Top Dogs
Alex Tuch is clearly the top dog so far. His beard is a glistening sea of well manicured, thick, even hair; he looks like he built his own house. Timmins showing up in the playoffs wasn't on my bingo card, but the beard is less of a surprise, a strong contender with some glorious chestnut sheen. Greenway is unsurprisingly in the mix with a beautiful subtle fade as it rises up from the neck to the temples (although that hairline is in full retreat!) Zucker is on the brink of a full Ulysses S. Grant, and with the sick tats is basically knocking on Tuch's door for top spot.
Dark Horses
I had Zach Benson pinned as one of the most disgusting beards on the team, but he's sporting some respectable growth. Krebsy, is also outperforming my expectations which were low. Doaner turning out respectable coverage on the chin and chops, but needs to connect the moustache to really reach the next level. Alex Lyon is rapidly ascending towards hottest man in the NHL with some great growth although he may not have the coverage necessary to pop up into the top tier. I was also not at all familiar with Mr. Norris' beard game but he has actually shown some serious potential so far, needs some length to really push it to the next level though.
Struggle Street
Bo Byram has had a fucking incredible series, but his beard situation has too much neck and not enough cheek so far. Lukkonen is likewise matching his 6'6" stature with a late Abe Lincoln look that needs to get up higher on those cheek bones. Mattias Samuelsson is unexpectedly struggling a little, with strong growth but an unfortunate discrepancy in thickness that favours the chinstrap to the detriment of the rest of his face.
Criminals
Meanwhile Thompson's patchy growth and ratty length is truly a horrid combination that seems destined to get worse as it grows. Jack Quin desperately needs the RDR2 beard tonic to boost his scraggle beyond looking for Scooby Snacks. But at the very bottom is Rasmus Dahlin, who appears to be growing the beard of an ancient bog witch on the face of a 12 year old boy.