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

[BudBundy]

Hmmm….

Pelle Lindbergh, life cut short

Tony Hand, in todays era?

Gord Kluzak without blowing a knee at young age.

Marcel Dionne so he maybe wouldn’t be the best player in NHL history (so far) to never win a Cup.

Tip of the hat to the folks who said Bryan Fogerty and Vlad Tretiak.

I’ll join the herd and say Bobby Orr. Would love to see that too.

 

[Number8]

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.

Was going to say Neely as well. f*** Ulf Samuelsson still. Cheap shot, turtling coward.

 

[wintersej]

Sergei Samsonov, Paul Kariya, Lafontaine, basically all the smaller skilled guys that would be 100 point guys with how the game is played today.

But Samsonov imparticular.

 

[Sasha Orlov]

Carey Price with no Kreider

 

[x Tame Impala]

Chelios in today’s game would probably be a ton of fun to watch.

 

[KJoe88]

Vladdy K

/thread.

 

[DatDude44]

Outside of the nostalgic stars like Bobby Orr.

As a Blues fan, I'd love to See what Robby Fabbri would've become if he didn't tear his ACL back to back years

 

[Bouboumaster]

Price, after Xhekaj f***ed up POS Kreider

 

[The Devilish Buffoon]

Bring back Marty Havlat

 

[DitchMarner]

Johnny Gaudreau.

1. He probably gets a full career under this scenario.

2. A young Gaudreau in today's NHL would be fun to watch.

 

[phrenssoa]

Always felt like Ales Hemsky could have had a much more impressive career without all the injuries and with a better supporting cast.

Man was he fun to watch. I would love to be able to see him play again.

 

[Felidae]

A weird one, but Gordie Howe.

I wanna see how his talent would translate in the modern era, and secondly, given he played until his 50s in an era that was tougher, less advanced in terms of training as well as medically and nutritionally.. I wonder how many years that would have added to an already absurdly long career.

 

[miscs75]

In today's game, I'd like to see Barzal in the Western Conference where the game is more wide open and less defensively structured and not as tight checking

The guy's skills don't mesh with the style of play featured in the east

Could have had that but Edmonton decided they wanted Griffin Reinhart instead of a draft pick. Barzal and McMuffin would be scary to watch based on pure skating ability alone.

 

[Doothpick]

Outside of the nostalgic stars like Bobby Orr.

As a Blues fan, I'd love to See what Robby Fabbri would've become if he didn't tear his ACL back to back years

I've enjoyed watching Fabbri here. I too, wonder how good he could've been without all the injuries. His style of play is perfect today's game.

I would love to see Chris Pronger again. People would go crazy, again.

 

[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.

It’s been 4+ yrs since I posted this, goddamn time flies. Good necrobump, good thread OP. Thanks OP. I’d still pay good money to watch Afinogenov fly about the rink again. That half-tucked jersey? Bro, it’s not even legal now, that’s how nasty Max’s game was.

 

[TropicOfNoReturn]

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

Lindros without concussion issues in today's game would be unbelievable.
Think Matthews combined with Draisaitl and a dash of Tom Wilson.

Good answer.

 

[Kreator]

66 and the Russian Rocket

 

[daver]

I would like to see the subtle changes Dave "The Hammer" Shultz would have made to his game.

Guy Lafleur would be something to see with his hair flowing as he was skating through a fog of vape smoke.

 

[Three On Zero]

I got to watch a lot of Bure, but would love to see his skill in the modern NHL and with injuries.

 

[frisco]

I think Phil Housley would be interesting. He'd fit right in with the smaller mobile d-men of today and people wouldn't always focus in on the fact that he wasn't trying to smash people through the boards as was expected of defenseman in Housley's era.

My Best-Carey

 

[Nico Cauzuki]

a healthy Mario Lemieux and the russian rocket Pavel Bure my favorite player of all time

 

[The Crypto Guy]

Carey Price with no Kreider

Carey Price with no Emelin (who tripped Kreider into his goalie).*

 

[Sasha Orlov]

Carey Price with no Emelin (who tripped Kreider into his goalie).*

Wrong

 

[SUX2BU]

Wendel Clark without all the injuries

 

[OKR]

I’d love to see Martin St. Louis play his full prime in modern era.