If Gonchar makes the HHOF is he ours too?

[Sens Rule]

Wait, when did Hossa become a candidate for the HHOF?

EDIT: My take on Hossa, whom I very much like, is that he's a mercenary, and a complementary player on an excellent team. He chose a career path that made him a ton of cash, and gave him plenty of chances for cups, but he led nothing, became and important part of nothing, and in the end has very little legacy. He's a nice player, but forwent the chance to become the embodiment of a team and city in exchange for mercenary cup chasing. And it has worked out well for him in the end. I REALLY like him as a player (I'd add as a person too, but don't know him), and respect his choices as smart career moves, but it will be hard to have advocates when you never stuck anywhere long enough to be the face of a team; and he had the talent to be tat guy.

Sounds harsh, but it's true in my mind. Alfie could have done the same, but didn't.

He is not a mercenary at all. He got shafted by the Sens. Signed to a deal and traded right away for Heatley. It was a scummy thing to do to him. Obviously at that point he realized it is a business and their is no loyalty. He tried to win for a few years and then signed with the Hawks uber-long term.

He is a three time cap casualty. Ottawa, Pens and Wings keep him if there was no cap. None could. Numbers game.

 

[trentmccleary]

Hossa will get in before Alfie does

No, he won't.

Hossa has slightly more regular season goals and 2 Cups.

Alfredsson has;
Leadership
career PPG
playoff performances (6 PPG & 5 x 1/2 G/GP vs. 1 PPG & 1 x 1/2 G/GP)
leading the playoffs in scoring
higher point rankings
better personal trophy case
10 x 70+ point seasons vs. 7
8 PPG seasons vs. 4

Hossa is a dead lock if he retired tomorrow. He is probably better then Brendan Shanahan. As a comparision. He is a ridiculously great defensive forward his entire career. Great playoffs and he is top 3 or 4 in goals since he came in the league. He has the peak, prime, counting numbers, playoffs, respect and all the intangibles. His peak was in Atlanta, where he had a better year then Kovalchuk or Heatley ever had in their best season. Was a top 5 player in the world that year. Too bad it was in Atlanta... But it doesn't matter. He has Ottawa, Penguins, Wings, Hawks.... Think a single fan, media guy or coach, GM or hockey guy has a single bad impression of him? I don't think anyone has anything negative to say about him. Lock.

But Shanahan was a power forward and Hossa wasn't... and Shanahan was a LW (crap position with few challengers) and Hossa wasn't.

Hossa didn't have great playoffs. Both Shanahan, Alfredsson and lots of others had more PPG & 1/2 G/gp postseasons. Alfredsson had 11 combined, Shanahan had 10 combined and Hossa had 2 (both in his 1 postseason in Pittsburgh).

Heatley and Kovalchuk aren't going to the HoF. Being better than them doesn't guarantee enshrinement.

 

[jason9090spezza]

I think what also happens sometimes too.. is because a player is from a country that hasn't produced as many elite NHL'ers compared to the Canada/US/Russia/Sweden's of the world, their accomplishments are stacked against their fellow countryman's careers and they get a boost out of that in HHOF consideration sometimes.

If that makes any sense..

Like for example, Hossa has an outside chance at catching Peter Statsny to be the 2nd highest scoring Slovak of all time, behind Stan Mikita. (slim chances at his age, he's gonna be probably 180 pts shy at the end of this year, and production declining ).

Now I'm not saying Hoss is better than Peter Statsny, it's just the argument gets much stronger if you say, you know Hall of Famer Peter Statsny? Yeah Hoss played more games than him, and squeaked out a few more points than him, he was an elite two way, 3x 40 goal , 100 point, 1200+ career point guy with two cup rings... pretty strong case for HHOF.

If he doesn't get there, he's the great player in between non-HHOF Bondra and HHOF Statsny.. so it gets dicey. A bubble type situation if you will.

Hope that made some sense to someone.

Yah, I guess you're right. It does make the comparison much easier when the player is a non-North American, non-Russian player. Good point.

Forwards are not looked at as harshly by the HHOF for whatever reason. I don't know why. Goalies and D have it a lot harder. Barrasso and Joesph would be in if they had similar accomplishments at forward. Doug Wilson is still not in and will likely never get in on D. J.C. Tremblay not in... He could be judged similarly to Niedermeyer. Mark Howe took forever to get in and should have been first ballot.

That is why I gave Gonchar only a 30% chance. I would vote for him, I think he should be in for the Caps trip to the final, Penguins excellence in the playoffs... And for generally being a top Offensive D for an entire generation. Heck two if them. Dead puck and post lockout. He has the longevity too.

Hossa is a dead lock if he retired tomorrow. He is probably better then Brendan Shanahan. As a comparision. He is a ridiculously great defensive forward his entire career. Great playoffs and he is top 3 or 4 in goals since he came in the league. He has the peak, prime, counting numbers, playoffs, respect and all the intangibles. His peak was in Atlanta, where he had a better year then Kovalchuk or Heatley ever had in their best season. Was a top 5 player in the world that year. Too bad it was in Atlanta... But it doesn't matter. He has Ottawa, Penguins, Wings, Hawks.... Think a single fan, media guy or coach, GM or hockey guy has a single bad impression of him? I don't think anyone has anything negative to say about him. Lock.

There aren't any negative things to say about him (aside from changing teams but he wanted the Cup desperately so I get it), but I just think he hasn't had much feet to join the HHOF. One 100 point-class season and 2 Cups is really what this guy has. He is great defensively but I never considered him as a "defensive-forward". And when was he considered a top 5 player? I remember the CASH line trio being praised more than Hossa at the time. He was up there for sure though.

 

[Sens Rule]

Pretty funny for Sens fans not to recognize Hossa's very clear HHOF candidacy.

I ask what forwards since 1998 will make the HHOF?