Editor's note: ESPN.com asked Barry Melrose to name his top five coaches in the NHL:

1. Bob Hartley, Colorado Avalanche

	Hartley

Hartley wins games. He's got lots of high-profile players and star personalities who he's been able to handle well. He's got lots of talent, but plenty of coaches have talented teams and don't win. Hartley gets the Avs ready to play every night. In 2001, they came back and beat New Jersey in Game 6 on the road and won the Stanley Cup in Game 7. That showed the Avs have guts as a team, and Hartley got them ready to play. He's the best coach in the NHL.

2. Ken Hitchcock, Philadelphia Flyers
Like Hartley, Hitchcock wins. He's had talent, and he's been in the Stanley Cup final twice (in back-to-back years with Dallas). Hitchcock gets players to play by keeping a tight ship. His teams play hard every night. He'll be very good in Philadelphia. He's the answer there for a couple of reasons. After firing five coaches in the past five years, pretty soon they're going to stop looking at the coaches and look at the players. With Hitchcock, the Flyers got the coach they wanted. They say it's going to be his way. The players are no longer running the asylum. I think the players realize if they don't play now, they'll be gone.

3. Marc Crawford, Vancouver Canucks
Crawford has won a Stanley Cup. He's done a good job in Vancouver, and I like the way his teams play. His high-pressure offense is fun to watch, scores lots of goals and plays very aggressively. His teams make the playoffs and, once there, are very tough to play against -- so Marc is No. 3.

4. Darryl Sutter, San Jose Sharks
San Jose's points have gone up every year for the past five years. To me, they're the third-best team in the Western Conference. They're on the verge -- they've got a lot of young kids, and it's time for Patrick Marleau and Co. to start playing. Sutter has done a good job bringing them along. He's a no-nonsense guy. He expects players to play hard in his system -- he believes that if his 20 guys play harder than the other 20 guys, they'll win. He stresses defense first, and his teams put in the effort every night.

5. Joel Quenneville, St. Louis Blues
Quenneville's teams are always ready to play. He's well-prepared. He's got lots of personalities and handles them very well. You don't hear much bickering coming out of the Blues' locker room. They know he's the boss. He's done a great job for six-plus years in St. Louis. His teams play hard, they're disciplined, they don't make many mistakes and they overcome injuries. The stars don't complain in St. Louis, because they know he's in charge. There's lots of pressure on Quenneville this year. The Blues have spent money on the players they've wanted, and now it's time for them to step up.

Barry Melrose, a former NHL defenseman and coach, is a hockey analyst for ESPN.