Kevin Lowe wasn’t the first “borderline” Hall of Famer and he certainly won’t be the last
I don't think he should be a borderline Hall of Famer in the first place.
Would a prime Lowe even be the best defenseman on the Oilers today?
Kevin Lowe wasn’t the first “borderline” Hall of Famer and he certainly won’t be the last
ProbablyI don't think he should be a borderline Hall of Famer in the first place.
Would a prime Lowe even be the best defenseman on the Oilers today?
Fill it with oilers.Lowe getting in gives MacT a legitimate case. Slippery slope.
Kevin Lowe wasn’t the first “borderline” Hall of Famer and he certainly won’t be the last
Probably
Tough to compare eras
Calling Lowe boderline is pretty generous. For years, Doug Wilson was generally the 80s defenseman who was considered the borderline case. Wouldn't complain if he got in, but nobody advocated for it either. Lowe has to be considered a tier below Wilson, who was putting up 60-80 point seasons, won a Norris, and was a 3-time all star (the end of season all star team, not the all star game). Lowe was never close to doing any of those things.
If Role players like Guy Carbonneau get into the HHOF, then so does LoweSure but my point is that he was a #2/#3 type Dman. Those guys, while good players, are dime a dozen. Do you think Hjalmarsson should be in the Hall? That's the type of player Lowe was.
The Hall of Fame should be reserved for players who, at the very least, were stars at their position for at least a couple of years. Lowe was a role player, a very good role player, but a role player nonetheless. It should be an exclusive club limited to special players or at the very least, top line players. Lowe got in mainly because his team won a bunch of Cups.
Different positions and different times in their selection process but Alfredsson, Sundin and Fleury not being in while Lowe is just doesn't sit right.
I’m trying to think who a modern equivalent to Lowe would be. Maybe Brent Seabrook if Seabrook was a bit smaller, but meaner and stayed effective a bit longer? Any thoughts from other old farts like me?Probably
Tough to compare eras
Meh. Wilson had one exception year, then a decade of being a turnstile with a big clapper.I have no issue with Wilson being in, because quite frankly even if we are looking at their post-player career as executives (we shouldn’t, but it was likely a consideration), he blows Lowe out of the water both ways.
Meh. Wilson had one exception year, then a decade of being a turnstile with a big clapper.
I’m trying to think who a modern equivalent to Lowe would be. Maybe Brent Seabrook if Seabrook was a bit smaller, but meaner and stayed effective a bit longer? Any thoughts from other old farts like me?
If Role players like Guy Carbonneau get into the HHOF, then so does Lowe
Nobody is the least bit leery to stand in front of the net with Hjalmarsson. Like at all. Lowe got your attention. He could outlet the puck and pinch at the blue line just fine.Seabrook is a far better offensive defenseman than Lowe was.
Hjalmarsson is the more apt comparison from that team.
If Carbonneau played in Minnesota, you’d never have heard of him.Carbonneau was a bad induction, no question.
But even at that, Carbonneau was pretty damn important to the 1986 and 1993 Canadiens. Important enough that you can reasonably say they don't with without him. And when it came to his role, a primarily defensive center, he can legitimately claim to be one of the best ever with several Selke trophies.
I just don't think you can say these things about Lowe. He wasn't one of the best defensive dmen ever. And while he had an important secondary role on his Cup winning teams, I'm not sure you can point to any particular time where he was indispensable to them winning (though I'd be happy to hear examples).[/I]
Lowe getting in gives MacT a legitimate case. Slippery slope.