kovy1335 said:
How many times are you going to say that?
3 Norris trophies: '85, '86, '95
4 Stanley Cups: '84, '85, '87, '91
14x All Star selection.
...but he shouldn't be considered among the all-time greats?
That Gainey isn't considered an all-time great forward means nothing. Maybe if Bob Gainey was the career +/- leader for forwards and not in the top-10 you might have some kind of argument.
I've always said that Coffey was average defensively. I rate him as the No. 2 offensive defenceman of all time (Orr, of course, is No. 1). His defensive play does hold him back somewhat, as I rate him No. 10, after Robinson, Kelly, Chelios and Fetisov. (The top five is almost a given, as witnessed in this survey). Coffey's not as bad defensively as some people make him out to be, but he's not Fetisov or Chelios defensively, either.
One thing I will say about Coffey: his play in the lockout shortened season is as good as the hockey world has seen from a defenceman since Bobby Orr retired. Coffey scored at a 100-point clip (in a season in which scoring dipped below six goals per game), and was very sound defensively. Controlled the pace of the game whenever he was on the ice, in any zone. IMO, only Hasek meant more to his team's success that year.
Kovy, those all-star selections, is that 14 times selected to the first or second all-star team, or to the all-star game. All-star game is irrelevant. The all-star game lost its relevance about 20 years ago, bogged down by apathetic performances, fan balloting and unworthy team representatives. But if that's 14 times to a first or second all-star team, then that's a pretty big argument.