[DEBATE] Who is the greatest player in NHL history to NEVER win a Stanley Cup?

[-Vintage Canuck-]

Went with Marcel Dionne.

[Elias Pettersson]

Not sure what happened, I had Jerome Iginla on my list but never added him...   

 

Will add him now...

Edited March 29, 2023 by Elias Pettersson

[CoquitlamDave]

First look was Marcel Dionne.  However after thinking about it Jarome Iginla probably deserves the choice. So many good players with different factors.  I think i'll go through my old 80s hockey cards tonight for some retro memories. 

[250Integra]

[MikeBossy]

So many great choices and while I agree Dionne deserves consideration don't forget when he played there there were only 21 teams whereas the Sedins and Lundquist, Iggy etc played there were 30 teams and a lot more parity in the league. Just my two cents - but definitely of his era Dionne is number 1 on my list.

[Barnstorm]

I’d like to see John Garrett on the list… he’s pretty great. 

[Citizen Erased]

To me, it’s a tie between Neely and Iginla. 
 

I think if not for injuries, Neely may have won a cup, but we’ll never know.

[rekker]

Iginla. All day, one of the best all around hockey players to ever lace them up. 

[IBatch]

For me it's Dionne.   "I'd have scored 1000 goals if the Habs drafted me instead".... 400 more points then Lafluer, on at best mediocre teams.    Guy looked like he could still play in the late 90's watching him at an old timers game that included several recently retired HHOFers...scored like 8 points,  zippy doodling around players and they played rougher then you'd expect.   Lafluer had a couple for the other side ... but did light some bottle rockets on his skates and go really fast for a lap.   Built like a little tank.   At least he won an Art Ross. Iginla and Thornton would be the best from the younger class.   Than the Sedins.    Stastny probably my second up.  Gilmour should also make the cut. 

[IBatch]

19 hours ago, MikeBossy said:

So many great choices and while I agree Dionne deserves consideration don't forget when he played there there were only 21 teams whereas the Sedins and Lundquist, Iggy etc played there were 30 teams and a lot more parity in the league. Just my two cents - but definitely of his era Dionne is number 1 on my list.

One could argue that the quality of competition was also much higher with less teams.   Never was this so evident than the 2000's.    Guys from the 90's dominated that era, and guys from the 80's who were almost done outshone a lot of the next crop of guys (Yzerman).   Iginla also played in the 90's, and took some time to get traction.   Joe N, the guy he was traded for,  they wouldn't go back on that trade given they won a cup.  

[Ghostsof1915]

Brad Park should get a mention. He was playing in the era of Bobby Orr. And was probably one of the top 5 defenceman in the league at the time, maybe even #2.

In 1973-74 he got 82 Points in 78 games for the Rangers. And a 148 PIM's! One of the few non-Cup winners to be in the HHOF.

[IBatch]

12 hours ago, rekker said:

Iginla. All day, one of the best all around hockey players to ever lace them up. 

It's actually debatable if Joe New had a better career and was the better player.   There are a lot of other guys on this list ... pretty sure he was the best of the Thornton/Sedin era, although a little older.    That's about it.   

[IBatch]

15 minutes ago, Ghostsof1915 said:

Brad Park should get a mention. He was playing in the era of Bobby Orr. And was probably one of the top 5 defenceman in the league at the time, maybe even #2.

In 1973-74 he got 82 Points in 78 games for the Rangers. And a 148 PIM's! One of the few non-Cup winners to be in the HHOF.

Doughty was compared to Park until he won a Norris (not sure he should have, but he did, given what EK did that season).    Always the bridesmaid.  Potvin and Robinson were pretty stiff competition though, and of course Orr wins them all until his knees gave out.   

[Ghostsof1915]

Just now, IBatch said:

Doughty was compared to Park until he won a Norris (not sure he should have, but he did, given what EK did that season).    Always the bridesmaid.  Potvin and Robinson were pretty stiff competition though, and of course Orr wins them all until his knees gave out.   

There's Orr, and then there's everyone else. Robinson and Potvin were key pieces. That's why I conservatively said Park is Top 5. I've made no secret if Robinson ever wanted to coach again, I'd gladly love him to coach here. But he's got his horses, and I'm glad he's happy.

[Ghostsof1915]

I've always wondered if part of the reason Bobby Orr's knee's gave out, is he was running flat out every shift. Other defenders would trip, hip check him, hack and whack him.

His knees probably paid the price for being superhuman. The sad part, is if he had knee injuries today, he'd probably get way better care, and he'd have played a lot longer. My Mom hated the NHL after expansion from the Original 6. Said the play was too watered down. She was a nurse. She always said if Bobby was 10 years younger, he'd have gotten way better knee operations in the 80's compared to the early 70's.

Edited March 30, 2023 by Ghostsof1915

[rekker]

22 minutes ago, IBatch said:

It's actually debatable if Joe New had a better career and was the better player.   There are a lot of other guys on this list ... pretty sure he was the best of the Thornton/Sedin era, although a little older.    That's about it.   

I wish Iginla played some years with the twins, would of been the perfect righty for them. With all due respect to Burr. 

[Elias Pettersson]

10 minutes ago, Ghostsof1915 said:

I've always wondered if part of the reason Bobby Orr's knee's gave out, is he was running flat out every shift. Other defenders would trip, hip check him, hack and whack him.

His knees probably paid the price for being superhuman. The sad part, is if he had knee injuries today, he'd probably get way better care, and he'd have played a lot longer. My Mom hated the NHL after expansion from the Original 6. Said the play was too watered down. She was a nurse. She always said if Bobby was 10 years younger, he'd have gotten way better knee operations in the 80's compared to the early 70's.

Bobby gave an interview one time and said that it was only his left knee that was ever damaged.  His right knee was virtually untouched, no surgeries whatsoever.

 

The reason his left knee always got damaged is because he feels he wore it out playing the right side.  Playing the right side was preferable to him as he could cut into the middle of the ice from his off side and also he was able to protect the puck alot easier coming down the right side, using his arm and left leg to protect the puck while he cut to the net.

 

Unfortunately, playing that style really took a beating on his left knee as well as leaving it susceptible to big hits.  As well, guys were always going after his knees routinely in every game.  But that left knee was alot weaker than the right knee because he played the right side.  I think he had 8 surgeries on the left knee.  Crazy.  Not even sure today's technology would have helped him with all those surgeries.  But, the way the game is played today with the rules he probably doesn't get hit as often so most likely he has a longer career...

[Ghostsof1915]

10 minutes ago, rekker said:

I wish Iginla played some years with the twins, would of been the perfect righty for them. With all due respect to Burr. 

Sigh. If only.....

[Ghostsof1915]

 

[Crimson-JH]

On 3/29/2023 at 6:48 AM, grumpyone said:

and Austin Mathews

And John Tavares