If Ifs and Buts...

[ForsbergForever]

After reading through the Guy Lafleur thread I just had the inspiration to start this thread where I'd like to see what kind of what ifs exist for all the great players who for one reason or another had their production interupted at the heights of their careers. Mario Lemieux, Cam Neely, Bobby Orr, Guy Lafleur, Mike Bossy and the list goes on. Also, for the sake of fun, just imagine Gretzky playing on a line with Lemieux in the NHL (not internationally) or Guy Lafleur with Gil Perreault as his center. The possibilities are endless and by no means grounded in reality, so lets have some fun and imagine...

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[KariyaIsGod*]

After reading through the Guy Lafleur thread I just had the inspiration to start this thread where I'd like to see what kind of what ifs exist for all the great players who for one reason or another had their production interupted at the heights of their careers. Mario Lemieux, Cam Neely, Bobby Orr, Guy Lafleur, and the list goes on.

Add Wayne Gretzky to that list.

 

[mcphee]

Here's an if. If Montreal had drafted Denis Savard instead of the late Doug Wickenheiser, Lafleur could have kept his hunger for th egame been a productive Hab a few more years. In fairness to the GM at the time, everyone else would have made the same pick, but Guy and Denis would've been fun to watch.

 

[mcphee]

Great, you've got me started. Sam Pollock felt Sotty Bowman was too emotional and impulsive to be a good GM and named Irving Grundman as his successor. If Bowman had stayed in Montreal thru the 80's, would they have not begun to spiral downwards and challenged NYI and Edm. ?

 

[John Flyers Fan]

Without the back injury Mike Bossy would have scored 800+ goals and passed Gordie Howe.

Bossy would have beat Gretzky to Howe, but I think Gretzky would have finished on top with his 894.

 

[KOVALEV10*]

Imagine if all these players were all at their peak or their prime in the high scoring league of the 80-s:

Rocket Richard, Henri Richard, Gordie Howe, Jean Beliveau, Bobby Hull, Bobby Clarke, Marcel Dionne, Guy Lafleur, Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, Mike Bossy, Bobby Orr, Bret Hull, Steve Yzerman, Phil Esposito, Gilbert Perrault,Ted Lindsay, Boom Boom Geoffrion, Frank Mahovlich, Darryl Sittler, Yvan Cournoyer, Steve Shutt, Reggie Leach, Mark Messier, Jaromir Jagr, Joe Sakic and Peter Forsberg... IMAGINE IF ALL OF EM PLAYED AT THE SAME TIME IN THEIR PRIME IN THE HIGH SCORING LEAGUE OF THE 1980-S!!!! Wow that would've been one heck of league now wouldnt it? Imagine all of them in the playoffs against each other! MANNN

 

[GoM]

Dude

Imagine if Wade Belak had the mind of Gretzky, the talent of Lemieux and the style of Bure

Dude....

 

[MacDaddy TLC*]

Great, you've got me started. Sam Pollock felt Sotty Bowman was too emotional and impulsive to be a good GM and named Irving Grundman as his successor. If Bowman had stayed in Montreal thru the 80's, would they have not begun to spiral downwards and challenged NYI and Edm. ?

Scotty Bowman's job with Buffalo is your answer. They were one of the elite teams when he took them over and a last place team when he left.

 

[Jacques Plante]

What if Lindros scores on that penalty shot against Hasek? Maybe Canada goes on to win the shootout and the tourny, Lindros is injected with confidence and becomes "The Next One".

What if Lindros' coconut hadn't been drilled so many times?

What if Canada loses the summit series? CRISIS!