Ziggy Palffy

hamzarocks

Registered User
Jul 22, 2012
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Pickering, Ontario
Was looking at his stats and saw how dominant he was when playing. Put up over 700 pts and was over ppg for his career. Had some amazing years during the dead puck era. My question is who would be a comparable for him in the modern league, and if he hadn't retired early(had a ppg season with the pens after the lockout for 40 games than left) would he have been a hall of famer. He put up amazing numbers in european league for the next 7 years.
 

Sticks and Pucks

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Jan 2, 2008
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I'd say Kucherov would be a good comparison to Palffy. I don't think Palffy would be a Hall of Famer regardless. His peak wasn't as good as Kariya's peak and Kariya isn't a Hall of Famer.
 

hamzarocks

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Jul 22, 2012
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Pickering, Ontario
I'd say Kucherov would be a good comparison to Palffy. I don't think Palffy would be a Hall of Famer regardless. His peak wasn't as good as Kariya's peak and Kariya isn't a Hall of Famer.

That's true, though I think kariya should be I'm the hall of fame. He was a better talent than patrick kane imo and wold have had a far greater career had he avoided injuries. Kucherov is pretty great especially in the playoffs. Sucks that palffys teams didn't make the playoffs often.
 

Samus44

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Aug 5, 2010
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I consider Palffy one of the most underrated players of all time. Longevity and playing for a poor Islanders and a mediocre/poor LA team is what'll keep him out of the HoF. He wasn't elite enough to be a guy who makes it in the Hall without substantial playoff success or a long career. If he'd played 1000 games then he makes it but 5 years would have been a lot for him, he started getting banged up/complaining of injuries late in his NHL career.
 

ytsur*

Guest
When some try to tip the HHOF scales one way or the other for a player based on team success, or lack-there-of, just remind yourself of the collection of clowns who manned the nets for Ziggy's teams.

5'10"
1.04 career points-per-game
Entire career spanned the DPE

He's a HHOFer to me, and most certainly better than many inductees.
 

Czech Your Math

I am lizard king
Jan 25, 2006
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When some try to tip the HHOF scales one way or the other for a player based on team success, or lack-there-of, just remind yourself of the collection of clowns who manned the nets for Ziggy's teams.

5'10"
1.04 career points-per-game
Entire career spanned the DPE

He's a HHOFer to me, and most certainly better than many inductees.

In terms of offensive level, I think Ziggy was like a poor man's Kane (absent the playoff greatness) or Kariya. His lack of longevity in NHL, and lack of proven playoff production/success keeps him out of the HOF.
 

Terry Yake

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Aug 5, 2013
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he's very underrated i'd say

could've played longer too if it weren't for injury which could have made his numbers even better since it was right after the '05 lockout
 

vadim sharifijanov

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Oct 10, 2007
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In terms of offensive level, I think Ziggy was like a poor man's Kane (absent the playoff greatness) or Kariya. His lack of longevity in NHL, and lack of proven playoff production/success keeps him out of the HOF.

palffy had his moments in the playoffs, eliminating the red wings in 2001 and pushing the avs to seen in 2002.

unfortunately for him, his first three years in LA were his only trips to the playoffs, facing the red wings and avs two times each. and after defeating the mighty wings in '01 he had the pleasure of running into the cup-quest ray bourque avs, who summarily shut him down.
 

vadim sharifijanov

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Oct 10, 2007
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palffy definitely deserved some serious hart consideration in 2003. by my count, the voting should have gone: 1. macinnis, 2. forsberg, 3. palffy.

that LA team was gutted two years in a row, and by the end it was palffy and palffy alone dragging that team along.
 

Czech Your Math

I am lizard king
Jan 25, 2006
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palffy had his moments in the playoffs, eliminating the red wings in 2001 and pushing the avs to seen in 2002.

unfortunately for him, his first three years in LA were his only trips to the playoffs, facing the red wings and avs two times each. and after defeating the mighty wings in '01 he had the pleasure of running into the cup-quest ray bourque avs, who summarily shut him down.

Love Palffy, not saying it's his fault for playing on bad teams, but we all know how that is held against players.
 

Canadiens1958

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Nov 30, 2007
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Richard Martin + Others

Love Palffy, not saying it's his fault for playing on bad teams, but we all know how that is held against players.

Still cannot get around the comparables with Richard Martin:

http://www.hockey-reference.com/players/m/martiri01.html

Slightly better team, much better positional dominance.

Brian Propp, better teams, more SC finals, fairly similar positional impact.

http://www.hockey-reference.com/players/p/proppbr01.html

Alex Mogilny, somewhat better teams with better individaul spikes who hung around too long, allowing the shine to fade.

http://www.hockey-reference.com/players/m/mogilal01.html

A bit distant from John Leclair with a comparable injury history, lesser playoff awards and honours:

http://www.hockey-reference.com/players/l/leclajo01.html
 

Zegras Zebra

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May 7, 2016
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Winnipeg, Manitoba
Ziggy Palffy was a great player who was always on a terrible team whose NHL career ended early due to injuries. You can't really blame a guy for that. He was definitely the best Islander of the late 90's (probably the only good Islander during the fisherman jersey era).

Is he a future hall of famer? I would say no because he didn't play long enough to put up great numbers, and he didn't have the peak of other HHOF members with short careers like Bure, Forsberg, Lindros (eventually Kariya), etc. He would also be looked over to a lack of playoff success which again isn't completely his fault. Maybe in a few years he will get some hype behind him for being able to put up points in the dead puck era, but I don't know the future. He is definitely in the Hall of Very Good though.

Ziggy Palffy is one of the best names in hockey history hand down!
 

ytsur*

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To be that small (both in stature and build), only to put up THAT production in THAT era. And he wasn't a defensive liability.

One of the most amazing careers that got no attention.
 

authentic

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Jan 28, 2015
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Yep Palffy seems to be one of the most underrated players ever. He actually was better than a lot of HOFers and would have made it himself if he had a longer career without injury. He was one of the most skilled players of the dead puck era.
 

Giuseppe Franco

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Jun 1, 2008
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To echo what everyone else is saying, Palffy was truly an underrated talent. He put up three straight 40 goal seasons on some putrid Islander teams in the late 90's. He also led the Kings in scoring with 85 points in 2002-3. Second place? Matheu Schneider with 43. It's too bad most of his career was wasted on such terrible teams.
 

creg78*

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Great offensive player, would of probably had a few 110ish point seasons in the 80's.
 

Sentinel

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May 26, 2009
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l loved the guy back in the day. My fond memory of him is the Christmas special NHL 2nite on ESPN, when they did "On the four days of XMas the NHL gave us four Ducks a'quackin' (Selanne to Kariya), three screaming Penguins (Jagr), two Dominators (Hasek), and a merry-go by Ziggy Palffy (a spin-o-rama goal from the man).
 

feffan

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Sep 9, 2010
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Ziggy Palffy was a great player who was always on a terrible team whose NHL career ended early due to injuries. You can't really blame a guy for that. He was definitely the best Islander of the late 90's (probably the only good Islander during the fisherman jersey era).

This indicates Kenny Jonsson is maybe even more forgotten/underrated than Palffy ;)

If those two had played on one of the top 10 teams of the leauge during most of their careers I think Palffy would have been an HHOF:er and Jonsson could have challenged for a few All Star Team seasons.

To add to an if argument is to be made for HHOF for Palffy, one got to remember he played in one of the greatest RW-eras ever. Had he played LW during the same era I think he would have had a few All Star Team selections to show. Or had those seasons in some other era. RW:ers of that time when he got All Star votes was HHOF:ers Jagr, Bure, Selänne (well, as soon as available...), Iginla (most probably...), Hossa (maybe...) and a few great players who had some good seasons against him in Kovalev, Bondra, Alfredsson, young Heatley and so on.

Palffy and Jonsson is two good examples how much playing for an (or a few...) bad team(s) basically your whole career or during an era when your position is strong will effect your legacy.

And maybe it ain´t an coincidence that they both went home to Europe while they still where impact-players (even if Palffy was injruied and needed an break as well...). To play on an contender and compete sure makes for an more fun time and maybe would have cured a bit of that home sickness for them, and in an domino for their families...
Palffy didn´t look out of place in 2010 OG, and that was after a year off and 3 years in the Slovakian leauge. Jonsson was still an top 2 defender in the WC during the last games he played (an peak Shea Weber was the only one to beat him for best defender...), and that after an All Star season in Sweden. I actually think Jonsson could still had played in the leauge just a few seasons ago if he wanted and had an healthy career. He had that ageless style of play. And is still only 41, retiring from the NHL at 29 in 2004.
 

Ivo

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Dec 29, 2008
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Rotterdam, NL
No doubt he was talented enough to make the Hall, but didn't have much luck in his career. He missed appr. 120 games in his prime to injuries and also retired early because he was too banged up. His line with Allisson and Deadmarsh was really something, sadly didn't play much together since the other two were even more injury prone. He played on bad teams his whole career too.
Point per game career in that era and 4 top-10 scoring finishes is still pretty impressive. I've always thought he could've picked up some hardware in 03/04, he was having a great season before his mid-season injury and could have challenged St. Louis for his league-leading 94 points.
 

Gylf

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Dec 29, 2007
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Palffy for me is comparable to Kent Nilsson. Tremendous offensive player with HHOF-worthy stats but not even considered for the HHOF. He just didn't make enough impact on any of the teams he played for. Sure he was great those years in NYI and LA but neither club has a case for retiring his number.
 

feffan

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Sep 9, 2010
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Malmö
I've always thought he could've picked up some hardware in 03/04, he was having a great season before his mid-season injury and could have challenged St. Louis for his league-leading 94 points.

I also think that was an season he could have had an All Star Team season. Unlike the other seasons the competition amongst RW:ers that season wasn´t as great. Or the point race as an whole for that mather, probably one of the weakest Art Rosses out there.

But if health is the issue, no one is probably touching Forsberg that season. He had an 1.41PPG in 39GP and Palffy 1.17 in 35. Forsberg actually had an incredible start, with 1.65PPG in his first 26GP before his second injurie that season, then managed to play 13 games the last 3 months with only 12 points there.
For notice Savard also had an great half season there, with 1.18PPG in 45GP with injuries all over the season until he called it in in february.

All these would most certain see an drop in their PPG, but for reference at the All Star Break the one that ended up 1-3 in the Art Ross race had:
St. Louis 57TP in 54GP for 1.06PPG
Kovalchuk 59TP in 56GP for 1.05PPG
Sakic 57TP in 53GP for 1.08PPG
 

Theokritos

Global Moderator
Apr 6, 2010
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Palffy for me is comparable to Kent Nilsson. Tremendous offensive player with HHOF-worthy stats but not even considered for the HHOF.

Doesn't Nilsson have a reputation of someone who was lazy and usually disappeared in the playoffs? I don't think either can be said for Pálffy.
 

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