SuperScript29
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- Nov 17, 2017
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He was the shorthanded goals leader from 94-04 (dead-puck era) as well. He would literally score 40-50 goals and the next highest scoring Capital would have around 20. On the mid-late 90's Capitals he was THE passing option. His skillset would have translated favorably to the current NHL and he would likely be among the leagues best goal scorers.FWIW, Bondra was also a decent defensive player. Not a Selke candidate by any means, but the 90s Caps were a defensive minded team under Schoenfeld and Wilson, so it’s not like Bondra was out there cherry-picking. He played regularly on the PK.
One of the big questions in his career is whether he could have been more of an assist generator. In his early years under Terry Murray his goal:assist ratio was pretty normative and he had a 48-assist season to his name. That was when the Caps had Ciccarelli, Dmitri Kristich was at his best, and they had Hatcher/Iafrate bombing goals from the blue line. Under Schoenfeld it was pretty much just Bondra, and the assists disappeared (I haven’t checked but 34-9 probably won the Cy Young in 1995). I wonder if in an alternate timeline he becomes a better rounded scorer/playmaker like a Fedorov, who was well coached and surrounded by passing targets.
Nah, Bondra was pretty good in his own zone, and was a regular on the PK.Bondra as a goal scorer, but my memory of Bondra was that he always just a one way player, a pure goal scorer. I would let someone with a better memory of him correct me.
Bondra easily. And I don’t meant that as a slight to Nash, who was a very good player. But Bondra was just that slight bit more of a threat.
There were times when Nash had little to work with, but he did also play with several solid players like Huselius, Voráček, or post-prime Fedorov already in Columbus. Also Vermette was a fine player at his best, Zherdev highly talented.I agree with this, Bondra had more impressive numbers, but Nash never had an Oates, Pivonka, or hell even 75% checked out Jagr towards the end. I guess he had Vyborny but...
I mean in Nash's peak.
There were times when Nash had little to work with, but he did also play with several solid players like Huselius, Voráček, or post-prime Fedorov already in Columbus. Also Vermette was a fine player at his best, Zherdev highly talented.
I'm the first to say that Pivoňka is underrated but come on now, he was also no better than Vermette and Huselius in their best Columbus years. And they had a Huselius-Vermette-Nash line at that point. Bondra and Pivoňka had Keith Jones.None of those players listed (at the time relevant) are Oates/Pivonka. Huselius was close.
I'm the first to say that Pivoňka is underrated but come on now, he was also no better than Vermette and Huselius in their best Columbus years. And they had a Huselius-Vermette-Nash line at that point. Bondra and Pivoňka had Keith Jones.