Does Kris Letang fall into the category of a Hall of Famer to you?

[Rorschach]

My opinion...
Hall of Fame - No
Hall of Very Good - No
Rafter of Retired Numbers - Maybe?

 

[SML2]

The classic X-factor guy, I think. So much of his career shows you he is a HHOFer, and then there are those undeniable gaps. And it leaves you wondering if he did enough in between those injury riddled years and those gaffe-inducing post seasons the Pens had in between their Cups.

The NHL isn't going to let the opportunity for Sid, Geno, and Letand to go skipping into a Hall of fame induction holding hands. Does he deserve it? Meh. Did Kevin Lowe? The longer the HOF is around, the more guys who are debatable are going to get in. Whatever.

 

[Rec T]

Wha?

No, he absolutely shouldn't. Very good (very, very good a couple of those years) player for a long time, great perseverance story, good team hardware ... but no. Hall of Very Good, absolutely. Pittsburgh HOF, absolutely (if they have such a thing). But not what 'should' make the Hall.

That said, plenty of weaker players have made it & the HHoF seems to have a minimum number of people they want to bring in every year. In a weaker year he might make it & that won't be the end of the world.

Unfortunately the HHoF seems to have taken a page from the DoPS in their selection criteria ... throw a dart at the board & do whatever it lands on.

 

[Chuck Norris Trophy]

The Pens almost never retire numbers. They have only done it 3 times in franchise history.

I´m 100% sure they will retire 58-71-87, the coretrio of three Cups.

Pretty sure they will walk to the HOF together too, that's a story too good to pass.

 

[RogerRogerr]

Letang is going to get in pretty quick, he was an important member of a great dynasty and that boost players big time.

But with a guy like Letang in, I wonder what it means for a guy like Gonchar.

 

[FrozenJagrt]

Kind of a slightly better Brian Rafalski in my eyes. Though Rafalski had the benefit of playing on teams with Stevens, Niedermayer and Lindstrom.

 

[57special]

Well, if Shea Weber is in ...

Was the #1D on a team that won multiple Cups.

 

[wedge]

Not first-ballot, but I see him get in eventually. Would be funny if they did a Crosby-Malking-Letang-Fleury induction at the same time. Ok, maybe not... lol

But yes, he'll get in. Way worse players have been inducted before him.

 

[Hivemind]

basically the patrick marleau of d men but with cups, I say no to HoF to both

Marleau at least has an all-time NHL record.

 

[branch]

No

 

[Voight]

Realistically he does not but it's going to be hard to omit him when they've already inducted guys like Housley. Now that doesn't mean you should just induct every comparable defenseman but the bar has been set now.

 

[hamzarocks]

I think him and John Carlson from the Caps will both get in

 

[Mrfenn92]

Think he’s a for sure hall of fame player

 

[SteelCityCannon]

To me, he's in the HOVG. That said, if he gets in I won't pitch a fit. He could definitely get in a weaker class. He has 3 cups and hall of fame conditioning and athleticism.

 

[GeeoffBrown]

I think it depends on how much you value Stanley Cups as an individual achievement

 

[Moose Head]

Has a dman who won 3 or more cups as a #1 dman not got in?

 

[Toby91ca]

I’m personally a small HOF guy, basically only the few very best of an era should get in. That ship has sailed though in reality. He could certainly get in on a down year but he’s down the list of best defensemen that played while he played

Totally agree with you. When HOF questions come up, I'm usually thinking (depending on the guy of course), this guy really has no chance. But I'm using my own personal thresholds for that. I think Letang has had a great career and has a very good shot at getting in. Lack of Norris will hurt him though. Personally, I would say he falls just short, but if I look at who is in, I'd suggest he's better and has a better resume than a lot of Dmen that have made it, so I think he has a decent shot.

If that was actually a standard, there would be like 1200 d-men in.

As someone who has watched Letang’s whole career, there’s not a chance I would put him in the HOF.

I'd take Larry Murphy as a better comparison and I'd take Letang over him.

 

[redwings86]

Sure it.

 

[Perfect_Drug]

I love how people are saying he won 3 cups.

He didn't play a single game in the playoffs, and is only granted a cup as he barely passed the 40 regular season games played threshold in 2017.

I don't think he gets in.

His career spans nearly 2 decades:
Mathematical average says 12 defensemen get in per decade:

Is Letang one of the top 24 defenders between 2007-2025?

When he started it was:
Lidstrom
Zubov
Niedermayer
Gonchar
Pronger
Blake
Chara

During his peak it was:
Doughty
Karlsson
Subban
Byfuglien
Weber
Suter
Keith
Burns
Giordano

Now:
Josi
Makar
Fox
Hedman
Bouchard
Heiskanen
Hughes
McAvoy

That's 24 Dmen.

Letang is in a mix of:
Pietrangelo, Markov, Campbell, Boyle, Carlsson, Dahlin, Rafalski, Timonen, Schneider, Seabrook, McDonaugh, Hamilton, Ekholm, Jones, OEL, Schneider.


I think Pietrangelo, Rafalski, Markov, and Carlsson are good comparables for Letang. 1 or 2 of them might squeeze in at some point, but I think Pies is probably the best bet. The newer guys might fall off a cliff.

Heck, maybe Evan Bouchard is the best comparable for Letang, given the team composition.

 

[Be a Hab]

I believe all three of Crosby, Malkin and Letang will make the HHOF.

 

[Toby91ca]

I´m 100% sure they will retire 58-71-87, the coretrio of three Cups.

Pretty sure they will walk to the HOF together too, that's a story too good to pass.

Maybe, but....there is a very good chance Crosby and Letang retire at or around the same time....obviously Crosby is going in first year of eligibility, don't see how Letang gets that treatment and would he want it? Him going in that quickly with Crosby would make it look like he's getting in because of Crosby moreseo than his own accomplishments.

 

[Ghost of Murph]

Those Cup wins will eventually get him into the HHOF. I wouldn't put him in the HHOF, but I don't vote. Good career with a few notable peaks. Easy player to like and root for. Just not quite good enough IMO to be HHOF worthy.

 

[MXD]

He's like five games played away in 2013 from being an absolute lock. But he was injured, lost a Norris that he was almost certainly winning as the Den scoring leader, and that was that.

 

[Toby91ca]

My opinion...
Hall of Fame - No
Hall of Very Good - No
Rafter of Retired Numbers - Maybe?

I have to ask....for the Dmen that played in the last 20 years, who is in your "Hall of Fame" and who is in your "Hall of very Good"? As I've already said, he wouldn't make my HOF, but the actual HOF based on who they've inducted, he has a really good chance. I don't see how he falls below a Hall of Very Good list though...not that it's really a thing.

 

[KevinFinnerty]

I think he gets in 90%