Å ťastný vs Cournoyer

[Canadiens1958]

Correct

Ron Hextall you mean..

Yes should read Ron Hextall.

Thank you.

 

[Big Phil]

However... Franchise player > Complimentary player, no matter how good the complimentary piece is at being a complimentary piece. You couldn't build a team around Cournoyer.

Beyond that, the statistical gulf between the two players makes it just about impossible to justify taking Cournoyer over Statsny.

Agreed. Stastny was constantly an elite player among the top scorers in the NHL for almost a decade. When I say among I mean even as high as 2nd. Cournoyer did a lot of great things in his career, and I can safely say that the Habs don't win the 10 Cups in his tenure without him. However, two of them he was injured. And while no one will deny he wasn't a key contributor to most Cups the truth is there was always a player on the Habs that was better than him. If it wasn't Beliveau it was Frank Mahovlich. Of Lafleur. Just hard to imagine a team winning if Cournoyer is the best player. It just never happened.

I think a better match-up for Cournoyer is probably somebody like Bill Barber.

That would be a very good poll actually. I would take Cournoyer then.

Now, someone mentioned that Stastny was arguably a better skater in a previous post. With all due respect, there are few players in NHL history faster than Cournoyer and despite his blazing speed he was also a very fluid skater who used his speed in the context of the game. Skating wise, while Stastny wasn't bad himself, the truth is he can't hold a candle to Cournoyer there.

 

[Canadiens1958]

Equal Supporting Casts

Given that their supporting casts were equal, Stastny was only a -11 over his Nordique career while Sakic was a -101. What conclusions can we draw from the grand-daddy of all stats, +/- ?

Their supporting casts were truly equal during the two seasons that Peter Stastny and Joe Sakic played together on the Nordiques:

1988-89:

http://www.hockey-reference.com/teams/QUE/1989.html

1989-90:

http://www.hockey-reference.com/teams/QUE/1990.html

Totals: Sakic - 76 over 150 games, Stastny - 68 over 134 games.
Miniscule advantage Sakic(~.001).

Sakic was a rookie, 19/20 years old, learning the league, not yet physically mature while Stastny was a physically mature veteran who knew the league it is very revealing as to why Sakic became the much better player.

 

[tommygunn]

Just hard to imagine a team winning if Cournoyer is the best player. It just never happened.

1972-73, when he won the Conn Smythe.

 

[Nalyd Psycho]

1972-73, when he won the Conn Smythe.

Ok, unless they have 9 other hall of famers...

 

[Bear of Bad News]

As for the poll itself, closed out of respect for Mr. Cournoyer.