Right Wing

Does Rod Gilbert belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

Rod Gilbert is certainly someone deserving of the title “Mr. Ranger.” Along with Brian Leetch and Henrik Lundqvist, he has a claim to the title of Greatest New York Ranger of All Time (certainly if length of career with the franchise is taken into account).

But he was never one of the best players in the league during the regular season and his playoff numbers are not great.

So the question is, is his importance to the Rangers franchise and his compelling story of overcoming injury enough to put him in the Hall?

Listen to us talk about Rod Gilbert’s Hall of Fame case here:

Does Yvan Cournoyer Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

Cournoyer didn’t have the most dominant regular season career and it’s likely that, had he not played for the Habs, he wouldn’t be in the Hall of Fame with his regular season numbers.

But then, there are his playoff numbers. Safe to say, anyone who leads an entire era in playoff goals and sets a single season record in playoff goals is going into the Hall of Fame.

Listen to us talk about The Roadrunner here:

Is Stan Mikita a Top 5 Centre All Time?

If you didn’t see him play, it’s possible Stan Mikita’s resume is better than you think it should be. In addition to winning multiple Hart trophies, Art Ross trophies and the Stanley Cup, he’s likely the 2nd best centre of the ’60s and among the best centres of the ’70s.

So it’s clear Stan Mikita belongs in the Hockey Hall of Fame. The question is, where does Stan Mikita rank among centres all time?

Listen here:

Is Guy Lafleur one of the Greatest of All Time?

For 6 seasons – more than half a decade – there was arguably no better hockey player on earth than Guy Lafleur. And there is arguably no better team in NHL history than Lafleur’s Canadiens of the late ’70s.

For the rest of his career, Lafleur was, um, not the best hockey player in the world. And so the question is, was he good enough in those six seasons to rank among the very, very best forwards in history, who managed longer peaks but less consistency?

Listen to us talk about Guy Lafleur’s case for one of the Greatest of All Time here:

Is Mike Bossy the Greatest Goal Scorer of All Time?

New York Islanders/NHL, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Mike Bossy is 1st All Time in Goals Per Game, was Top 5 in GPG in all but one season of his NHL career and is the only player other than Gretzky to score 50 goals 9 straight times.

But nobody is hurt by Hockey Reference’s adjustment for era more than Mike Bossy. So arguably nobody benefited from playing when they did more than Bossy.

So, is Mike Bossy the greatest goal scorer in NHL history?

Listen to us talk about Mike Bossy’s Hall of Fame case here:

Does Lanny McDonald Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

66 goals in season. A classic Old Guy Who Won a Stanley Cup. Scored 40 goals three seasons in a row for the Leafs. That mustache.

Sounds like he should be in, right? But McDonald was not a point-a-game player and he actually only had 4 really good seasons. (Seriously.)

So does Lanny McDonald belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame? Listen to us discuss his case here:

Why is Bobby Bauer in the Hall of Fame?

Bobby Bauer was part of the famous Kraut Line. And he won two Stanley Cups, one Memorial Cup and one Allan Cup. (He might be the last hockey player to win all three.)

But he was never even the best player on his own team, let alone in the league. And he underperformed in the NHL playoffs.

Not only is it kind of strange that he’s in the Hall of Fame, but it’s extra strange he was inducted 40+ years after he retired and over 30 years after he died.

So why is Bobby Bauer in the Hall of Fame?

Listen as we try to find out:

Is Mario Lemieux the Greatest of All Time?

Through a career riddled by injuries – including one induced retirement – Lemieux was one of the most dominant forwards the game has ever seen. He temporarily led the NHL in both career Goals Per Game and Points Per Game, despite debuting after Gretzky and despite playing more of his career in the Dead Puck Era.

Tony McCune, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

But Lemieux never reached Gretzky’s accomplishments either in terms of his peak or his longevity. He has fewer scoring titles and Cups than Gretzky, and Gretzky achieved Lemieux’s offensive feats many times over.

Listen to us discuss whether or not Lemieux is the Greatest Hockey Player of All Time, the Greatest Centre of All Time, or something else, here:

Does Joe Mullen Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

Joe Mullen was among the first American NHL stars and the first American player to reach 500 goals. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in his fist year of eligibility.

But his regular season stats aren’t actually that great and are substantially helped by the era he played in.

So, does Joe Mullen belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame? Listen here:

Does Justin Williams belong 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: