Did Gaborik have HOF talent?

[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.

 

[Prettyisland]

First clip I think of.. absolutely gross. It’s in the net before his stick flex returns to normal

 

[brentashton]

Has HF ever tried to put together a definitive team of HOF talents without HOF resumes?

Oh I’m sure THAT’s the one topic that will bring posters of HF together definitively.

 

[Voight]

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.

 

[Jumptheshark]

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

That is one time.

 

[Fataldogg]

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.

 

[geebster]

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.

 

[CanadienShark]

Talent? Yes. Career? No.

 

[bambamcam4ever]

With a healthy career, could've been a borderline HoFer.

With a better medical staff he would be in the HOF

 

[Bradely]

Yes,

 

[dirtydanglez]

hard to say, id lean slightly towards yes. his offensive talent, like many others, was wasted in minny.

 

[Brent Burns]

Did he have HOF talent? YES
Does he belong in HOF? NO

He was awesome to watch, at times. His peak was not very long and he was injured so often.
Squatting 2.5x bodyweight while maintaining generationally elite explosiveness/speed, for a hockey player, is amazing.

 

[Voight]

That is one time.

You make it sound as if he was a veteran barely hanging on like Okposo or Timmonen.

He came in and admittedly made an impact, again being one of the Kings best players.

 

[Jumptheshark]

You make it sound as if he was a veteran barely hanging on like Okposo or Timmonen.

He came in and admittedly made an impact, again being one of the Kings best players.

And you make it look like he brought EVERY GAME for his entire career. He would have had a great career if he stayed healthy and that is the knock. He had one very good playoff where he came in at the deadline and he won the cup for doing that.

But the guy is not a hall of famer--if he had stayed healthy? That is another story.
He did have have 4 30+ goal seasons and 3 40+ goal seasons and if he could have stayed healthy? He would have hit the 500 goal and 1000 pt level. Unlike Cam Neely, Gabork was never considered the best at what he did(using another injured player as an example). If Gabs had managed a a couple of 50 goal seasons then the discussion would be different. But using ONE playoff in the debate? We are talking about a career.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Yep, talent, yes…health to make a HOF career, no.

 

[BerthMania]

I just watched that youtube video:

Man was his release nasty.

Also, he played a important role in one of the Kings cups, if I remember correctly almost at a point per game pace.

 

[Voight]

And you make it look like he brought EVERY GAME for his entire career. He would have had a great career if he stayed healthy and that is the knock. He had one very good playoff where he came in at the deadline and he won the cup for doing that.

But the guy is not a hall of famer--if he had stayed healthy? That is another story.
He did have have 4 30+ goal seasons and 3 40+ goal seasons and if he could have stayed healthy? He would have hit the 500 goal and 1000 pt level. Unlike Cam Neely, Gabork was never considered the best at what he did(using another injured player as an example). If Gabs had managed a a couple of 50 goal seasons then the discussion would be different. But using ONE playoff in the debate? We are talking about a career.

I agree with you. Injuries do play a part, he missed significant time in 5 of his first 11 seasons, also didn't help that he played most of his prime in Minnesota for a very defensive coach. & the Wild weren't exactly oozing with talent either.

 

[Filatov2Kovalev2Bonk]

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.

Indeed.
The HOF must induct X people each year, so eventually Gaborik will make it.
The HHOF is less about excellence/dominance than it is a media-friendly compiler list, with the out of this world inductees being the absolute cream of the crop.

Gaborik should be in...at some point.

 

[Jumptheshark]

Indeed.
The HOF must induct X people each year, so eventually Gaborik will make it.
The HHOF is less about excellence/dominance than it is a media-friendly compiler list, with the out of this world inductees being the absolute cream of the crop.

Gaborik should be in...at some point.

As an oiler fan--I look at how long it took Glenn Anderson to get in. 6 cup rings 498 goals. not sure why or how Kevin Lowe got in.

If Gabby goes in? A case could be made for Ryan Smyth