How Great Would Gretzky and Bure Have Been On the Same Line?

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rmp

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Jun 27, 2002
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I read recently that Gretzky tried to get NYR then GM Neil Smith to make a trade for Bure in Gretzky's last year. Not sure if it's true or not, but it wouldn't surprise me given Gretzky's demands of the Kings to get a 50 goal scorer when he was there. And there's no doubt Vancouver was in the running to get Gretzky when he was a free agent in 96.

So the question is, if Gretzky had signed with Vancouver, and Bure was healthy the whole year, would Bure have scored more goals with Gretzky on his line? Would Gretzky have had more assists? The initial reaction for most people is, of course, the best passer teamed up with one of the very best goal scorers - Gretzky loves to pass, Bure loves to shoot.

If I asked the same things about Mogilny, the answers would be a definitive yes, no doubt about it. But Bure never seemed like the guy who needed a set-up man. As long as he was healthy and motivated, he'd probably get his ~60 goals regardless.

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12# Peter Bondra

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Apr 15, 2004
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Gretzky made players around him better = Bure would have had more goals.

Not many players didnt have better numbers with Gretz than without him.
 

ForsbergForever

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May 19, 2004
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I think Bure, with Gretzky setting him up, could've challenged the 76 goal mark and maybe gone for 80, assuming he could stay healthy for the whole season. In the scenario where Gretzky signs with the Canucks instead of NYR, the city may have witnessed some unparalled magic. With amazing goal scoring feats taking place over the coarse of the 96-97 and 97-98 seasons, Bure may have stayed in Vancouver for 98-99 instead of sitting out and getting an eventual trade to Florida. With Gretzky still racking up the points on the west coast he may have been persuaded to play a season or two longer, provided of coarse the Russian Rocket extended his contract to remain by the side of the Great One.
 

Ogopogo*

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rmp said:
I read recently that Gretzky tried to get NYR then GM Neil Smith to make a trade for Bure in Gretzky's last year. Not sure if it's true or not, but it wouldn't surprise me given Gretzky's demands of the Kings to get a 50 goal scorer when he was there. And there's no doubt Vancouver was in the running to get Gretzky when he was a free agent in 96.

So the question is, if Gretzky had signed with Vancouver, and Bure was healthy the whole year, would Bure have scored more goals with Gretzky on his line? Would Gretzky have had more assists? The initial reaction for most people is, of course, the best passer teamed up with one of the very best goal scorers - Gretzky loves to pass, Bure loves to shoot.

If I asked the same things about Mogilny, the answers would be a definitive yes, no doubt about it. But Bure never seemed like the guy who needed a set-up man. As long as he was healthy and motivated, he'd probably get his ~60 goals regardless.

Opinions?

Gretzky and Kurri was about as brilliant as it gets. Bure wouldn't have done any better than Jari.
 

joe_shannon_1983*

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Who knows?

Maybe Gretzky with Bure would have fizzled the way Gretzky with Hull did.

Gretzky and Hull was a dream pairing for years, and then they played mediocre together.
 

#66

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IMO they wouldn't have touched Gretzky/Kurri. Both of those players were some of the best give and go artists ever. I think thats what made them work so well together. Bure, being brilliant rushing the puck, needs to lug the puck more. Francis or Trottier might be a better fit for Bure. Both can cover for him defensively and feed the puck up ice to a streaking Bure. Gretzky's still Gretzky though so he might have found a way to make it work.
 

ForsbergForever

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May 19, 2004
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Maybe Gretzky with Bure would have fizzled the way Gretzky with Hull did.
They played less than 20 games together that year and Hull was coming off an injury and Gretzky adjusting to a new team, hardly ideal circumstances or enough time to give a definitive critic of a Hull/Gretzky combo.
 
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