[DEBATE] Which AMERICAN player in their prime are you taking?

[Canuck Surfer]

I met Brett Hull when we were kids.  Ranks with Ovi as the purest power shooter the game has ever seen!

 

I still voted Patrick Kane.  The hockey player, not person.  Controls / Controlled the game as no one else on that list.

 

Modano maybe closest?

 

And Pavelski my fovorite.

[Chris12345]

I have a soft spot for tendies especially when they almost sweep their way to a cup.

[4petesake]

1. LaFontaine

2. Kane

3. Roenick

4. Chelios

5. Hull

6. LeClair

[-AJ-]

Decided to take a different route here and look primarily at prime playoff play. From what I know, only three guys on this list have ever won the Conn Smythe: Patrick Kane, Jonathan Quick, and Brian Leetch.

 

I decided that the top two playoff runs of those two were Leetch in '94 and Quick in '12. In the end, I went with Quick's unbelievable run in the 2012 playoffs. His .946 save percentage going 16-4 in the playoffs with a 1.41 GAA is just hilariously good.

[CaptKirk888]

Wow, the list has so many great athletes. I could not choose. I’m surprised Doug Weight and John LeClair have no votes, powerhouses in their time.

[King Heffy]

Lafontaine's prime got cut short due to injuries but he was an absolutely unreal player playing in the shadow of Gretzky and Lemieux.  Hard to avoid voting for him having witnessed the magic he had with Almo.

[goalie13]

This was a tough one.  So many quality goalies to pick from.  Had to go with Richter as he still haunts me from both the '94 Stanley Cup and the '96 World Cup.

[Gnarcore]

4 hours ago, JM_ said:

these polls are interesting, but when I think of "in their prime" from that list, there was stretch there where the guy could score at will. 

Adam Oates and Hull was one of the best duos ever during those years. Hull could just find open ice (again his positioning and knowing how to read the game is nearly unmatched) with everyone knowing what was coming and Oates would find him with a pass. 

I understood Hull playing for the US after Canada said no. I didn't like him for it but understood it. But I always really appreciated his game. He knew how to read the game so damn well. It made up for his poor work ethic during those years.  I made it further in hockey than my pure skills should of allowed. Why? I knew how to read the game better than most and when and where to be on the ice.  Seeing that same thing in Hull but at the highest level made me respect him. 

[Bad_BOI_pete]

I was really torn between mike modano and brett hull, Brett hull was the best sniper for near a decade, But modano was just a perfect player that shared alot of the same qualities as Sakic and Yzerman.

 

I chose Hull because of his talent is harder to come by

[Phil_314]

Kane's game breaking talent makes it tough to not vote for him, not to mention he performs even in the playoffs despite being a smaller guy, and he also has 3 Cups.

[Psycho_Path]

Went with Matthews. I imagine he'll be the highest scoring American by the end of his career. Already has 3 40+ goal seasons in just the 5 he's played so far (including 41 in 52 this past season) and the 2 seasons he didn't make 40 he was injured. Took Kane until his 9th season to pot 40.

 

Will be interesting as well to see how Adam Fox's career goes as far as Americans. A Norris already at just age 23 in his 2nd year in the NHL. Probably be another 4 years before he even reaches his prime as well.

[Elias Pettersson]

This poll is actually quite a bit closer than the Swedish or Russian polls.  Hull, Modano, Kane, Chelios and LaFontaine are all within a few votes of each other.  At the end of the day you can't go wrong with any of those great players.  LaFontaine's career was cut short just like Bure, so he probably wins this if he plays out a full career.  

 

What inspires me about this poll is how Benning has acquired so many future American stars.  Demko, Hughes, Boeser.  We are talking 3 of our very best players.  Only Petey is missing from that group.  Miller is a key player as well.  Then you have Rathbone, Garland, Motte, Poolman.  Even Myers is a dual citizen.  We have almost as many Americans on our team as Canadians now.  If Rathbone makes the team that would be 8 including Myers.  We would have 9 Canadians and 6 others.

[Elias Pettersson]

7 minutes ago, Psycho_Path said:

Went with Matthews. I imagine he'll be the highest scoring American by the end of his career. Already has 3 40+ goal seasons in just the 5 he's played so far (including 41 in 52 this past season) and the 2 seasons he didn't make 40 he was injured. Took Kane until his 9th season to pot 40.

 

Will be interesting as well to see how Adam Fox's career goes as far as Americans. A Norris already at just age 23 in his 2nd year in the NHL. Probably be another 4 years before he even reaches his prime as well.

Yeah Matthews and Fox could really become superstars once they hit their primes and could be two of the top American players once their careers are over.

[Ghostsof1915]

BB6. 

 

 

[Dumb Nuck]

Hull was born in Canada, Kane is a Dbag so LaFontaine it is.

[Industrious1]

Going with LaFontaine on this one.  Guy was sublime to watch.  

[johngould21]

In no particular order, Mark Howe, Chris Chelios, Brett Hull, Pat LaFontaine, and Patrick Kane. HM Phil Housley.

[DownUndaCanuck]

We're talking about who you'd take in their prime. Pat Kane in his prime won a couple of Cups and was a monster in the playoffs, but let's not forget Brett Hull's best season - 86 goals in only 78 games. No one apart from Gretzky and Mario have really come close to that sort of scoring before.

 

 

[Gurn]

20 minutes ago, DownUndaCanuck said:

86 goals in only 78 games. No one apart from Gretzky and Mario have really come close to that sort of scoring before.

Found a guy that comes close but, different era and despite playing his career for the NYI is actually a Canadain.

Mike Bossy 1978-79   69 golas 80 games     6 playoff goals    10 games

                    1980-81   68 goals 79 games     17 goals              18 games       35 play off points

[Baratheon]

I guess it depends on your definition of prime.  Not sure if some of you read that part of the question.  Even if Brett Hull was one dimensional 86 goals in one year is just way too ridiculous of a number.  Most of you are aware that it is second only to Gretzky but may not be aware that no other American player has gotten within even 30 goals of this mark.

 

The year that Hull put up 86, the next highest player had 51!  It's bananas!!