Where does Brenden Shannahan rank all time?

Where would you guys rank him for his era, and all time amongst forwards?

Shanny was one of the first players I ever saw play when I started watching hockey and what a great power forward he was. He would crush you with a body check, rocket a shot past the goalie, and then beat the crap out of you all on the same shift. Here late in his career he's not the same imposing figure but he will still get into a couple fights a year, and oh yeah still pop in 40 goals. He's a great leader, he's been everything you wanted in a hockey player for most of his career and is definitely one of my favorites.

For the era, I can't think of a better power forward, Neely had a great peak but Shanny is as good if not better and he has longevity in his favor. You look at a guy like Jarome Iginla who may be the preminent power forward in the game today and he's really not close to where Shannahan was at his peak. Bertuzzi had a nice little run but that didn't last long.

over the last 20 years he would have to be amongst my top 20 forwards.

 

Shanny is SO huge. ethical, like my namesake. coulda been a Lady Bing if he wasn’t so tough. and will have an important role in hockey after his playing days, like Lanny. what he did with “paying for the buffet†to get the players together that led to all the great changes we’re loving in the game . . .

then him going to New York City, a strong Canadian running the ship there, like Messier before him – so cool. but it’s more Oilers-like, and he’s the Messier to Gretzky’s “captainâ€. (Yeah, maybe Mr. Points has the C, but the team and everybody else knows who’s runnin’ the show.) It’s really sumthin to walk into Manhattan and “take over†the Rangers. and they SO needed a guy like him. clutch performer! representin! Team Canada’s ‘91, ‘96, ‘98 and Gold in ‘02. Captain of Team Canada in the last Worlds. and how he was the leader when that player collapsed on the Detroit bench last year. I’m getting sick of this non-stop ranking thing, but he’s way the hell up there, just under the group of the greatest, maybe 10-15 all-time. in my books.

 

Probably the best leftwinger since Hull when you take into account peak value and length of peak.

 

Iginla's peak had him leading the NHL in goals and winning the Hart trophy. So where was Shanny's peak that was better than that? Just Wondering?

 

I would put Shanny in my top 20 of all time. He is a great player overall.

 

Well Shanny probably isn't near the top 20 All-Time. He might not be top 20 since 1980. Shanny is a great player but he is not an all-time great. HHOF yes. Is he better than Mikita, Trottier, Yzerman, Sakic, Messier, Clarke, Dionne, Max Bentley, Howie Morenz, Glenn Hall, Hasek, Potvin, Coffey, Bossy, Brett Hull....... and many, many others that would rate higher.

 

Shanahan is one of the better forwards I've had the pleasure of watching during my lifetime. He's not at the level of an Yzerman or Sakic, but he's probably a step or two below with a guy like John Leclair.

 

top100

not any better than that.

 

Shanahan? Top 250, maybe top 200 at best.

 

Shanny was better than Leclair IMO.

 

How much competition was there for Iginla at that time vs Shanahan at his time? Shanahan had to beat out some of the greatest goal scorers in NHL history in their primes like Brett Hull, who did Iginla beat out for his last Richard? Rick Nash??

Shanahan has six 40 goal seasons, he's on pace for another this year, and would've come really close to doing it again in the lockout shortened 94 season. 8 seasons near a PPG, along with over 100 PIMS in all but 1 season. Iginla fights once in a while, Shanny was always game to fight as his 170+PIM years will attest too.

 

Top 25-30 to me he is an unbelivable leader and player who gives his all every shift.

 

He's in the top 25

 

Agreed.....

 

Iginla in his prime was the best player in the NHL for at least one season and one playoffs in a differnt season. Shanny was never the best player in the NHL, nor was he ever even in the discussion. And he wasn't in the discussion of whether he was the best player besides Mario and Gretzky.

Who was Iginla better than in his best season 2001/02 when he won the Pearson, Art Ross and Rocket Richard and almost the Hart? Sakic, Yzerman, Mario, Jagr, Pronger, Niedermeyer, Lidstrom, Forsberg, Naslund (in his best season), Bertuzzi (in his best season), Sundin, and Shanahan among many other future HHOFers.

 

I see him around 140-160. I'd like to see who those who rank him top 20 have at 21.

 

Shanahan has had a damn good carreer, but as others have pointed out, he was never the best player in the league at any given time, and generally wasn't even the "best" player on his team most of the time. When you start filling out the 100 best players ever, it's a pretty impressive list, and he belongs. Top 25? I don't think so.

 

I'm going with probably somewhere in the top 100 as well....

 

top scorers
Gretzky
Messier
Howe
Francis
Dionne
Yzerman
Lemieux
Esposito
Bourque
Coffey
Sakic
Makita
Jagr
Trottier
Oates
Gilmour
Hawerchuk
Kurri
Robitaille
Brett Hull
Bucyk
Lafleur
Savard
Andreychuk
Gartner
Perrault
Turgeon
Delvecchio
Macinnis
Ratelle
Recchi
Peter Satstny
SHANAHAN

Shanahan has averaged .91 points per game over his carreer. The only guys ahead of him on the list averaging less than that are Bucyk, Delvecchio, and Macinnis. However, behind him are Beliveau, Clarke, Nicholls, Ciccarelli, Modano, Sundin, Goulet, Roenick,Federko, Bossy and Sittler, all of whom have a higher PPG average than Shanahan. Even if you could kick one of the top 25 out to put Shanahan in, I would think the case is more compelling for someone like Bossy, who averaged 1.50 ppg to go in the top 25 over Shanny. I love ya Brendan, but you're not top 25 all time.

 

He's right on the edge for the top 100. In an all-time draft setting, I would pick him higher than that, though, because he's an LW (not much at LW beyond the Big 3 of Hull, Lindsay or Mahovlich) he can beat an opponent with skill or grit, and he's a natural leader.

Neely was a better player at his peak. You could stop Shanahan at his peak. It was tough, but it could be done. Neely at his peak was unstoppable, even on one leg. Neely's the guy who set the template for the power forward. Every hockey scout for the next 20 years is looking for the next Neely. Shanahan is the guy who filled the template, but didn't change the template. Shanahan did have a better career than Neely, but that's reflective of Shanny's three rings and his longevity.

I think he's a shoo-in for the HHOF. 700 goals seems to be the only statistical guarantee for HHOF enshrinement now. Shanahan probably won't reach that level, but I think he's a lock when you consider he was a 600-goal scorer who was a dominant power forward, a leader and a key player on three Cup champions.

I agree with the earlier poster who said that Shanahan is the best LW since Bobby Hull when one considers peak performance and longevity. (I'd say the best since Hull and Mahovlich, but I digress). It is partially reflective on the dearth of talent at LW over the last 30 years when you consider that guys like Shanahan, Robitaille, Gainey, Goulet, Tikkanen and the Naslunds rate among the best at that position for the last 30 years. I think Kevin Stevens had a slightly better peak value, but his overall career doesn't match Shanahan. And while Luc Robitaille has the all-star selections, Shanahan was a much better hockey player at his peak than Robitaille was, and was much better in the playoffs. I don't remember Shanahan getting benched during a trip to the Stanley Cup final.

Shanahan belongs right around that top 100 players ever, when you consider peak value and overall career. Wouldn't be in my top 100 for peak value. But he's been so good for so long, and has three rings, that he warrants consideration for the top 100.

 

Just not a Kharlamov fan are you?

 

Bottom end of the top 100 for me, as GBC pretty much put it (I agree with almost everything he wrote about him).

 

The best hockey player I ever played against.

 

JP, it's been a while since I've had a good debate (a couple of days, which is a while for me) so I need to know...what didn't you agree with?

 

I think a case could be made for Khalamov as the No. 4 LW of all-time. But I think he's definitely a step below the Big M.

There are about 10 to 12 LWs who are very close after Hull, Lindsay and Mahovlich.