Zine said:
I'm not so sure how better Orr would have been had he continued to play. Would Orr at 35 be significantly better than he was at 27?
Part of Orr's mystique comes from the fact that fans never saw him on the downside of his career. He basically retired in his prime. His stats never took a hit in terms of ppg production or what-not either. Gretzky played waaayyy past his prime and by his late 30's was a shell of his former self.
As someone else pointed out, had Gretzky retired at the same age Orr did, I think he'd be untouchable:
GP G A PTS PIM
696 583 1,086 1,669 323
8 Hart Trophies
7 First All-Star Teams
1 Second All-Star Team
2 Conny Smythe Awards
5 Lester B. Pearson Awards
7 Art Ross Trophies
I mean 8 Harts in 9 years is downright insane. Orr won 3.
Had Gretzky retired after 9 seasons his legend would be smaller. He would not be as high on every all-time list as he is. (Howe and Orr and Lemieux would be above him on many lists) Gretzky was a shadow of only his former 200 pt+ early 20's self by the time he retired, he was by no means a shadow of a player. The length of Gretz career adds to his legend and does not subtract. His 1993 playoffs are as mouch of the legend of Gretzky as the Cups he won. He wins the 1994 scoring title.
Orr's short career does not add to his legend it subtracts from it. People who believe Orr is more legendary for having left early in his career and never having to play are forgetting that in his last full season after his knees were shot he led the NHL in scoring and had 46 goals. Then after that he was Canada's best player at the 1976 Canada Cup. Had Orr not been injured there is little reason to think his downside would have come for a very long time. He turned 32 in March of 1980. Most top NHL D-Men are still at their peak at age 32. Bourque's best seasons were in the early 90's, Chelios was at his peak in Chicago in his early to mid 30's. Coffey who is thought to have stuaed to long won the Norris at nearly age 34 in 1995 and had perhaps his best all-around season that year.
If Orr had played longer and not been injured he likely has at least 5 more insanely productive seasons from 75-76 through 79-80. Probably topping 100 points and 30 goals in each one of them and challenging for the scoring title each season. He also likely winning the Norris trophy each year. Also the Bruins were a very good team after Espo and Orr left in the mid-late 70's. With a healthy Orr maybe they win another Stanley Cup?
So assume this is what happened. At the end of 79/80 Orr has 11 straight 100 point seasons, 13 straight Norris trophies. He has likely around 1450 points and 400 goals. And he is only 32. Let's say he plays 3 more years and retires in 1983 at age 35. Those years are great but not as great as Orr has been before. Let's say in 1981 he only gets in 60 games and scores 75 points and finally loses his grip on the Norris and is only a 2nd team All-Star. Then in 1982 he plays the full season puts up 92 points and is again the Norris trophy winner beating out Doug Wilson. In 1983 he decides it will be his last season. He plays 70 games and gets 82 points is a 2nd team All-Star.
So he plays until age 35, that is 17 seasons. He has 11 100 point years, wins 14 Norris Trophies. Is a first team All-Star 14 times and a 2nd team 3 times. He finishes with 1700 points and 460 goals both All-time best marks by a defenceman and at the time of his retirement puts him second to only Gordie Howe in career points.
This is a not improbable scenario for Orr had his knees not been injured and if he had played for as long as Horton, Stevens, Chelios or Bourque his legend would even have been greater.
There is no way that Orr would not have been more highly regarded if he had played a longer career. He left the game at his absolute peak. It is not irrational to think he may have actually had his best 2 or 3 seasons between the age of 27 and 32. He could have topped 140 or 150 points or got 50 goals. He could have won another 2 scoring titles.
If Orr plays 5-10 more seasons he would be the definitve #1 overall player of All-time and not Gretzky.