Just how good was Bryan Trottier?

[A4T1L6]

As someone who did not grow up in the era, can somebody chime in and explain the impact he had on the game? Is there a player today that best replicates his skill set?

 

[57special]

Kopitar, maybe? He wasn't flashy, but made the right play almost all the time, was surprisingly physical(though he had Gillies riding shotgun), an excellent two way player, and had the sense to keep feeding the puck to one of the greatest snipers ever to play in the NHL.

 

[A4T1L6]

Kopitar, maybe? He wasn't flashy, but made the right play almost all the time, was surprisingly physical(though he had Gillies riding shotgun), an excellent two way player, and had the sense to keep feeding the puck to one of the greatest snipers ever to play in the NHL.

When you have Mike Bossy on your wing, youre in a good spot lol

 

[Babooch]

he was a very smart very skilled player with great vision and an enormous desire to win every puck battle. a 200 foot player who could fill the net too. Tough to compare but maybe Kopitar if he had a little nasty edge to his game.

 

[bukwas]

Very smart player with great vision, drive and highly skilled to boot. He had to share the spotlight with a few other greats but never took a backseat to them. Would have been a shame if the Isles had built that great team today, only to be forced to strip it down due to cap reasons.

 

[Cursed Lemon]

The Steve Yzerman of the 70s/80s.

Or, Steve Yzerman was the Trottier of the 80s/90s.

Only difference is that Trottier played on a powerhouse in the first half of his career, while Yzerman played on a powerhouse in the second half of his career.

 

[leeroggy]

Six Stanley Cup rings as a player should tell you everything you need to know

 

[MXD]

He is, quite simply, a rich-man's Peter Forsberg who waned instead of retiring when his body couldn't quite follow anymore.

 

[tempofound]

Honestly, talent wise he was probably closer to Crosby than to Kopitar. One Hart, and three more times in the top -3.

 

[bukwas]

I'm one of the few here that saw his entire career and enjoyed having the old memory jogged.
Thanks for starting the thread here where i'd actually see it.

 

[Smelling Salt]

He was no superstar ala Brian Bellows, that's for sure.

 

[LordNeverLose]

[mod]

He was no superstar ala Brian Bellows, that's for sure.

Well I mean Bellows was the f***ing best, a f***ing superstar.

 

[Eisen]

Six Stanley Cup rings as a player should tell you everything you need to know

It really doesn't without context.

 

[doublechili]

He is, quite simply, a rich-man's Peter Forsberg who waned instead of retiring when his body couldn't quite follow anymore.

For someone who never saw him play, think of an elite, all-star 1st line C. Then think of the best bottom 6 C you can think of, who is elite at the PK, faceoffs, shot blocking, and a tough as nails body checker. Then mash them into one player. That's Trottier.

I think it was THN maybe 20 years ago that polled hockey people to come up with the top 2-way players of all time. Trottier was #1 on the list.

I attended his first home game as a rookie and followed his entire career. He was, IMO, the MVP of the dynasty. And Forsberg is the best comparison that I can come up with too. BTW, Trots had 95 points in his rookie year and broke the rookie points record, and that was before Bossy joined him a couple of years later.

 

[Bood12]

He was no superstar ala Brian Bellows, that's for sure.

Gotta be awkward for his kid when he is playing home games wherever the Islanders are going to play and see Trottiers name hanging in the rafters

 

[A4T1L6]

so auston matthews and brian boyle mixed at 5 foot 11

 

[authentic]

Better off heading for the History of Hockey sub-board.

He is, quite simply, a rich-man's Peter Forsberg who waned instead of retiring when his body couldn't quite follow anymore.

Yikes. Great player, but that's some hyperbole right there. I was going to mention Forsberg is the most comparable player to him in recent times and realistically Forsberg was just as good if not better.

 

[boredmale]

Hard to find a comparible player now but maybe Toews with a much higher offensive upside

 

[Perfect_Drug]

The very definition of "gave it his all".

Gretzky best described Trottier and the Islanders.

After The Oilers were swept in the finals, Gretzky walked by the Islanders dressing room expecting to hear raucous celebration. Instead he saw the entire Islanders dressing room a bit somber, nursing wounds, catching their breath, and in a world of pain, icing their injured. They were completely gassed with absolutely nothing left in the tank.

That's when Gretzky realised what it took to win.

 

[sr edler]

When you have Mike Bossy on your wing, youre in a good spot lol

He also formed a lethal trash talking duo with Kevin Stevens during his twilight years in Pittsburgh.

 

[Iapyi]

Possibly the most complete and 2 way player in the league's history. He could do it all, and in fact he did.

btw....those commenting that threads like this need to be moved to another section really should try to be more open minded

 

[A4T1L6]

He also formed a lethal trash talking duo with Kevin Stevens during his twilight years in Pittsburgh.

I wanna link that video but its too vulgar i think lol

 

[MXD]

Possibly the most complete and 2 way player in the league's history. He could do it all, and in fact he did.

btw....those commenting that threads like this need to be moved to another section really should try to be more open minded

TBH, that was more in order to avoid the terrible takes.

 

[22Brad Park]

As someone who did not grow up in the era, can somebody chime in and explain the impact he had on the game? Is there a player today that best replicates his skill set?

Still remember him crunching Bob Gainey and out cold.Trottier was a bigtime winner and read somewhere could bench near 500 lbs in his prime years.Him and Bossy one of best combos in history.

 

[Roboturner913]

He was an upscaled version of Doug Gilmour