Best Top Six Players Who Weren't Stars?

[mrhockey193195]

I tend to gravitate towards the gritty & defensiveley responsible players who did a lot of the unsexy work for their superstar linemates. Guys like Larmer, Lehtinen, Straka, Couture, Stone immediately come to mind.

 

[Kuljeskelen]

I see Lehtinen mentioned here at least twice... but he was a career Star

 

[DitchMarner]

Brian Bellows is a good answer. He had one big season where he scored 99 points but was otherwise never a top 30 scorer. However, he had a number of seasons where he scored in that 30 to 40 range, making him a productive top six player in the 21 to 24 team days.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

Brian Bellows is a good answer. He had one big season where he scored 99 points but was otherwise never a top 30 scorer. However, he had a number of seasons where he scored in that 30 to 40 range, making him a productive top six player in the 21 to 24 team days.

i know one hall of famer who thinks bellows was a superstar

 

[carjackmalone]

Who’s more HHOF worthy Belliws or Bobby Smith or Neal Broten

 

[The Panther]

Who’s more HHOF worthy Bellows or Bobby Smith or Neal Broten

To me, these three would all be about the same.

Bellows was the best goal scorer. But I'm not sure he was particularly good at anything else...

Smith had the highest pedigree (1st overall draft; outscored Gretzky in OHL) and was a consistent producer in the NHL. Cup with Montreal; two Finals appearances there.

Broten had the US Olympc team-Miracle thing, and then had the longest (I think?) NHL career of the three, including a late-career Cup in Jersey. He seemed kind of an inconsistent scorer in the NHL, with a few highs and some lows.

Smith and Broten were play-makers primarily, and Bellows a sniper.