Most/ Least Satisfying Careers

[NHL WAR]

Which player would you say had the most storybook/ satisfying career: no what-ifs, no major blemishes, and had a positive impact on the game of hockey? Bonus points if they accomplished these things in dramatic, movie like fashion.

I would nominate Lanny McDonald. Hockey Hall of Famer. All star talent throughout career. Hits 500 goals and 1000 points in final season. Ends his career by winning his and Calgarys first Stanley Cup. Bow is tied on a great career with the perfect call of " You've done it Lanny. You've done it."

On the opposite side of the spectrum, what player makes you wonder what might have been? Could be major injuries, waste of talent or lack of Cups.

I think Lindros is the easy answer here, but I would also throw out Guyle Fielder. 4th all time in professional scoring, but went pointless in his 9 NHL games. Makes you wonder how good he would have been if he had gotten more of a chance.

Also, IMO, a guy like Orr doesn't belong in the least satisfying group just because he had career ending injuries. He accomplished everything possible despite his limited amount of games (657 if memory serves.) Plus, he will forever be known for his peak, not as a 40 year old shell of himself.

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[GMR]

Jean Beliveau would be an easy choice. Has his name on the Stanley Cup a million times. Was universally respected. Played on multiple dynasties.

Definitely Tretiak for what could have been. Didn't get a chance to play in the best league in the world and earn infinitely more money than he did. After him, I'd nominate Brad Park. If not for Bobby Orr, he'd have a collection of Norris trophies. Also, he never won the Stanley Cup. Played for many good teams but they could never get over the hump. An amazing player who had a full career, but with a lack of trophies to show for it.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

Jean Beliveau would be an easy choice. Has his name on the Stanley Cup a million times. Was universally respected. Played on multiple dynasties.

exactly my first thought too.

for players in the post-expansion era i'd nominate joe sakic. just checks off every box: two cups, captain of a powerhouse that made the third round six out of seven straight years, conn smythe, hart trophy, 600 goals and top 30 all time, 1,000 assists and top 15 all time, 1,600 points and top 10 all time, top 10 all time in playoff goals and points, storied junior career including a CHL player of the year, WJC gold, world cup gold, world cup gold, olympic gold.

the one single blemish is the end of his career, when he got his million dollar left hand mangled in a snowblower. he was nearing the end anyway, but i would have loved to see him stick around for two more seasons after that one and walk away with another olympic gold in the vancouver games, where he 100% would have been captain if he could still play. could he have done it? he scored 100 points in 2007. 40 points in an injury-plagued 44 games in 2008, plus 10 points in 10 games in the playoffs. 12 points in 15 games in 2009 before the snowblower. he was 39.

 

[NyQuil]

Scott Niedermayer won everywhere he went, including 4 Stanley Cups, 2 Olympic Gold Medals, a World Cup, a Gold Medal at the World Championships and the World Junior Championships, and a Memorial Cup.

He also had a Norris trophy and a Conn Smythe trophy, 3 First Team All-Star selections, a Second Team All-Star selection and an All-Rookie Team selection. He was also MVP of the Memorial Cup tournament and was on the WJC all-star team as well.

Hard to imagine "what might have been" with Scott Niedermayer.

As great as he was, someone had to be in the right place at the right time for virtually everything, and he happens to be that guy in hockey history.

At the other end of the spectrum, I'll submit Jaromir Jagr.

Sure, he has a lot of individual accolades and is one of the all-time greats, but his breakout in the shadow of Mario Lemieux, inconsistent attitude, escape to the KHL, poor fits on a number of teams, makes you wonder what may have been.

We finally got a real glimpse into his personality near the end of his career, once his English was comfortable enough and hit the "elder statesman" years.

However, there was a time once Lemieux and Gretzky retired where Jagr (and Forsberg) were considered the best skaters on the planet.

 

[VanIslander]

Even Boston cheered:

 

[Wackster]

I would say Marty St-Louis had a pretty satisfying career when you look where it started.

I’m sad Iginla couldn’t get a ring, sure he is too!
Also Bossy would be a way bigger legend if not for his back issue

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

Scott Niedermayer won everywhere he went, including 4 Stanley Cups, 2 Olympic Gold Medals, a World Cup, a Gold Medal at the World Championships and the World Junior Championships, and a Memorial Cup.

He also had a Norris trophy and a Conn Smythe trophy, 3 First Team All-Star selections, a Second Team All-Star selection and an All-Rookie Team selection. He was also MVP of the Memorial Cup tournament and was on the WJC all-star team as well.

Hard to imagine "what might have been" with Scott Niedermayer.

As great as he was, someone had to be in the right place at the right time for virtually everything, and he happens to be that guy in hockey history.

there's also corey perry

when he was 15, he won something called the OHL cup and was the best player in it, leading the tournament in scoring

then he was drafted 5th in the OHL draft, by exactly the right team (london)

he had a very good 3-year OHL career but because there was a lockout, he got to play a draft+2 year and that happened to be the greatest junior hockey team of all time. in that bonus 4th OHL year he won:

- best player in the OHL regular season
- leading scorer in the OHL (in goals, assists, and points)
- OHL playoff MVP
- memorial cup MVP

and for spits and giggles in the middle of that magical year he also wins WJC gold on arguably the greatest WJC team of all time too.

two years later, he wins the stanley cup.

three years after that, olympic gold.

then he leads the NHL in goals and wins the hart trophy

he proceeds to add a second olympic gold, then captained canada to a world championship gold, and most recently won the jokey world cup.

i think the only things he never won was the world under-17s and the calder cup. he got a bronze in the under-17s and the calder cup wasn't his fault; he was clearly too good for that league. he and getzlaf were both sent down for about a month during their rookie years and they both put up video game numbers and won a player of the week award during that run.

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

Alex Kovalev for me on the least satisfying

Guy had all the talent in the world and could've been great, but seemed to lack the focus or the motivation to put in the work needed to do it

A+ tools, D- tool box

 

[Nathaniel Skywalker]

Lemieux. We’re talking over 1000 goals and 2000 points and probably 10+ art ross

 

[solidmotion]

most: ken dryden

least: joe thornton

 

[trentmccleary]

I think we can legitimately wonder how much better Niedermayer's career could have been if he'd put his game together before the playoffs of year 11 in the NHL. Even his accolades, while impressive sounding, are sort of blunted when you remember the circumstances.

Mike Modano
When you get to the draft, you dream of the generational player who will break records and lead your team to a 5 cup dynasty. But a much more realistic success story nowadays is that you draft a franchise player who becomes the face of the team for 15 years. At his peak, he helps lead the team to a Cup and another finals appearance.

Not enough: Alexei Yashin
Had tonnes of skill and a massive frame. Seemed capable of being among the league leaders in scoring, but wasn't interested in playing all aspects and seemed to lose interest in playing at all.

 

[GMR]

Alex Kovalev for me on the least satisfying

Guy had all the talent in the world and could've been great, but seemed to lack the focus or the motivation to put in the work needed to do it

A+ tools, D- tool box

Well, he did score over 1,000 points, much of it in a non-offensive era. How much more could he have scored? Was he ever pegged to be a future Hart trophy winner or team leader? I don't remember that expectation ever being around him.

 

[VanIslander]

... what player makes you wonder what might have been? Could be major injuries, waste of talent or lack of Cups.

Lazy Tkachuk and hurt Palffy.

Wholly unsatisfying.

 

[frisco]

I mean the obvious one is Gretzky. Came in to the league in a perfect situation,wide-open play, superstar teammates, great coach, expansion watered down talent, almost completely healthy his entire career. Standout in four best on best international tourneys. I guess no Cup post 1988 without Edmonton is a bit of a blemish but still. Also, missing Olympic gold in 1998 probably hurt but you can't have everything.

An unlikely candidate for least satisfying is Bobby Hull. Outstanding career but just one Cup. Prime years frittered away in the WHA. Could've gone down as NHL's all-time leading goal scorer had he not jumped leagues and we could be talking about the Big 5 instead of the Big 4. Also, the move to the WHA cost him the possible glory of participating and winning the 1972 Summit Series.

My Best-Carey

 

[Sheppy]

Would have liked to see Bobby Orr have a fully healthy career and play 1400-1500 games.

 

[bobholly39]

Most satisfying:

Messier. Not the most talented but won multiple cups. With and without Edmonton. Brought cup to NY for first time in....forever. Won harts against Gretzky/Lemieux. etc


Gretzky. Multiple cups, and international tournament wins. Broke every record imaginable. Seen as best regular season + best playoff performer. How can he not be?

Bonus pick:

Crosby. I know it's a weird pick from an individual accomplishment standpoint, considering he missed out on many years at his peak. But he won with every team he played - 3 cups, and never disappointed with team canada as their leader.
Toews too, same idea.

Tried to pick players not already named.

 

[Yukon Joe]

Least satisfying... you can come up with a lot of names whose promising careers were cut short by injury. But going another way... let me suggest Devin Setoguchi. A #8 overall pick in 2005 (and the Sharks actually traded up 4 spots to get him at #8), he had a career-high 31 goals in 2008-2009. But instead of injury, his career founded on his struggles with alcoholism. He bounced around the league going to Minnesota, Winnipeg and Calgary. Apparently now clean since 2015, he tried a come back with LA, but his last year listed in HockeyDB was playing in the German league in 2017-2018, and he now appears to be finished with hockey at age 32.

I'm sure other players have cut short one promising careers due to battles with the bottle, but Setoguchi was open about it, so his is the name I thought of.

 

[Hockey Outsider]

For most satisfying, Denis Potvin would have to be up there:

- Started on an expansion team (plus one year), and won the Calder trophy
- Won a bunch of Norris trophies and had a bunch of excellent offensive seasons as his team gradually got better
- Was the captain and best overall player on arguably the greatest dynasty of all-time
- Instrumental in shutting down Gretzky in the 1983 Stanley Cup finals
- Spent his entire team with one franchise
- Played in three major international tournaments (the Canada Cups in 1976, where he was good enough to be MVP, 1981, and 1984 - two wins in three tournaments).
- I know it's happened a few times this past decade, but for something like 80 years, Potvin was one of only two captains to lead their team to come back from a 3-0 series deficit (Syl Apps was the other).

The arguments against:

- Casual fans think of Bossy before Potvin on the Islanders' pecking order
- The Islanders dynasty, as a whole, doesn't get the respect it deserves
- Potvin spent his first few years being unfairly compared to Orr
- Related to above, Potvin was reportedly bitter about Orr being named MVP in the 1976 Canada Cup
- Declined quickly after turning 30 (not unusual, though, for star players of his era)

I think an argument can be made for Trottier, as well. He joined the Islanders a few years after Potvin, while they were already heading in the right direction, so maybe he'd take less satisfaction from being with them (nearly) since the beginning and watching them improve. On the other hand, I bet a player like Trottier takes a lot of pride in reinventing his game and taking a reduced role on Lemieux's two Cup-winning teams.

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For least satisfying - how about Shea Weber?

- He was a Norris finalist three times, but never won the trophy (he was runner-up two years in a row, losing two of the closest decisions in history).
- Has never been out of the second round of the playoffs (despite playing on six 100+ point teams).
- Traded straight-up for PK Subban. The next year, Nashville, the only team he had ever played for, plays in the Stanley Cup finals for the first time in franchise history.
- The obvious counter-argument to this is, at least he had success on the international stage with Canada (2010 Olympics, 2014 Olympics, 2016 World Cup).

 

[Voight]

Niedermayer + Perry have won everything a kid in NA can, both also have top individual awards (Norris, Hart)

 

[tony d]

Most: Beliveau, in a world of the big 4, it can be argued Beliveau was #5
Least: Eric Lindros, all that talent, all that power but yet injuries got in the way.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

Lazy Tkachuk and hurt Palffy.

Wholly unsatisfying.

when all is said and done i think i’ll look back at jay bouwmeester and ask, was that it?

 

[GMR]

when all is said and done i think i’ll look back at jay bouwmeester and ask, was that it?

Rumor has it, he spent all his offseasons hanging out with Eric Brewer.

 

[Yukon Joe]

Least: Eric Lindros, all that talent, all that power but yet injuries got in the way.

Lindros is in the HHOF. He put up over 300 goals and 400 assists, even with his career being shortened by injury. Hardly a disappointing career, even if it could have been even more.

 

[The Panther]

Maurice Richard didn't do too bad. Finished his career with 5 Stanley Cups in a row.

 

[GMR]

Didn't see Marcel Dionne's name mentioned. How many players scored over 1,700 points and played less than 50 playoff games? Has to be the ultimate example of a great player with no team success. At least Brad Park's teams experienced a few deep playoff runs.