After Ovi, who needs the Cup the most to cement their status?

[Dazed and Confused]

Surprised no one's said Boudreau yet. One of the best regular season coaches, but he's always struggled in the playoffs.


Thornton should have been an easy choice here, but for a guy that had a playoff choker label attached to him for enitre his career, he's gotten off somewhat easy over the last few years.

Maybe it's because a lot of other late 90/ 2000's stars retired without a cup. Iginla, Sundin, Alfredsson, the Sedins, Kariya have made it harder to justify judging his playoff failure.

 

[Beville]

Yeah I think it’s Hank or Jumbo and it’s that.

 

[OvermanKingGainer]

Surprised no one's said Boudreau yet. One of the best regular season coaches, but he's always struggled in the playoffs

I see Boudreau and I raise you:

Phil Housley

- Second-Most NHL Games Played All-Time without a cup, coming up short against the 98 Wings
- Nearly won it as an assistant in 2017 SCF but came up short against the Penguins

If not the Flames, I would love for the Sabres to get Housley's name on the cup.

 

[MadLuke]

Thornton hasn't been a bad playoff performer for many years now. I thought he already put that behind him.

I am not sure he ever was (that started with that injured series against the Habs) and always followed him.

And that reputation can just marginely change by winning has a passsenger on the team, sure if he win has a significant piece like right this year has a number 2 C that a different point than what I was making.

 

[Conrad McBenis]

Lundqvist almost won the Cup on his own a few times. Rangers offense just shut down in later playoff rounds.

I love the Rangers but Hank will never win a Cup with them.

 

[TDotMassive]

Very clearly, it is McDavid. If Oilers waste his entire prime, and he never wins a cup, it will be the greatest miss in hockey history. Ask Marcel Dionne what that's like.

 

[GodPucker]

I don't think guys like Ovi need a cup to cement their status. i can see with my eyes and look at his stats and see he is one of the best of this generation.

 

[Hockey4Life91]

Jumbo Joe
Stamkos
Tavares

End of discussion.

 

[Soundgarden]

It's crazy how many people are saying Thornton and Lundqvist. Their status are already cemented, a cup would be a nice Ray Bourque moment for them, but their both already considered some of the best of their era I don't think a cup where Thornton isn't the best player on his team would do much for him.

Price and Rinne are good answers.

 

[Fantomas]

Ovi has a cup. What are you talking about?

 

[SpringfieldSkins]

Ovi again. He needs another cup or 2 to cement himself as the best player of our generation. That is the answer.

 

[Fantomas]

Ovi again. He needs another cup or 2 to cement himself as the best player of our generation. That is the answer.

Ovechkin will never be seen as the consensus best player of his generation. He is too Russian for that.

 

[Filthy Dangles]

Ovi has a cup. What are you talking about?

"After Ovi (finally won the cup), who...."

Ovechkin will never be seen as the consensus best player of his generation. He is too Russian for that.

Nah he's just not as good as that guy Sid Crosby who's no slouch himself. But keep perpetuating that anti-russian narrative you push....

 

[GordieHowsUrBreath]

thornton won't be looked at any different if he wins a cup at this point in his career

 

[Fantomas]

Nah he's just not as good as that guy Sid Crosby who's no slouch himself. But keep perpetuating that anti-russian narrative you push....

He is every bit as good.

 

[Filthy Dangles]

He is every bit as good.

They're close but most unbiased and neutral people see Crosby as having the slight but clear edge, including me.

If we use our favorite tool used on HFBoards, points, Crosby has only 10 fewer points but in 144 less games played.

Now, i know the retort..But goals and 2nd assists......so I'm not about to go down that rabbit hole.

 

[Fantomas]

most unbiased and neutral people see Crosby as having the slight but clear edge, including me.

Oh sure

If we use our favorite tool used on HFBoards, points

Oh is this what "unbiased and neutral people" do?

 

[Filthy Dangles]

Oh sure


Oh is this what "unbiased and neutral people" do?

I see you using points all the time in comparisons and in support of Russian players here. But I guess when it really works against one of those players it becomes an issue...

And don't just say "oh sure"....the poll has been conducted across various forums and platforms including in the hockey world and on the History board here with some of the more knowledgeable hockey folks....but you'll probably just scream anti russian bias there too...

 

[Fantomas]

I see you using points all the time in comparisons and in support of Russian players here.

You just made this up.

 

[Filthy Dangles]

You just made this up.

sure, i'm done here either way. enjoy the rest of your weekend.

 

[Fantomas]

sure, i'm done here either way. enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Ok thanks, passive aggressive man.

 

[traffic cone]

He wasn't? He led the playoffs in goals and was over a PPG

I meant that he wasn't relied as heavy as before in his career. It's not a knock on him. Tells more about the improvement in the quality of the Caps roster.

 

[triggrman]

Mike Fisher

Have you seen his wife? You can’t have everything in life..

 

[Demandedace]

I meant that he wasn't relied as heavy as before in his career. It's not a knock on him. Tells more about the improvement in the quality of the Caps roster.

That's a fair and accurate statement - valid point.

 

[Aladyyn]

This has been said a lot in this thread, but winning a Stanley Cup as a passenger isn't going to cement Thornton's legacy. Maybe it could do it if he really carried the team in the playoffs and won the Conn Smythe. But winning it as a 2nd/3rd line center isn't going to change the perception of him all that much.

Lundqvist, IMO, it would help a lot. Right now he is well accepted as one of the great goaltenders of his era. But a generation from now with only one Vezina to show for it, I don't think he'll be remembered that way. Like, 15, 20 years from now it would be pretty easy for him to be considered similar to Ryan Miller, for example. Lundqvist being the starting goalie on a Rangers Stanley Cup championship removes any risk of that though.

IMO Subban is a player who's legacy would be cemented if he was key in leading his team to a Cup.

Subban and Karlsson are the 2 truly elite defensemen of this generation without a Cup. I think EK's legacy is fine either way but Subban might suffer a lot if he doesn't win one.