Playoff success, leadership and intimidation.
Thats what Stevens has over Chelios.
Intimidation? Chelios would carve you up with his stick without even thinking about it. Chelios has always been an intimidating presence. On-rushing forwards knew that a one-on-one with Chelios was an immediate loss. Stand in front of the net when Chelios was on the ice? You'd get a healthy dose of stick to your back. Battle in the corners with Chelios? Good luck.Playoff success, leadership and intimidation.
Thats what Stevens has over Chelios.
Stanley Cups Won While Captain.Playoffs
Stevens - 24 playoff series wins. 3 Stanley Cups
Chelios - 26 playoff series wins. 2 Stanley Cups
Stanley Cups Won While Captain.
Stevens: 3
Chelios: 0
Stanley Cups Won While Captain.
Stevens: 3
Chelios: 0
And Lidström.
Both were great, but Chelios takes this one.
I hate Chelios, but of his contemporaries, only Bourque was better.
Playoff success, leadership and intimidation.
Thats what Stevens has over Chelios.
Lidstrom and Chelios are tied at 3 along with Coffee and Potvin
To me, it's like compairing Yzerman to Trottier or Clarke. Yzerman could bring the offence at a higher level, but couldn't backcheck or win. Then, Yzerman learned to backcheck and win, but then, his offence plummeted to be a lower level than Trottier and Clarke. While Trottier and Clarke could bring the offence at a high end level, play great defence and win all at the same time.
Stevens could be a very good offensive defenceman and nasty physical player. But was prone to putting himself out of position and his teams were not winners. Then, he learned to play great positional defence and win, was still a commanding physical pressence, but his offence was gone. Chelios was always able to be a strong defensive player, commanding physical pressence, winner and offensive d-man. Hi sbest offence wasn't as good as Stevens. But, he's consistently been a total package player. Stevens offence has diminished with age, but, that's not a fair knock, something had to.
Depends which part of HF Boards you visit. Around here, Clarke and Trotts get their due. Just look at where they go in the all-time draft. Somewhere in the 20-25 range, usually, although they have slipped to around the 30 range.I honestly feel Bryan Trottier is way underrated on HFBoards. I really do.
Clarke less so, but many still think of him as a dirtbag and not as the well-rounded, gritty, talented, versatile leader/commander that he was.
Chelios was the complete package. Period.
There were some who were bigger. There were some that had better shots. There were some that were better skaters. There were some who were better leaders. There were some who were better passers. There were some that were better/equal defensively. But NO ONE IMO in the past twenty years or so combined ALL those traits at a high level like Chelios. I hate the ******* with all my heart. But I would have worshipped him as a Leaf.
Chelios was better offensively than Stevens, and he was Stevens equal defensively, physically (a different brand of physical play, but whatever works) and leadership. A better skater and puck-mover. And better at thinking the game.
Soon to be 5
Bwahahaha... post of the year.Not even close. Has Chelios ever even been considered one of the top five (or even ten) defenseman in any single season he has ever played.
The only way you can hold Stevens in higher regard is if you go by playoff success.
Good lord...............Your headed towards the most uninformed poster of the year award with that one....Not even close. Has Chelios ever even been considered one of the top five (or even ten) defenseman in any single season he has ever played.