Is Kevin Lowe the worst defenseman in the HHoF?

[Michael Farkas]

Not that I haven't said this idea before, but quote this post in 2045 when Ryan Suter makes it...

 

[MXD]

Not that I haven't said this idea before, but quote this post in 2045 when Ryan Suter makes it...

Ryan Suter would be such a great pick compared to Lowe...

 

[Kyle McMahon]

Looking at that list:
List of members of the Hockey Hall of Fame - Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The answer sound almost impossible to be yes, against that kind of field.

One of the Graham Drinkwater, Mike Grant, George Richardson, Dickie Boon, Babe Pratt, Bullet Joe Simpson must have been worse at hockey/athlete than Kevin Lowe.

The worst in the hall type of question will tend to be filled from the 1945 to 1952 era of picks I would imagine, when it was possible for someone to play high level hockey late in life and ending up in the hall.

Indeed, there's some pretty obscure picks from the pre-consolidation era. Pretty much anyone of any notoriety got in.

I'd argue we're reaching a similar point with the 1980s/early 90s era. Doug Wilson was considered the borderline 80s defenseman for ages. And on the day he finally gets in, they go a step further and add Lowe as well. In a pretty short amount of time, five guys from this era that almost nobody was advocating for have been inducted. I remember when Anderson, Gartner, Federko, and Gillies were seen as the iffy 80s guys. They've now built a whole tier below that.

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

I never expected Kevin Lowe (or Doug Wilson, for that matter) to squeak into the HHoF. Not in 2020. Not in 2030. Not ever. But here we are.

I will say this: it’s kind of nice for the Hall to recognize an old-school, defensive defenseman who doesn’t have the “peak value” case going for him, but rather the durability factor.

I've got no problem with Doug Wilson getting in.

Always felt he deserved to be in the Hall.

 

[The Macho King]

I've got no problem with Doug Wilson getting in.

Always felt he deserved to be in the Hall.

He was the epitome of borderline for me, and I much preferred that he was on the outside than the inside.

And frankly - I just question why after 20 years of eligibility these guys are finally getting in. If they couldn't get inducted in 2002 (for instance), how has their case improved in the 18 years since to make them worthy now?

 

[MXD]

Can't really keep PK Subban out if Doug Wilson makes it.

 

[Sanchise90]

Not that I haven't said this idea before, but quote this post in 2045 when Ryan Suter makes it...

Wtf? Ryan Suter and Kevin Lowe aren't even in the same realm. Ryan Suter has 3 top 5 Norris finishes, 3 more top 10 finishes plus a year where he was a 1st team NHL All Star. Not to mention the guys a career 0.51 PPG. Suter getting into the HOF while borderline would be fine. Lowe wasn't even on the radar as a HOFer

 

[Eisen]

Another also-played inducted. I'm not even surprised anymore.

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

Can't really keep PK Subban out if Doug Wilson makes it.

So you could if only Lowe made it and not Wilson?

 

[MXD]

So you could if only Lowe made it and not Wilson?

When you put it this way...

 

[BenchBrawl]

I would avoid comparing Lowe to Housley. The criterias on which they are judged are so different they might as well have played a different position.

I guess if Lowe is in you have to get the Derian Hatcher's of the world in as well. Under current standards, I'm fine with it.

Will Brent Seabrook get in?

 

[MS]

Indeed, there's some pretty obscure picks from the pre-consolidation era. Pretty much anyone of any notoriety got in.

I'd argue we're reaching a similar point with the 1980s/early 90s era. Doug Wilson was considered the borderline 80s defenseman for ages. And on the day he finally gets in, they go a step further and add Lowe as well. In a pretty short amount of time, five guys from this era that almost nobody was advocating for have been inducted. I remember when Anderson, Gartner, Federko, and Gillies were seen as the iffy 80s guys. They've now built a whole tier below that.

Phil Housley, Dave Andreychuk, Guy Carbonneau, and Kevin Lowe have 1 2nd Team AS selection between them. As you say, who on earth was pushing for these guys to get into the HHOF?

And yeah, it does make you long for the days when Clark Gillies - a 2x First Team All-Star - was easily the worst modern guy in there.

 

[GMR]

Hatcher and Suter didn't win 6 Stanley Cups. I don't see why the committee would give them similar treatment. Lowe got in because of the Cups and his popularity.

 

[Uncle Rotter]

And yeah, it does make you long for the days when Clark Gillies - a 2x First Team All-Star - was easily the worst modern guy in there.

Though he was pretty much done by the age of 30.

 

[K Fleur]

If Lowe was a real Hall of Famer he would have fought Brian Burke in that rented barn back in 2007.

 

[Sentinel]

Without question. There is a reason that for all the points he put up in his career there was only one season in which Leetch won a Stanley Cup.

There is a reason, and that reason sure as hell ain't their individual performance on ice.

 

[Sentinel]

As far as defensemen go, I'd put in Vasiliev or Ragulin first. Vasiliev was the best European defenseman of the 70s, and Ragulin -- of the 60s.

 

[TheDevilMadeMe]

As far as defensemen go, I'd put in Vasiliev or Ragulin first. Vasiliev was the best European defenseman of the 70s, and Ragulin -- of the 60s.

Do you not consider Suchy a 60s defenseman? He looks to have been quite a bit better than Ragulin when their careers overlapped.

 

[c9777666]

Phil Housley, Dave Andreychuk, Guy Carbonneau, and Kevin Lowe have 1 2nd Team AS selection between them. As you say, who on earth was pushing for these guys to get into the HHOF?

at least Doug Wilson has a 1st team All Star With his 2x 2nd teams and won a major award

 

[Gurglesons]

Is it just me or does Lowe have a better case than Hossa?

Hossa is a dime a dozen very good winger with no awards and not even second fiddle on most of the cup winners. He had a solid peak and is a fantastic player.

Lowe was the defensive lynch pin on six cup teams. He’s an archetype of defensive defensemen from that era.

 

[NyQuil]

Is it just me or does Lowe have a better case than Hossa?

Hossa is a dime a dozen very good winger with no awards and not even second fiddle on most of the cup winners. He had a solid peak and is a fantastic player.

Lowe was the defensive lynch pin on six cup teams. He’s an archetype of defensive defensemen from that era.

It's just you.

Personally I think it's funny that we hold dead-puck era production against players who peaked during that offensively-bereft time period, but we don't do the same for "defensive defencemen" when league scoring was at 8.2 goals per game.

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

Hatcher and Suter didn't win 6 Stanley Cups. I don't see why the committee would give them similar treatment. Lowe got in because of the Cups and his popularity.

No player has ever won a Stanley Cup.

Only teams do.

 

[Hawkey Town 18]

Is it just me or does Lowe have a better case than Hossa?

Hossa is a dime a dozen very good winger with no awards and not even second fiddle on most of the cup winners. He had a solid peak and is a fantastic player.

Lowe was the defensive lynch pin on six cup teams. He’s an archetype of defensive defensemen from that era.

Lowe doesn't have any awards either, and Hossa was a defensive-winger lynch pin on 3 Cup Winners, in an era where it was much much more difficult to keep a good team together. If Kane/Toews are the Gretzky/Messier of the Hawks, then Hossa is the Kurri, and Sharp the Anderson (although at ES the Anderson spot would go to Saad for the 3rd Cup).

Also, an AS record of 2, 3, 3, 3, 6, is very impressive, especially considering how little teammate support he had in what were probably his peak years physically.

Was there a better two-way winger from Hossa's era? Some guys were better offensively, but most of those weren't even close defensively. Lehtinen was clearly better defensively, but not close offensively.

 

[Gurglesons]

Lowe doesn't have any awards either, and Hossa was a defensive-winger lynch pin on 3 Cup Winners, in an era where it was much much more difficult to keep a good team together. If Kane/Toews are the Gretzky/Messier of the Hawks, then Hossa is the Kurri (Sharp the Anderson).

Also, an AS record of 2, 3, 3, 3, 6, is very impressive, especially considering how little teammate support he had in what were probably his peak years physically.

Was there a better two-way winger from Hossa's era? Some guys were better offensively, but most of those weren't even close defensively. Lehtinen was clearly better defensively, but not close offensively.

Yes. Pavel Datsyuk.

And let’s be honest Hossa wasn’t a defensive winger for the first 10 years or so of his career.

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

I would avoid comparing Lowe to Housley. The criterias on which they are judged are so different they might as well have played a different position.

I guess if Lowe is in you have to get the Derian Hatcher's of the world in as well. Under current standards, I'm fine with it.

Will Brent Seabrook get in?

I'd consider Ulf Samuelsson before Seabrook or Hatcher.