Does Darius Kasparaitis belong in the Hall of Very Good?

[GFS]

• 863 games, 27 goals, 136 assists, 163 points
• 1 x Olympic Gold medal – 1992 Albertville
• 1 x Olympic Silver medal – 1998 Nagano
• 1 x Olympic Bronze medal – 2002 Salt Lake City
• 1 x World Junior Championships Gold medal 1992
• 1 x World Junior Championships Silver medal 1991
• 1992: World Junior Championships Best Defenceman
• 2016: Russian Hockey Hall of Fame
• 3rd most Olympic games played for Russian players (28)
• 2nd most penalty minutes for Russian players (1379)

Click to read more...

 

[Primary Assist]

To me, the Hall of Very Good is tailor made for players like Phil Kessel or Taylor Hall. I don't think Darius K ever reached the same level of value as those two, or others in the so-called HoVG.

But I can't deny him entry out of fear he will track me down and level me with an open ice hit, so sure. Let him in.

 

[knifer]

I liked him. Watched him quite a bit with the Pens. Entertaining player but not close to hall of very good.

 

[Voight]

He has a single season here he received Norris votes (12th, 1998) so no, he does not belong in the hall of very good.

 

[dirtydanglez]

yea right next to matt cooke

 

[hamzarocks]

He belongs in the hall of good #3D's

 

[HugeInTheShire]

He belongs in the hall of my name sounds like a disease

 

[Albatros]

He was very good, famous as well.

 

[banks]

Hall of Very Good is shorthand for someone not quite Hall of Fame worthy, but close to it.

So unless you can make a somewhat passable case for the HHoF, then you're probably not the kind of player people mean when they say HoVG. It doesn't have to be a great case, but enough to be a discussion. I don't see any HHoF worthy discussion for Kasparitis. So why would he be in the imaginary next-tier-down?

 

[Xspyrit]

He belongs in the hall of "made the most players shit their pants"

 

[Cup or Bust]

He was a decent player but not even an all-time good player.

 

[Albatros]

He was a decent player but not even an all-time good player.

Yet would probably make more 90s fantasy team selections than a HHoFer like Phil Housley. He didn't have great puck skills to say the least, but was absolutely the kind of player you'd rather have than play against. One of the first names on that list, all time.

 

[Bileur]

Put him in the hall of very entertaining and I’d gladly take him on my favourite team but I don’t think he’s at that level.

 

[gritdash60]

There is not such a thing, so i guess you can decide who belongs and who not in your mind.

 

[AfroThunder396]

Hall of Decent. His only real claim to fame is throwing cheap hits.

 

[Albatros]

Hall of Decent. His only real claim to fame is throwing cheap hits.

In other words beat the massive cup favorites almost single-handedly already as a rookie as he took out Lemieux and Jágr. Subsequently as the highest compliment the Penguins traded for him a few years later.

 

[biturbo19]

I don't really know how to answer this one. The "Hall of Very Good" to me, is more about those guys who had strong careers, racked up a ton of impressive points or whatever, but weren't really good enough to sneak into the HoF.

Kasparaitis is a very odd case, in that he actually has the "fame" part enough to justify HoF consideration even, but none of the stats or ever really being an "elite" player. He's just "famous" to a degree worthy of consideration, for his absolute brutality.