how good was peak Martin Havlat?

[Sensinitis]

he's a player that really stood out to me as really good when I started watching hockey back in 2003-04, but I was much younger so I don't remember much more than just generally being impressed.

if you look at his numbers over a six-season span (2002-2009), he is pretty close to PPG, with some decent playoff numbers. it's fair to assume injuries are what derailed his career after Chicago.

I mean, this guy almost never gets mentioned around here, yet he had a ton of skill, and he was definitely a pretty good first line winger at least. to what type of caliber of player can he be compared to, for those who recall him playing?

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[Michael Farkas]

I really really liked Martin Havlat...my best friend growing up had a Martin Havlat Sens jersey even (I went with a Buffalo Afinogenov...he won)...but he was hurt all the time. He's like Gaborik Jr. but, ya know, hurt.........more...somehow...?

 

[Sticks and Pucks]

He had some good years when he was in his early 20s with the Senators. He was right there with Hossa and Alfredsson on the Senators in 03-04 when he was 22. At the time, I don't think it would have surprised anyone if he had eventually become the best Czech player in the league. He missed a few games due to a contract holdout that season but once he signed, he was great that year. I think eventually injuries took its toll. He missed most of the 05-06 season and then toiled on some not so good Blackhawks teams. The 08-09 season was pretty good, however, even though Havlat led the team in scoring, that team was more about the emergence of young Toews and young Kane.

 

[VanIslander]

By peak do you mean the games prior to each of his previous injuries?

His career was like the foothills of the Rockies.

 

[Sensinitis]

By peak do you mean the games prior to each of his previous injuries?

His career was like the foothills of the Rockies.

Well 2002-2009 is the period that i think best corresponds to his peak. His points year-to-year are pretty similar and significantly higher than the years outside that timespan.

 

[VanIslander]

Well 2002-2009 is the period that i think best corresponds to his peak. His points year-to-year are pretty similar and significantly higher than the years outside that timespan.

He was never top-10 in goals, assists or points. Not ever.

Moreover, careerwise, he scored less than 250 goals, less than 600 points, in just under 800 games played.

My point stands: whatever 'peaks' he had, they were foothills.

 

[streitz]

Nothing special, average scorer who wasn't great in the playoffs. Chippy, I remember him getting into some slashing or spearing incident with a flyers player in 2004 but don't remember who.


Wasn't a fan honestly, just unremarkable in every sense aside from some stickwork followed by turtling.

 

[Sensinitis]

He had some good years when he was in his early 20s with the Senators. He was right there with Hossa and Alfredsson on the Senators in 03-04 when he was 22. At the time, I don't think it would have surprised anyone if he had eventually become the best Czech player in the league. He missed a few games due to a contract holdout that season but once he signed, he was great that year. I think eventually injuries took its toll. He missed most of the 05-06 season and then toiled on some not so good Blackhawks teams. The 08-09 season was pretty good, however, even though Havlat led the team in scoring, that team was more about the emergence of young Toews and young Kane.

It’s a damn shame injuries derailed a promising career. Such a talented and unique player.

The Sens had some amazing RW depth with Alfie, Hossa and Havlat all playing on different lines.

 

[GMR]

He was a pretty good player, but in hindsight my only memories of him are the frequent injuries and the time he was killed by Kronwall.

 

[Michael Farkas]

Top-20 in points per game 2003-2009 (min. 200 games)...#BestStat

 

[mrhockey193195]

He had the skill to be one of the best offensive players in the league, and he showed it on many occasions. Injuries derailed his career, but there was a stretch where it was very realistic that he'd be the best player to come out of the 1999 draft.

 

[Sticks and Pucks]

He was never top-10 in goals, assists or points. Not ever.

Moreover, careerwise, he scored less than 250 goals, less than 600 points, in just under 800 games played.

My point stands: whatever 'peaks' he had, they were foothills.

If he had played the entire 03-04 season, I think he would have been top 10 in scoring.

 

[VanIslander]

If, if, if ... if I had volunteered in Kenya during my gap year, I would've climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro.

There's no peak with Havlat, just foothills.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

i remember he had a four goal game against buffalo back when ottawa vs buffalo was a huge deal

 

[tony d]

He had a very good run before injuries got in the way. In a poor 1999 draft Havlat might be among the 5 or 6 best players to come out of that draft.

 

[Sticks and Pucks]

He had a very good run before injuries got in the way. In a poor 1999 draft Havlat might be among the 5 or 6 best players to come out of that draft.

Speaking of the 1999 draft, I do remember that prior to the 2004 lockout, Havlat was considered the best prospect to come out of the 1999 draft. That was before Zetterberg, the Sedins, and Ryan Miller emerged as top players in the NHL.

 

[vancityluongo]

I resent the "soft" generalization for any player, and especially for European players, but it applies to Havlat. Without looking into it deeply, I remember his career as a more injured, slightly lesser version of Thomas Vanek.

 

[sr edler]

He gave a pretty soft impression overall, injuries notwithstanding. Prototypical Czechoslovak player in a sense, but without all that cynicism/tenacity.

It's interesting how he led the 09 Blackhawks in points in the regular season (77) and was second on the team in plus/minus (+29, only behind Kieth), and then he led the team in points again in the playoffs (15), again with good plus/minus, with his team going out in the CFs against Detroit.

Then the Hawks offer him a 1-year deal for 2010, but he wants term and signs a 6-year deal with the Wild instead, and Hawks goes after Hossa instead. One has to think that's a pretty good upgrade. For Chicago.

 

[Troubadour]

i remember he had a four goal game against buffalo back when ottawa vs buffalo was a huge deal

I remember that too. I also remember Heatley remarking "he gonna get eight tonight" after the fourth.

There was a time when I thought Havlat would become the best player in the league. And for periods, that's precisely what he was. He was fast like a wind and had plenty of skill. Also very, very entertaining to watch. Made of glass.

But not exactly soft:

 

[streitz]

Shame he wasn't that good in the playoffs.

 

[Troubadour]

Shame he wasn't that good in the playoffs.

As a matter of fact, he could get scary good in the playoffs. I remember him completely obliterating the Lightnings in spring 2006, scoring ten points (six goals) in five games.

He was just as streaky come playoffs as he was during the regular season.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

i think ottawa was too conservative and brought both havlat and spezza along too slowly. it was also a shame that no matter how much they tried havlat just didn't work on the LW so he was stuck behind alfredsson and hossa no matter what.

but if they could have dialed back alfredsson's and hossa's ES minutes and saved them more for special teams, maybe something like

white spezza alfredsson
arvedson bonk hossa
schaefer smolinski havlat
varada van allan/fisher neil

maybe they make it past new jersey in 2003?

but what a talent. he was certainly good in the playoffs against the canucks.

 

[Troubadour]

Maybe, but what about the health?

He was an injury magnet.

He could get injured by a referee.

Remember 2014?

Washington Capitals forward Jason Chimera checked Havlat awkwardly into the boards. Instead of the boards, though, Havlat collided with referee Darcy Burchell. Havlat’s helmet pitched forward, his visor slicing through his nose and upper lip.

 

[Chili]

At one point I sincerely believed he had the speed, skill and finesse to win a scoring title.

Players who dominate though are targets and he never seemed to learn how to protect himself on the ice. I used to cringe watching him when he left himself open to big hits.

The old Mark Messier saying `Head on a swivel`would have helped him.

 

[Sensinitis]

If, if, if ... if I had volunteered in Kenya during my gap year, I would've climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro.

There's no peak with Havlat, just foothills.

yeah...I get what you're saying, but, I understand 'peak' as simply a player's "peak", meaning when he was at the top of his game. That timespan 2002-2009 isn't just random, he scored 304 points in 325 games or something like that, that's close to PPG. that's a definite period where he is much higher in terms of overall production and consistency relative to the years that fall outside of this interval. so yeah, I don't know where the term foothills fits within this.

if, if, if... this IS an 'if' thread. I'm not coming here saying "hey guys was havlat a top 10 player in his prime?". it's just that, as others seem to have noticed, there were stretches where he seemed really really dominant.

I vaguely remember one year post 04 lockout where he was leading the league in scoring but then got injured and missed a lot of time.