Is Bobby Hull the Greatest Left Wing of All Time?

Many 21st century hockey fans likely think the answer to the question “Who is the Greatest Left Winger of All Time?” has an easy answer, Alex Ovechkin.

But it’s possible we don’t remember how dominant Bobby Hull truly was. Hull won 2 Hart trophies and 3 Art Ross trophies. But he was a Hart finalist for most of a decade. Additionally, he was, by most standards, the best offensive player of his era, both in the regular season and, crucially, in the playoffs.

And then he went to another league and dominated it in his late 30s. (It’s possible his departure to the WHA colours how we think of his career.)

So, is Bobby Hull the Greatest LW of All Time? Listen here:

Continue reading “Is Bobby Hull the Greatest Left Wing of All Time?”

Does Serge Savard Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

ActuaLitté, CC BY-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

There are basically only 3 post-Bobby Orr defensive defencemen in the Hockey Hall of Fame. (And Savard actually is a contemporary of Bobby Orr, so maybe there are only two.) It’s hard to get in as a defensive defenceman when so many D score now.

On the other hand, there are few NHL players in NHL history to have a higher career plus minus than career points total. Savard is one of those players. And if Savard had never played for the Jets, his utterly insane plus minus would be even higher than his total points.

Is it possible that Savard’s remarkable goal differential is a product of his Hall of Fame teammates? In part, sure. But it’s a chicken or egg question, isn’t it?

So, does Serge Savard belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

Listen to us discuss it here:

Continue reading “Does Serge Savard Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?”

Does Dale Hawerchuk Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license.

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?

Listen to us discuss his case here:

Continue reading “Does Dale Hawerchuk Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?”

Does Anders Hedberg Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

Anders Hedberg’s Hall of Fame case is very similar to that of his countryman’s, Ulf Nilsson. Both came to North America at the same time. Both dominated the WHA and won Avo Cups. And then they left the Jets together for the Rangers, where they had some team success and less individual success. (And lots of injury problems.)

Are his WHA numbers enough?

Find out:

Continue reading “Does Anders Hedberg Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?”

Does Ulf Nilsson Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

by Schyffel [CC BY 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)]

By some metrics, Ulf Nilsson was the Greatest Player, or at least Greatest Forward, in WHA history. (APG and PPG, specifically.) But when he moved to the NHL he saw his numbers plummet and his career fall apart due to injuries.

In this episode we discuss whether or not Ulf Nilsson did enough in the WHA for us to say he belongs in the Hall of Fame.

Listen here:

Continue reading “Does Ulf Nilsson Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?”

Does Craig Janney Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

Craig Janney is 14th All Time in Assists Per Game, one of only two players in the Top 15 who are not in the Hall of Fame or still active.

The big knocks against Janney are his minus, the length of his career and his lack of a truly dominant season.

We talk about Janney’s Hockey Hall of Fame case here:

Continue reading “Does Craig Janney Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?”

Does Shane Doan even have a case for the Hall of Fame?

The idea of Shane Doan being in the Hockey Hall of Fame may strike you as absurd. It strikes one of us that way. The other of us tries to persuade us all that there is actually a case for Shane Doan to be in the Hall of Fame.

So the first part of this episode is about whether or not Shane Doan even has a case to be in the Hall of Fame. We hope you enjoy it. You can listen here:

Continue reading “Does Shane Doan even have a case for the Hall of Fame?”

Does Phil Housley Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

Phil Housley has some of the most impressive career offensive totals of any NHL defenceman, especially an American.

He is also -53 for his career.

Should the Hall of Fame inducted a player who appears, on first glance, to have not been very good in his own end?

We discuss in our latest episode. Listen here:

Continue reading “Does Phil Housley Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?”

Does Kent Nilsson Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

Kent Nilsson has the highest APG and PPG of any eligible NHL player not yet in the Hockey Hall of Fame, he is the only eligible player in the Top 10 in APG and PPG not in the Hall.

Why is a player with Top 10 career rate stats not in the Hall of Fame? Does it have to do with how he left the NHL? Does it have to do with his games played and inflated ’80s stats?

Listen to us discuss Kent Nilsson’s Hockey Hall of Fame case:

Continue reading “Does Kent Nilsson Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?”

Does Keith Tkachuk Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

Keith Tkachuk (“TAYchuck” according to Don Cherry) is more notorious for his edge and his sneer than he is for his goal-scoring ability.

Was he good enough to be in the Hall of Fame?

We find out. Listen to us debate his case:

Continue reading “Does Keith Tkachuk Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?”