Kris Draper, Guy carbonneau and cie were also good for shut down line and I hope They are gonna never be retired. It doesnt mean they werent good. They were, but to met to be retired mean more than just to be a good shut down player.
For a guy who never saw him play you have a lot of opinions. Most of them wrong. You’re entitled to them of course but you’re misinformed.
"Bob's contribution to the game was that he proved once and for all that a forward could be a genuine star without scoring a lot."
-Ken Dryden
When Denis Potvin was asked about great players he mentioned Gainey before Lafleur:
"He was the guy who made Montreal really hard for me to play," said Potvin. "He hurried you. If you did not turn in time and really hustle after the puck and get rid of it right away, he planted you. Hell, he planted you even if you did make the play. After a few shifts, I'd be throwing the puck away against a Lambert or a Risebrough too. He took me off my game and made me play too quickly against Montreal. I don't think I played nearly as well at a Bob Gainey tempo as I did when I controlled the pace of the game."
Viktor Tikhonov also called Gainey the “best all around player in the world,” or “Most complete hockey player in the world,” depending on your translation.
Don’t compare Draper to Gainey, Bob Gainey played more for the Habs during their great years than any other forward not named Lafleur. Draper was a fine player but he was no Gainey.
