The Battle Of New York includes the Devils, Islanders, Rangers and Sabres. The same Battle teams who comprise New York Puck. If we were to put together an All Battle Team, what would your team look like? While there are some obvious choices, it’s no guarantee they’d be the same for everyone.

Using players from all four clubs, we can make three different teams. The combination of experience, youth and intangibles must be considered. You also might be swayed by the team you root for. Notice my selections above. Though I tried to be fair. I excluded Rick Nash and selected the more versatile Patrik Elias and the Sabres best in Thomas Vanek on the right side. Taking Girardi over Travis Hamonic was tough. Hamonic might pass him but the Rangers’ defensive defenseman has done it longer and deserved to be invited for Team Canada.

If we expand to three teams, goalie is competitive with Cory Schneider battling legend Martin Brodeur for the No.1 job in Newark. Nobody can deny Schneider’s capability but Brodeur is the Devils. In what could be his final year, expect Marty to be at his best. Not long ago, Ryan Miller was considered by many to be an elite goalie. Having led Buffalo to consecutive Conference Finals and Team USA to silver in Vancouver, he was the top American netminder. Things have changed dramatically since. Miller enters the final year of his contract and is expected to get moved at the deadline. Former Conn Smythe winner Jon Quick and Jimmy Howard have passed him with Craig Anderson right behind. He has much to prove. Evgeni Nabokov carried the Islanders to the playoffs. He’ll represent Russia in Sochi.

Following Tavares, there are plenty of strong candidates down the middle. Derek Stepan emerged as the Rangers’ best pivot in 2013 edging out Nash for team scoring. No small feat. His development under ex-coach John Tortorella is proof that young players can excel under a coach who received undeserved criticism. Stepan has matured and become a lethal one-two combo on the penalty kill with Ryan Callahan. Now he must prove he can do it in a full 82 Olympic year. Perhaps the most unheralded center is Cody Hodgson, who plays in obscurity for the Sabres. Since being acquired from Vancouver for Zach Kassian, he’s shown flashes. Can he be the No.1 on an offensively challenged team? Time will tell. The Devils boast Travis Zajac and Adam Henrique. Both are coming off disappointments. Zajac is arguably the best overall center among Battle clubs. One of the game’s top faceoff men, he’s a strong two-way player who plays in every situation. It’ll be interesting to see who Pete DeBoer lines up with him. Henrique is best known for his memorable goal in sudden death that ousted the Rangers sending the Devils to the Stanley Cup Final. His clutch play included a first round clincher over the Panthers. He wasn’t the same after injury. Expect a different player this Fall. Can Brad Richards bounce back? He showed signs of slowing down. Maybe a full camp benefits him. Frans Nielsen is an important second center behind Tavares who flies under the radar. A smart pass oriented player who has soft hands, Nielsen has become a reliable guy under Jack Capuano. Players to watch are the Derick Brassard, who wowed MSG with a strong postseason, unsigned Devil Andrei Loktionov who boasts skill, Buffalo’s Tyler Ennis and Isles’ phenom Ryan Strome, who might debut in 2014.

The left wing is dominated by Elias, Nash and Vanek. Of course, Nash should top most lists due to his supreme skill. The big man has moves like Jagr and is breathtaking. He’ll need to score 40 for the Rangers and be more of a factor late. If Brodeur is the Devils’ King, then Elias is the crown prince. The all-time franchise leader in goals and points, he’s done it all winning two Cups and representing the Czech Republic proudly. Hopefully, he’ll get the chance to play with newest Devil Jaromir Jagr one last time in Sochi. Elias is the quiet star who lets his stick do the talking. He can shift to center and continues to be a consistent force for the Devils. Simply put, Vanek is the Sabres’ best player. He is super fast and is one of the best finishers in the game. However, he’s streaky and has been unable to duplicate a breakout season in ’06-07. Vanek enters his final year and is approaching 500 points. Is this the last Buffalo will see of the gifted Austrian? The Isles’ Matt Moulson is a poor man’s Adam Graves who scores garbage goals in front. He does the dirty work and has had chemistry with Tavares since coming over from LA. Moulson has good hands and is a constant power play threat. His consistency makes him a fan favorite on the Island. Carl Hagelin is one of the league’s fastest skaters. Not the most skilled, the gritty Swede squeezes every ounce out of his body and has become a player the Rangers depend on. Only entering his third year under new coach Alain Vigneault, Hagelin could benefit from a higher tempo. Two players to watch are Buffalo’s Marcus Foligno, who’ll be looked upon for more offense and the Rangers’ Chris Kreider, who must put 2013 behind him. Keep an eye on Reid Boucher who will start in Albany for the Devils.

The right side isn’t as strong. Ryan Callahan is probably the best. The Rochester native with a no nonsense approach played through a torn labrum. The Ranger captain’s physical style epitomizes a blue collar team who follow his example. He isn’t the most skilled but always shows when he’s needed most. Look no further than his OT playoff clincher against Florida. Will a different coach allow him to score 30? Jaromir Jagr is still going strong at 41. Amazingly, he and Brodeur are the only guys left from the 1990 Draft. Two future Hall Of Famers team up as No.68’s tour of the old Patrick Division continues. New Jersey will be team number five following the Pens, Caps, Rangers and Flyers. Jagr isn’t what he once was but is still a threat. A strong forechecker, he’ll bring puck possession to the Devils along with incredible playmaking. Perhaps he’ll benefit from the offseason after a long season that started back home. Is this the year Kyle Okposo emerges for the Islanders? His play down the stretch and in the first round was the best of his career. Still just 25, the former Isles’ No.1 pick is a relentless forechecker who can shift to center and take key draws. Power wings take longer to develop. Nobody can deny Michael Grabner’s talent. He’s a slippery player with great hands. A lethal shorthanded threat, he’s scored eight times while a man short in three years with the Isles. It’s all about consistency. One of the Devils’ smartest moves was adding Michael Ryder. A proven finisher, his big right-handed shot should benefit a team that will miss Ilya Kovalchuk. Ryder is effective on the power play. A sore spot for the Devs. Buffalo’s Drew Stafford is an odd player. At times, he can score in bunches. In other instances, he disappears. The Sabres need him to show up. Keep an eye on Mikhail Grigorenko, who enters his second year in Western New York.

Taking Ryan McDonagh was an easy call. Already an established defenseman with shutdown capabilities and offensive potential, the Rangers’ best is a strong skater who’s rock solid. He recovers quickly and can jump into the rush. If anyone benefits from Vigneault, it’s him. Dan Girardi is the classic example of a player overlooked by scouts who sneaks up on you. Undrafted, he has become a leader with the Blueshirts. Known for laying out his body and blocking shots, he could double with a cape as Superman because he always returns. It would be nice to see him play his way onto Canada. Ironically, the Isles’ Travis Hamonic was invited. It was deserved. His strong physical play against the Pens stood out. A smart defenseman who also can contribute offensively, he should be a staple when the team moves to Brooklyn next year. The question is how effective will partner Andrew MacDonald be when he returns from a broken hand. He’s a heady player who teams with Hamonic on a revamped Isles’ blueline that features vet Lubomir Visnovsky. There will be more pressure on Visnovsky to provide offense with Mark Streit now a Flyer. Throughout his career, the veteran has been a fixture on the power play. He’ll need a big year for the Isles to make the playoffs in the reformed Metro Division. Perhaps the most overlooked D plays for the Devils in Andy Greene. Not flashy, he’s a steady stay at home type who gets the job done. His play during their run in 2012 was instrumental. He won’t put up a ton of points. That’ll be left for Czech vet Marek Zidlicky who’s had a solid career. The power play quarterback of the Devils is always a threat from the point and is equally adept at finding teammates. He could be in for a good year with buddy Jagr aboard. The wildcard is Marc Staal, who says he’s feeling better after a career threatening eye injury. If healthy, he moves up the depth chart. He was invited to Canada’s 48-man roster. A strong two-way defenseman who’s steady defensively can jump up when needed. We’ll have to wait and see. The Sabres boast offensive-minded German Christian Ehrhoff. A good puck moving D who anchors the Buffalo back end, he’ll rack up points. Buffalo is hoping the reacquisition of Henrik Tallinder will spark Tyler Myers. Once thought as a future star, the former No.1 has regressed since winning the Calder. Like the Rangers’ Mike Del Zotto, the potential is there. Clearly, it’s mental. Other blueliners to watch are the Devs’ Adam Larsson who enters his third year, the Rangers’ John Moore who was a pleasant surprise, Islander youngsters Matt Donovan and Calvin de haan and Devil prospects Jon Merrill and Eric Gelinas.

If we were selecting three teams here’s how it would look:

ALL BATTLE FIRST TEAM

G Henrik Lundqvist

D Ryan McDonagh

D Dan Girardi

LW Patrik Elias

C John Tavares

RW Thomas Vanek

ALL BATTLE SECOND TEAM

G Cory Schneider

D Andy Greene

D Travis Hamonic

LW Rick Nash

C Derek Stepan

RW Ryan Callahan

ALL BATTLE THIRD TEAM

G Ryan Miller

D Marc Staal

D Christian Ehrhoff

LW Thomas Vanek

C Travis Zajac

RW Jaromir Jagr