Greatest Player to never win the Cup

[lovetherangers]

My vote goes to Rod Gilbert, although a close second goes to Marcel Dionne. Borje Salming, and Cam Neely also pops into my mind, and Satsney as well. Which player do you feel is the best to never win?

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[Blades of Glory]

You consider Rod Gilbert better than Stastny and Dionne?

 

[Loto68]

As a Ranger fan I love Gilbert, but It would be a stretch to put him even in the top 5 never to win a cup. In fact he isn't even the best Ranger of that era to not win, see there are these two guys named Ratelle and Giacomin. I shouldn't have forgot about the Greatest Ranger never to win the cup, Brad Park.

So tell me again how Gilbert can be the best never to win, when he wasn't even the best player for his franchise not to win.

 

[Crosbyfan]

My vote goes to Rod Gilbert, although a close second goes to Marcel Dionne. Borje Salming, and Cam Neely also pops into my mind, and Satsney as well. Which player do you feel is the best to never win?

Let me think for a nonosecond:

How about No?

For starters, Jean Ratelle was clearly better than Gilbert, so maybe a whole nanosecond wasn't really needed.

 

[Dark Shadows]

Brad Park

 

[tommygunn]

Tretiak would be my choice.

Kharlamov, Park, Dionne, Stastny are all good choices too.

 

[lovetherangers]

As a Ranger fan I love Gilbert, but It would be a stretch to put him even in the top 5 never to win a cup. In fact he isn't even the best Ranger of that era to not win, see there are these two guys named Ratelle and Giacomin. I shouldn't have forgot about the Greatest Ranger never to win the cup, Brad Park.

So tell me again how Gilbert can be the best never to win, when he wasn't even the best player for his franchise not to win.

that Ratelle is better than Gilbert is highly debatable, seeing as how everyone around the team and league placed Gilbert ahead of Ratelle talent wise, and leadership wise. Brad Park was a great defenseman, and for 5 years was the best d-man outside of Orr, but again comparing a defenseman to a foward is apples and oranges, and was traded no less. I'm not going to quantify Giacomin as he was an excellent goalie, but shared the nets for the first half of his career with Villamure before coming into his own and owning the NY nets. Gilbert was the best player on the 70's Rangers, and frankly I'm curious as to why it's apparently not so to you fine people?

 

[TheDevilMadeMe]

Best of all players: Valeri Kharlamov

Best of all players who played in the NHL: Sergei Makarov

Best of all players who were primarily NHLers: Brad Park

 

[Canadiens1958]

Simple

that Ratelle is better than Gilbert is highly debatable, seeing as how everyone around the team and league placed Gilbert ahead of Ratelle talent wise, and leadership wise. Brad Park was a great defenseman, and for 5 years was the best d-man outside of Orr, but again comparing a defenseman to a foward is apples and oranges, and was traded no less. I'm not going to quantify Giacomin as he was an excellent goalie, but shared the nets for the first half of his career with Villamure before coming into his own and owning the NY nets. Gilbert was the best player on the 70's Rangers, and frankly I'm curious as to why it's apparently not so to you fine people?

Coaches were concerned about stopping Jean Ratelle and Brad Park when playing the Rangers, not Rod Gilbert. In 1972 when Jean Ratelle was injured late in the season the Rangers suffered, arguably cost them their only legit chance at the Cup.

 

[dafoomie]

Adam Oates is right up there with the guys mentioned so far.

 

[Moses Doughty]

Dionne

 

[Leafs Forever]

Brad Park for me. He would have had a lot of norris trophies if Bobby Orr hadn't been around. I suppose a couple of the great soviet players could be argued, but Brad Park takes the cake as far as guys who starred in the NHL.

 

[shazariahl]

Park was just slightly before I really began watching hockey; from what I saw I'd have to say Dionne was the best that never won.

 

[ck26]

Best of all players who played in the NHL: Sergei Makarov

Best of all players who were primarily NHLers: Brad Park

I think you're going to have to stay up late to convince most hockey fans than Sergei Makarov was better than Brad Park. I've got Park ranked as a top 10-15 defenseman all-time.

What adds some mythical juice to Dionne's status as greatest ever to not win was how tantalizingly close he came as a rookie. He was an extremely highly rated prospect in 1971, and was drafted second by Detroit, just after Guy Lafleur was drafted by Montreal.

Detroit's next pick that season? C Henry Boucha. Ever heard of him? Thought so.
The LA Kings started off that year with C Vic Venasky and D Neil Komadoski. Ever heard of THEM? Thought so.
After Montreal grabbed Lafleur, they wasted a couple of additional first rounders before having D Larry Robinson fall into their lap in the second round.

This isn't a story of falling just short in the finals one year; if the Backstrom trade goes differently or the Habs make a different decision on draft day, Dionne could easily have won 4 or 5 Stanley Cups.

 

[tony d]

Marcel Dionne

 

[Psycho Papa Joe]

In my lifetime, Brad Park.

 

[Psycho Papa Joe]

I think you're going to have to stay up late to convince most hockey fans than Sergei Makarov was better than Brad Park. I've got Park ranked as a top 10-15 defenseman all-time.

What adds some mythical juice to Dionne's status as greatest ever to not win was how tantalizingly close he came as a rookie. He was an extremely highly rated prospect in 1971, and was drafted second by Detroit, just after Guy Lafleur was drafted by Montreal.

Detroit's next pick that season? C Henry Boucha. Ever heard of him? Thought so.
The LA Kings started off that year with C Vic Venasky and D Neil Komadoski. Ever heard of THEM? Thought so.
After Montreal grabbed Lafleur, they wasted a couple of additional first rounders before having D Larry Robinson fall into their lap in the second round.

This isn't a story of falling just short in the finals one year; if the Backstrom trade goes differently or the Habs make a different decision on draft day, Dionne could easily have won 4 or 5 Stanley Cups.

Just as an aside, the Habs almost had a deal with Detroit to nab the #2 pick as well and would have picked Lafleur and Dionne.

 

[WingsFan95]

I like how a lot of greats ended up winning Cup later past their primes, kinda of a fairwell, like Bourque so he wouldn't have to be on this list.

Dionne pops into my head for forwards.
Tony Esposito for goalies.



Players I watched I feel bad for not winning, Ron Hextall, Mark Howe and Keith Thatcuk.

 

[TheDevilMadeMe]

I think you're going to have to stay up late to convince most hockey fans than Sergei Makarov was better than Brad Park. I've got Park ranked as a top 10-15 defenseman all-time.

What adds some mythical juice to Dionne's status as greatest ever to not win was how tantalizingly close he came as a rookie. He was an extremely highly rated prospect in 1971, and was drafted second by Detroit, just after Guy Lafleur was drafted by Montreal.

Detroit's next pick that season? C Henry Boucha. Ever heard of him? Thought so.
The LA Kings started off that year with C Vic Venasky and D Neil Komadoski. Ever heard of THEM? Thought so.
After Montreal grabbed Lafleur, they wasted a couple of additional first rounders before having D Larry Robinson fall into their lap in the second round.

This isn't a story of falling just short in the finals one year; if the Backstrom trade goes differently or the Habs make a different decision on draft day, Dionne could easily have won 4 or 5 Stanley Cups.

Well, I do have Brad Park as my #11 dman of all time. But I have Sergie Makarov as just a tad below Bossy and Jagr among forwards (and I'm not even sure if he should be below them).

To put it another way, I have Slava Fetisov as my #8/9 ranked defenseman of all time, and I think Makarov was just as good as him.

 

[TheDevilMadeMe]

I like how a lot of greats ended up winning Cup later past their primes, kinda of a fairwell, like Bourque so he wouldn't have to be on this list.

Dionne pops into my head for forwards.
Tony Esposito for goalies.



Players I watched I feel bad for not winning, Ron Hextall, Mark Howe and Keith Thatcuk.

Tony Esposito won a Cup as a third string goalie early in his career. Technically, that counts.

 

[Basikk]

Marian Hossa?

 

[tommygunn]

Detroit's next pick that season? C Henry Boucha. Ever heard of him? Thought so.
The LA Kings started off that year with C Vic Venasky and D Neil Komadoski. Ever heard of THEM? Thought so.
After Montreal grabbed Lafleur, they wasted a couple of additional first rounders before having D Larry Robinson fall into their lap in the second round.

Murray Wilson was actually a pretty decent player with the Habs.

And yes.. I've heard of Boucha, Venasky, and Komadoski..

 

[brianscot]

For the sake of the under appreciated, I'll say Norm Ullman.

 

[Axxellien]

UnderAppreciated:

Yes, Yes, Norm Ullman..Joined Detroit a year after their last cup in 55..traded to Leafs right after the end of their Dynasty...Pat Lafontaine up from Olympics with Islanders in 84..Pat Stapleton, Bill White & that 71 Chicago loss...........Adam Oates.

 

[Canadiens Fan]

If the Caps don't win the Cup this year I think we can maybe add the name of Alexander Ovechkin to this list.