"Good" Players that were disappointing on Cup Winners

[sr edler]

No one likes to remember Scott Niedermayer this way but prior to 2003 his career was basically like he was an ugly duckling that was the only person that didn't realize he could skate faster than anyone else and ought to use it. Honestly, it took him 10 years to figure that out.

Either way, don't ever let people tell you Stevens wasn't the core of that defense because he was. Niedermayer in 2000 had 5 goals and 2 assists and while they didn't win in 2001 he had a surprising 0 goals and 6 assists.

Stevens was the main guy on that defense, but you probably shouldn't exaggerate the overall difference between him and Niedermayer too much. The fact is that when New Jersey didn't have good depth offensively, both on C and wing, and couldn't roll their robotic machinery in such a way, the team tended to go nowhere. 96 didn't make the playoffs. 97 makes the playoffs, but Stevens has 0 goals and 4 assists in 10 games. Next year 1 point in 6 games. Niedermayer had slightly better production than Stevens those years while still being responsible on D. Stevens' offense was sporadic during the Cup years. Yes, I know he scored a deadly highlight reel flashy back hand goal against the Panthers with Bure not back-checking properly in 00, but come on. Florida Panthers in the first round of the 00 playoffs? Give me a break.

 

[frisco]

Elias in 2003. Fifth on team in scoring behind Madden and Friesen.

My Best-Carey

 

[c9777666]

Tomas Sandstrom in 1997. Had zero goals and 4 assists in 20 playoff games. He played that playoff with Yzerman and McCarty. In that regular season, he scored 42 points in 74 games with Detroit and Pittsburgh. Not sure what happened with him in the playoffs.

One of those 4 assists though was a big one- McCarty’s iconic 1997 cup winning goal.

weird to think Tomas Sandstrom of all people was the guy who passed the puck to McCarty before he made history

 

[quoipourquoi]

Claude Lemieux in 1996. 39 goals and 71 points in 79 games in the regular season, and surrounded by playoffs in 1994, 1995, and 1997 where he had a combined 33 goals and 57 points in 57 games... and he has 5 goals and 12 points in 19 games? A little underwhelming.

 

[Brodeur]

Alexander Mogilny in 2000.. 4 goals, 7 points in 23 games, are you kidding me?

Mogilny was my first thought too, although he was involved in some big moments towards the end of that run.



Mogilny added a huge insurance goal in game 6 to make it 2-0. Eric Lindros got Philadelphia on the board with about a minute left in regulation but the Devils hung on to force game 7.



Then late in game 7, Mogilny got caught on a long shift but helped set up the series winner by Patrik Elias.



And then in game 6 against Dallas, Petr Sykora got hurt and Mogilny got promoted to the top line. On the Cup winning goal, Dallas D Sylvain Cote hesitates as he thinks Elias' pass is going to Mogilny. That momentary pause was long enough to create the passing lane to Arnott.

I do remember Larry Robinson being complimentary of Mogilny buying into the defensive system. Perhaps he was just trying to build up his confidence, but at least Mogilny wasn't a minus player while not producing offensively.

 

[Hockey Outsider]

How about Andy Bathgate? After a long, brilliant run on the disappointing Rangers, he was traded to the Leafs at/near the 1964 trade deadline. He scored 77 points in 71 games that season (good for 4th in the league in scoring) - and that includes 18 points in 15 games after the trade (so it's not like he didn't fit in with the Leafs).

In the playoffs, Bathgate only scored 9 points in 14 games (tied for 5th on the team). But I don't think he (or the Leafs) are too disappointing, seeing as how they won the Cup. (This was Bathgate's 12th NHL season - the 10th full one - and it was the first time he won a playoff series).

 

[vikash1987]

I don't know why I thought Mike Richards was relatively quiet/disappointing for LA in their second Cup run (2014). Maybe I'm not remembering correctly. Looking back at his stats, he seemed to factor into the scoring a fair amount---perhaps it was just a case of not being in line with his past playoff performances, I guess?

 

[JianYang]

Kaberle 2011

1-8-9 in 24 games after the trade

0-11-11 in the playoffs.

He ended up the 6th d man and was invisible. Didn't have any stand out plays, didn't wow, just kinda ate some ice time.

This was the first name that popped into my head. He was brought in to help the PP, if i remember correctly, and was that the year where they didn't get a PP goal in the entire 7 game first round?

I think the leafs unloaded him at a good time. His best days were behind him, as it turned out.

 

[scott clam]

Malkin in '16.

 

[jimmysheva]

Dominik Hasek 2008

 

[Voight]

I don't know why I thought Mike Richards was relatively quiet/disappointing for LA in their second Cup run (2014). Maybe I'm not remembering correctly. Looking back at his stats, he seemed to factor into the scoring a fair amount---perhaps it was just a case of not being in line with his past playoff performances, I guess?

He had started his decline as a player by that point but I believe most if not all Kings fans will tell you he was. still a key cog in 2014.

Not a cup winner but Rick Nash was pretty meh in 2014.

He didn't have a very good regular season but he still only managed a paltry 3 goals in 25 playoff games. Scored 40 goals the next year.

Is Scott Gomez a stretch?

2000 - 70 pts regular season, 10 pts in 23 games (rookie year)

2003 - 55 pts regular season, 12 pts in 23 games

He'd go on to score 70 points in 2004.

 

[Sentinel]

Malkin in '16.

Injured. It was a miracle he played at all.

 

[ShelbyZ]

I don't know where he ranks in terms of "good", but Dmitri Mironov with the Wings in '98.

He got a single Norris vote and 4 post season AS votes after '97 and attended the 1998 All Star game while putting up pretty solid numbers as a dman for the Ducks.

Was the Wings big addition at the trade deadline to shore up some of the loss of Konstantinov and the local media really played up a whole "new Russian five" hype on deadline day, while fellow TDL acquisition Jamie Macoun was barely mentioned.

Mironov had a decent rest of the regular season with the Wings, but struggled to fit with Bowman's system defensively. He eventually finished the playoffs a healthy scratch, not meeting the criteria to have his name on the Cup. Meanwhile, Macoun formed a surprisingly effective shutdown 2nd pairing with Bob Rouse and ended up playing in every playoff game.

 

[Passchendaele]

Injured. It was a miracle he played at all.

One less point than Conn Smythe winner that year.

Just sayin'.

 

[Stephen]

No one likes to remember Scott Niedermayer this way but prior to 2003 his career was basically like he was an ugly duckling that was the only person that didn't realize he could skate faster than anyone else and ought to use it. Honestly, it took him 10 years to figure that out.

Either way, don't ever let people tell you Stevens wasn't the core of that defense because he was. Niedermayer in 2000 had 5 goals and 2 assists and while they didn't win in 2001 he had a surprising 0 goals and 6 assists.

Bossy, Trottier and Potvin all had their numbers go south in the 1984 playoffs. To be fair, 4 straight Cups with those guys never taking a series off probably weighed into them being drained for the drive for 5 attempt in 1984.

I guess he is getting older at this time and it wasn't as if he didn't still have use but Glenn Anderson's 6 points in the 1994 Cup winning Rangers seems off considering he had 18 in three rounds the year before in Toronto.

Up until about 2003, Scott Niedermayer was pretty disappointing in terms of potential to individual accomplishment.

He could do this, which he was famous for, but really wasn't the future Hall of Famer he became after 2003.

 

[scott clam]

One less point that Conn Smythe winner that year.

Just sayin'.

Anyone who watched the playoffs that year could see that the difference between the two was far greater than the point spread.

Malkin was not himself that spring, and his line struggled to produce throughout the playoffs. Crosby's numbers aren't great, but he took all the difficult matchups, and was a beast on the penalty kill.

Also he went to god mode in the faceoff circle in the finals. That's why they gave him the Smythe.

I was honestly expecting Kessel to get the Smythe, and I would have been fine with that, but Crosby was the more valuable player.

 

[GlitchMarner]

I don't know where he ranks in terms of "good", but Dmitri Mironov with the Wings in '98.

He got a single Norris vote and 4 post season AS votes after '97 and attended the 1998 All Star game while putting up pretty solid numbers as a dman for the Ducks.

Was the Wings big addition at the trade deadline to shore up some of the loss of Konstantinov and the local media really played up a whole "new Russian five" hype on deadline day, while fellow TDL acquisition Jamie Macoun was barely mentioned.

Mironov had a decent rest of the regular season with the Wings, but struggled to fit with Bowman's system defensively. He eventually finished the playoffs a healthy scratch, not meeting the criteria to have his name on the Cup. Meanwhile, Macoun formed a surprisingly effective shutdown 2nd pairing with Bob Rouse and ended up playing in every playoff game.

Didn't realize so many former Maple Leafs defensemen were on the '98 Red Wings... where was Dave Ellett?

 

[Fire Sweeney]

Luk Robitaille

 

[GlitchMarner]

Anyone who watched the playoffs that year could see that the difference between the two was far greater than the point spread.

Malkin was not himself that spring, and his line struggled to produce throughout the playoffs. Crosby's numbers aren't great, but he took all the difficult matchups, and was a beast on the penalty kill.

Also he went to god mode in the faceoff circle in the finals. That's why they gave him the Smythe.

I was honestly expecting Kessel to get the Smythe, and I would have been fine with that, but Crosby was the more valuable player.

Crosby averaged ten seconds per game on the PK in those playoffs.

 

[Johnny Engine]

Didn't realize so many former Maple Leafs defensemen were on the '98 Red Wings... were was Dave Ellett?

Todd Gill showed up a year later

 

[mrhockey193195]

His stat line isn't as egregious as some other examples, but a lot was made of Adam Graves's struggles in 94. He did fairly well in the first two rounds, but starting with game 4 of the ECF vs. NJ, he went 10 straight games without a goal (and only tallied 3 assists). This is coming off of his Rangers-record-breaking 52 goals in the regular season. He redeemed himself in game 7 of the finals though...

Toews in 13 is an obvious answer, and one that's a bit bizarre to me. 3 goals total.

 

[Brodeur]

Up until about 2003, Scott Niedermayer was pretty disappointing in terms of potential to individual accomplishment.

He could do this, which he was famous for, but really wasn't the future Hall of Famer he became after 2003.

I wish I could remember the interview/podcast, but I remember listening to Craig Button say how Dallas actually focused more on how to play against Niedermayer than they did Stevens. Button said something along the lines of how "they had no answer" for Niedermayer. Niedermayer also averaged a smidge more ice time than Stevens to lead the team that postseason. So even though he wasn't necessarily used in an offensive role, he could still had an effect on the game.

And maybe not as pretty as the '95 goal, but this one was big:

 

[Sentinel]

Didn't realize so many former Maple Leafs defensemen were on the '98 Red Wings... were was Dave Ellett?

Don't forget a certain Larry Murphy.

 

[Sentinel]

Anyone who watched the playoffs that year could see that the difference between the two was far greater than the point spread.

Malkin was not himself that spring, and his line struggled to produce throughout the playoffs. Crosby's numbers aren't great, but he took all the difficult matchups, and was a beast on the penalty kill.

Also he went to god mode in the faceoff circle in the finals. That's why they gave him the Smythe.

I was honestly expecting Kessel to get the Smythe, and I would have been fine with that, but Crosby was the more valuable player.

 

[scott clam]

Crosby isn't cheating on faceoffs, he's just better