The best shot: Laine, Semin or Mogilny?

[Acallabeth]

Also the guy had a weird thing where he would go ballistic in a contract year and then just never try again.

You must be misremembering. It doesn't fit Semin's career path at all.

After his ELC, Semin played on:
- 2 very cheap 2-year contracts (just 4,6M AAV when he was top 5 PPG in the league in 2008-2010 from the 2nd line),
- then a 1-year contract when he was hit with a pan-Capitals decline;
- then a 5-year contract with Carolina (PPG in his 1st season, declined due to injuries and bought out after 3 years);
- then a 1-year contract with the Habs.

 

[Arthur Morgan]

How the hell does Semin have more votes than Mogilny?

also Mogilny over Laine, I think Mogilny in today's NHL would be a monster out there

 

[BHD]

I just remember Semin having a wicked wrist shot.

 

[Gerulaitis]

Of these three names 'tis Alex most famed
For none could match the fiery shots he aimed
Not Laine nor Semin with skill they may strive
Could reach his 76 in season alive.

Mogilny’s place among the greats is clear
A shooter bold, his legend we revere
Though Laine stands as second in the line
And Semin third, their craft doth still refine

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

I’m not sure what the right way is to say it, but he definitely wasn’t a strong opponent mentally. He was all-world when he was locked in, but that was only like half the time.

I think that’s a really valid criticism, but bad defense? Honestly he was one of the better defensive wingers out there. Really good at chasing guys down on the backcheck and stripping pucks away when they weren’t expecting it.

Yup. One thing about Semin is that he had a very good slap shot, but he didn’t need to use it that often because of how hard and accurate his wrister was.

As for defensive play, he was very capable in his own end. Here’s a video of him at his best, sniping a shorthanded goal after intercepting a saucer pass from a pretty good passer wearing #87

 

[Xspyrit]

How the hell does Semin have more votes than Mogilny?

also Mogilny over Laine, I think Mogilny in today's NHL would be a monster out there

Why do you seem to treat this as "best player" when the poll is about "best shot"?

Semin is one of those wingers who for whatever reason gets stuck with the “bad defense” label even though he was actually a pretty decent defender.

Maybe it’s because he was soft and most fans don’t recognize the difference between grinding and playing defense. I don’t know. But there are a LOT of wingers I’d be less comfortable with defensively than Semin.

I see Semin as a Teuvo Teravainen type defensively, puck possession types, which is the best defense IMO. The other can't score if they don't have the puck.

Also, let's be bluntly honest, most people don't really understand the sport in depth, it has a lot of moving variables and you have to be deeply invested to understand all the ramifications.

 

[Arthur Morgan]

Why do you seem to treat this as "best player" when the poll is about "best shot"?

cause not only I think he was the better player I also think Mogilny had equally as good of a shot if not slightly better, especially in a time where things were much different like sticks. pretty sure Mogilny didnt have a modern stick

 

[Luceni]

I think it's closer than many of you think but also hard to compare. Mogilny played in a different Era, the equipment has changed over the years. So I can't really rank them regarding their shot.

But Semin is by far the best bongo-player out of that three

 

[Hippasus]

 

[banks]

My memory isn't perfect. But here's what my feeble brain seems to remember.

Mogilny is the best of the 3. But this isn't about "best", it's about just the shooting.

Semin had a great shot, and I think his backhander was the best of the 3 options.

But Laine is the best shooter in the poll. It's the deceptive release. He doesn't look like a shot is coming, and then it's suddenly already off his stick. I don't know how to explain it, but the wrister looks different from other players'. Then add on the bonkers slapshot. Not many players come to mind with a better shot than Laine.

 

[Staniowski]

It depends what the question is. If it's about an individual type of shot, it might be Laine.

But if it's who's the best (overall) shooter, it's definitely Mogilny. He was, at his best, one of the very best shooters in the history of hockey.

His wrister was among the best ever. His slapshot (which he didn't use much) was wicked. Backhand, one of the best ever. Snapshot was great.

His skating and quickness and smarts made his shooting reach incredible heights. He could shoot in stride better than anybody (probably ever). He was also excellent and accurate from in close.

Also scored many Gretzky-like goals of darting into the slot from behind the net or the corners; and many Bure-like goals of using speed and deking the goalie. These, of course, are less to do with "shooting".