Did Gaborik have HOF talent?

Beukeboom Fan

Registered User
Feb 27, 2002
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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.
 
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Neil Patrick Harris

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Aug 23, 2008
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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.
 
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ozzie

Registered User
Aug 3, 2005
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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.
 

Voight

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Feb 8, 2012
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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.

Sure but he lead the playoffs in goals and was one of their best players during that run.
 

Fataldogg

Registered User
Mar 22, 2007
12,469
3,803
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.
Didnt he score 14 goals that post season? I remember him being instrumental in them winning the Cup, he was what they needed to put them over the top.
 
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geebster

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Oct 26, 2019
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He's easily HOF talent as others have said. Anyone who watched hockey back then knew that even tho he wasn't getting to 50 goals he was always a threat to score. He played in one of the most restrictive systems in league history. You put him on an offense first team and he's one of the best scorers of that era and probably has some hardware too.

Still have PTSD from him picking off passes at the offensive blueline and scoring on my Canucks.
 

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