John LeClair HOF?

[SlickHands]

With guys like sedins, I really don't have an issue at all.

The guys I'm particularly referring to are the guys who racked up stanley cups and otherwise would not have got in but for the fact they played on dynasties.

Kevin Lowe would be the latest from that category.

Totally agree that it happens. Just saying it can work the other way too. Guys with inferior resumes who didn't win can get in based on being identified with a certain franchise, line, etc.

 

[DRW895]

Maybe one day he`ll be inducted into the HOF

 

[Boxscore]

Johnny LeClair had some monster years at his best -- and was part of one of the greatest lines in NHL history -- but I don't consider him a HHOFer. He's similar to Timmy Kerr in ways. Titan goal scorer for a stretch but didn't have the sustainability to go into the Hall.

 

[quietbruinfan]

Johnny LeClair had some monster years at his best -- and was part of one of the greatest lines in NHL history -- but I don't consider him a HHOFer. He's similar to Timmy Kerr in ways. Titan goal scorer for a stretch but didn't have the sustainability to go into the Hall.

Leclair was a much more versatile and much better player than Tim Kerr.

 

[Boxscore]

Leclair was a much more versatile and much better player than Tim Kerr.

I will agree with more versatile. "A much better player"? Nah. During his peak years, Kerr was feared. He was a goal scoring machine. But in regards to goal scoring dominance -- they were both monsters for a short time but couldn't sustain it long enough to be considered for the Hall.

 

[19781999]

2-Time U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame inductee - 2009: John LeClair / 2016: 1996 Men’s World Cup Team

Yes!

JOHN LECLAIR

US Hockey Hall of Fame Museum

www.ushockeyhall.com

1996 WORLD CUP TEAM

US Hockey Hall of Fame Museum

www.ushockeyhall.com

 

[quietbruinfan]

I will agree with more versatile. "A much better player"? Nah. During his peak years, Kerr was feared. He was a goal scoring machine. But in regards to goal scoring dominance -- they were both monsters for a short time but couldn't sustain it long enough to be considered for the Hall.

He was an extremely slow slot scorer, who was a minus during one of his 50 goal seasons and in a few others. He was a pp specialist and not feared very much at all. As a Bruin fan, I kind of liked seeing him lumbering around for the Flyers.

 

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

His before and after Lindros seasons paint a less flattering picture.

4 years in Montreal before Lindros, 118 points in 224 games, season highs of 19 goals and 44 points
4 years in Philly and Pitt (excluding injury seasons), 185 points in 265 games, season highs of 25 G and 53 points.

That's 489 games without Lindros at all, and a good but not HOF worthy 0.62 PPG. Even taking only the post Lindros years and saying he was a late bloomer, that's still 0.70 PPG.

Away from Lindros altogether, his goals and points per game are almost cut in half

That's kind of a bad argument.
Young 3rd line Leclair in Montreal
Old and injured Leclair with a bad back in Philly and Pittsburgh.

This guy's prime and peak were amazing. As a Detroit fan I was more worried about Leclair than Lindros. You could always get Lindros to make some undisciplined play and take a dumb shit penalty but Leclair was clean, big, strong and physical. If anything I think Lindros career numbers are pumped up more from having Leclair.

How about a comparison of Lindros with and without Leclair? On teams he didn't have Leclair on?

 

[crobro]

Didn’t realize John Tonelli had two post season all star selections

Incredible clutch player

 

[Hobnobs]

Elitists will say no. I say yes, LeClair is definitely a HoFer.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

How about a comparison of Lindros with and without Leclair? On teams he didn't have Leclair on?

a very small sample, but the older lindros was pretry statistically dominant with theo fleury and bure, but didn’t have the health.

in the 2002 season, up to when he sprained his knee in december, missed two weeks, then came back to a 2 pts in 9 game stretch, he was second in the scoring race, behind iginla. that was on the FLY line with fleury and york.

after the bure trade at the end of that season, he had 9 goals, 16 pts in 12 games to close out the season on a line with bure and mostly rucinsky afaict.

if you just take out the 9 games after he came back obviously hobbled from the knee injury, he had 71 pts in 63 games, on pace for 92 pts over the full 82, second only to iginla.

but then those are two wingers higher up on the hall of fame ladder than leclair

 

[Sturminator]

There are worse players than LeClair in the hall, but I think he's still unlikely to get in.

 

[04hockey]

both him and Kerr had back injuries that shortened their careers, so there's that ?

 

[Mortimer]

Wouldn't Kerr be a better comparable to Neely though? Just a thought.

 

[Voight]

Shouldnt get in before Rick Martin.

 

[Michael Farkas]

I think I've moved beyond the idea that Rick Martin was better than John LeClair...

 

[Neutrinos]

He won the NHL Plus/Minus Award twice

Just once

John LeClair Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Salary, Title | Hockey-Reference.com

Checkout the latest stats of John LeClair. Get info about his position, age, height, weight, trade, draft, salary and more on Hockey-Reference.com

www.hockey-reference.com

 

[MadLuke]

Pronger is the only player since Gretzky to lead the NHL in +/- multiple times

Krejci 2009 and 2014 has well

 

[Crosby2010]

I think he falls short. Just too short of a peak. Scored 50+ three straight years when no one was doing it. Markus Naslund another left winger comes to mind as someone not in who was a better player than Leclair on an individual level. Leclair just didn't do it long enough.

 

[Neutrinos]

42 goals, 89 points in 154 playoff games leaves a little to be desired...

 

[mja]

That seem unfair but something possible to validate has Lindros missed so many game

But a quick glance
95-96: Leclair score 51 with Lindros playing 73 games
96-97: Leclair score 50 with Lindros playing 52 games
97-98: 51 with Lindros playing 63 games

98-99: Leclair score 43 with Lindros playing 71 games
99-00: Leclair score 40 with Lindros playing 55 games

I suspect Leclair was still very good in the non Lindros played game. I imagine someone already looked at the with, without Lindros those season before.

LeClair & Lindros were even broken up for much of that 97-98 season. LeClair typically lined up 5v5 with Gratton, Brind'Amour with Lindros, in an effort to spread out the scoring and to justify the Gratton signing. Lindros certainly helped LeClair become the player he became, but he became a great player in his own right and his production when Lindros was out of the lineup proves it.

I think he gets in way down the line, along with a few other tweeners who were clearly better than some of the guys already in.

 

[Hobnobs]

LeClair & Lindros were even broken up for much of that 97-98 season. LeClair typically lined up 5v5 with Gratton, Brind'Amour with Lindros, in an effort to spread out the scoring and to justify the Gratton signing. Lindros certainly helped LeClair become the player he became, but he became a great player in his own right and his production when Lindros was out of the lineup proves it.

I think he gets in way down the line, along with a few other tweeners who were clearly better than some of the guys already in.

I wouldn't say they were broken up for most of that season but they did juggle the lineup quite a bit. Leclair still played a significant time on Lindros wing but yeah, they basically tossed around Lindros, Leclair, Gratton, Brind'Amour, Zubrus, Prospal and the lesser ones in Klatt, Daigle and Falloon throughout that season.

 

[mja]

I wouldn't say they were broken up for most of that season but they did juggle the lineup quite a bit. Leclair still played a significant time on Lindros wing but yeah, they basically tossed around Lindros, Leclair, Gratton, Brind'Amour, Zubrus, Prospal and the lesser ones in Klatt, Daigle and Falloon throughout that season.

There was a long stretch they were together as a line, like, at least half the season, hence Gratton's notching 40 assists for the only time in his career. I remember it well, I was already posting on hockey forums during it. Point being, LeClair was just as productive even when away from Lindros.

 

[BraveCanadian]

To me Leclair is borderline because he had a great peak but longevity was a bit meh.. his peak is probably enough but it looks subdued due to the time period it came in. Scoring 40-50 a year in the dead puck wasn't an easy gig.. so I guess I lean towards yes he should be in.

 

[Moose Head]

With Kariya finally getting in, doesn't LeClair have the best postseason All-Star record of any player yet to be enshrined?

I realize LW was a weak position, but it was that way in the 1970s too, and I'll take LeClair over Bill Barber or Steve Schutt

Like it or not, being a 1st liner on multiple cup teams has value to the selection committee. Imo Rick Martin was just as good as those guys and he played LW at the same time and he isn’t in. Trade places with Barber or Shutt and he’s in.