What if players thread

[Crosby2010]

yes Stamkos was still a good goal scorer after the injury but could he have been a better one and put up more goals? same with Heatly?, lmk what you think about that.

If gretzky, bossy, lemuiex, bure, bobby hull never got injured they all would have got probably over 1,000 goals, and wayne gets over 3,000 points, lmk what you think about that.

Stamkos could still score 700 goals. That's elite company. 8 players have done it in NHL history. That's pretty hard to do better than that. He'll probably be 21st in goals by the end of this season. And with all due respect to Mike Gartner who is a model of consistency, he did it while finishing high in the goal scoring race several years.

As for Heatley his goal scoring took an inexplicable nosedive in his late 20s. This is several years after the accident in Atlanta and this is still with Joe Thornton on his team hitting him with passes. I don't think Heatley necessarily leads the NHL in goals without that injury in any given season, but he still hits 50 as he did twice anyway. He was well on his way to a HHOF career and then just went into a black hole the final 5 years of his career and he wasn't old either. Even by 2009 on Ottawa you could see him declining. So I don't think the accident was the reason because he bounced back after that quite well.

 

[TheBig08]

Stamkos could still score 700 goals. That's elite company. 8 players have done it in NHL history. That's pretty hard to do better than that. He'll probably be 21st in goals by the end of this season. And with all due respect to Mike Gartner who is a model of consistency, he did it while finishing high in the goal scoring race several years.

As for Heatley his goal scoring took an inexplicable nosedive in his late 20s. This is several years after the accident in Atlanta and this is still with Joe Thornton on his team hitting him with passes. I don't think Heatley necessarily leads the NHL in goals without that injury in any given season, but he still hits 50 as he did twice anyway. He was well on his way to a HHOF career and then just went into a black hole the final 5 years of his career and he wasn't old either. Even by 2009 on Ottawa you could see him declining. So I don't think the accident was the reason because he bounced back after that quite well.

yes he could hit 700 which is good but if he was never injured would he have the chance of 800?

Danny heatly's accident was right as he was going into his prime so if he never got injured would his number be higher?

Also what about crosby if never got injured he would probably be about to hit 700 and have a chance at 800 or more, whats your thoughts on that?

 

[TheBig08]

I got a few main ones i would like to know how their career would have turned out, I mainly want to know what their stats would have been. Mario Lemuiex if he never got injured, Bobby Orr if he never got injured, Mike Bossy if he never go injured, Bobby hull he never left the NHL for the WHA, Eric Lindros never gets injured, Peter Forsberg never gets injured, Sidney Crosby if he never got injured, Pavel Bure if he never got injured, Steven Stamkos if he never got injured, Danny Heatly never has the car accident, Iyla Kolvachuck stays in the NHL and doesn't leave for the KHL, Gordie Howe never leaves the NHL for the WHA, Jaromir Jagr doesnt leave the NHL for the KHL. If anybody could figure that stuff out and share the information that would be great.

Just a question if Ovi plays all his games during his career and has not lockout or covid shortened season does he get 1000 or more goals?

does anybody have answers or stats they could share with me on this?

 

[rmartin65]

does anybody have answers or stats they could share with me on this?

… stats for what-if scenarios?

They all get career-ending injuries day 1 of this alternate universe. No points/goals. It sucks.

 

[TheBig08]

… stats for what-if scenarios?

They all get career-ending injuries day 1 of this alternate universe. No points/goals. It sucks.

its called projected numbers

 

[frisco]

Rick Martin if Palmateer hadn't kicked him in the knee and subsequent misdiagnosis and medical bumbling.

Stephane Richer was ultra-talented but fought major depressive disorder most of his career. It's really remarkable he was able to do what he did.

Tom Barrasso missed almost all of his age 24/29/31 seasons with injuries and family crises (daughter's cancer).

Don Murdoch scored 29 goals in 59 games as a rookie (Calder runner up) but was done in by injuries and addiction issues.

My Best-Carey

 

[Crosby2010]

yes he could hit 700 which is good but if he was never injured would he have the chance of 800?

Danny heatly's accident was right as he was going into his prime so if he never got injured would his number be higher?

Also what about crosby if never got injured he would probably be about to hit 700 and have a chance at 800 or more, whats your thoughts on that?

Crosby was always going to be a guy who hit 500-600 goals. But he was a playmaker first. I don't know if his career goals shoot up that much other than just adding some for missed time. We know he is hitting 600, but without injuries he probably hits 700. My guess. But when we do things like this it is all a remote chance anyway. Who else has missed so little time in their career due to injury other than Ovechkin? Gretzky too I suppose when you think about it. And while we are at it, Howe barely missed time due to injuries as well. He routinely hit 70 games in the season which was the max at the time. And it is no surprise that all three are the only ones to hit 800 goals. Mario does this without injuries too. But in all honesty, who else does? Yzerman played a full career and scored 692 goals. Played until he was 40. And Yzerman was an elite goal scorer. 5 times 50 or more. Twice 60+. I'm not sure if I would put Stamkos as a better all-time goal scorer than Yzerman. You see what I mean? And even then, Yzerman missed time later in his career near the end with his knees and such. Not that he was putting up big goal scoring numbers then, but it still counts.

I just think to have a perfect scenario where a player is healthy his whole career is nearly impossible. Gretzky had the 1993 season where he missed time. He was also banged up for much of his Rangers career. And yet we still think of him as durable and injury free more or less. That is no coincidence that the three guys with 800+ goals were durable.

 

[Calderon]

As for Heatley his goal scoring took an inexplicable nosedive in his late 20s. This is several years after the accident in Atlanta and this is still with Joe Thornton on his team hitting him with passes. I don't think Heatley necessarily leads the NHL in goals without that injury in any given season, but he still hits 50 as he did twice anyway. He was well on his way to a HHOF career and then just went into a black hole the final 5 years of his career and he wasn't old either. Even by 2009 on Ottawa you could see him declining. So I don't think the accident was the reason because he bounced back after that quite well.

I suppose the fact that Heatley managed to get those high goal and point finishes after the Snyder accident doesn't at all mean that he had dealt with what happened and gotten it out of his system. Something like that will linger in your mind for the rest of your life and affect your state of mind and performance in non-linear ways.

 

[Calderon]

For me the biggest what ifs are probably the top soviet players (their real level of talent and career value if they were able to play in the west) and Eric Lindros. With Orr and Lemieux yeah we were robbed of one more HHOF caliber half a career but they still both ended up top4 all time in virtually everyone's list. Their hypothetical team accomplishments would've been more impactful in the alternative timeline. I don't think a healthy Lindros necessarily dominates the competition but he's probably something like a MacDavid's Kucherov to peak Jagr in terms of talent and production, winning 1-3 more Harts, maybe a cup... Probably a top20 player all time.

 

[Crosby2010]

I suppose the fact that Heatley managed to get those high goal and point finishes after the Snyder accident doesn't at all mean that he had dealt with what happened and gotten it out of his system. Something like that will linger in your mind for the rest of your life and affect your state of mind and performance in non-linear ways.

I do wonder if that had something to do with his long term game. Mentally at least. Espen Knutsen took that shot that was deflected and hit that little 13 year old girl in the stands - Brittany Cecil. I think that could have altered his game as he wasn't in the league long after that. I guess it all depends on the person. Craig MacTavish had a long career even after 1984 when he had that drunk driving accident that killed that woman. For the record I know the Snyder family was incredibly forgiving for what happened with Heatley, so you would think that would help heal things. But who knows.

 

[GB]

I watched Tony Hand play a lot. He wasn't NHL calibre. In 1994 Great Britain were in Pool A of the World Championship. They lost all 5 games in the group stage and then lost to Norway who lost all 5 games in their group. Hand played all 6 games and scored 0 points. For comparison Espen Knutsen was Norway's top scorer with 3+2. I think that gives a reasonable look at how far Hand was from being an NHLer.

However, all that being said, Hand did not play in the same competition as Garry Unger in 86/87, Patrick Scott in 93/94 or Luc Chabot in 88/89. Hockey DB makes it seem like they are the same competition but they were all in a lower division.

 

[Michael Farkas]

However, all that being said, Hand did not play in the same competition as Garry Unger in 86/87, Patrick Scott in 93/94 or Luc Chabot in 88/89. Hockey DB makes it seem like they are the same competition but they were all in a lower division.

Thanks for this. Can you expand a little more on the quoted? For those that don't know the separation, myself included, a little bit of context would be welcomed, if you care to share...

 

[buffalowing88]

How would David Legwand look coming into an older franchise, he was forced to become a defense minded guy and only got to play with high caliber guys for about a season or two.

Oh jeez, David Legwand. That's a name I haven't heard in awhile. I think he becomes maybe Doug Weight? I liked him a ton and agree that he was placed in a bad situation early on.

 

[Hockeyville USA]

Igor Grigorenko was supposed to be the next big thing for the Detroit Red Wings after Datsyuk and Zetterberg had come over. Grigorenko tore up the 2003 World Junior & put up very good Super League numbers, then was in a terrible car accident in 2003 and was never the same player. I think the Red Wings get another Cup or two if Grigorenko stayed healthy and continued on the same trajectory.

 

[kirby11]

For the Sabres specifically:

-What if Darcy and management don't rush Zemgus Girgensons to jump too many levels of hockey too quickly after being drafted and he has a chance to round out his game in juniors and the AHL? He had to become a defense first grinder type just to survive being on tank rosters, but showed flashes of some really good skill early on in his career. I feel like he could've been something closer to a Latvian Jere Lehtinen in terms of adding more of an offensive game to complement his defensive abilities if he wasn't in immediate sink or swim mode upon entering the NHL.

-A healthy, non-concussed Tim Connolly becomes a long-term #1C.

 

[carjackmalone]

Cam Neely was drafted by the rangers who coveted him one pick after Vancouver

 

[CharlestownChiefsESC]

The Rangers don't fall in love with ex Soviets, and prioritize Doug Weight over Sergei Nemchinov and trade Alexei Kovalev for Brendan Shanahan. A Weight-Shanahan combination would have been very interesting to watch.

 

[gretzkyoilers]

"At the training camp I could see that he had a great ability to read the ice and he was the smartest player there other than Wayne Gretzky. He skated well: his intelligence on the ice stood out. He was a real prospect."

- Oilers' Coach, Glen Sather. Oilers Training Camp, 1987

"I think Rick Fera will be a major force in the BHL one day"

-Anonymous 1983

 

[CrosbyIsKing87]

Always a fun topic. What if Gretzky chose the Red Wings instead of the Kings in 1988? What if the Rangers won the Lindros hearing in 1992? What if Pelle Lindberg doesn't die in a car accident in 1986? What if the Habs choose not to check McSorley's stck in the 93 Final? One that I always ponder when I think of the 1996 World Cup of Hockey: What if lemieux plays for Canada that year instead of sitting it out (for some reason that I still don't understand).You would have to think that he would have made the difference for Canada, although the U.S. was great that year.

 

[CharlestownChiefsESC]

What if lemieux plays for Canada that year instead of sitting it out (for some reason that I still don't understand).You would have to think that he would have made the difference for Canada, although the U.S. was great that year.

The real question is where does he slot in. I would assume you repeat 87 and stick him on Gretzky’s wing

So you would have

Shanahan-Sakic-Lindros
Mario-Gretzky-Linden
Graves/Damphousse-Messier-Claude
Yzerman-Brind Amour-Fleury

I've always said Mario didn't play because Scotty Bowman was initially supposed to be the coach and it was no secret Mario didn't like him