[DEBATE] Which PLAYER in their prime are you taking?

[Elias Pettersson]

Okay, no number on this one.  Just the player.  No messing around.  You know the drill. 

 

Which player in their prime are you taking?

 

This should be the best one yet, let's gooo!!!  

[Elias Pettersson]

I'm taking 99...

[BoKnows]

1) 99

2) Orr

3) Roy

4) Mr Hockey

5) Mario

6) Brodeur

7) Hasek

8) McDavid

[Nucker 67]

I was in a pretty great hockey draft for years in the 80s and 90s, and Gretzky was the only player exempt from the draft - he was just too good. No one was allowed to have him. 

 

Gretzky, though, would say Gordie Howe.

[Elias Pettersson]

14 minutes ago, NUCKER67 said:

I was in a pretty great hockey draft for years in the 80s and 90s, and Gretzky was the only player exempt from the draft - he was just too good. No one was allowed to have him. 

 

Gretzky, though, would say Gordie Howe.

Yes for the hockey drafts in the 80's you were not allowed to take Gretzky.  Most drafts split Gretzky into two, his goals and his assists.  Most people took Gretzky's assists anyways, and I believe he would have won several scoring titles even if you took away all his goals.

[MikeBossy]

Voted for Gretzky but I would choose Mike Bossy - best pure goal scorer the league has ever seen and will see. No debate at all - the best and has the record that proves this

 

[Phil_314]

If we're considering primes and presuming full health I'd go Mario, no question.  Unstoppable combo of size and skill.

Can't go wrong with Gretzky and Orr of course, but could only imagine how good 66 would've been if he's stayed healthy; could probably have challenged Wayne for all-time top scorer.

[McBackup]

Gretzky

Lemieux

Orr

Howe

Hasek

Roy 

McDavid

Brodeur

[Gurn]

Orr - never be another like him

Mario- at his best he was the most talented,dangerous forward in history

Wayne- didn't like him, don't like him, yet he is still number three, even for me.

Hasek- he struck fear in his opponents

Roy- Almost up there with Hasek

Gordie- heck long career, but his best was not quite uop their with Mario and wayne

Broduer- not as good as Roy but very very good in his own right.

McDavid- will probably move up if he contiues to play as he is.

[Elias Pettersson]

10 minutes ago, MikeBossy said:

Voted for Gretzky but I would choose Mike Bossy - best pure goal scorer the league has ever seen and will see. No debate at all - the best and has the record that proves this

 

Gretzky scored 70 goals or more 4 times.  How many times did Bossy score 70 goals in a single season?  

[ShawnAntoski]

Mario the magnificent would get my vote.

[MikeBossy]

2 minutes ago, Elias Pettersson said:

Gretzky scored 70 goals or more 4 times.  How many times did Bossy score 70 goals in a single season?  

Mike Bossy only played 10 season and had 9 consecutive 50 goal seasons. NO ONE - thats right no one else has ever duplicated that - not even the great one.

[bishopshodan]

The way he played and the come backs while getting treatment for cancer...

 

Mario.

[MikeBossy]

7 minutes ago, Elias Pettersson said:

Gretzky scored 70 goals or more 4 times.  How many times did Bossy score 70 goals in a single season?  

And how many of those were empty netters  - KIDDING - my argument is Bossy was the greatest pure goal scorer - Wayne was in a league of his own - untouchable and the greatest player to play the game. Its unfathomable that the guy had 4 200+ pt seasons (almost 5 as he also had 196 one year) And of course as a Canucks fan got to witness a lot of his records etc against us lol

[Elias Pettersson]

2 minutes ago, MikeBossy said:

Mike Bossy only played 10 season and had 9 consecutive 50 goal seasons. NO ONE - thats right no one else has ever duplicated that - not even the great one.

That wasn't my question.  My question was how many times did Bossy score 70 goals?  Gretzky did it 4 times.  Wouldn't the best pure goal scorer in hockey history also have the record of most goals in a season?  Or at least hit the 70 goal mark once since other players like Esposito, Hull, Lemieux, Kurri, Mogilny, Selanne, and Nicholls were able to do it as well?

 

And for the record Gretzky also scored 50 or more goals in 9 out of 10 seasons.  So that is pretty close to 9 in a row is it not?

[4petesake]

Not enough love here for Mr. Hockey so I’m going to go with Howe. He could do it all, did it all, did it forever  and he was his own bodyguard. You could make a case for anyone on this list except IMHO McDavid. He’ll probably get there but I’m not a fan of adding someone to the GOAT list this early in his career, especially with only personal and no team accomplishments to this point.

[smithers joe]

gretzky was most talented but howe was the best all around player. gretzky needed a tough guy with him to protect him. howe could do it all. gretzky scored lots of hat tricks but it is the gordie howe hat trick has stood the test of time.

[-AJ-]

Not sure about in their primes, but my all-time list top four goes:

 

1. Gretzky - 2.77 points-per-game in 1983-84--pro-rating to 222 points if he had played all 80 games (and 94 goals).

2. Orr

3. Lemieux

4. Howe

 

beyond that, it's been getting very tough for me, but I often actually have Jagr at #5 these days.

[-Vintage Canuck-]

The Great One.

[HKSR]

Not sure why McDavid is on this list so early in his career.  Heck I think Crosby and even OV deserve to be on the list more than McDavid.