If Marleau Gets 600 Goals Is that Good Enough For The HOF?

[GodEmperor]

Simple question, I would say combined with his games played potentially ending up even #1, I would think so. What do you guys think? Such a close call either way.

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[tarheelhockey]

He’s not scoring 92 more goals so it’s a moot point, but sure.

 

[deckercky]

Marleau has a very good case for the HHOF, but is not a shoe-in. I don't think any particular milestone that he's likely to reach will change that much.

 

[Sojourn]

The last time he scored 30 goals was in 2013-2014. If he plays out the remaining three years of his contract, he would need to have three straight 30-goal seasons to reach that milestone.

Yeah, I'm going to side with tarheel that it's a moot point. It's not happening.

 

[boboche]

Now that he plays for a good canadian franchise, he will.

 

[KoozNetsOff 92]

Marleau has a very good case for the HHOF, but is not a shoe-in. I don't think any particular milestone that he's likely to reach will change that much.

Not really.

 

[Alwalys]

The last time he scored 30 goals was in 2013-2014. If he plays out the remaining three years of his contract, he would need to have three straight 30-goal seasons to reach that milestone.

Yeah, I'm going to side with tarheel that it's a moot point. It's not happening.

He did score 27 just last year and is on pace for 41 so far this year, so he could get 30 or high 20s again. I could see him playing long enough to hit 600 in his early 40s.

 

[Beukeboom]

If he becomes the one with most games ever he definately has a good case. You don't play 1500+ games (potentially 1700+) without being really good and having an incredibly longevity.

Another factor might be a SC in Toronto leading the young guns.

Also I think it will depend like you say on how many goals and points he'll get. As of now he is 311 points from the top 20 of all time. If he can do that then I'd say HOF for sure.

Assuming he plays another four years, he needs 23 goals per year for 600. That is totally within his reach.

 

[Sojourn]

He did score 27 just last year and is on pace for 41 so far this year, so he could get 30 or high 20s again. I could see him playing long enough to hit 600 in his early 40s.

Ugh. "On pace" when we're 6 games in?

I reiterate: The last time he scored 30 was 2013-2014. Doing that three years in a row, when he's 38 years old now, is far-fetched to say the least.

 

[GodEmperor]

He’s not scoring 92 more goals so it’s a moot point, but sure.

Why not? Marleau has excellent speed for his age and could easily play 5 more years if he really wants to, that's barely 18 goals a year

 

[deckercky]

Not really.

If you don't think he has a solid HHOF case, you're naive or biased. His entire career has been in a relatively low scoring period for the NHL, and he's put up lofty career totals.

Regular season:
62nd all time in points
41st all time in goals

Playoffs:
57th all time in points
18th all time in goals

 

[Empoleon8771]

Why not? Marleau has excellent speed for his age and could easily play 5 more years if he really wants to, that's barely 18 goals a year

All I heard over the summer from Leafs fans was that the Leafs were going to ship Marleau to LTIR Island in 2 years so they could afford to re-sign Matthews. If that's the case, he'll only have this year and next year left.

 

[Paul4587]

Why not? Marleau has excellent speed for his age and could easily play 5 more years if he really wants to, that's barely 18 goals a year

People say that about players yet they rarely do have the longevity that's predicted. Besides Lou is going to bury that contract in year 3.

 

[Regal]

I suppose it's possible he could get in based on high numbers like Andreychuk did. He doesn't really have a good case based on his quality of play though, nor was he really talked about as a HOF player throughout his career, so I doubt he gets in. I'm also with the others that I don't think he hits 600 anyway

 

[Sojourn]

Why not? Marleau has excellent speed for his age and could easily play 5 more years if he really wants to, that's barely 18 goals a year

We just spent an off-season hearing about how Toronto would throw Marleau on LTIR in the last year of his contract so they wouldn't need to worry about his cap hit when other players needed to be signed.

Now he's going to play 5 more years?

 

[deckercky]

I suppose it's possible he could get in based on high numbers like Andreychuk did. He doesn't really have a good case based on his quality of play though, nor was he really talked about as a HOF player throughout his career, so I doubt he gets in. I'm also with the others that I don't think he hits 600 anyway

He's been an accumulator for sure but his numbers are big enough to stand out, particularly considering the era he played in. The way the HHOF actually works, there's a good chance Marleau makes it in (people always imagine impossible standards in these discussions).

I think his playoff goals are the bit that really makes his case (ironic, for a players long criticised as a playoff choker on a team criticised for choking in the playoffs).

 

[Tage2Tuch]

POminville was a better pick up.

Outscored Marleau last year in less games, younger, cheaper, and is outscoring Marleau now.

In other words, no he's not a lock and we should have more threads on Leafs on the main board.

 

[KoozNetsOff 92]

If you don't think he has a solid HHOF case, you're naive or biased. His entire career has been in a relatively low scoring period for the NHL, and he's put up lofty career totals.

Regular season:
62nd all time in points
41st all time in goals

Playoffs:
57th all time in points
18th all time in goals

Weird that he has such lofty career totals but only 2 top 10 goal finishes and zero top 10 pt finishes . He also has zero ASTs, 1 fluke top 15 hart finish.. In other words, he was never close to being among the best players in the NHL. He was actually never even close to being the best in his position. Belongs nowhere near the hall, but I guess anything is possible since Andreychuck got in.

 

[The Beyonder]

Be a one of the contributors to a leafs cup win, score an average of 25 goals for the next 3 seasons and he's pushing into the HHOF.

 

[tarheelhockey]

Why not? Marleau has excellent speed for his age and could easily play 5 more years if he really wants to, that's barely 18 goals a year

Maybe one forward in a generation plays past 40 with that kind of productivity. If Marleau is that guy, he’ll have no problem getting into the HOF. But the odds are against it.

 

[tarheelhockey]

Weird that he has such lofty career totals but only 2 top 10 goal finishes and zero top 10 pt finishes . He also has zero ASTs, 1 fluke top 15 hart finish.. In other words, he was never close to being among the best players in the NHL. He was actually never even close to being the best in his position. Belongs nowhere near the hall, but I guess anything is possible since Andreychuck got in.

He’s more of a Mike Gartner at this point, and the 600 goal thing would be very much like Gartner hitting 700 and being an automatic “in” because of it.

 

[VanIslander]

A Lady Byng trophy (he's been a finalist and often got a block of votes - and now in media-lit T.O. he's likely to get more), a Stanley Cup and a Conn Smythe and no one would doubt it. In fact, any two of those three trophies should do it.

He's 49 career goals away from top-25 all-time, surpassing Guy Lafleur.

He's 84 career points away from top-50 all-time, surpassing Bobby Hull.

He's already 7th all-time in game-winning goals and is 4 away from surpassing Iginla. (Hossa, Ovechkin and Daniel Sedin are the only other top-25 all time in this category outside the Hall - all with less than him).

He is two playoff game-winning goals away from passing guys like Mike Bossy and Glenn Anderson into 5th slot all time and if he scored 3 playoff game winning goals he will tie Joe Sakic and Claude Lemeiux for 3rd all time!

So,... if he averages 17 goals, 28 points, has 1 game winner per season and 2-3 playoff game winners in the next three seasons, then he will reach or surpass the above mentioned legends in the game and might not need two or three trophies.

All in all, he has A GOOD SHOT to be a HHOFer, but THERE'S STILL WORK TO BE DONE to get it done!!

3 g, 5 p in 6 games and 3rd in ice time among Leaf forwards this season is helping him out.

Remember: His career is based on soft hands by the net (he has all-time great ability to bury loose pucks - not with speed and accuracy but with uncanny eye-hand ability to at least get any bouncing/moving puck on net - that skill doesn't deteriorate with age), incredible skating efficiency (he moves 6'2, 200 lbs at lightning speed with only a couple of short, perfect strides - THAT skill does not deteriorate much with age) and a sense of responsibility (his hockey sense is conservative, on the fray yes, but awaiting a turnover or else a pass, putting himself carefully in position offensively and defensively, and wisely so). These three skills should remain for the next three seasons, no problem.

 

[deckercky]

He also has two Olympic gold medals.

 

[Sojourn]

Maybe one forward in a generation plays past 40 with that kind of productivity. If Marleau is that guy, he’ll have no problem getting into the HOF. But the odds are against it.

Without delving too deeply into it, I suspect the forwards who accomplish that were already getting into the HHOF based on their career prior to that point. I think that further emphasizes how slim those odds are.

 

[Tage2Tuch]

Dave Andreychuk has scored more powerplay goals then anyone ever, and the stanley cup at the end of his career was likely the main factor in adding him to the hall.