The Norris trophy is as big a joke as the Selke. It's nothing more than a popularity contest. I don't put much stock in Lidstrom winning 7 of them. For example, Karlsson should have about 5 right now, but he doesn't because it's a joke.
Came here to mention Kharlamov. His speed, puck skills, and finishing ability absolutely shocked Team Canada in the 1972 Summit Series.No.
That honor goes to the late Valeri Kharlamov.
However, if you are talking NHL players only, I would still have to say Hasek was the best European.
Yet look at how many times he finished top 10 in voting.How could Karlsson have 5 when he regularly gets voted as being one of the most overrated players by his peers? He can't play D..
So Lidstrom MAYBE one less Norris and Karlsson MAYBE one more (sure as hell not 5).... so what?The Norris trophy is as big a joke as the Selke. It's nothing more than a popularity contest. I don't put much stock in Lidstrom winning 7 of them. For example, Karlsson should have about 5 right now, but he doesn't because it's a joke.
Interesting.... Jagr missed 4 season from the NHL yet still managed to be 2nd all time in points.. 4 years straigh Art Ross ... for Lidstrom to be above Jagr he would have to rate near or same level as Bobby Orr
Hasek
No it doesn't.
Bourque, Harvey, Shore, even Potvin all have extremely strong claims for it.
No.
That honor goes to the late Valeri Kharlamov.
However, if you are talking NHL players only, I would still have to say Hasek was the best European.
He was the Wayne Gretzky of the 70s. If Bobby Clarke has not broke his ankle in the 72 series, he would have been the sole reason the Soviet Union would have been victorious.Valeri Kharlamov is the most overrated player I've seen on here, was in no way better than Jagr, Ovechkin, Forsberg, Lidstrom or Fedorov. Makarov was even better than him.
Jagr was a great player, but is for some reason overrated by certain people. I guess not everyone remembers how soft and inconsistent he could be, his tendency to disappear in the playoffs, his awful stint in Washington at a time that should have been his prime.
Jagr's inability to lead a team to the finals should in itself disqualify him from the mantle of the greatest European player. Hasek did it, Ovechkin's done it, Lidstrom did it. But not Jagr.
I really like Jagr though. He's an awesome guy and one of my favorite personalities. But he's not the best Euro.
Jagr was a great player, but is for some reason overrated by certain people. I guess not everyone remembers how soft and inconsistent he could be, his tendency to disappear in the playoffs, his awful stint in Washington at a time that should have been his prime.
Jagr's inability to lead a team to the finals should in itself disqualify him from the mantle of the greatest European player. Hasek did it, Ovechkin's done it, Lidstrom did it. But not Jagr.
I really like Jagr though. He's an awesome guy and one of my favorite personalities. But he's not the best Euro.
I am one of the biggest Ovy's fan on this website but let's be honest Ovi also had few subpar and bad seasons by his standards including 1-2 bad playoffs too.
-2011-2012 as the whole season was bad for him
-2012-2013 amazing regular season, terrible playoffs
-2014-2015 again amazing regular season, very average playoffs
So it is not like Ovy was super consistent through out his entire career. He disappeared too what many people would call in the prime years of hockey (27-30). Lindstrom on the other hand was nothing that special until he turned 30+. And even than let's be honest he played majority of his career on stacked teams. To sum this up, every single one of them has been disappearing/had bad seasons in their careers
Jagr was a black hole three seasons straight with the Capitals. Ovechkin always rebounded from his subpar years.
And he won that Conn Smythe.
Jagr just isn't the best. He can't be.