If you could start over any player’s career..

[TheDawnOfANewTage]

Pretty simple idea- if you could start over any player’s career in the modern day who would you choose and why? I figure the reasons for selection would be-

1) The player was before your time and you wanna see them.
2) You think their career coulda gone better/differently.
3) You think they’d do well in the modern game.

For me it’s Max Afinogenov. I’m still convinced the right coach coulda made him something special, and he’s definitely built for today’s game. Dude was also just a treat to watch- even if his career went exactly the same id be happy tuning in for it.

HM: Briere, Derek Roy, Orr, Lemieux, although I kinda like having those last two be legends.

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[Cursed Lemon]

Discounting players with injuries because those are all the obvious answer, honestly I'd like to see Nail Yakupov not get introduced to the NHL under Dallas f***ing Eakins. lol

 

[NikolaiCakebreaker]

I'd take another Mario please. I think he would do well without having guys waterski from his pants.

 

[93LEAFS]

Lindros in the current era where people aren't headhunting him like crazy.

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

Bobby Orr.

We never saw a 100% Orr and he was done by 26 because of his knee injuries.

He was a victim of the medical technology of the day. His injury today is a simple arthroscopic surgery and 6 months recovery

 

[JT Kreider]

Brian. Leetch.

And if this is an option instead of bringing a 20 year old Leetch to 2020, can I bring my 30 year old self back to the early 90's so I'm old enough to experience 1994 and I can escape this hell hole that 2020 has become???

I just barely missed 1994, I was 4 years old and really started to get into hockey in 1997. My earliest memory was the series against the Panthers where Gretzky scored a hat trick and Tikkanen scored the OT winner off the camera in the net and they had to review it. I remember exactly where I was and who I was with. The first game I have distinct memories of attending was the game where Gretzky's wife got seriously injured when the glass board fell on her.

I think I have a very vague memory of my dad coming to wake me up late one night to tell me "we did it, we won the Stanley Cup" though I could also be making that up.

 

[leaffaninvancouver]

I wouldn’t mind seeing Paul Kariya get a second crack at the NHL.

 

[SI90]

For the Islanders I’d Take Dennis Potvin or Bossy.

 

[ManwithNoIdentity]

Jiri Fischer and Vlady K come to mind

 

[7even]

Bryan Fogarty, with contemporary medicine and player resources.

 

[MarkusKetterer]

Bryan Fogarty, with contemporary medicine and player resources.

That’s who Tony DeAngelo reminds me of. I couldn’t think of his name

 

[super6646]

Bobby orr and Mario. With how reffing is today, they would be total f***ing beasts and would likely never have the serious injuries that plauged them in their time.

 

[JT Kreider]

I would watch Game 7 of the 1994 SCF over and over again as a kid and I was absolutely enamored with Bure. That play late in where the puck just misses the post across the crease is jaw dropping.



And he totally bodies Beukeboom who I always thought was like the top of the line toughest baddest SOB when I was a kid too.

 

[Dominance]

Crosby so that he can go head-to-head against McDavid, and we can see what an injury-free career could have been.

 

[lauraP]

Brian. Leetch.

And if this is an option instead of bringing a 20 year old Leetch to 2020, can I bring my 30 year old self back to the early 90's so I'm old enough to experience 1994 and I can escape this hell hole that 2020 has become???

I just barely missed 1994, I was 4 years old and really started to get into hockey in 1997. My earliest memory was the series against the Panthers where Gretzky scored a hat trick and Tikkanen scored the OT winner off the camera in the net and they had to review it. I remember exactly where I was and who I was with. The first game I have distinct memories of attending was the game where Gretzky's wife got seriously injured when the glass board fell on her.

I think I have a very vague memory of my dad coming to wake me up late one night to tell me "we did it, we won the Stanley Cup" though I could also be making that up.

The future is now old Man

 

[The Pale King]

Let's put Hasek on a bad team but give him a (comfortable) starting job circa '88 or something.

Let's put Theo Fleury in a city with no night life to start his career.

Heck, let's put both those guys in Hartford in 1988.

 

[Tweed]

Bobby orr and Mario. With how reffing is today, they would be total f***ing beasts and would likely never have the serious injuries that plauged them in their time.

Mario would have faired much better without all the abuse, but he was also born with a pretty serious medical condition that is the primary reason for his debilitating pain.

 

[thegoldenyear]

For the Islanders I’d Take Dennis Potvin or Bossy.

Bossy without wrist chops and cats draped over him all game? Got to watch all of Bossy’s career: old enough to count his goals in the next day summaries, but probably not old enough to savour his brilliance ‘til 50-in-50.

I’d love to watch him mano-a-mano with Ovechkin. He’d score a lot of top-shelf goals off that quick one-timer.

And Potvin, ohhh, yeah! This site always talks about his peak being second only to Orr’s - I’d’ve loved watching that. He’s still superb during the Cup years, but he must’ve been a dream as the dynasty roster took form. I wonder how his hitting game would fare in today’s league, though, or the legendary mean streak.

 

[MarkusKetterer]

Just because: Bryan Marchment. At the start of his career he scored some nice goals, before he decided he’d prefer to take out peoples knees. I’m curious what he’d be like in today’s NHL.

 

[HarryLime]

I feel like Mario and Orr are the safe answers. As much as I'd wanna see both, they proved they're top 3 players of all time with no doubt. They each won 2 cups, 2 Smythe's and MVPs, etc. Sure they would have finished with more games and had more chances but I think we got to see their peaks.

I'll go with Lindros. You could argue we saw his peak but he never won a cup and was cut down. I'd just wanna see him get the chance and push people around. The game right now lacks power forwards so he would be a breath of fresh air.

 

[jetsforever]

Aside from the obvious ones like Orr, Crosby, Lindros -

I'd try Alex Burmistrov again. Was a pretty solid player for us, had some possible disagreements and went to Russia, and when he came back he was a shell of what he was. With a better coach or different system we could maybe get back that pre-Russia Burmistrov.

 

[Perfect_Drug]

Bobby Orr was before my time. I'll go with him.


The Russian 5 and the KLM line would be intriguing in the NHL as well.

 

[Iapyi]

Eddie Shore
Charlie Conacher
Syl Apps
Gordie Howe
Bill Cook
Turk Broda
Howie Morenz
Bobby Hull

Just the first few that came to mind.

 

[Rydgar]

Ah man the thought of bringing back the best and having them start their careers at the same time....

Centres: Gretzky, Lemieux, Crosby, Malkin, Mcdavid, Lindros, Forsberg, Sakic, Yzerman, Esposito

Wing: Howe, Jagr, Ovechkin, Bossy, Hull, Bure, Kane, Robitaille, Shanahan, Kariya, Selanne, Bossy, Mogilny, Kovalev,

Dmen: Orr, Coffey, Lidstrom, Pronger, Neidermayer, Karlsson, Hedman, Chara

Goalies: Hasek, Roy, Brodeur, Luongo, Belfour, Lundqvist, Price, Cujo

What a league that would be

 

[PavelBure10]

1. Bobby Orr - Was before my time, and I knew he is the greatest defenseman to ever play the game. I just wish I seen more of him.

2. Mario Lemieux - If only you could restart his career and start over with a healthier one. Could have he beaten Gretzky?

3. Pelle Lindbergh - Died crashing his sports car. Only played 5 NHL seasons and was already one of the best goalies in the league. Won a Vezina before his death. I often wonder where this star goalie would rank today if he wasn't taken from the world so early.

4. Cam Neely - Ulf Samuelsson taken out this 50 goal scoring power forward way too early.

5. Pavel Bure - Just because he's my all time favorite player. I miss how electric he was on the ice. The most exciting player to me. Always did something to wow you every shift.