ROOS LETS LOOSE POLL: Future Hockey Hall of Famers

[RizzeeDizzee]

I wasn't surprised when last month's announcements of the newest inductees to the Hockey Hall of Fame (HHOF) received more attention than usual, what with the dearth of hockey news versus what is normal for this time of year, like UFA and RFA signings. It got me to thinking - how many future HHOFers might there be in the NHL right now. Answer - a lot. I checked, and for most of the last 25 years anywhere from 30 to nearly 50 future HHOFers were active in any given season! So although it's not as related to fantasy hockey as my normal polls, I figured let's have some fun and vote on who we think will be enshrined in the hallowed halls after their career is over.

Note that the 20 choices didn't include guys who I felt were "no brainers," so if you think I missed someone, chances are it was deliberate. I also tried to focus on not just later career guys, but also players who don't have a complete HHOF resume yet but might if they keep doing what they're doing.

That's about it. As usual, you can vote for as many or as few players as you want, provided you think that player will be voted into the HHOF when all is said and done. And let's try to stir the pot by having everyone post who they voted for any why. After all, HHOF debate is always good entertainment.

Be well.

[RizzeeDizzee]

Here's who I voted for a why:

Burns - truly dominant for a decent stretch of time (longer than Benn) and the quirkiness/personality won't hurt him either
Doughty - the numbers aren't great, but he made the all-decade team and he's widely regarded as being superb, and this isn't about who we might want to get in, but rather who will
Karlsson - it's easy to forget how bad some of those Ottawa teams were on which he starred; a truly elite talent
Kucherov - I can't see a scenario where he slows down enough not to get in
Rask - He's not racking up the wins, but playing less will extend his career and his peripherals are very, very strong
Rinne - Maybe never the best goalie on the planet, he still was superb for a long time and will have the numbers to get him in
Stamkos - He's still young enough to have several more great seasons, and seems to be stapled to Kucherov, which will only help him

[stevegamer]

Note that the 20 choices didn't include guys who I felt were "no brainers," so if you think I missed someone, chances are it was deliberate. I also tried to focus on not just later career guys, but also players who don't have a complete HHOF resume yet but might if they keep doing what they're doing.

Be well.

Out of curiosity, how many "no-brainers" were there for you?

[RizzeeDizzee]

Out of curiosity, how many "no-brainers" were there for you?

I believe the list consisted of Thornton, Crosby, Malkin, Ovi, Kane, Toews, Keith, Bergeron, Chara, Fleury and Lundqvist.

[pmorrow]

I think almost all of those guys will be in or at least be talked about for a few decades. Most have at least one major award or a cup to their name so they will stand out in HHoF voting. The ones I think might fail to get through are Giroux, Staal, Carlson, Benn and Rinne. Other than that I think most of them get in. I see not so many people voted for Bobrovsky but a 2 time Vezina trophy winner in a 30/1 team league is getting in.

[RizzeeDizzee]

I see not so many people voted for Bobrovsky but a 2 time Vezina trophy winner in a 30/1 team league is getting in.

Tell that to Tim Thomas......

[pmorrow]

Haha, that's true...I think if he had played longer and racked up career numbers he'd be a shoo in.

I'll add Backstrom, Tavares and Kovalchuk to my list of guys who will have to finish strong to get into the HHoF. I think Tavares cannot fade away here if he plans on getting in. He almost won an art Ross but other than that his NHL record is a lot like other players hoping to get in still

[RizzeeDizzee]

Haha, that's true...I think if he had played longer and racked up career numbers he'd be a shoo in.

I'll add Backstrom, Tavares and Kovalchuk to my list of guys who will have to finish strong to get into the HHoF. I think Tavares cannot fade away here if he plans on getting in. He almost won an art Ross but other than that his NHL record is a lot like other players hoping to get in still

Thomas being hockey's slightly less polarizing version of Curt Schilling hasn't done him any favors either.....

I agree with you on Backstrom and Tavares, but to me Kovalchuk should get in. Some of those Thrashers teams were terrible. Yes, he's hurt by coming back and not being able to do what Jagr did and play solid hockey, but he was pretty amazing in his day. Note that I said should, as probably in the end voters won't give him enough credit for what he did since it's too distant of a memory, plus leaving the NHL under sketchy circumstances, and then coming back and playing at a middle six level.

[stevegamer]

I think we often underestimate how many people will make the HoF.

It's much easier to say who I didn't vote for, and why:

Ilya Kovalchuk - he could make it, since it's hockey as a whole, but I think there will be some voters who have issues with him leaving for the KHL, and how it happened. It wouldn't surprise me greatly if he made it.

Brad Marchand - I really don't see this, somewhat surprised he's on the list. He's been a star for 4 years, is pretty much a douchebag on the ice, doing things like licking people. He doesn't have the stats right now, and is 32 and needs a very healthy and non-suspended run.

Tuukka Rask - He's very good, but I think the single All-Star selection in his Vezina year means he's very good, but not great. Not even a Vezina finalist often. Has a shot.

Pekka Rinne - Also very good, and I think he's got a better shot due to more Vezina support, and a generally bigger workload.

Eric Staal - Has compiled a lot of points by playing a long time. Marleau is similar, but at least we regarded as star for a while. When I first saw his name being discussed, my first thought was "Really?"


Covering the 2 guys I voted for that the fewest other people voted for:

Sergei Bobrovsky: 2 Vezinas is close to a lock, honestly.

Excluding the guys who won at least a share of one during the times where it was more a team Vezina ( Charlie Hodge, Michel Larocque): your list of not in the hall is: Tim Thomas. That's it, and Thomas' NHL career is bizarre. Utterly bizarre: He was a rookie at 31! First became a starter at 32, Vezinas at 34 & 36. He also has Conn Smythe, so he has the hardware, and is a pure peak case.

Bobrovsky has a much larger volume of NHL work. People are reacting to this down season, just not thinking he's that good.

Jamie Benn:
Maybe I'm one of the few who considered him a big star, but he was a multi-time All-Star, and won the Art Ross. That's more than Stall, who somehow has double the votes right now. I think the recent downturn has also rendered him less likely, but compare these 2 guys:

Player A: 290 G, 356 A, 756 PIM, +221, 2 time All-Star, 11 seasons
Player B: 300 G, 388 A, 613 PIM, +47, 2 time All-Star, 11 seasons

One of the is Benn, and the other is seen as much more likely to get into the HoF, even though they were older at the 11 season mark. Benn has a Ross, and the other guy was on a Stanley Cup winner once.

[RizzeeDizzee]

I think we often underestimate how many people will make the HoF.

It's much easier to say who I didn't vote for, and why:

Ilya Kovalchuk - he could make it, since it's hockey as a whole, but I think there will be some voters who have issues with him leaving for the KHL, and how it happened. It wouldn't surprise me greatly if he made it.

Brad Marchand - I really don't see this, somewhat surprised he's on the list. He's been a star for 4 years, is pretty much a douchebag on the ice, doing things like licking people. He doesn't have the stats right now, and is 32 and needs a very healthy and non-suspended run.

Tuukka Rask - He's very good, but I think the single All-Star selection in his Vezina year means he's very good, but not great. Not even a Vezina finalist often. Has a shot.

Pekka Rinne - Also very good, and I think he's got a better shot due to more Vezina support, and a generally bigger workload.

Eric Staal - Has compiled a lot of points by playing a long time. Marleau is similar, but at least we regarded as star for a while. When I first saw his name being discussed, my first thought was "Really?"


Covering the 2 guys I voted for that the fewest other people voted for:

Sergei Bobrovsky: 2 Vezinas is close to a lock, honestly.

Excluding the guys who won at least a share of one during the times where it was more a team Vezina ( Charlie Hodge, Michel Larocque): your list of not in the hall is: Tim Thomas. That's it, and Thomas' NHL career is bizarre. Utterly bizarre: He was a rookie at 31! First became a starter at 32, Vezinas at 34 & 36. He also has Conn Smythe, so he has the hardware, and is a pure peak case.

Bobrovsky has a much larger volume of NHL work. People are reacting to this down season, just not thinking he's that good.

Jamie Benn:
Maybe I'm one of the few who considered him a big star, but he was a multi-time All-Star, and won the Art Ross. That's more than Stall, who somehow has double the votes right now. I think the recent downturn has also rendered him less likely, but compare these 2 guys:

Player A: 290 G, 356 A, 756 PIM, +221, 2 time All-Star, 11 seasons
Player B: 300 G, 388 A, 613 PIM, +47, 2 time All-Star, 11 seasons

One of the is Benn, and the other is seen as much more likely to get into the HoF, even though they were older at the 11 season mark. Benn has a Ross, and the other guy was on a Stanley Cup winner once.

Some great insight here - this is what I was hoping for in the comments.

Marchand I agree with you on. I mean, if Theo Fleury isn't in, then can Marchand be? Still, I think he was in the 20 most likely list. I also agree about Kovalchuk that his departure circumstances, coupled with his middling stats upon his return, might erase what was a truly dominant stretch of hockey. Benn is a toughie. He was a true superstar for a handful of years, and his stats are suffering now because he gave so much for his team. Then again, the same could be said about Bergeron in terms of dedication and being a warrior, and he's managed to keep productive. Benn has a shot. Staal and Marleau will the the two "accumulators" guys of this generation about whom there will be much debate. Marleau never having even a 90 point season, nor a cup, will hurt, but he has 500 G and 1000 Pts and played in 500+ consecutive games, which together are big accomplishments. Then again, Staal has played at or near a top level for quite a while, has a Cup and a 100 point season. I think both guys also might be hurt by not playing their entire career for one team. HHOF voters seem to like that. Of course, time will tell, as it always does.

[stevegamer]

Marchand is Player B my comparison, by the way.

I really think TIm Thomas is somebody who the HHOF voters have no idea what to do with. He has an elite peak, and basically nothing else. Baseball HOF talk often revolves around peak versus career, and there's obviously times where players get credit for missed time due to stuff, but generally many of those cases just become how much greater they could be. Ovechkin will have missed a lot of games due to Covid & labor stuff, but anyone who thinks it matters to him getting in is on drugs. Where it matters is career totals, and Ovy will have missed enough games that he would likely sail by Gretzky's goal total; and man, is that strange to type as it enters my head.

[Pengwin7]

Fun thread.
I made my picks, and on review they don't align with everybody else!!!

Nicklas Backstrom - for me, he's a lock. An incredible playmaker in his own right. OV helps his numbers, no doubt, but Backstrom would have put up points without OV. This is basically an Adam Oates comparison... and Oates got in.
John Carlson - not just this season, he's been extremely solid.
Drew Doughty - ditto, + trophies.
Ryan Getzlaf - A supremely talented center that made his whole team better.
Erik Karlsson - generational, last few years and future performance be damned
Anze Kopitar - sim. Getzlaf
Brad Marchand - mmhmm... solid. Better than Fleury, way better - and I liked Fleury.
Carey Price - lock.
Tuukka Rask - numbers are there.
Pekka Rinne - ditto
Steven Stamkos - I think he'll win a cup, so this is speculation.
John Tavares - the numbers will be there, with or without a cup.

Left out: Jamie Benn - not enough high-end years & playoff success, Bob - are six stellar seasons enough - without playoff success - I feel no, Burns - ditto Benn, Giroux - I love him, but he needs a cup - same as Benn, Kovalchuk - I'm sorry, but I think his lack of two-way game keeps him an outside - he just didn't elevate his team to ANY success, Kuch - he's a TBD... but there's a LOT of "very good" players that had 4-5 good seasons incl. Benn & Kovy - Kuch is no lock to keep it up, not saying he won't... but there's not eenough there yet - if he had a cup, I'll change this to yes, Marleau - great long career - he's the Andreychuk of his generation... so maybe, but not a lock unless he has a thin year of 1st or 2nd ballot, Staal - I actually think he's 50+/50. The hockey world loves the Staals - he's a "hockey guy" if the league has one, super solid - and has 1000pts, a cup, and a 100pt season... that's usually enough, but the last 14 years (like Marleau) have been "very good", just not "spectacular" in any way.