2025 HHOF predictions

[The Panther]

Ask yourself this question. If either Henrik or Daniel didn’t have a twin, and otherwise put up the exact same resume, does either player get inducted before Zetterberg? I say clearly no. They were inducted before Zetterberg because it made for a good story and TV induction show.

I know what you're saying -- it's very dificult to evalute each Sedin individually because we tend to think of the two guys as one entity.

(Don't worry, I'm not really on 'team Sedin'. I argued on here before that their getting inducted to the Hall so early was a bit silly, and I was savagely attacked by Canuck fans.)

 

[The Panther]

Andy Moog

No. (And I cheered for the guy when I was a little kid... but, no. If you ever think Andy Moog was a Hall of Famer, go back and watch game two of the 1990 Cup Finals, where Moog makes John Garret look like Jacques Plante.)

Pete Peeters

With Vezina results of 1, 10, 10, 11...? If you remove one regular season (1982-83) from Peeters' resume (when Peeters played behind Bourque, Park, Kluzak, and O'Connell), he's basically nothing. A nice career, to be sure, but...?

Bill Ranford

Another guy I cheered for as a kid / teen, but, again, no. His 1990 and 1991 peak is superb, but when your career prime is about two years, there's a big gap in what a Hall of Famer should have. Ranford's GSAA is atrocious.

Cujo

Maybe, yes.

Ryan Miller

Miller is like Pete Peeters with a longer career. It was a really good, solid career, sure, and there's that one great Olympic appearance... I dunno, I think this is still lowering the bar too much.

Kipper

Kiprusoff should probably get in, yes. (Career is maybe a bit shorter than you'd like, but he didn't become a regular until age 27 or something.)

Nabokov

More impressive career-best seasons than, say, Peeters or Miller, but I'm still left a little unimpressed by his Hall credentials.

Khabibulin

Are you joking? Vezina finishes: 7, 8
Career GSAA below 0.
Basically, he had one fairly impressive playoff run to his career. As did Matt Murray.

R.Crozier

Can't say.

 

[Michael Farkas]

True enough but the same thing kind of applies to Scott Niedermeyer in a slightly different way and the consensus around here is vastly different with scott.

Is it? Did every defense coach want Nieds? Did all the players vote Nieds the best d-man in the game? Toughest to beat?

I'm not denying that Nieds has his faction, But I don't think it's as overwhelmingly in favor of him vs the field as compared to price when adjusting for what's on paper.

As you note, most people don't know what's going on out there anyhow...and then only a fraction of them know goaltending haha

 

[Giotrapani91]

Most of the HHOF talk is for forwards but here’s my list of Goslies who IMHO might be Hall Worthy

Andy Moog
Pete Peeters
Bill Ranford
Cujo
Ryan Miller
Kipper
Nabokov
Khabibulin
R.Crozier


.

Ranford and Crozier not even close I'd have Richter or beezer ahead of them.

 

[wetcoast]

Is it? Did every defense coach want Nieds? Did all the players vote Nieds the best d-man in the game? Toughest to beat?

That's why I said in a different way as comparables are often problematic.

I guess the big difference for me is that Nieds was somewhat more consistent and had staying power being on a best on best Team Canada over a period of 15+ years, going from memory here, and was just constantly a BIG MPG all situations type of guy but a lot of observers preferred the rough and tumble Scott Stevens even if it didn't always line up that way.

I'm not denying that Nieds has his faction, But I don't think it's as overwhelmingly in favor of him vs the field as compared to price when adjusting for what's on paper.

That's the thing though in that Price versus his contemporary field doesn't exactly stand out head and shoulders above the pack, heck I'm not even sure if he was really "better" in the HHOF sense than Lundqvist, who is in the Hall, BOB, Rask, Rinne,or Luongo who also is in and I'm not sure if there aren't some other guys still playing like MAF, Hellebuyck, Shesterkin and Vasilevskiy could end up with "better" and more complete HHOF type of resumes.

As you note, most people don't know what's going on out there anyhow...and then only a fraction of them know goaltending haha

That's the hard part, it's easier for me to take a constructive look and critically analyze most hockey debates involving position players but for goalies it's a vastly different thing and I don't think I'm the only one limited here with viewing and comparing goalies.

Price has the hype and that one awesome season but the rest of his career isn't slam dunk HHOF for me but that being said I'd bet the committee inducts him in his first year because.........

 

[Michael Farkas]

I'll finish the thought...

...because goalies are so clearly more of a product of their conditions than controllers of their own destiny these days. So, like I said in the goalie project, if Carey Price was blessed with even a slightly better situation he trades the Hart Trophy for probably 5+ Vezinas and then there wouldn't be any debate about it.

But with all due respect to everyone in the conversation (subject and discussion)...if we think Pekka Rinne is on the same level as Carey Price, we might want to crack open a textbook haha

And I know what you're saying, the resume...but that's exactly my point. Carey Price as a Nashville Predator - there wouldn't be any wonder.

And as a means of contrition, Carey Price doesn't solve every single situation. But he solves a lot of them because he was that good...

Pittsburgh at the Bylsma era...? Meh, maybe not. San Jose last season? Wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy. But that was a hell of a player - and I don't say that about most goalies.

 

[Jumptheshark]

This class seems pretty clear to me who getting inducted given who was inducted this year. Next year class is very stacked leaving pretty much no room for older players who were eligible.

2025 HHOF prediction player class:

Joe Thornton
Carey Price
Duncan Keith
Zdeno Chara

Is Thornton eligible already?

 

[MXD]

With all due respect, being worse than Henrik Lundqvist doesn't make you a non-HHOFer.

 

[bobholly39]

I don't even understand why Carey Price is eligible. He's still under contract this coming year. He's not officially retired - he's treating a long-term nagging injury that won't let him play, that could theoretically get better and allow him to play again this season (I realize this isn't actually going to happen).

Shouldn't it be 4+ years after his contract expires?

Landeskog is injured and hasn't played in 2 years. What if - it takes him 2 more years before he's able to return. Would people also vote him into the HHOF because he hasn't played in 4 years? (yes - I realize he's not quite a HHOF'er).

It just seems silly to me.

Since he is eligible - I agree with OP around the 4 names voted in - Price, Thornton, Chara, Keith. Zetterberg and Getzlaf wait a year. And if one of the 4 waits a year - I suspect it will be Keith - not the other 3.

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

Maybe this but my first thought was that one thing here isn't like the others.

Joe Thornton
Carey Price
Duncan Keith
Zdeno Chara

Then my second thought was maybe Getzlaf and or Zetterberg were more worthy of HHOF than Price but I think Price goes in first his story or narrative just seems more HHOF for 2025 even if the guys making the selections are somewhat relics of a past time for the most part.

Then I looked up the members of the selection committee and I think Price is getting in but I still wonder if the other 2 guys have a better case?

HHOF | Selection Committee

Featuring the by-laws and complete list of current and former members of the Selection Committee.

www.hhof.com

Agreed. I think Price is a borderline guy and should wait, but you know how the media handles him. He's going in 1st ballot no doubt

 

[Michael Farkas]

Agreed. I think Price is a borderline guy and should wait, but you know how the media handles him. He's going in 1st ballot no doubt

Plus the former players, coaches, scouts, managers, etc.

 

[Giotrapani91]

Is that your wish or do you actually expect that to happen? Tkachuk and Brindamour have been waiting for many years, why would the commitee make a no-brainer like Chara wait a year to put one of them in? And Marleau is not even a HoF calibre player, his only real argument is the games played record, which Chara is a holder of for Dmen on top of a stellar career.

Chara:
Stanley Cup as a captain of an original 6 team
Norris trophy
3x first team all star
4x second team all star

Marleau:
-

Bergeron is eligible in 2026 & that was one of chara's best friends on the team and plus his peak was only like 7 years, I'd rather see Tkachuk & either brindamour or Cujo get in before Chara, dude not every defenseman has gone in 1st ballot

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

Bergeron is eligible in 2026 & that was one of chara's best friends on the team and plus his peak was only like 7 years, I'd rather see Tkachuk & either brindamour or Cujo get in before Chara, dude not every defenseman has gone in 1st ballot

More like 11 years, but go off

 

[MadLuke]

peak was only like 7 years,

Hard to say less than 10 seasons-11 years, he was a second place Norris in 2004 and in 2014.
Norris Top 10 finish in that window: 1-2-2-3-3-3-4-5-7-8

If you are not Bourque-Lidstrom, 7 years peak would not have been particularly low, how long was Crosby, Coffey, Leetch or Pronger peak ? 7 years is a lot.

And we are talking about a 1680 regular season player, that had good value outside his peak, all the rest of his Bruins days he was still an over 21 minutes a game (more in the playoff) solid player.

 

[DitchMarner]

I used to post on TSN.ca before the site shut off comments for its hockey articles (which was a good move because a LOT of dumb/immature shit was posted on there about hockey) and I came here...

I remember in 2015, there was basically a meme that Price was the Habs... as in he literally made that team relevant all by himself. Some Canadiens fans strongly disliked the notion because they thought it discredited their team as a whole. But many who weren't fans were adamant that MTL was Price.

Then the 2015-2016 season started and the Canadiens got off to a shocking start (10-0 or 10-0-1 or something) and that really made their dissenters look bad. But then Price got hurt and the team's season went straight to hell. The Canadiens were terrible without him in the line-up, pretty much validating what the "Montreal is all Price" crowd had been saying.

The point is that at his peak, he was as good as any goalie has been the last two decades. It was short-lived, sure, and I think that reputation continued to follow him after he fell off from his peak level, but this notion that he was a franchise goaltender didn't materialize from nothing more than a media desire to lionize him.

 

[Michael Farkas]

Then the 2015-2016 season started and the Canadiens got off to a shocking start (10-0 or 10-0-1 or something) and that really made their dissenters look bad. But then Price got hurt and the team's season went straight to hell.

Same thing happened in game 1 of the 2014 ECF when Chris Kreider injured him. The Habs had no chance after that.

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

I used to post on TSN.ca before the site shut off comments for its hockey articles (which was a good move because a LOT of dumb/immature shit was posted on there about hockey) and I came here...

I remember in 2015, there was basically a meme that Price was the Habs... as in he literally made that team relevant all by himself. Some Canadiens fans strongly disliked the notion because they thought it discredited their team as a whole. But many who weren't fans were adamant that MTL was Price.

Then the 2015-2016 season started and the Canadiens got off to a shocking start (10-0 or 10-0-1 or something) and that really made their dissenters look bad. But then Price got hurt and the team's season went straight to hell. The Canadiens were terrible without him in the line-up, pretty much validating what the "Montreal is all Price" crowd had been saying.

The point is that at his peak, he was as good as any goalie has been the last two decades. It was short-lived, sure, and I think that reputation continued to follow him after he fell off from his peak level, but this notion that he was a franchise goaltender didn't materialize from nothing more than a media desire to lionize him.

My issue is that for all the hype and media tongue baths he got he only put it together/played to that level in 1 season. Plus while challenged offensively at times in his career, lets not act like Markov, Subban, Emelin, Plekanec is some horrifically bad group to play behind defensively.

 

[Michael Farkas]

PK Subban...speaking of "media tongue baths"...as a positive defensively? Interesting, interesting. And who could forget the third pairing defenseman that barely made NHL pension Alexei Emelin...? Certainly not his parents...

 

[Giotrapani91]

What about Alexander mogilny or CuJo in that wild card spot

 

[Giotrapani91]

PK Subban...speaking of "media tongue baths"...as a positive defensively? Interesting, interesting. And who could forget the third pairing defenseman that barely made NHL pension Alexei Emelin...? Certainly not his parents...

I can't stomach him on ESPN he's more annoying than moose. They should've never fired chelios to begin with and if anything they should've replaced him with Brett hull or Mike Modano, ESPN though really needs Gary throne & Bill Clement back

 

[Giotrapani91]

More like 11 years, but go off

It was less than 11 it was like 7 to 8he only won one Norris in that span and was runner up 3 times Keith had two Norris wins and like his peak was 12 years, Chara didn't hi t his peak until his third or fourth year in Boston and his peak ended in 2017so that's like 8 or 9 years compared to 11 years that Duncan Keith had.

Hard to say less than 10 seasons-11 years, he was a second place Norris in 2004 and in 2014.
Norris Top 10 finish in that window: 1-2-2-3-3-3-4-5-7-8

If you are not Bourque-Lidstrom, 7 years peak would not have been particularly low, how long was Crosby, Coffey, Leetch or Pronger peak ? 7 years is a lot.

And we are talking about a 1680 regular season player, that had good value outside his peak, all the rest of his Bruins days he was still an over 21 minutes a game (more in the playoff) solid player.

Look I get tge games played and all that but Shea Weber this year wasn't a first ballot I would've inducted Tkachuk, zetterberg, of Gonchar over Shea weber

 

[JianYang]

Yeah my only hesitation was how the HOF treats goalies.

I think the MVP and career Hab is probably enough to push him in this year.

They might push Getzlaf to 26 and put him in with Bergeron (I think I have his eligible year right)

Career hab can also be a detriment because his prime was with David desharnais as the top center.

Unfortunately, I do think some voters weigh cup wins into the equation, and while price was front and center for several underdog series wins, that team was never going to get a cup without at least a good 1C.

The other argument is that his prime got cut short, with various injuries, and his entire career was actually marred with injuries but based on some previous selections, the hhof seems to have some leniency for guys who maybe didn't enjoy the same longevity

 

[JianYang]

I used to post on TSN.ca before the site shut off comments for its hockey articles (which was a good move because a LOT of dumb/immature shit was posted on there about hockey) and I came here...

I remember in 2015, there was basically a meme that Price was the Habs... as in he literally made that team relevant all by himself. Some Canadiens fans strongly disliked the notion because they thought it discredited their team as a whole. But many who weren't fans were adamant that MTL was Price.

Then the 2015-2016 season started and the Canadiens got off to a shocking start (10-0 or 10-0-1 or something) and that really made their dissenters look bad. But then Price got hurt and the team's season went straight to hell. The Canadiens were terrible without him in the line-up, pretty much validating what the "Montreal is all Price" crowd had been saying.

The point is that at his peak, he was as good as any goalie has been the last two decades. It was short-lived, sure, and I think that reputation continued to follow him after he fell off from his peak level, but this notion that he was a franchise goaltender didn't materialize from nothing more than a media desire to lionize him.

Price was the best player on the team, undoubtedly, but another factor that had the Habs tank in those years where price essentially missed whole seasons was that they rarely had a competent #2. The season you are referring to was when an unproven Mike Condon became the starter. He was doing pretty well in spot duty, and he started off okay after Price's injury but he ultimately fell off the rails when given an extended run. Losing price would always hurt, but it would hurt more when you are not even sure you have a solid #2.

Aside from halak for the first couple seasons, and budaj in 2013 and 2014ish, I'd argue that Price's backups were pretty poor in general. Yes, you can argue that it's tough to find good goalies for a limited role, but it didn't stop the Rangers from finding some decent options behind lundqvist.

 

[MadLuke]

They had fine teams by moments, by others time they were good candidate to win the loterry if he was missing.

Price replacement (Budaj-Auld-Condon-Tokarsky-Allen and co.) save percentage versus Price vss playoff Price

2011-2013: .912 / .917 / .921
2014-2016: .906 / .931 / .920
2017-2019: .908 / .915 / .933
2020-2022: .895 / .905 / .922

 

[Staniowski]

I don't even understand why Carey Price is eligible. He's still under contract this coming year. He's not officially retired - he's treating a long-term nagging injury that won't let him play, that could theoretically get better and allow him to play again this season (I realize this isn't actually going to happen).

Shouldn't it be 4+ years after his contract expires?

Landeskog is injured and hasn't played in 2 years. What if - it takes him 2 more years before he's able to return. Would people also vote him into the HHOF because he hasn't played in 4 years? (yes - I realize he's not quite a HHOF'er).

It just seems silly to me.

Since he is eligible - I agree with OP around the 4 names voted in - Price, Thornton, Chara, Keith. Zetterberg and Getzlaf wait a year. And if one of the 4 waits a year - I suspect it will be Keith - not the other 3.

Eligibility is based only on when the player last played. So if the player hasn't played in the last 3 seasons, they are eligible for induction. Therefore, Price and Landeskog should be in the same boat, as of now.

You have to remember there is no perfect rule; players can retire, and then return to playing.

Josef Stumpel stopped playing in '20, so he would've been eligible for induction in '23. But he returned to playing last season at age 51. So he, again, is not eligible.

But if Price were to announce during the playoffs next season that he was returning to play in the '25-'26 season, I suspect the Hall wouldn't induct him next year. That kind of seems obvious, but he would technically be eligible...in any event, it would be an unusual situation. Could happen with Landeskog too.