Best Playoff Performers With No Cups?

[DitchMarner]

Obviously there are a lot of great and notable players to not have won a Stanley Cup. Which of these were the best performers in the playoffs? And who are some that were disappointing and perhaps didn't really deserve to win based on their play?

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[carjackmalone]

Barry Pederson
Rick Middleton
Brian Propp

 

[GMR]

McDavid and Draisaitl if PPG mean anything.

 

[MadLuke]

If we exclude McDavid for age reason... (and thinking he will win at least one, the way he is going)

Bure-Hawerchuk-Pavelski-Oates-Stastny-Perreault-Sundin-Iginla-Roenick are some that never won I would look at (maybe not far from that order).

But I could be tempted into drafting Carey Price or Lundqvist, they did win a lot in the playoff without ever touching the cup.

For all the talk about regular season Joe Thornton or Marcel Dionne > playoff accomplishment during their career, that 2 incredible players that were still better in the playoff than most.

If McDavid is available, I would simply pick him without trying to overthink it. But McDavid seem both higher, did it more often and proven that under immense pressure can still deliver, would not mind endeing up with peak Lindros, Bure or Cam Neely obviously, but McDavid seem the clear and easy choice.

 

[BadgerBruce]

Brad Park is at the top of my list. Norm Ullman is in the hunt.

 

[JackSlater]

The best playoff performers are generally just the same as the best players, and it's true here. McDavid is the actual answer I guess but I'd rather not consider players who are still active, so it's probably Park. Multiple very strong runs including, multiple to the finals, one monster run to the finals before of course losing to Montreal.

 

[The Panther]

No point in discussing active players.

Middleton and Park seem obvious choices.

Bernie Nicholls and Pierre Turgeon were both good in the playoffs.

How has no one mentioned Peter Stastny?

 

[MadLuke]

Bure-Hawerchuk-Pavelski-Oates-Stastny-Perreault-Sundin-Iginla-Roenick are some that never won I would look at (maybe not far from that order).

 

[buffalowing88]

Daniel Briere deserves a nod. He was electric in a pair of runs for Buffalo and then another pair of runs for Philadelphia.

 

[Dingo]

ya, Briere was totally a playoff performer.

For anyone who doesnt know why the first post mentioned Barry Pederson, those numbers are worth a look!

 

[Conspiracy Theorist]

McDavid. He could win a cup if there were better players than him on his team.

 

[DitchMarner]

McDavid. He could win a cup if there were better players than him on his team.

There aren't better players than McDavid in the League.

He has years left to win a Cup or more than one.

 

[WalterLundy]

There aren't better players than McDavid in the League.

He has years left to win a Cup or more than one.

That was either bait or just a bizarre comment coming from a place of confusion. McDavid will win one but as of now there is this. I’d say the best run for points in a relative sense would qualify here for this question.

 

[David Bruce Banner]

Trevor Linden, if only for his clutch scoring abilities in Game 7's.

 

[Mandar]

Trevor Linden, if only for his clutch scoring abilities in Game 7's.

Bure wasn’t bad

 

[daver]

That was either bait or just a bizarre comment coming from a place of confusion. McDavid will win one but as of now there is this. I’d say the best run for points in a relative sense would qualify here for this question.

For clarity, Malkin's "adjusted" point total in 2009 would have given him 40 points (in 25 games).

Let's not go too far in placing McDavid beside Wayne and Mario.

 

[FerrisRox]

If we exclude McDavid for age reason... (and thinking he will win at least one, the way he is going)

Bure-Hawerchuk-Pavelski-Oates-Stastny-Perreault-Sundin-Iginla-Roenick are some that never won I would look at (maybe not far from that order).

With 82 points in 91 playoff games I'm having a very difficult time understand why Mats Sundin would be on this list?

You have a few other guys I would seriously question, Iginla and Roenick are clearly nowhere close to the best playoff performers to not win a Cup, but at least they actually played for a Stanley Cup.

Sundin is under a point a game and never even made it to a Final in his career. He doesn't belong in this conversation.

 

[MadLuke]

You make it sound like if it was not quite good 82 pts in 91 playoffs games for someone that played most of them in the DPE.

With the Leafs:

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Everyone above here outside Lindros (an other in that conversation) did win the cups, the guy was really good at hockey and it is not like he disappeared in big moments as shown by his long list of international tourney success.

It is not like there is much over ppg playoff players in that era and they all won the cup.

 

[wetcoast]

Bure wasn’t bad

True enough but Linden has a playoff resume that is better than his regular season one and that's a rarity in the NHL.

 

[Hockey Outsider]

Neely(*) - McDavid - Bure
Park - Howe
Lundqvist

(*) If we're being strict about positions, Brian Propp would be a good choice

 

[Crosby2010]

If we exclude McDavid for age reason... (and thinking he will win at least one, the way he is going)

Bure-Hawerchuk-Pavelski-Oates-Stastny-Perreault-Sundin-Iginla-Roenick are some that never won I would look at (maybe not far from that order).

But I could be tempted into drafting Carey Price or Lundqvist, they did win a lot in the playoff without ever touching the cup.

For all the talk about regular season Joe Thornton or Marcel Dionne > playoff accomplishment during their career, that 2 incredible players that were still better in the playoff than most.

If McDavid is available, I would simply pick him without trying to overthink it. But McDavid seem both higher, did it more often and proven that under immense pressure can still deliver, would not mind endeing up with peak Lindros, Bure or Cam Neely obviously, but McDavid seem the clear and easy choice.

I don't think Thornton or Dionne belong on this list. Neither elevated their team to anything. Thornton had a lot more opportunities than Dionne though. I am not sure a great player had a better situation throughout his career who DIDN'T win a Cup than Thornton. Dionne at least you can say he was never on a team that could have won, Thornton was, many times.

Hawerchuk was better in the playoffs than, say, Turgeon or Nicholls. But just by a bit. I would say he fell into a trap of being on some worse teams than them though, and yet PPG he is better than both. It also hurts his PPG that he had a couple of runs late in his career with less points. But does he belong on this list? Meh.

Bure for sure, I'm okay with Oates being there. Pavelski is an interesting choice. 143 points looks sexy until you realize he played in over 200 games. Can't see Iggy or Sundin in there. Iggy in 2004 but that's it, he wasn't drenched with opportunities or anything but he still just has the one run. Roenick is better than Iginla or Sundin, but even in 1992 it was Chelios driving the bus, not him. I don't know if he belongs.

No point in discussing active players.

Middleton and Park seem obvious choices.

Bernie Nicholls and Pierre Turgeon were both good in the playoffs.

How has no one mentioned Peter Stastny?

Stastny isn't a bad choice. 105 points in 93 games, not to mention at least three really productive runs with a good PPG. Never made the finals, that's the only stain against him, but I think he did his part. He reminds me of Perreault in that regards (103 points in 90 games) where he did well in certain runs, but actually took his team to the final once. Also, the Sabres routinely lost to some top heavy teams those years.

Park as others have said is right on the mark. He made several Cup finals, was easily the Conn Smythe winner in 1978 had the Bruins won and played in 161 playoff games with 125 points, great for a defenseman. A darn shame he never won.

Middleton has that great run in 1983, a little lighter after that though. Not that he was bad, just decent. Might have been in the running for the Conn Smythe in 1979 had the Bruins got past the Habs.

I am not seeing it with Nicholls and Turgeon. Nicholls more so though. Like Turgeon no Cup final appearance, although he was close several times. And he did contribute (114 points in 118 games) better than Turgeon (97 points in 109 games).

 

[MadLuke]

Stastny isn't a bad choice. 105 points in 93 games, not to mention at least three really productive runs with a good PPG.

I think that how we can easily fall with really different starting expectation and judge from there, if we remove the last 2 playoff after turning 36 for Stastny.

From 81 to 92, 103 points in just 84 games that look way better at first glance than a Sundin-Pavelski-Dionne, etc...

That Adam Oates production during that time really good, he was 12th during that era in playoff ppg:

NHL Stats

The official source for NHL Stats including skaters, goalies, teams stats and more.

www.nhl.com

That very similar to Sundin with the Leafs, but in a much higher scoring era.

Pavelski from 2010 to 2023, his third in the nhl for the most points, has the most playoff goals with a good margin, yes it is because he played most game, but maybe he should have some credit for his team often going far in them, maybe not like Roy do for his records but in some part.

 

[Gorskyontario]

Adam Oates has the most points without a cup(I think).

 

[Crosby2010]

If Lundqvist is a pick among goalies I think you have to go higher than that, at least in the playoffs. Do Rask's two Cup final appearances as a starter not put him ahead of either one of Lundqvist or Price for the postseason? A bit of a stain that he was the one who coughed up the 3-0 series deficit in 2010, and he didn't play a minute of playoff hockey in 2011 when they won. But he has 2013 and 2019 and neither were his fault they lost. He's in the running for the Smythe in 2019 I think.

 

[Crosby2010]

Adam Oates has the most points without a cup(I think).

He does, correct. 156 to be exact, and two trips to the finals and normally very effective in the playoffs (eg. even in 1993 during a sweep he had 9 assists!)

Propp follows him at 148.

Honestly, it is hard to find anyone with better postseasons and a better postseason resume than Oates, Propp and Briere at this moment. They have all the ingredients of this thread. They made the finals (5 times for Propp) did well in each long playoff run, have the career numbers, have plenty of good runs and no Cup to show for it. Not their fault.

If I could mention Dino as another guy. 73 goals, and he always scored in the playoffs. Only has the one big run as a rookie in 1981 but also made the final in 1995.

I think that how we can easily fall with really different starting expectation and judge from there, if we remove the last 2 playoff after turning 36 for Stastny.

From 81 to 92, 103 points in just 84 games that look way better at first glance than a Sundin-Pavelski-Dionne, etc...

That Adam Oates production really good, he was 12th during that era in playoff ppg:

NHL Stats

The official source for NHL Stats including skaters, goalies, teams stats and more.

www.nhl.com

That very similar to Sundin with the Leafs, but in a much higher scoring era.

pavelski from 2010 to 2023, his third in the nhl for the most points, has the most playoff goals with a good margin.

I guess it is the "Should Pavelski make the HHOF" that has made him overrated in my mind. On a PPG basis he isn't great. Part of some good teams for sure no doubt. But great playoff performer? I don't know.