So far: what is the best individual NHL feat of the 21st century?

[Terry Yake]

Niedermayer's 2007 Smythe.

People are still talking about that one.

the most vanilla CS winner ever?

 

[Golden_Jet]

Niedermayer's 2007 Smythe.

People are still talking about that one.

Said no one ever lol

 

[filinski77]

The answer to me is pretty clearly Ovechkin's 9x rockets. That is a feat that could very well stand as #1 for the next 100 years.

All-time raw goals - probably #2 to be honest, but less impressive since it is more likely to be beaten eventually imo.

McDavid's 40 point playoff -> not better than 9x rockets since it's not the best post-season all-time, and also has another player this century who came relatively close (6 less points, but 6 more goals in 1 less GP)

McDavid leading the league in points and goals in the same season -> Not better since 4 other players have done it in history. Plus, other players have come relatively close in the 21st century (Draisaitl 2020, Kane 2016, Malkin 2012, St. Louis 2004, Jagr 2001). Nobody in the 21st century has come even remotely close to 9 rockets

 

[McFlash97]

McDavids Insane 42 point playoff run where he also eclipsed 99s assist record and Ovechkins incredible chase to topple the Great Ones goal scoring mark by scoring 15 goals in 18 games as nearly a 40 year old.

 

[Golden_Jet]

9 Rocket trophies.

 

[Gerulaitis]

Jose Theodore's Hart

 

[Nogatco Rd]

Yes, NFL is too old. You have to be like 21 minimum due to being 3 years out of high school.

Youngest I know of is Amobe Okoye who was 19 when drafted and 20 when he played his first game. Born in Nigeria, came to the states and skipped 7th & 8th grades starting HS at 12 years old.

Chose Louisville over Harvard at 15 years old and eventually became a 1st round pick and had a solid NFL career at DT. So yeah you basically have to be a child prodigy and graduate HS early to have a shot as a teenager in the NFL

 

[VanIslander]

This century?

Sakic & Iggy in the 2002 Olympics

Or in terms of Hasek-in-1998 like moment greatness:

Zetterberg in '08:

 

[buffalowing88]

Pronger 3 Conn Smythe worthy runs on 3 separate teams

I think this is an underrated one. Pronger's sheer impact from 2005-2010 was really something to see. If he didn't play with an edge that ultimately led to the suspensions, he'd absolutely deserve the Conn Smythe in 2007. He probably deserved it in 2006, too.

 

[PrimumHockeyist]

I think this is an underrated one. Pronger's sheer impact from 2005-2010 was really something to see. If he didn't play with an edge that ultimately led to the suspensions, he'd absolutely deserve the Conn Smythe in 2007. He probably deserved it in 2006, too.

Pronger was a beast .

 

[Nathaniel Skywalker]

Crosby winning 3 championships and mvp of all 3 tournaments in a year span

 

[Hockey Outsider]

I think this is an underrated one. Pronger's sheer impact from 2005-2010 was really something to see. If he didn't play with an edge that ultimately led to the suspensions, he'd absolutely deserve the Conn Smythe in 2007. He probably deserved it in 2006, too.

It's ancient history now, but up to the 2005 lockout, Pronger was a disappointing playoff performer. He was unfocused, inconsistent, and prone to taking dumb penalties. It's amazing how much he rehabilitated his reputation.

For what it's worth, a decade into the post-lockout era, Pronger was my pick for best/greatest playoff performer. Crosby and Malkin would surpass him soon after that, of course.

(Pronger is on one of a few players from 1980 onwards who had multiple Conn Smythe worthy playoff runs, but never actually won the trophy - Potvin, Fedorov and Forsberg are a few of the others).

 

[The Panther]

Yes, the fact that neither Denis Potvin nor Chris Pronger have Conn Smythes, while Butch Goring and Ryan O'Reilly do is kind of proof-positive that we shouldn't start ranking players according to Conn Smythe hardware. Sometimes, it's just a matter of being hot for seven weeks.