockey player wants, including Monahan and Ekman-Larsson. He has two shiny, diamond-encrusted rings to commemorate the Stanley Cup championships won in 2012 and 2014. He has the iconic photos of receiving the Stanley Cup from NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and being the first Kings player each time to lift it triumphantly over his head. I don't see how his No. 23 won't hang from the rafters at Staples Center shortly after he retires, and that is the ultimate testament to wearing a number well.

Jensen

Speaking of potential banners, if Ekman-Larsson leads the Coyotes to any playoff success in the seasons to come, his No. 23 would likely join the "Ring of Honor" at Gila River Arena. Only a few players (e.g. Doan, Keith Tkachuk) have had as much of an impact in terms of longevity with the Coyotes as "OEL," and his well-rounded play has helped them stay competitive when injuries and offensive struggles have mounted in certain seasons. Getting back to leadership, the argument that Brown is superior to Ekman-Larsson and Monahan in that regard is valid. Brown has been through multiple rebuilds and multiple championships with the Kings, proving his positive attitude has stood the test of time. Another thing Ekman-Larsson and Brown have in common is physical play, which gives their teams an important element on a nightly basis.