Canadiens

Is Tony Esposito one of the Greatest Goalies of All Time?

We recorded this just after he died, so RIP.

Tony Esposito has one of the best regular season careers of any NHL goalie ever, not just in germs of his peak but in terms of how long he was among the best goalies in the league (at least by Goals Saved Above Average). Also, he helped change goalie masks for the better.

Yet his playoff numbers are significantly worse. He underperformed in one of his two good playoff runs and he was only ever on one truly great international team, as a backup.

So, it’s obvious Tony Esposito belongs in the Hockey Hall of Fame but where does he rank all time?

Does Buddy O’Connor Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

Buddy O’Connor as Montreal Canadien
team publicity photo
1940s
Montreal Canadiens
(Life time: pre-1949. copyright expired)

Buddy O’Connor was the first ever Hall of Fame inductee of the old Veteran’s Committee. He is one of only 4 Rangers to ever win the Hart Trophy.

But we’re not sure O’Connor deserved his Hart. And, if he didn’t deserve the trophy, his case isn’t so good. He had some good seasons but he was arguably never the best player in the league.

So, does Buddy O’Connor belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame? Listen to us discuss it here:

Is Bob Gainey the Greatest Defensive Forward of All Time?

Bob Gainey does not have your conventional Hockey Hall of Fame case, his offensive numbers are worse than a defensive defenceman. (Of the NHL players who are +200 for their career, Gainey has the lowest PPG of any forward.)

But, as legend has it, the Selke Trophy was invented for Bob Gainey. Until Bergeron won his most recent Selke, nobody had as many Selkes as Gainey. And then he has that Conn Smythe too.

In this episode, we talk about Bob Gainey’s Hall of Fame case:

Does Steve Shutt Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

5 Cups, scored 60 goals, Steve Shutt probably belongs in the Hockey Hall of Fame, right?

Well, Shutt probably wasn’t as good as you remember: not a point-per-game player and all his best years came playing with Guy Lafleur.

So, does Steve Shutt actually belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

Listen here:

Is Guy Lapointe one of the Geastest Defencemen of All Time?

Is Guy Lapointe one of the greatest defencemen of all time?

He never won a Norris, but his career partially overlapped with Bobby Orr’s. And he won 6 Stanley Cups and a Canada Cup.

So where does he rank all time?

Listen to us discuss Guy Lapointe here:

Is Larry Robinson one of the Greatest Defencemen of All Time?

Larry Robinson is the All Time Leader in Plus Minus and has a pretty remarkable career.

Yet sometimes he feels a bit forgotten, surrounded as he was by Hall of Fame Teammates on the Greatest Hockey Team of All Time.

Where does he rank among the All Time Greats? Does he even make your list?

Listen to us talk about Larry Robinson here:

Does Denis Savard Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

Denis Savard put up some gaudy regular season point totals in the ’80s and some impressive playoff numbers to boot.

But was he ever really among the best players in the league?

Listen to us discuss whether or not Denis Savard belongs in the Hockey Hall of Fame:

Does Rod Langway Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

Rod Langway won two Norris trophies and finished 2nd in Hart trophy voting to Wayne Gretzk once. He totally belongs, right?

However, Langway is the basically only purely defensive defenseman to win the Norris trophy in the trophy’s history. (Or, if you prefer, he’s the only purely defensive defenseman to win it since Bobby Orr transformed the position.)

Listen to us discuss whether or not he belongs:

Does Claude Provost Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

Claude Provost won 9 Stanley Cups – in fact, he has the most Stanley Cups of anyone not already inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

He has better regular season numbers than at least one comparable player who has been inducted (Dick Duff), though his playoff numbers aren’t any good.

Should he be in the Hall of Fame?

Listen to us talk about his case here:

Why is Dick Duff in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

Never a top offensive player in the league, Dick Duff was inducted into the Hall of Fame 34 years after retired.

In the latest episode of our podcast, we ask why Dick Duff was inducted at all, why he was inducted when he was, and whether or not his induction sets a dangerous precedent for the Hall of Fame.

Listen here: