Bossy traded to EDT for Gretzky 1982

[Hawksfan2828]

10/19/1982

Gretzky for Bossy

What would have happend?

would have bossy become gretzky and gretzky bossy?

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[Nalyd Psycho]

No. Bossy could never be the playmaker Gretz was, and injuries still would have slowed him down. Gretz still would of put up unholy numbers.

 

[Hawksfan2828]

No. Bossy could never be the playmaker Gretz was, and injuries still would have slowed him down. Gretz still would of put up unholy numbers.

give bossy kurri, messier ect.. plus the only reason why bossy got messed up was because he had no true people looking after his back and protecting him...gretzky had it. thats the reason i brought this up, that and the whole oiler/islander dynasty thing. bossy was forced to play "al arbour" hockey, and that messed up his knees for life.

 

[Nalyd Psycho]

Gillies would protect him. Thr problem was, Bossy spent alot of time in the slot where players could cross check him with impunity. While Gretzky played on the boards and was able to see and avoid contact before real damage could be done. Gretz stayed healthy because of the vision that allowed him to be the greatest playmaker ever.

Kurri would be the 2nd line RW is Bossy was there. Messier is no better than Trottier and the Oilers had no LWs of Gillies caliber.

 

[Weztex]

1-Trottier would rank higher in all-time points.
2-Gretzky would put up better numbers.
3-Bossy would have a longer career.
4-Kurri would have 500 goals instead of 600.
5-Edmonton / Islanders would meet in the finals more than once

 

[Ted Hoffman]

give bossy kurri, messier ect.. plus the only reason why bossy got messed up was because he had no true people looking after his back and protecting him...gretzky had it. thats the reason i brought this up, that and the whole oiler/islander dynasty thing. bossy was forced to play "al arbour" hockey, and that messed up his knees for life.

IIRC Bossy didn't retire because of his knees, he retired because of his back and the near-constant abuse people gave him there. At the end, he was like Mario circa 1996 where he physically couldn't lean over to lace his skates, but could go out and control a game because he was still a constant threat to score.

 

[Sens Rule]

10/19/1982

Gretzky for Bossy

What would have happend?

would have bossy become gretzky and gretzky bossy?

Clearly Bossy does not become Gretzky. Messier is hardly better than Trottier as a centre.

Gretzky is Gretzky. I say the Isles win a couple of more Cups with Gretzky rather than Bossy. And the Oilers don't win 5 cups with Bossy instead of Gretzky. They would probably have won a couple though.

 

[raleh]

I think Bossy's career would end up worse if he were in Edmonton instead of Gretzky. Trottier was better than Messier and Bossy would likely see less ice time with Kurri and Anderson behind him.

 

[Leaf Lander]

bossy prob would had a center named messier


and he would still scored a tonne of goals because he was a natural goal scorer one of the top 5 best of all time and he compelted those chances on his own not through garbage collecting.


a what if thread like this is a insult to his career from a bunch of kids who dont even recall seeing him play.

 

[arrbez]

yeah, who knows what numbers Bossy would have put up on a good team, instead of being stuck on those awfull Islanders teams of the early 80's...

 

[saskganesh]

The Islanders were a tough team of warriors, they could not be intimidated, so the lack-of-protection claim regarding Bossy is false.

Bossy on Oilers minus Gretzky? they would have been like the late 80's Calgary teams, good team, perennial potential cup winner, but probably only one or two once history is written. Gretzky leaving circa 1982 would have hurt the Oiler player's development though. I do believe people learned things from him, so maybe that roster would not have been as good as the 1990 Oilers team became in our timeline.

and many more cups for the Islanders too, yes. at least two more before hard knocks of injuries and age catch up to them.

 

[Sens Rule]

The Islanders were a tough team of warriors, they could not be intimidated, so the lack-of-protection claim regarding Bossy is false.

Bossy on Oilers minus Gretzky? they would have been like the late 80's Calgary teams, good team, perennial potential cup winner, but probably only one or two once history is written. Gretzky leaving circa 1982 would have hurt the Oiler player's development though. I do believe people learned things from him, so maybe that roster would not have been as good as the 1990 Oilers team became in our timeline.

and many more cups for the Islanders too, yes. at least two more before hard knocks of injuries and age catch up to them.

The thing is Gretzky is the best player ever. Even if you don't like Gretzky no one is saying anyone aside from Orr or Lemieux or maybe Howe is better. Bossy was an all time great maybe top 20 or top 30 or top 50 ever. But he is not Gretzky. Gretzky scored as much or more than Bossy in his prime and Gretzky was a far better playmaker than scorer.

The Oilers were very, very deep without Gretzky. They won a Cup without him. But would they have been so good if their best player, and the best player by far in the NHL left them a few years before they won the Cup? I think they are hurt massively by it.

People talk about Messier as a great leader. But Gretzky was the Oilers true leader. He strived for the Cup and to be the best in the world. No one ever, ever in NHl wanted to win more than Gretzky and no one ever was a better playoff performer. Maybe some guys wanted to win as much as Gretzky or elevated their play in the playoffs but no one ever surpassed Gretzky - if anything they equalled him never surpassed him.

Take Gretzky away and add him to the best team in the NHL aside from the Oilers and maybe the Islanders win 7 or 8 Cups in a row.

 

[Leaf Lander]

when the islander stopped winning cups

Bossy was still in his prime. He was born in 1957 they won there last cup in 84 so he was only 27.

The isles machine slowed because most of the players were slowed by injuries but Bossy wasnt one of them.


1984-85 New York Islanders NHL 76 58 59 117 38 10 5 6 11 4
1985-86 New York Islanders NHL 80 61 62 123 14 3 1 2 3 4
1986-87 New York Islanders NHL 63 38 37 75 33 6 2 3 5 0

Even in his injured shortened season Bossy produced more then a point a game with a bad back! Had medical technology been more advanced back then maybe Mike could been patched up to continue playing. But back in those days they didn't make the money that they do today so we will assume that the incentive to keep playing wasn't as great as the pain which made him stop.

Bossy wasn't a supporting player he was a great goal scorer like Brett Hull

Minus gretzky from the oilers and add bossy still would ment a few cups for the oilers team. Maybe they would won 5 straight with bossy instead of 2 2 and 1

 

[Ogopogo*]

10/19/1982

Gretzky for Bossy

What would have happend?

would have bossy become gretzky and gretzky bossy?

Stats-wise they would have ended up pretty much the same as they did on their real teams. Talent is talent; Gretzky could have scored 200 points playing for the Colorado Rockies.

 

[shawnmullin]

Stats-wise they would have ended up pretty much the same as they did on their real teams. Talent is talent; Gretzky could have scored 200 points playing for the Colorado Rockies.

I don't think it's fair to entirely discount the help he got from other talent on the Oilers.

 

[jiggs 10]

Bossy would still score his 50 goals a year, but it would be a bit tougher for him without Trots. Messier was not the same kind of player, he was more selfish with the puck, thus Bossy would not get those good passes in his prime scoring area. Gretzky would probably score about 40 less points every season, just because the Isles didn't play the same run-n-gun style as the Oilers did, so he would not have the chance to ring up those astounding assist numbers. Plus, Arbour would have made him at least TRY to play defense!

Talent is talent, but it helps when you are also surrounded by talent. Both players were, and it helped them have the careers they did. Bossy would have scored goals anywhere, Gretzky would have put up points anywhere. But probably not at the same rate they did with their actual teams.

 

[Lowetide]

I don't know why either team would have made the trade. Bossy was a stunning player, amazing release (and people forget but just deadly accurate) and fit in well. Also Trottier brought a lot of dimension to that line and was an outstanding playmaker.

The only thing that could/would have broken up that tandem was exactly what did break it up: injury. I have a good enough memory to know that one of the reasons EDM won their first cup was that Mike Bossy was a shadow that spring (and Patty Lafontaine was not yet the player he would be although he scared the BeJesus out of us in the final game).

 

[Ogopogo*]

I don't think it's fair to entirely discount the help he got from other talent on the Oilers.

What about this:

Gretzky scored 137 points as a rookie with linemates that TOGETHER totalled less than 450 career NHL points.

Gretzky scored 164 points in his second season on a team where the 2nd leading scorer had 75 points. He MORE THAN DOUBLED his nearest teammate.


Consider that the 5 greatest offensive players in NHL history not counting Gretzky (Howe, Lemieux, Esposito, Mikita, Jagr) on AVERAGE, had a BEST SEASON 110% higher than their 2nd year total. The LOWEST best season of that group increased their 2nd year total by 41%.

So, if we assume that Gretzky could have accomplished what the WORST of the next 5 greatest offensive players could have accomplished, he should have peaked at 231 points in a season.

So WITHOUT ANY HELP FROM HIS TEAMMATES Gretzky could have been expected to peak out over 200 points.

I think it is safe to assume that Gretzky would have scored 200 points whether he played for the Oilers or the Colorado Rockies.

 

[NOTENOUGHJTCGOALS]

Lets think about Gretzky with Bossy. Yummy.

 

[Trottier]

...plus the only reason why bossy got messed up was because he had no true people looking after his back and protecting him....bossy was forced to play "al arbour" hockey, and that messed up his knees for life.

Where can one purchase your works of fiction?

Lets think about Gretzky with Bossy. Yummy.

Those of us who lived through Bossy with Bryan Trottier found it "yummy" enough, thank you. To the tune of 4 straight and decade+ of elite hockey.

Bossy as recently as last year said he considers Trottier to be the best passer ever. Now, of course, he's biased, but he recognizes how valuable #19 was to his career (and vice versa).

 

[#66]

Where can one purchase your works of fiction?



Those of us who lived through Bossy with Bryan Trottier found it "yummy" enough, thank you. To the tune of 4 straight and decade+ of elite hockey.

Bossy as recently as last year said he considers Trottier to be the best passer ever. Now, of course, he's biased, but he recognizes how valuable #19 was to his career (and vice versa).

Yup. Those two fit together like a glove on OJ's hand. Throwing Potvin into the mix is downright mind numbing. Remeber that set play off the faceoffs?

Can you imagine Bossy on a run and gun team? That would have been sickening.

 

[Leaf Lander]

if u check the ages of posters who dont appreciate bossy and how great he was you will coon discover they they are abour 20 to 27 yrs of age and way to young to recall the greatness of bossy and the isles

 

[Birko19]

Here's a better scene, swap Bossy with Kurri....

 

[Sens Rule]

if u check the ages of posters who dont appreciate bossy and how great he was you will coon discover they they are abour 20 to 27 yrs of age and way to young to recall the greatness of bossy and the isles

Of course Bossy is being compared to Gretzky in this thread. Anyone that saw Gretzky in the 1980's knows Bossy was awesome but Gretzky was just out of this world.

Gretzky was >>>>>>>>>> than Bossy in their Primes.

But comparing anyone aside from Orr or Mario to Gretzky in his prime is going show them coming up far behind.

 

[arrbez]

What about this:

Gretzky scored 137 points as a rookie with linemates that TOGETHER totalled less than 450 career NHL points.

Gretzky scored 164 points in his second season on a team where the 2nd leading scorer had 75 points. He MORE THAN DOUBLED his nearest teammate.


Consider that the 5 greatest offensive players in NHL history not counting Gretzky (Howe, Lemieux, Esposito, Mikita, Jagr) on AVERAGE, had a BEST SEASON 110% higher than their 2nd year total. The LOWEST best season of that group increased their 2nd year total by 41%.

So, if we assume that Gretzky could have accomplished what the WORST of the next 5 greatest offensive players could have accomplished, he should have peaked at 231 points in a season.

So WITHOUT ANY HELP FROM HIS TEAMMATES Gretzky could have been expected to peak out over 200 points.

I think it is safe to assume that Gretzky would have scored 200 points whether he played for the Oilers or the Colorado Rockies.

yeah, but that's only because Bill McCreary was bannished to a Siberian goulag, allowing the Great One to run free.