How good was Slava Fetisov in NHL?
- Thread starter Eye of Ra
- Start date
GMR
Registered User
He was clearly past his prime but still a productive player. Nothing special. He was 31 his first season. Back then that was old, especially for someone entering the league for the first time. Even nowadays, a 31 year old entering the league for the first time would have trouble adjusting.
I'm assuming NHL fans expected more because he was a major star overseas in the 1980s and was highly regarded.
I'm assuming NHL fans expected more because he was a major star overseas in the 1980s and was highly regarded.
Dennis Bonvie
Registered User
Recall seeing him play in Hartford for the Devils in his first NHL season.
There was play where he took the puck behind his own net. Forechecker followed him and another came from the other side. Looked like he was trapped. He flipped a backhand pass just in time to his defensive partner in front of the net. His partner immediately iced the puck, even though there was no one near him. Defensemen didn't make that kind of play in those days.
He was playing a different game.
There was play where he took the puck behind his own net. Forechecker followed him and another came from the other side. Looked like he was trapped. He flipped a backhand pass just in time to his defensive partner in front of the net. His partner immediately iced the puck, even though there was no one near him. Defensemen didn't make that kind of play in those days.
He was playing a different game.
tabness
be a playa 🇵🇸
- Apr 4, 2014
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Can't speak about his earlier NHL career but growing up watching him on the Wings you would always hear the reverent tones Larionov and Fetisov were spoken about in. Could definitely see why with Larionov, he showed flashes of what would have made him brilliant in the past. I was honestly confused why Fetisov got that clout lol, chalked it up to age I guess then.
Get the exact same sense going back and watching Wings games from the early part of glory years now, Larionov you see it, not really at all Fetisov.
Then again I've always been less impressed than most of Fetisov's play even during his heyday in the eighties. Feels like many of the other Soviet defensemen are underrated vis a vis their (lack of) reputation compared with Fetisov.
Get the exact same sense going back and watching Wings games from the early part of glory years now, Larionov you see it, not really at all Fetisov.
Then again I've always been less impressed than most of Fetisov's play even during his heyday in the eighties. Feels like many of the other Soviet defensemen are underrated vis a vis their (lack of) reputation compared with Fetisov.
Professor What
Registered User
To the bolded, it's worth noting the fact that his time before the league was in the Soviet system. I know that's something that everybody knows but the significance of it isn't small. A lot of the Soviet guys tended to break down, thanks to the rigorous training system they went through, and Fetisov managed to remain relevant until he was 39. That's pretty significant to me.
