HFAvs Ranks: The 50 Greatest Avalanche Players - #8

[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%

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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

Claude Lemieux (1995-2000)	Adam Foote (1995-04, 2008-11)	Valeri Kamensky (1995-99)	Alex Tanguay (1999-06, 2014-16)	Mikko Rantanen (2016-present)	Rob Blake (2000-2006)	Sandis Ozolinsh (1995-2000)
Games Played: 297	Games played: 760	Games played: 289	Games played: 598	Games played: 490	Games played: 322	Games played: 333
Goals: 106	Goals: 48	Goals: 106	Goals: 167	Goals: 220	Goals: 62	Goals: 72
Assists: 106	Assists: 173	Assists: 155	Assists: 321	Assists: 293	Assists: 146	Assists: 181
Points: 212	Points: 221	Points: 261	Points: 488	Points: 513	Points: 208	Points: 253
Notes: Stanley Cup (1996), hit a Detroit player once	Awards: Stanley Cup (1996, 2001)	Awards: Stanley Cup (1996)	Notes: Stanley Cup (2001), Stanley Cup Game Winning Goal (2001)	Awards: Stanley Cup (2022)	Awards: Stanley Cup (2001)	Awards: Stanley Cup (1996)

Deadmarsh is on next.

Click to read more...

 

[UncleRisto]

I'm ready to start adding active players after Deader. EJ/Varly and then a bunch of bitch ass losers.

 

[ASmileyFace]

Wow that last one was close. I'm guessing Landy so recently lifting the cup put him over the top. Footer was such a force for those first 9 years he was in an Avs uniform, he deserves this one over Mikko imo.

I'm ready to start adding active players after Deader. EJ/Varly and then a bunch of bitch ass losers.

Honestly EJ should probably have been added before Deadmarsh or Claude. I'd vote for him over those guys easily.

 

[Ceremony]

Honestly EJ should probably have been added before Deadmarsh or Ozolinsh. I'd vote for him over those guys easily.

The old guys have been getting more support than I thought they would.

 

[GeoRox89]

For me this one clearly goes to the guy I’m sure my mother intentionally tried to irritate me as a child by insisting it should be pronounced ‘Foo-Tee’. There are a lot of great moments you could pick but for some reason the one that sticks out the most to me for this particular poll is his presser when he was coming back home where he said he ‘bleeds burgundy and blue’. It was the absolute truth and he never should’ve played anywhere else and while I wish him success in his career being an assistant for the Canucks just feels wrong

Can’t think of much more hardcore Avalanche than the stories of Foote basically refusing to have anything to do with Shanahan when they were on Team Canada together. Legend

Add Deadmarsh (then EJ and then start on the failed but long tenured core)

 

[Bonzai12]

Foote

Add Bourque

 

[forsbergavs32]

Foote

Add Guenin

 

[CobraAcesS]

Foote

Add Guenin

Conduct unbecoming lol

 

[AvsMakar08]

Add Uwe Krupp

 

[Deadsy]

hit a Detroit player once

 

[Vk1ing]

Mikko is pretty underrated like he's only scored the most goals in a season since we were the nordiques

 

[famicommander]

It's Footer.

 

[UncleRisto]

Foote

Add Guenin

You joke, but by 50...

 

[RoyIsALegend]

Adam Foote.

Add Paul Stastny.

 

[famicommander]

Add Stephane Yelle

 

[tigervixxxen]

Foote over Mikko is a take and only one of them is going to be in the Hall of Fame.

 

[Heyduke]

Foote over Mikko is a take and only one of them is going to be in the Hall of Fame.

Two Stanley Cups, 760 GP, leader and warrior through the glory days and Redwings rivalry.

Foote has meant more to the Avalanche franchise than Mikko has. To this point anyway.

Add Deadmarsh.

 

[famicommander]

Foote over Mikko is a take and only one of them is going to be in the Hall of Fame.

This isn't a "who's better at hockey" poll, it's a "greatest Av" poll. Foote won 2 rings here, spent 13 seasons in Denver, helped establish our culture from the start, and was a captain. Rantanen has plenty of time to catch him and he will but right now he's spent about half as much time here and won half as many rings.

 

[GeoRox89]

Foote over Mikko is a take and only one of them is going to be in the Hall of Fame.

10 years from now if Mikko signs another contract here? Hopefully Mikko’s career plays out in a way where this really is a terrible take then

One guy played for the Avs a lot longer, took over the C after Sakic’s retirement, was a big part of two Cups and had the organization retire his number more than twice as fast as they did Duke’s

Mikko is the better player. Footer has the greater Avs legacy to date

 

[henchman21]

Foote over Mikko is a take and only one of them is going to be in the Hall of Fame.

Saying Mikko is already a Hall of Famer is the real take here. When names like Mogilny, Elias, Brind'Amour, Zetterberg, and Fleury are missing, I don't think you can say Mikko is a shoe in. He could duplicate his 7 seasons exactly (let's say in reverse order for regression fun) and be in his mid 30s with a case that is roughly in line with those names. If he regresses harder than that or piles up some injuries, he could have a worse case. IMO for Mikko to be a shoe in HoF, he needs 2 or 3 more 100+ point seasons and an individual award, then a graceful aging until 34/35. Short of that, I don't think you can say he's a 100% Hall of Famer. To date, his resume is similar to others who are not in.

For me on this list, it is pretty simple... if Mikko is healthy the next two seasons AND re-signs, then he'll certainly pass Foote. If Mikko isn't healthy and/or he doesn't re-sign, then he doesn't pass Foote.

 

[ASmileyFace]

Saying Mikko is already a Hall of Famer is the real take here. When names like Mogilny, Elias, Brind'Amour, Zetterberg, and Fleury are missing, I don't think you can say Mikko is a shoe in. He could duplicate his 7 seasons exactly (let's say in reverse order for regression fun) and be in his mid 30s with a case that is roughly in line with those names. If he regresses harder than that or piles up some injuries, he could have a worse case. IMO for Mikko to be a shoe in HoF, he needs 2 or 3 more 100+ point seasons and an individual award, then a graceful aging until 34/35. Short of that, I don't think you can say he's a 100% Hall of Famer. To date, his resume is similar to others who are not in.

For me on this list, it is pretty simple... if Mikko is healthy the next two seasons AND re-signs, then he'll certainly pass Foote. If Mikko isn't healthy and/or he doesn't re-sign, then he doesn't pass Foote.

Yeah Mikko as a HoFer is no guarantee, and if he leaves after this contract I don't even think he gets his number retired at Ball arena.

It's Footer here for now and for a least a few more years imo.

 

[henchman21]

Yeah Mikko as a HoFer is no guarantee, and if he leaves after this contract I don't even think he gets his number retired at Ball arena.

It's Footer here for now and for a least a few more years imo.

He’s got the talent to get in, he just needs 3ish more years at the level of last season (even if he doesn’t stay with the Avs) and then gracefully age. He does that and he’ll have a good argument. To be a shoe in… 5 more seasons. 1200 points is his key number.

 

[expatriatedtexan]

Slightly off topic, but with us not having any meaningful best on best for what seems like an entire generation of NHL players, are these guys going to have a tougher time getting into the HHOF without having the ability to pick up gold and silvers at the Olympics or similar?

 

[Bonzai12]

There really needs to be some better awards / recognition / stats in the NHL for defensive defenseman……….Comparing Foote to Mikko is practically impossible unless you watched Footer play.

 

[BleedWell]

What is this?

Dumb people gather together to being even dumber?

Hejduk over Rantanen?

4 players between Mack and Rants?

Hejduk in the playoffs:
112 games 76 points
Rantanen(age 26) in the playoffs:
70 games 87 points

Mack had a good rookie season but after that he was a total mess before Rantanen came along.
Since then they have been 6 times in the playoffs together.
Mikko has outscored Mack 3 times including last years championship run.

Landy and Foote?
Two mister averages. Great guys not great players.

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