HFAvs Ranks: The 50 Greatest Avalanche Players - #1

[Ceremony]

I've had an idea. Let's decide who the greatest players in Avalanche history are.

• You decide what "greatest" means.
• Only judge players based on their Avalanche careers. This means no extra points for Sakic's time with the Nordiques, or Ray Bourque's time with the Bruins.
• Poll will be open for a few days.
• Each time you vote, suggest a player who should be added for the next round.
• If there's no consensus on who should be added I'll just pick the next player who's played the most games.
• Here's a list of everyone: Colorado Avalanche all-time player list at hockeydb.com

Milan Hejduk​ (1998-2013)	Joe Sakic (1995-2009)	Gabriel Landeskog (2011-present)	Nathan MacKinnon (2013-present)	Peter Forsberg (1995-2004, 2008, 2011)	Patrick Roy (1995-2003)	Cale Makar (2018-present)
Games Played: 1020	Games played: 870	Games played: 738	Games played: 709	Games played: 544	Games played: 478	Games played: 238
Goals: 375	Goals: 391	Goals: 248	Goals: 284	Goals: 202	I forgot goalies would screw the table up	Goals: 65
Assists: 430	Assists: 624	Assists: 323	Assists: 475	Assists: 503	Wins: 262	Assists: 181
Points: 805	Points: 1015	Points: 571	Points: 759	Points: 705	Shutouts: 37	Points: 246
Awards: Stanley Cup (2001), Rocket Richard Trophy (2003)	Awards: Stanley Cup (1996, 2001), Hart Trophy (2001), Conn Smythe Trophy (1996)	Awards: Stanley Cup (2022), Calder Trophy (2012)	Awards: Stanley Cup (2022), Calder Trophy (2014), Lady Byng Trophy (2020)	Awards: Stanley Cup (1996, 2001), Hart Trophy (2003)	Awards: Stanley Cup (1996, 2001), Conn Smythe Trophy (2001)	Awards: Stanley Cup (2022), Conn Smythe Trophy (2022), Norris Trophy (2022)

Listed are the players who have won an individual trophy with the Avalanche (and have a chance of being top three at least). I don't know how long I'll be engaged enough to keep making these tables.

Click to read more...

 

[MacKaRant]

Voted Sakic due to longevity and front office impact, but only because Peter Worrell was shockingly left off of the options. I'm guessing it'll be Makar when all is said and done if his next contract is signed with the Avs.

 

[The Abusement Park]

Pretty easily Sakic. Makar could surpass him one day, but Sakics on and off ice impact is just monumental for the org.

 

[SirLoinOfCloth]

Arnason quite obviously.

 

[Avs91]

Playing career alone I still think it’s Sakic

Leadership, longevity, consistency, and clutch

 

[ASmileyFace]

Even if we just went by playing career Joe still wins. If you include his impact post career he is maybe the most impactful professional sports person in Denver history.

And I LOVE Foppa.

 

[UncleRisto]

This is about to be tough. It's not yet, though.

 

[budaj guy]

Pyjamas!

Sakic obviously. Mack and Makar are eventually gonna be in the convo though

 

[dahrougem2]

Went with Sakic because even though IMO Forsberg was better in 97, 98, 99, 00, and 03, Sakic was better in the years we won the Cup and those years he was almost unstoppable.

 

[Mighty Makar]

Burnaby Joe!

 

[The Abusement Park]

Went with Sakic because even though IMO Forsberg was better in 97, 98, 99, 00, and 03, Sakic was better in the years we won the Cup and those years he was almost unstoppable.

I think Foppa has peak, but Sakic was right behind him(at minimum) and better for a much longer time.

 

[famicommander]

1. Sakic
2. Roy
3. Forsberg
4. MacKinnon
5. Landeskog
6. Hejduk
7. Makar

It's only a matter of time for Nate and Cale to keep climbing. Hopefully Landeskog can eventually get back on the ice too.

Glad Hejduk was at least considered. I almost had to fight everybody on this forum when people were whining about his jersey retirement.

 

[The Abusement Park]

1. Sakic
2. Roy
3. Forsberg
4. MacKinnon
5. Landeskog
6. Hejduk
7. Makar

It's only a matter of time for Nate and Cale to keep climbing. Hopefully Landeskog can eventually get back on the ice too.

Glad Hejduk was at least considered. I almost had to fight everybody on this forum when people where whining about his jersey retirement.

I'd put Makar over Hejduk pretty easily and Landy. I'd personally go over Mack as well I think, but could understand Mack still being over Makar.

 

[BoneCherry]

Foppa was my favorite player of all time, but in context of Avalanche history, I went with Joe.

 

[Ceremony]

1. Sakic
2. Roy
3. Forsberg
4. MacKinnon
5. Landeskog
6. Hejduk
7. Makar

It's only a matter of time for Nate and Cale to keep climbing. Hopefully Landeskog can eventually get back on the ice too.

Glad Hejduk was at least considered. I almost had to fight everybody on this forum when people were whining about his jersey retirement.

I'll save my bit on #23 for his thread then

This is about to be tough. It's not yet, though.

I am genuinely more excited to see the bottom ten than the top ten.

 

[famicommander]

I'd put Makar over Hejduk pretty easily and Landy. I'd personally go over Mack as well I think, but could understand Mack still being over Makar.

Makar just needs time and he'll have passed them both. But I'm not willing to put him up there after only 238 games.

 

[The Abusement Park]

Makar just needs time and he'll have passed them both. But I'm not willing to put him up there after only 238 games.

I mean Makars peak and impact is far above Hejduks regardless of games played. And that's not a slight at Hejduk at all. That's just how special a talent Makar is.

 

[expatriatedtexan]

Earlier in the season, I said that Nate was on well on his way to becoming my favorite Av ever. However, I am still going with Forsberg. If Nate gets another cup, he'll probably get the vote. The active players are at a disadvantage possibly, there is no telling how their stories ends. Nate, Cale, and even Landy...those are incomplete grades we have right now. So I can really only look at those that have retired.

We're talking greatest Av, not longest tenured, not the ability to hold a high level of play forever, but the greatest. And the greatest Avs performances I have ever seen have mostly involved Forsberg being Forsberg. His ability to take over a game was unlike anything I have seen another player really do. Yes, every name up there was/is capable of taking a game over, but Forsberg? Man, that was special.

 

[Tralfamadore]

Joe then Roy then Peter

 

[McMetal]

Who to add is a tricky one, but I'll go with Rantanen.

 

[expatriatedtexan]

Who to add is a tricky one, but I'll go with Rantanen.

If we manage to keep him, I'd imagine he's passing a lot of Hejduk's numbers. That's going to account for something. Also, I know the playoffs left a bad taste in everyone's mouth, but the way he put the team on his back when EVERYONE else was injured was something to behold. This was a statement season from Mikko when all is said and done.

 

[Bonzai12]

Foote is my vote to be added

 

[sethro109]

Foote HAS to be the next one added.

 

[GeoRox89]

The guy with 391 goals and 1015 points in 870 regular season games. Who also has 77 goals and 177 points in 160 playoff games. Who also happens to have a Hart, Lindsay, Conn Smythe and 3 Stanley Cup Rings

Even without his time in Quebec, Burnaby Joe had a HHOF career

 

[expatriatedtexan]

The guy with 391 goals and 1015 points in 870 regular season games. Who also has 77 goals and 177 points in 160 playoff games. Who also happens to have a Hart, Lindsay, Conn Smythe and 3 Stanley Cup Rings

Even without his time in Quebec, Burnaby Joe had a HHOF career

Also signed with NYR. I have no idea why I never got past that. But the mind does what the mind does. Joe signed with another team. Peter Forsberg spent the rest of his life trying to come back to the Avalanche after being a flat-out cap casualty. There was nobody that wanted that relationship to ever end.