Cam Neely - Just how good was he in his prime?

[Puckgenius*]

Sadly i was just a kid when Cam was in his prime, so never got a chance to see him. Just how good was he back in the day? Who was he comparable to? Lindros?

Click to read more...

 

[end]

He was the Jarome Iginla of his era.

Ovechkin is our era's Lindros.

 

[Walkingthroughforest]

He was the Jarome Iginla of his era.

Ovechkin is our era's Lindros.

Ovechkin is nothing like Lindros.

 

[CTU2fan]

Easily one of the best power forwards ever. He hit and fought as well as any "tough guy" and he scored. However, he had the benefit of excellent playmaking centers in Craig Janney and then Adam Oates. I'd say it's Lindros #1, because he had a bit more skill...then it's Neely, Tkachuk, guys like that.

What really skews things is his production late in his career, when he couldn't play every night and still managed a goal a game (1993-94 in particular). Of course at that point the hip limited his physical game pretty severely.

 

[end]

Ovechkin is nothing like Lindros.

He certainly dominates like Lindros.

 

[Arizonan God]

he was that good

 

[BruinsNeedaRussian]

50 in 44

 

[Walkingthroughforest]

He certainly dominates like Lindros.

It's like comparing apples to oranges. Ovechkin dominates on the scoreboard because he's so skilled, Lindros dominated the entire ice because of his physical play. Terrible comparison.

 

[Rhiessan71]

Neely was prolly the best pure sniper power forwards I have ever seen and this is coming from a Habs fan that ****ing hated the guy

 

[Anthony*]

He certainly dominates like Lindros.

he really doesnt

 

[Rhiessan71]

Guys, don't turn this into an OV vs Lindros thread, that truly is apples and oranges with two players that dominated in very different area's of the ice.

 

[Phousse]

I'd say he's Hall worthy.

 

[Awesomesauce]

It's like comparing apples to oranges. Ovechkin dominates on the scoreboard because he's so skilled, Lindros dominated the entire ice because of his physical play. Terrible comparison.

Lindros was more skilled then Ovechkin. Ovechkin is slicker and a better skater. Lindros was also a fair amount bigger and stronger then Ovechkin.

 

[Awesomesauce]

Cam Neely was a tremendous player, however some of his best seasons may have been skewed a little since he did play with one of the best setup men of all time in Adam Oats.

 

[Briere Up There*]

50 goals in 44 games.

Granted, it was a high scoring season, but still epic stuff. I don't have a problem with his HoF induction because he was the best goalscorer and most entertaining player in a big market. It is a hall of fame after all.

Dino Ciccarelli never impacted the play like Neely. I'm not sure I'd vote for your Lindroses, Neelies and Bures, but I'd rather have guys who were great for at least a short period of time. Rather than guys who were drafted the right year and stayed healthy enough to compile.

 

[Nighthock]

50 in 44

All that needs to be said

 

[Rhiessan71]

Lindros was more skilled then Ovechkin.

So much for keeping this about Neely

Ridiculous statement btw just ridiculous, that would be like saying Orr wasn't very fast....oh wait, you did say that

OV is a ton of skill with an excellent amount of power, Lindros was a ton of power with good skill.

 

[revolverjgw]

He certainly dominates like Lindros.

Dominates in a different way, though. There's nobody comparable to Lindros in the history of the game.

Neely was pretty unique, too. Iginla might be the closest, but he's not quite the wrecking ball Neely was.

Neely wasn't talented enough to be compared to Lindros.

 

[end]

The point is not comparing Lindros and Ovechkin, you motards. Ovechkin is to 2010 what Lindros was to 1995. I'd align Crosby and Malkin to that era's Jagr and Lemieux in terms of what they mean in their era. That's not a direct comparison of quality, it's a portrait of similarity.

There's nobody comparable to Lindros in the history of the game.

Oh well that's just great. Then I say there's no player comparable to any other player. And this forum is over.

 

[ap3lovr]

I don't think I ever saw Cam take a shift off. He scored 50 in 44 and he worked for it. I wouldn't say he was as talented as Lindros. I would simply say he worked harder every shift.

 

[Rhiessan71]

Dominates in a different way, though. There's nobody comparable to Lindros in the history of the game.

I wouldn't go that far, there was this Howe guy that played a couple years, in a very similar style and dominated physically just as much

Neely was pretty unique, too. Iginla might be the closest, but he's not quite the wrecking ball Neely was.

A fair assessment imo with Iggy not being nearly as mean.

Neely wasn't talented enough to be compared to Lindros.

Agreed, though Neely was a better finisher.

 

[revolverjgw]

I wouldn't go that far, there was this Howe guy that played a couple years, in very similar style

I hear about this, but honestly I've seen nothing in classic games to suggest that Howe (or anybody from that era) was like Lindros. He was more like a much better version of Messier... a very talented, very tough, very cheap SOB, but not the same kind of style Lindros was doing.

Howe sometimes almost looked lethargic with how he smartly paced himself on his almost endless shifts, but now the game is so different... watching an old game, I see guys mainly hitting to separate the player from the puck, there wasn't the same kind of all-out mentality. Now there's short shifts, no pacing yourself, finish every check as hard you can every time, hit to hurt... Lindros was the ultimate manifestation of these modern abilities and sensibilities. He'd be killing people left and right if he was transported into the 50's and 60's... boards with no give, no helmets and light padding, etc. Howe was a physical beast but I don't think anyone from his era was like Lindros, just like nobody from his era was like Orr.

 

[TheDevilMadeMe]

Iginla is the best modern comparison to Neely. But:

1) Iginla in his prime was a bit better offensively.
2) Neely was more intimidating. He was one of the most feared fighters in the league, while exhibiting offensive skills that weren't that far behind Iginla.

 

[Rhiessan71]

I hear about this, but honestly I've seen nothing in classic games to suggest that Howe (or anybody from that era) was like Lindros. He was more like a much better version of Messier... a very talented, very tough, very cheap SOB, but not the same kind of style Lindros was doing.

Howe sometimes almost looked lethargic with how he smartly paced himself on his almost endless shifts, but now the game is so different... watching an old game, I see guys mainly hitting to separate the player from the puck, there wasn't the same kind of all-out mentality. Now there's short shifts, no pacing yourself, finish every check as hard you can every time, hit to hurt... Lindros was the ultimate manifestation of these modern abilities and sensibilities. He'd be killing people left and right if he was transported into the 50's and 60's... boards with no give, no helmets and light padding, etc. Howe was a physical beast but I don't think anyone from his era was like Lindros, just like nobody from his era was like Orr.

Good post and good points but I would say Howe was to his era what Lindros was to his.

I think the main thing that gets forgotten is that in Howe's era EVERYONE was tough and Howe was known as one of the toughest.
The other thing is that the league average was well under 6 feet in those days and 6'1/6'2 was then what 6'4/6'5 is today.
Don't have to look much further than Terrible Ted to see the difference, he was a terror and not viewed as under sized at all even though he was only 5'8.

 

[allfive6]

my only real memory of Cam Neely was when he got benched against Toronto in Toronto. If memory server Kevin Stevens was also benched by Bruins coach Steve Kasper in that game. Just remember thinking benching a Superstar like that he must be looking to get fired.

1983-84 Vancouver Canucks NHL 56 16 15 31 57
1984-85 Vancouver Canucks NHL 72 21 18 39 137
1985-86 Vancouver Canucks NHL 73 14 20 34 126
1986-87 Boston Bruins NHL 75 36 36 72 143
1987-88 Boston Bruins NHL 69 42 27 69 175
1988-89 Boston Bruins NHL 74 37 38 75 190
1989-90 Boston Bruins NHL 76 55 37 92 117
1990-91 Boston Bruins NHL 69 51 40 91 98
1991-92 Boston Bruins NHL 9 9 3 12 16
1992-93 Boston Bruins NHL 13 11 7 18 25
1993-94 Boston Bruins NHL 49 50 24 74 54
1994-95 Boston Bruins NHL 42 27 14 41 72
1995-96 Boston Bruins NHL 49 26 20 46 31