Is Peter Forsberg the best forward that never scored more than 30 goals?

[Balthazar]

He had a great shot but wasn't using it much. His game was more about luring both dmen by protecting the puck then passing to the guy who ended up alone in the slot (say hello to Milan Hejduk). Forsberg's greatness doesn't come from goal scoring, it comes from watching him play: seeing all the things he could do on the ice. People saying he's overrated either never watched him play or were fans of rival teams. Watching him was a real treat.

There are only 2 players in history that made me watch full hockey games just to watch them play: Mario Lemieux and Peter Forsberg.

 

[WesMcCauley]

Peter's goalscoring isn't an issue. Not for his coaches anyways. Not for his teammates thru out the career. Important thing is that the TEAM scored goals and he always helped the TEAM scoring goals. He even prevented other team from scoring goals because he worked hard and was active without the puck. What his coaches expected from him was not goals but an overall game with gifted playmaking. Of course they were on his back to shoot more, but that was because they knew he could shoot better than his unselfish mind thought.

But to knock on a player of that caliber for not scoring more than 30 goals is not right.

How the hell am i knocking on Forsberg when i asked a question if he was the best player to never score more than 30 goals? If anything its a huge compliment....

 

[johan f]

It was not directed toward you. I just know how the tune is sung here. No harm to you.

 

[DanZ]

Love Foppa, but he wasn't even the best forward on his own team.

As for the question, Henri was better.

What does that have to do with this thread?

 

[sandercohan78*]

Not sure if H, Richard is comparable since he played the majority of his career in the 70 game NHL, I only saw the end of his career but looking at his stats he had a season where he scored 30 in 70, hard to imagine him playing the final 10 games without a goal.

That being said H Richard probably > Foresberg, but if you subtract H Richard from the discussion since he played during the 70 game season then Foresberg is probably the best to never pot over 30, can't really think of any forward who was better who scored less goals tbh.

 

[sandercohan78*]

Honestly it's funny, Foresberg was overrated on these boards so long he's starting to become underrated.

 

[Willy Stylez]

I dont understand how people keep saying he was overrated. Guy was freaking beast and 1 of the best during his time.

Hehe can't understand it either.

 

[Caged Great]

Of the group of players after the truly elite players in Howe, Gretzky, Lemieux, Orr, and Ovechkin, yes I'm including Ovechkin, Forsberg was one in that next group of players. There are about 40 players in that list and he is one of them. Outside of Lemieux, Yzerman and Sakic, there are few players that played during the 90's that are clearly better than Foppa. Bure was a better scorer, Fedorov was better defensively, Lindros was bigger physically but Forsberg was pretty much right there.

It's too bad that a lot of current younger fans did not see the best guys from the 90's. So many of the best players ever to lace them up played in that era despite it being such a low scoring era.

 

[JackSlater]

No one could contain him, it's true his playing style was unsustainable on the human body for multiple years but when he was on his game, he was the living embodiment of what the ultimate, true, theoretical, perfect hockey player would be/look like.

No one ive ever witnessed was as dominating, as creative, as enjoying and effective in all aspects of the game than Forsberg. I think the only 2 things he wasn't elite in was faceoffs and fighting or something lol but he still was not bad in those too.

Maybe Hasek, who i consider best player of all-time.

For a player who could not be contained and was the most dominating, creative, effective player of all time, Forsberg sure does have an underwhelming resume.

 

[therealkoho]

Well that was just jaw dropping amazing

we went from best player to not score more then 30 in any one season to pointing out that Messier/Gretzky/Lemieux/Trottier all players btw whom scored more then 30 in a season several times were better then Foppa.

sheesh, stay on topic fcs

 

[Colorado Avalanche]

The best. He could have scored more goals, If he wanted. He just liked to pass more.

If you compare his regular season stats to playoffs, you could see he wanted to score more in playoffs and he had better pace in playoffs than in regular season. He could have easily scored 30+ goals in NHL, IF HE WANTED.

 

[VanFlyer]

Best all-around player of all-time.

Best forward (all around) that I saw in my lifetime. The guy could play with the puck like a yo-yo, hit you, set up his line mates and score. Instead of looking at goals scored, look at ppg. He was a beast. Granted he played second fiddle to quiet Joe, but still. As a Flyer fan, while Lindros was amazing, I would have preferred Forsberg and all the other assets.

 

[Passchendaele]

Best all-around player of all-time.

I'm not quite sure when the myth that Forsberg was elite defensively was born. He was good. But far from dominant.

 

[Derrty]

I think throwing the best around is quite a bit. But he certainly top 10? People that hate on Forsberg never watched him play. Guy was a freaking force.

[MOD]

He's nowhere near top 10 of all-time either.

Unless you mean top 10 best around of all-time, then still no.

 

[CTS]

This was my favorite player growing up, i had no idea he never scored more then 30 goals.

This is like finding out Santa is not real...

 

[johan f]

As I have said before, Forsberg may not have top10 career and stats but HOW he played on ice, how he contributed on whole surface and what he brought to the teams he played for is among tops ever.

 

[NoComments]

Hehe can't understand it either.

because overrated does not mean not good.

if everyone here said that Adam Oates or Eric Lindros were top-10 player all time, that would make them overrated. that does not mean that they weren't great players.

 

[BraveCanadian]

Best all-around player of all-time.

Yeah.. except goal scoring and actually being healthy enough to play.

So not.

No one could contain him, it's true his playing style was unsustainable on the human body for multiple years but when he was on his game, he was the living embodiment of what the ultimate, true, theoretical, perfect hockey player would be/look like.

I guess you've never heard of Bryan Trottier. Trottier was more physical, better defensively, and could score goals too. Trottier wore down pretty quickly too but sustained that play for quite a while.. including 5 straight trips to the Finals.

Forsberg is Trottier-lite imo.

 

[NoComments]

Of the group of players after the truly elite players in Howe, Gretzky, Lemieux, Orr, and Ovechkin, yes I'm including Ovechkin, Forsberg was one in that next group of players. There are about 40 players in that list and he is one of them. Outside of Lemieux, Yzerman and Sakic, there are few players that played during the 90's that are clearly better than Foppa. Bure was a better scorer, Fedorov was better defensively, Lindros was bigger physically but Forsberg was pretty much right there.

It's too bad that a lot of current younger fans did not see the best guys from the 90's. So many of the best players ever to lace them up played in that era despite it being such a low scoring era.

Hull, Richard, Lafleur, Beliveau, Jagr, amongst others, are all one step clear ahead of Forsberg.

 

[NoComments]

The best. He could have scored more goals, If he wanted. He just liked to pass more.

If you compare his regular season stats to playoffs, you could see he wanted to score more in playoffs and he had better pace in playoffs than in regular season. He could have easily scored 30+ goals in NHL, IF HE WANTED.

no one could have scored more goals if they wanted, or if so, it is negligible. you win hockey games with goals, if you can score one, you score one.

 

[Hardyvan123]

Sure...... Thats why he has 11 rings and was voted as the 30th best player of all time in 1998. Forsberg had a better peak and may be viewed as better if he didn't break down, but a major reason he broke down was his style of play. Its an insane feat to be a top 6 player on Stanley cups 20 years apart.

And sure Richard would have 11 rings playing with the Avs when both Detroit and Dallas were powers in the west as well......

The pocket rocket was a great little player but his prime simply doesn't stand up to Foppa and despite the 11 rings Foppa is the better individual playoff performer as well.

 

[Hardyvan123]

For a player who could not be contained and was the most dominating, creative, effective player of all time, Forsberg sure does have an underwhelming resume.

GOAT is a little overboard but if he had a better playoff resume......

He gets a bit lost in the 90's shuffle as well.

 

[Horvath Broncos]

GOAT is a little overboard but if he had a better playoff resume......

He gets a bit lost in the 90's shuffle as well.

If he had better playoff resume then what? I am really curious.

 

[Canadiens1958]

Henri Richard

And sure Richard would have 11 rings playing with the Avs when both Detroit and Dallas were powers in the west as well......

The pocket rocket was a great little player but his prime simply doesn't stand up to Foppa and despite the 11 rings Foppa is the better individual playoff performer as well.

Two Stanley Cup winning goals - OT(1966) and Game 7(1971), both on the road. Instrumental in the 1971 Game 2 comeback vs Bruins in game 2. Instrumental in reducing the efficiency of Bobby Hull and Bobby Orr in eight series leading to Stanley Cup victories.

Forsberg never came close to such a playoff resumée.

 

[Hardyvan123]

If he had better playoff resume then what? I am really curious.

I was being sarcastic there.

the thing is that alot of detractors focus only on Foppa's counting stats and don't look at the whole picture.

his PPG is simply elite, even more so considering his total game and the time period he played in.