Not saying I'm putting him there- nor am I even saying he's assured of my #5 slot... but I think the player who could make the best case for copping a breakthrough is... Patrick Roy. Unlike Lemieux, the consensus view is that he's the best ever at his position. Unlike Orr, he had a full career. He matches Howe in Cup-Counting... and you could argue that he had more to do with those Cups than Howe had to do with his.
THN had a Patrick Roy vs. Mario Lemieux article in one of their Great Debates issues. Personally, I wouldn’t make the argument, but I do see him in the 5th spot. To me, had he pulled off the back-to-back in 2001-02 or knocked off the 1989 Flames or taken a split against Dallas in 1999/2000, then
maybe you can start a conversation, but Lemieux’s peak offensive level is so otherworldly that it’s hard not to look past his flaws of missed time and the occasional hemorrhaging of goals in the other direction.
But ten seasons of individual awards (1986-1993, 2001, 2002), two additional seasons of Vezina nominations (1994, 1997), 15 seasons with a top-10 save percentage, and 25% of the top-20 statistical Finals runs since the start of the four-round playoff era is obviously nothing to sneeze at. Probably the only checkboxes he missed were scoring a goal and winning a Hart, and instead we have the hilarious Don Cherry VHS where he hits the empty net just as the green light goes off and the shared distinction with Mario Lemieux of taking the 1st Team selection over the more “valuable” Hart winner.
