Hischier, Barzal, Atkinson choices for top current player to wear No. 13

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 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. 13.

RELATED: [Who Wore It Best?]

Mike G. Morreale, staff writer

Nico Hischier was NHL ready the moment the New Jersey Devils made him the highest-drafted Switzerland-born player in history with the No. 1 pick in the 2017 NHL Draft. He's established himself as one of the premier two-way forwards in the game in three seasons and that's why he's the best current No. 13 in the NHL. Hischier wears the number in honor of his favorite NHL player, Pavel Datsyuk, who won the Selke Trophy three times as the best defensive forward in the NHL, and the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy four times for performance and sportsmanship. I'll go on record right now and say Hischier will be a finalist and possible winner of one or both these awards at some point in his career. He ranks first on the Devils with 106 even-strength points (44 goals, 62 assists) and third with 135 points (51 goals, 84 assists) and 136 takeaways in 209 games since 2017-18. He's improving in every phase of his game.

Brian Compton, deputy managing editor

Mathew Barzal has been one of the League's more electric players since he landed a full-time role in 2017-18, when he just so happened to win the Calder Trophy as the NHL rookie of the year. Since the start of that season, he's by far New York's leading scorer with 207 points (59 goals, 148 assists) in 232 games. He's made the NHL All-Star Game two seasons in a row and evolved into more of a complete player under coach Barry Trotz too; 48 of his 60 points this season came at even strength and he led all Islanders forward in average ice time per game (20:03). Barzal is by far the best player wearing No. 13 in the NHL, and he's just scratching the surface.

Nick Cotsonika, columnist

I love Barzal and Hischier. They're talented, exciting. But they're a little young, don't you think? Hischier is 21, Barzal 23. Hischier has played all of 209 NHL games, Barzal 234. Columbus Blue Jackets forward Cam Atkinson is a 31-year-old veteran who has played 571 NHL games. Unlike Hischier (No. 1 in 2017) and Barzal (No. 16 in 2015), Atkinson wasn't a high pick. The Blue Jackets selected him in the sixth round (No. 157) of the 2008 NHL Draft. Still, he has scored at least 20 goals six times, reaching 35 in 2016-17 and 41 in 2018-19. Hischier has reached 20 goals once. Barzal has reached 22 goals once. Let's let them grow a little more.

Compton

I can't let age and experience get in the way of the fact that Barzal is the best of this bunch. He scored 85 points in the NHL when he was 20 years old. Atkinson, as Nick pointed out, is 31 and has certainly had success scoring goals, but he's never scored 70 points in one season. Hischier, as Mike said, is a solid two-way player, but I don't see him evolving into the offensive player Barzal is and was from the moment he entered the League. Let's not worry about the numbers on birth certificates.

Cotsonika

OK. Fine. Let's go beyond statistics. Part of how well you wear the number on your back is how well you represent the logo on the front. This is no knock on Barzal or Hischier, but Atkinson means more to his team's history and city's hockey scene because of the circumstances. It's not just that he ranks second in games played (571), goals (198) and points (368) in Blue Jackets history. While other players have left Columbus, Atkinson has not only stayed but made an investment in local hockey by opening a training facility. "I love it here," he said in February 2019. "It's a sports city for sure. Our fans are just waiting for us to bring that Cup back to Nationwide. I think we're pretty close, and it's only a matter of time." Columbus is lucky to have Atkinson in No. 13.

Morreale

I get it. Atkinson has a history with Columbus. Barzal possesses the flash and dash. Let's not forget that Hischier was the first No. 1 pick made by the Devils in their history, so fans understand his significance with them. He also has a knack for being creative; he leads all players selected in the 2017 draft with 84 assists and 135 points. One more thing: Hischier was the center for left wing Taylor Hall when the latter won his first Hart Trophy as NHL most valuable player in 2017-18. Who did Hall credit? "I feel what really brought me to the next level was being in Jersey, playing with my teammates, drafting [Hischier] No. 1 overall, getting to play with him as a centerman all season long." That's high praise from someone who had center Connor McDavid as a linemate with the Edmonton Oilers in 2015-16. On top of all that, Hischier's popularity is evident each home game when thousands don the No. 13 jersey and will for many years to come.