HFAvs Ranks: The 50 Greatest Avalanche Players - #28

[Ceremony]

#1 - Joe Sakic (88.9%)
#2 - Peter Forsberg (55.7%)
#3 - Patrick Roy (89.6%)
#4 - Nathan MacKinnon (71.4%)
#5 - Cale Makar (70.5%)
#6 - Milan Hejduk (50.7%)
#7 - Gabriel Landeskog (42.6%)
#8 - Adam Foote (60.2%)
#9 - Mikko Rantanen (88.8%)
#10 - Alex Tanguay (56.0%)
#11 - Rob Blake (44.7%)
#12 - Erik Johnson (47.7%)
#13 - Claude Lemieux (27.3%)
#14 - Valeri Kamensky (37.1%)
#15 - Semyon Varlamov (28.6%)
#16 - Adam Deadmarsh (41.8%)
#17 - Sandis Ozolinsh (39.1%)
#18 - Ray Bourque (27.8%)
#19 - Stephane Yelle (30.4%)
#20 - Chris Drury (46.9%)
#21 - Paul Stastny (62.8%)
#22 - John-Michael Liles (33.9% - tied, highest runner up from #21)
#23 - Matt Duchene (40.0%)
#24 - Tyson Barrie (44.2%)
#25 - Ryan O'Reilly (37.5%)
#26 - Devon Toews (35.4%)
#27 - Jon Klemm (40.0%)

======================
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

Sam Girard (2017-present)	Dan Hinote (1999-2006)	Cody McLeod (2007-2017)	Alexei Gusarov (1995-2001)	Ian Laperriere (2005-2009)	Nazem Kadri (2019-2022)	JT Compher (2016-2023)
Games Played: 411	Games played: 353	Games played: 659	Games played: 292	Games played: 307	Games played: 178	Games played: 423
Goals: 27	Goals: 27	Goals: 66	Goals: 16	Goals: 40	Goals: 58	Goals: 88
Assists: 151	Assists: 38	Assists: 51	Assists: 50	Assists: 72	Assists: 97	Assists: 106
Points: 178	Points: 65	Points: 117	Points: 66	Points: 112	Points: 155	Points: 194
Notes: Stanley Cup (2022)	Notes: Stanley Cup (2001), married a playboy bunny	Notes: 1359 PIM	Notes: Stanley Cup (1996)	Notes: itsallaboutlappy.com	Notes: Stanley Cup (2022), single-handedly destroyed Saint Louis and Tampa Bay	Notes: Stanley Cup (2022), "Jimothy Timothy"

I don't care if you're feeling fatigue, we're doing the full fifty.

Click to read more...

 

[Nzap]

Going Hinote here, purely emotional, not rational reasons.

Add DeVries

 

[UncleRisto]

PPG will let you in on who the best player on the board is.

 

[expatriatedtexan]

Add Messier.

 

[Bone Breaker]

voted Kadri.

add Darcy Tucker.

 

[UncleRisto]

Add Aebi and Budaj.

 

[BoneCherry]

Voted Gusarov. Add Lefebvre.

 

[katfude]

Guuuuuuuuuuuuuus

 

[Hennessy]

Cody McLeod should've ranked like 15. You're all star-f***ers.

 

[Bone Breaker]

Cody McLeod should've ranked like 15.

I think it's fair for him to be ranked lower. the only thing he gets really going for him is that he was an Av for a long time. no Cups, never an impactful player, he was just a face puncher. and here is the problem, for me at least: he was terrible at that. he was almost always on the receiving end, getting rag-dolled or smoked by some random AHLer. Avs had a lot better fighters than Mcleod, with all respect. Sheriff, Bordeleau, Odgers, Simon, Worrell... heck, even Stewart was a better fighter than him.

 

[Nzap]

For me the issue with Mcleod is that for me he is the face of the failing Avalanche; great/good before him good/great after him.
Not his fault of course, but I will always perceive him ina negative light due to this.

 

[Ceremony]

I think it's fair for him to be ranked lower. the only thing he gets really going for him is that he was an Av for a long time. no Cups, never an impactful player, he was just a face puncher. and here is the problem, for me at least: he was terrible at that. he was almost always on the receiving end, getting rag-dolled or smoked by some random AHLer. Avs had a lot better fighters than Mcleod, with all respect. Sheriff, Bordeleau, Odgers, Simon, Worrell... heck, even Stewart was a better fighter than him.

Peter Worrell. Behave yourself. McLeod was in the organisation for over a decade and for a long time was one of the few players who looked like he gave a f***. Every player you listed combined (and I know you only meant their fighting ability) couldn't lace his skates.

 

[UncleRisto]

My favorite Avalanche enforcer is Matt Carkner.

I think it's fair for him to be ranked lower. the only thing he gets really going for him is that he was an Av for a long time. no Cups, never an impactful player, he was just a face puncher. and here is the problem, for me at least: he was terrible at that. he was almost always on the receiving end, getting rag-dolled or smoked by some random AHLer. Avs had a lot better fighters than Mcleod, with all respect. Sheriff, Bordeleau, Odgers, Simon, Worrell... heck, even Stewart was a better fighter than him.

Don't forget about Koçi.

 

[AvsMakar08]

Add Tom Fitzgerald.

 

[GeoRox89]

Add Aebischer

 

[Hasbro]

Add Arnason.

Being a boon to Glendale's economy should be a consideration.

 

[McMetal]

Cody McLeod gets consideration above other facepunchers because he was so damn proud to be an Av. Peter McNab once said he was probably the proudest player in the league of his A, he worked so hard to get where he was and was a locker room glue guy for a lot of years. He was a heart and soul Av, even if he wasn't exactly good at the whole hockey thing.

I'm not voting for him yet, but he's close.

 

[Bone Breaker]

Peter Worrell. Behave yourself. McLeod was in the organisation for over a decade and for a long time was one of the few players who looked like he gave a f***. Every player you listed combined (and I know you only meant their fighting ability) couldn't lace his skates.

It's fine, different point of views. I'm honestly leaning more towards Nzap though. anyways, judging only fighting ability, one has to agree that Mcleod was not exactly someone feared around the league. quite the opposite and that always bothered me. specially when he would start some fights in inappropriate moments, only to get beaten and give momentum to the other team.

Don't forget about Koçi.

Ill be honest and somehow I dont really remember anything about him. same with Rychel. and Mcallister! he was some McDermid type that for whatever reason I dont recall a single play on the Avs, I only remember him on the Leafs. lol

 

[ASmileyFace]

I accidentally picked JTC. Dont @ me.

 

[Ceremony]

Koci scored a goal once when somebody took a shot that hit his arse and went in.

 

[NorthernAvsFan]

Missed some of this, but how did Landeskog get voted in ahead of Rantanen?

Longevity? Almost certainly Mikko will have the greater Avalanche career.

 

[UncleRisto]

Missed some of this, but how did Landeskog get voted in ahead of Rantanen?

Longevity? Almost certainly Mikko will have the greater Avalanche career.

 

[Ceremony]

Missed some of this, but how did Landeskog get voted in ahead of Rantanen?

Longevity? Almost certainly Mikko will have the greater Avalanche career.

When Rantanen does that, or at least sacrifices a leg to win a cup, he can go higher.

 

[NorthernAvsFan]

When Rantanen does that, or at least sacrifices a leg to win a cup, he can go higher.

It’s no disrespect to Landy who is a well deserved top-10 on this list, but Rantanen has already surpassed his playoff numbers and will move past his regular season totals midway through this season.

It just seems inevitable that he’s going to go down as a greater Av and a more remembered player.