Underrated Historic Players?

Jim MacDonald

Registered User
Oct 7, 2017
703
180
First guy that came to my mind is Mike Gartner. A super long consecutive streak of either 20+ or 30+ goal seasons. I think he ended up with 708 in his career. I heard Keenan wished him gone off the 94 Rangers because he subscribed to a "general moniker" that he was a great regular season player who didn't get it done in the playoffs....he was supposedly delegated to the 3rd line but was still putting up good numbers!
 
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brachyrynchos

Registered User
Apr 10, 2017
1,472
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First guy that came to my mind is Mike Gartner. A super long consecutive streak of either 20+ or 30+ goal seasons. I think he ended up with 708 in his career. I heard Keenan wished him gone off the 94 Rangers because he subscribed to a "general moniker" that he was a great regular season player who didn't get it done in the playoffs....he was supposedly delegated to the 3rd line but was still putting up good numbers!
Yeah, Keenan approached Rangers GM Neil Smith (who liked Gartner) and convinced him that they wouldn't win with him. While Glenn Anderson didn't put up great numbers that Cup year, he brought the experience and intangibles that Gartner never brought playoff time. Shame, Gartner was always a classy guy and such a steady goalscorer, especially on some weak Capital teams.
 
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Jim MacDonald

Registered User
Oct 7, 2017
703
180
Yeah, Keenan approached Rangers GM Neil Smith (who liked Gartner) and convinced him that they wouldn't win with him. While Glenn Anderson didn't put up great numbers that Cup year, he brought the experience and inatngibles that Gartner never brought playoff time. Shame, Gartnerwas always a classy guy and such a steady goalscorer, especially on some weak Capital teams.

Interesting that hindsight indicates Gartner for Anderson was a good deal too....Anderson with the playoff experience and all those overtime goals etc.
 
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brachyrynchos

Registered User
Apr 10, 2017
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Interesting that hindsight indicates Gartner for Anderson was a good deal too....Anderson with the playoff experience and all those overtime goals etc.
True. Another guy (and a good player, albeit young at the time) was Tony Amonte, Keenan felt the same way about him as he did about Gartner. He gets traded to Chicago and establishes himself as a darn good winger, top line guy for the Hawks. The guys the Rangers got in return? Two "Keenan" style players he was familiar with from his CHI days behind the bench, Brian Noonan and the playoff hero Stephane Matteau.
 
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VanIslander

A 19-year ATDer on HfBoards
Sep 4, 2004
35,134
6,428
Outside of this site, Frank Nighbor.
Maybe Red Kelly is in the running...

These two are arguably better than anyone in the NHL today.

If you are anyway offended or bristled at the statement, then I've proven my point. They are arguably so. But rarely are they talked about, certainly almost never outside of this board... (except in hockey history books, which fewer and fewer of us seem to actually reads these days - stack your bookshelf high but don't bother cracking them open!)
 

BigBadBruins7708

Registered User
Dec 11, 2017
13,579
18,347
Las Vegas
Phil Esposito.

He gets diminished by some as simply feeding off of Orr, and was unfortunately too close to when Gretzky played.

People forget that he literally re-wrote the record books. Problem is Gretzky came along only 5 years later and re-wrote them again. So he didnt get the benefit of being the best scorer of all time for a couple decades so that his legend could grow. Gretzky was close enough time wise to cut the legs out from under the Espo legend.

717 G - 813 A - 1,590 Pts
5x Ross
6x Rocket
Finished 2nd all time in points and goals, and 3rd all time in assists
Retired with the single season goals and points records
first to score 60 goals in a season
first to score 70 goals in a season
retired as only player to score 1,000 points in 1 decade
retired with a record 13 consecutive 30+ goal seasons
 
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brachyrynchos

Registered User
Apr 10, 2017
1,472
997
Esposito is a great choice. In a 1982 interview, Espo talked of Gretzky being a better skater, better shot, better passer. In terms of skill, he said only Orr came close, said Howe had to think more, where with Gretzky and Orr it was just natural, and that he (Esposito) had to work so much harder for what he achieved.
Former Bruin Rick Middleton (1005-448-540-988 59 GWG, playoffs 114-45-55-100 8 GWG) I don't see mentioned much here and probably should be.
 

BlueBull

Habby Man
Oct 11, 2017
1,696
1,434
Vancouver Island
Maybe Red Kelly is in the running...

These two are arguably better than anyone in the NHL today.

If you are anyway offended or bristled at the statement, then I've proven my point. They are arguably so. But rarely are they talked about, certainly almost never outside of this board... (except in hockey history books, which fewer and fewer of us seem to actually reads these days - stack your bookshelf high but don't bother cracking them open!)
Red Kelly is a good one. He was Dit Clapper, Platinum Edition. He could play as a Forward or Dman and was very good at being both. He is one of only 10 or so playeras to have his HHOF induction 3 year wait waived. He was that good.
 
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vadim sharifijanov

Registered User
Oct 10, 2007
28,585
15,948
well mike gartner's never going to intentionally skate at full speed into your goalie to intentionally injure him, so there's that.

but here's something else--

glenn anderson

SeasonTmGPGAPTSGW
1992-93TOR21711182
1993-94NYR233362
[TBODY] [/TBODY]
[TBODY] [/TBODY]

mike gartner

SeasonTmGPGAPTSGW
1993-94TOR1856113
[TBODY] [/TBODY]
[TBODY] [/TBODY]

and if we dig a little deeper:

anderson

Date Tm Opp GAPGWG
[TBODY] [/TBODY]

gartner

Date Tm Opp GAPGWG
[TBODY] [/TBODY]


and anderson again

Date Tm Opp GAPGWG
[TBODY] [/TBODY]
 

brachyrynchos

Registered User
Apr 10, 2017
1,472
997
^At the time of the trade, Gartner had 69pts in 81 playoff games, 3 GWG.
Anderson had 207 pts in 208 playoff games, 16 GWG, with Stanley Cup rings and experience playing past the second round, something Gartner hadn't done. For a win now team, it was the right decision. Running goalies and throwing them off their game, and working the corners attributes that Keenan was looking for, guys willing to get dirty and pay the price. Would I have liked Gartner to have won a Cup? Absolutely. Do I think the Rangers would have won with him? I don't know.
 

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