Alexander Mogilny is one of the most phenomenally talented players to ever play the game. He had world class skating, stickhandling, shooting and playmaking skills. He could have been a perennial 50-60-goal threat.
Which is what makes him such a colossal disappointment. He had two seasons in which he played to potential: 1992-93, when Pat LaFontaine brought the best out of him; and 1995-96, when he scored 50 goals in about 60 games, looked to be a lock to break Bure's team scoring record, and then disappeared down the stretch. He had more seasons that would be classified as disappointments than seasons in which he met his potential.
He won a Cup, but he was not a key player on that New Jersey team by any stretch of the imagination. In the 2001 playoffs, he had a terrific start in the post-season, but then went through a massive offensive power failure and didn't score a goal for a month.
But here's the clincher argument. I remember in the 1999 draft, one scout said of Pavel Brendl: "He's Alexander Mogilny. And that's not meant as a compliment." When comparisons to a player (who should be in his prime) aren't meant as a compliment, it tells you every reason why he doesn't belong in the HHOF.
