Did Gaborik have HOF talent?

[Toby91ca]

It's really hard to answer a question like this because making the HHOF is necessarily about talent. Of course you need talent to get there, but it's about what you accomplished. I know of plenty of guys that have uber amounts of talent that don't ever make the NHL, or make it, but don't have a fulfilling career.

 

[Artemi Panarin]

No

 

[eXile3]

Even when healthy the highest he ever finished in goals was 3rd and points 10th.

Of course the hockey hall is a joke with who they let in so sure.

 

[Beukeboom Fan]

no.

Here is some of my criteria

1) 50 goal seasons? No
2) 100 pts seasons? Non
3) 500 goals/1000pts? No
4) Any hardware? No

While he won the cup with LA--he was brought in at the 11th hour to join the team.

For me he is the hall of very good.

Just in general - trying to apply the same "bright lines" like you have with no regard for things like era, team, and health is going into the situation with blinders. Because per your guidelines, you would say that Bernie Nichols is more qualified for the HOF'er than a guy like Marian Gaborik.

 

[seafoam]

The release on his snap shot was so beautiful

 

[Neil Patrick Harris]

Dude had 42 goals and 83 points on a Jacques Lemaire-coached Wild team - one of only two players to eclipse *twenty* goals on the Wild that year.

The talent was absolutely there. You can see a pretty definitive spike in his offensive numbers in the immediate post-lockout years. Dude just had the misfortune of starting his career in the dead puck era, and encountering injury trouble not long after it ended.

 

[rynryn]

def had the talent. Dude could burn with the puck.

 

[benfranklin]

Easy yes. Dude could never stay healthy. When he played full seasons, he was a monster and a huge reason the Kings won their 2nd Cup.

 

[Czechboy]

Big time talent.. unreal talent... definitely HOF talent. Shame couldn't stay healthier as he was amazing.

 

[ozzie]

I'd say so, but he was in a bad situation. The Wild and coach were highly defensive and smothered offensive talent. The very fact the performed as well as he did (30g/40g seasons), even with injuries, is a testament to his skill. By the time he got out to New York, I believe the damage had already been done to his body.

He had consistent 50 goal potential, just no the body to sustain.