FrankSidebottom
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- Mar 16, 2021
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Best player in the world: 2002
- Thread starter FrankSidebottom
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Kaiden Ghoul
Youppi va t’il devoir chauser ses patins calvaince
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- Feb 10, 2010
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jigglysquishy
Registered User
Lemieux fell off. Jagr lost his smile. Hasek didn't have that spark until the playoffs.
Iginla with Lidstrom right behind him. Forsberg would be there if he showed up.
It's weird thinking back of how differently retrospective is. In fall 2001, I still thought Lemieux, Jagr, Hasek were the unquestioned kings of hockey. And I would have had Roy, Sakic, Stevens all right behind them. I thought Lidstrom was meh, Yzerman should retire, and Iginla wasn't even on my radar. We were entering the era of sustained dominance by Spezza and Kovalchuk. And that Elias was the best non Stevens skater on the future Devils dynasty.
Basically every point was wrong, but it's interesting how much hindsight changes opinion.
Iginla with Lidstrom right behind him. Forsberg would be there if he showed up.
It's weird thinking back of how differently retrospective is. In fall 2001, I still thought Lemieux, Jagr, Hasek were the unquestioned kings of hockey. And I would have had Roy, Sakic, Stevens all right behind them. I thought Lidstrom was meh, Yzerman should retire, and Iginla wasn't even on my radar. We were entering the era of sustained dominance by Spezza and Kovalchuk. And that Elias was the best non Stevens skater on the future Devils dynasty.
Basically every point was wrong, but it's interesting how much hindsight changes opinion.
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One of the hardest years probably with a lot of things in flux. Jagr losing his spark, Forsberg sitting out til the playoffs, Lemieux barely playing, Hasek getting older, etc. I ended up going Lidstrom because of his track record at that point. You knew what you were going to get out of him and you knew he was going to play almost every game. It wasn’t his best regular season, but still a Norris and a Conn Smythe.
Also, I think the dramatic drop in production hurts Sakic, but I think he often gets ignored in this conversation. Was still tied for 5th in scoring and the 1st team All Star at center. 7th in Hart and 9th in Selke. Was one of the best players at the Olympics too.
Also, I think the dramatic drop in production hurts Sakic, but I think he often gets ignored in this conversation. Was still tied for 5th in scoring and the 1st team All Star at center. 7th in Hart and 9th in Selke. Was one of the best players at the Olympics too.
I actually don’t know which player you’re referring to here. Lemieux, Forsberg or Jagr?
KirkAlbuquerque
#WeNeverGetAGoodCoach
SillyRabbit
Trix Are For Kids
- Jan 3, 2006
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Lots of Naslund and Bertuzzi erasure here.
Since this question is about the calendar year of 2002, they both scored the most goals and points out of anyone.
Naslund: 77GP 48G 53A 102P
Bertuzzi: 78GP 46G 56A 103P
Iginla: 75GP 34G 37A 71P
Jagr: 74GP 36G 43A 79P
Went with Naslund as he was the only player to finish top 5 in Hart voting in 01-02 and 02-03.
Since this question is about the calendar year of 2002, they both scored the most goals and points out of anyone.
Naslund: 77GP 48G 53A 102P
Bertuzzi: 78GP 46G 56A 103P
Iginla: 75GP 34G 37A 71P
Jagr: 74GP 36G 43A 79P
Went with Naslund as he was the only player to finish top 5 in Hart voting in 01-02 and 02-03.
TheGuiminator
I’ll be damned King, I’ll be damned
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Assuming everyone is healthy by the start of the 01-02 season, I'm picking Lemieux of course
Lemieux was still a dominant player when healthy at the time. For what it's worth, he put up 85 pts in 50 games during the 2002 calendar year (1,70 ppg), which is a respectable sample size.
www.nhl.com
Lemieux was still a dominant player when healthy at the time. For what it's worth, he put up 85 pts in 50 games during the 2002 calendar year (1,70 ppg), which is a respectable sample size.
NHL Stats
The official source for NHL Stats including skaters, goalies, teams stats and more.
www.nhl.com
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TheGoldenJet
Registered User
It’s poorly worded, but the poll is about the 2001-02 hockey season.
DitchMarner
TheGlitchintheSwitch
NHL 2003 comes to mind when I think of this season. Man, I loved that game.
BraveCanadian
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SillyRabbit
Trix Are For Kids
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I assume you're right given the responses and voting. But you are right, it's extremely poorly worded.
In that case I change my vote to Iginla.
Art Ross winner and won the Rocket by 12 goals over 2nd place.
Forsberg was a beast in the playoffs and if you asked me who the best player in the world was after the playoffs, I would've said him.
But Iginla had the larger body of work so I think he deserves my vote.
TheGuiminator
I’ll be damned King, I’ll be damned
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The soundtrack was dope too
Lemieux didn't play back-to-back games especially before the Olympics which somewhat inflates his per-game stats compared to players who did.Assuming everyone is healthy by the start of the 01-02 season, I'm picking Lemieux of course
Lemieux was still a dominant player when healthy at the time. For what it's worth, he put up 85 pts in 50 games during the 2002 calendar year (1,70 ppg), which is a respectable sample size.
NHL Stats
The official source for NHL Stats including skaters, goalies, teams stats and more.
From my POV he was the best in the world when he returned, and I didn't think being injured dethroned' him.
We also had the Salt Lake City Olympics mid-season, and Mario still proved to be the best IMHO.
KoozNetsOff 92
Hala Madrid
- Apr 6, 2016
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Iginla was never the best player in the world. He probably had the best season in 01/02 but he was never the best player in the world.
Maybe, but that was 12 largely hand-picked games between his return and the Olympics. During which time Näslund would probably be the right answer anyway, as he scored as many points without the same privileges. Or combined with the Olympics Sakic, as he was the MVP there and also money in the NHL.
Ratbath
Registered User
- Jul 3, 2019
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Wait til this guy hears about Michael Jordan
Sakic wasn't better than Mario in the Olympics. He might have had a better gold medal game, but he was invisible during the qualification round when Canada only went 1-1-1 for 3rd place.
Mario was more reliable and didn't pile on points in that Belarus game. Heck team Canada nearly shit the bed against Germany when Mario was out. Shouldnt Sakic be at fault for that? Mario was the only one who could make Hasek his bitch and helped Canada get a point against the team that beat them in Nagano.
I dunno. When Sid missed a bunch of time with concussions, he wasn't dethroned as best player in the league either. Toews also won 2010 Olympic MVP and Crosby was still considered the best.
- Feb 10, 2010
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Lebron > Jordan
/ducks shoe
That's true only because Sid wasn't the best player to begin with. Ovechkin had won the Pearson three years in a row at that point and placed ahead of Crosby for the Hart all three seasons.
Toe May Toh
To Mah Toh
Toe Mah Toe.
Lemieux IMHO was still the best living player till 2004 Even if the others had better seasons.
1R Sweden (2:5 L)
Lemieux 0+0
Sakic 0+0
1R Germany (3:2 W)
Lemieux didn't play
Sakic 1+0
1R Czechia (3:3 T)
Lemieux 2+0
Sakic 0+0
QF Finland (2:1 W)
Lemieux 0+1
Sakic 1+0
SF Belarus (7:1 W)
Lemieux 0+2
Sakic 0+1
F United States (5:2 W)
Lemieux 0+1
Sakic 2+2
So Sakic had 4 of his 7 points in the final game?
And basically had 3 points in the other 5 games?
I find it very strange that most people consider Sakic to have a better tournament when he had 1 more point in 1 more game piling on more than half of his points in that one blowout game.
I still considered Mario the best player in the world at that time, and 1 single game didn't change that.
