MS said:
The problem (that you refuse to recognize) is that 2 players dominated the Hart, Art Ross, and all-star teams for a 10-15 year stretch. No other player had any real hope of winning any of those awards unless either Gretzky or Lemieux was hurt, and then the 2nd team all-star slot was available. If you're basing everything on awards, then Gretzky and Lemieux are your only HHOF centers who played between 1985 and 1995. Maybe Messier. Yzerman, Stastny, Hawerchuk, Savard, Francis, Oates are all unworthy despite some of the finest careers anyone has ever put together. Yzerman's 1988-89 season was one of the greatest seasons by any hockey player ever but he didn't win the Hart, or Art Ross, and wasn't an All-star.
Second, everyone else is operating by the HHOF's traditional admission requirements. What individual dominance did Dave Keon demonstrate to put him in the HHOF? Is he a poor choice? I suspect that if you had your way, the NHL HHOF would look like the LPGA HHOF and contain about 15 players. Everyone else is operating in reality - is Adam Oates a deserving HHOFer based on his career relative to the careers of players who have been inducted over the last 60 years? To say that Adam Oates is not an HHOFer because you don't like the HHOF standards is fine, but completely worthless. I can say that Cliff Ronning should be in the HHOF because I think the standards are too tough. Doesn't mean I'm 'wrong' either. But it doesn't mean my opinion means crap all relative to anything important.
Third, you're claiming that guys like Francis and Oates are only notable because they have inflated stats from playing in the goal-happy 1980-1994 period when the amount of times these guys led the league in assists and were amongst the leaders in points strongly suggests otherwise. As does their continued excellence (even in advanced age) post-1995 when goalscoring was below the historical average. These are not Brian Propps and Brian Bellowses who scored 1000 points by finishing 15-25 in scoring every year. Oates was on pace for 120 assists in 1990-91, a total not even Gretzky in his prime could reach consistently.
The HHOF has inducted guys like Keon, Federko, Sittler who were absolutely nowhere near Francis or Oates either in career production, or in dominance at their peaks. Francis and Oates are guaranteed Hall of Famers. They deserve to be, relative to the standards that have been in place for the last 50 years. End of story.
Saying that a player never had a chance because they played during Gretzky and Lemieux's era is a major copout. It simply does not hold water.
During Gretzky and Lemieux's era Dale Hawerchuk, Mark Messier X2, yes - Adam Oates, Pat Lafontaine, Sergei Fedorov, Eric Lindros X2, Alexei Zhamnov, Peter Forsberg and Alexei Yashin all earned post-season all star honors.
During Gretzky and Lemieux's era Mark Messier X2, Brett Hull, Sergei Fedorov, Eric Lindros and Dominik Hasek X2 all won Hart Trophies. Dale Hawerchuk, Ray Bourque X2, Grant Fuhr, Patrick Roy, Doug Gilmour, Dominik Hasek, Jaromir Jagr X2, Mark Messier, Paul Kariya and Alexei Yashin were Hart runners up.
So, nobody was really frozen out of the honors. Everybody had a chance to step up and win - if they were good enough.
My system also recognizes the accomplishment of finishing in the top 7 scorers each year. With Gretzky and Lemieux dominating #1 and #2, there is nothing stopping other players from dominating #3 and building a phenomenal career. Nobody really stood out and grabbed that #3 spot consistently. That being said, I am in the process of adding some recognition for being a great goal scorer or playmaker, Oates may move up when that is completed.
Why do you say that Yzerman's 1988-89 season is one of the all time greats? 155 points? When you look at the scoring race, 4 players scored at least 150 points so, Steve really did not set himself apart. If he had scored 155 when nobody else hit 130, I would say WOW! AMAZING! But, he did it when 3 other guys did it so, it is not nearly as impressive. Howie Morenz's 51 points in 1927-28 is much more impressive. Nobody else even hit 40 that season.
IMO the Hall has some soft standards. I would limit entry to only the VERY best but, that is just me. The Hall of Fame should be a club for the greatest of all time not a club for the good and very good. Guys like Keon and Francis were very good. If I ran the Hall, they would not be in.
My standards are higher, that is how I will always feel.