Just for fun, here is my all-time NHL team. 23 players (Non-NHL play not considered for this) (Players assigned to their traditional position. LW-C-RW. Which I admit changes things, as if it were just 16 forwards, there would probably be more than 4 centres represented)

LW.............................................C........................................RW
Bobby Hull......................Wayne Gretzky.................... Gordie Howe
Alex Ovechkin................ Mario Lemieux................... Maurice Richard
Frank Mahovlich ...........Sidney Crosby....................... Mike Bossy
Ted Lindsay................... Connor McDavid................... Guy Lafleur

...........................D........................................ D...................................
...................Bobby Orr........................ Nick Lidstrom..........................
...............Doug Harvey ........................Denis Potvin..........................
.................Larry Robinson................... Eddie Shore............................

.................................................G.........................................................
.........................................Ken Dryden.................................................
........................................Dominik Hasek.............................................
.........................................Terry Sawchuk............................................

Hidden below in white-font-on-white-baskground: Players who would battle for the "scratch" roles on my 23-player roster:

Among the forwards: Phil Esposito, Bobby Clarke, Bryan Trottier, (Hon mention to Stan Mikita & Jean Beliveau)
Among the defencemen: it would be between Paul Coffey and Ray Bourque. (Hon. mention to Red Kelly and Chris Chelios.) (Will Cale Makar one day make peoples "dream team" lists?)