For two straight years, Bernie Parent was the best goalie in the NHL. He won two straight Vezinas (when it was the Jennings) and two straight Conn Smythes. Additionally, by Hockey Reference’s Goals Saved Above Average metric, Parent’s 1973-74 season is the greatest ever by an NHL goaltender.
Does this brief stretch of dominance put him among the ranks of the very best goalies ever? He’s certainly one of the couple best goalies of the 1970s.
Listen to us discuss Parent’s Hall of Fame case here:
Bobby Clarke is one of the most notorious players in NHL history but he’s also one of the most decorated, one of only a few players to ever win the Hart three times. (He also became a star in spite of his diabetes.)
He was extremely hard to play against but also an offensive star. He only won one Selke because it was introduced half way through his career.
So where does Clarke rank all time among defensive forwards? Listen to us discuss his Hall of Fame case here:
Darryl Sittler has a claim to be the Greatest Toronto Maple Leaf of All Time, as the former franchise record holder for Points, among other things. And though he was never clearly the best player in the league, he was one of the better ones for over half a decade, and a consistent offensive performer much longer.
Does his lack of NHL playoff success hurt him?
In this episode, we discuss whether or not Darryl Sittler belongs in the Hockey Hall of Fame:
Justin Williams is Mr. Clutch, he has the best Game 7 stats in the history of the sport. He has a Conn Smythe and he as 3 Cups, which is a lot for a 21st century player.
But his regular season stats are paltry. And did he deserve that Conn Smythe?
In this episode, we discuss whether or not Justin Williams belongs in the Hockey Hall of Fame:
Dale Hawerchuk was an offensive star for a mediocre team. But, despite his Hart trophy nominations, he was never as dominant as some of his contemporaries.
Does Dale Hawerchuk belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?
Paul Coffey’s offensive stats are just staggering. He owns the single season goals record for a defender and almost topped Orr’s points record. He had both an extremely high offensive peak and also did things consistently through his career that few have ever done before. If he was healthier at the end, he probably would be the highest scoring D in NHL history.
But, especially in the ’80s, there were huge concerns about his defense. And some people still believe he should have played forward.
So where does he rank all time? Does such a player belong in the Hall of Fame?