Peak: Messier, Howe, Lindros, Trottier, Clarke

JackSlater

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Apr 27, 2010
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Howe
Lindros
Trottier
Clarke
Messier

I really had trouble deciding who should be higher between Trottier and Clarke. Gordie Howe really stands out here considering he was a winger and was far superior to the others.
 

Psycho Papa Joe

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Feb 27, 2002
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Howe's the clear #1.

After that it's pretty difficult to top a peak of 3 harts in 4 years that Clarke accomplished. As for a single season, Trots 78-79 season tops anything from the remainder of the players and then a few other years with great competion. Messier had the longest peak, outside of Howe. Lindros' peak is a Hart in a lockout shortened year, which I don't give too much weight by comparison. Not even close to the others.

Therefore
Howe



Clarke
Trots
Messier



Lindros
 

reckoning

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Jan 4, 2005
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^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Pretty much what I was thinking: Howe definitely first, Lindros definitely 5th, the other three could go in any order.
 

Rhiessan71

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Absolute peak though....see, that's tough because Lindros, even though I never liked the guy, at his peak was one of the top 5-6 dominant players to ever play the game.
I'd still go with Howe #1 though because his peak seemed to last for decades heh.
Howe
Lindros
Clarke
Trotts
Messier
 

Briere Up There*

Guest
Peak, and not prime?

Clarke
Lindros/Trottier
Messier

Very close for all of them. But I like Clarke's defense over all of them, while Messier I think wasn't quite as good as the others in terms of peak scoring.
 

TheDevilMadeMe

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Aug 28, 2006
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Howe is first no matter what.

Lindros' rating really depends on what you think of the fact that he couldn't stay healthy in his best years.

In each man's "best game," there's a good argument Lindros should be 2nd, but if you take peak to equal a full season or several seasons, then he's almost certainly 5th.
 
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raleh

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Oct 17, 2005
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Well Lindros's Hart Trophy could have been given to Jagr and noone would have raised an eyebrow.

Yeah, but I think that could be said about most of the players mentioned.

Messier's first Hart should have, not could have, been given to Bourque. There are some Clarke Harts there that could have been given to Orr, etc.
 

Psycho Papa Joe

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Yeah, but I think that could be said about most of the players mentioned.

Messier's first Hart should have, not could have, been given to Bourque. There are some Clarke Harts there that could have been given to Orr, etc.

Based on what I saw, regardless of how the voting went, IMO Messier was the MVP that year. He took a team that had it's heart torn out and led them back to the top of the heap.
 

Rhiessan71

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Based on what I saw, regardless of how the voting went, IMO Messier was the MVP that year. He took a team that had it's heart torn out and led them back to the top of the heap.

You mean the Gretzky trade?
That was the year before, summer of '88 not '89 and I would hardly call the Oilers 90 point finish as leading them back to the top of the heap, it was only a 6 point improvement from the year before.

Compared to Bourque who took his team from 88 points to 101 points and first overall.
Bourque got robbed because he was a dman, plain and simple.
 

Psycho Papa Joe

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You mean the Gretzky trade?
That was the year before, summer of '88 not '89 and I would hardly call the Oilers 90 point finish as leading them back to the top of the heap, it was only a 6 point improvement from the year before.

Compared to Bourque who took his team from 88 points to 101 points and first overall.
Bourque got robbed because he was a dman, plain and simple.

Messier won, and I agree with the choice based on what I saw of both players that season. IMO not only was he better (ie Pearson) he was also more important to his team's success. He carried his team to a higher degree and really showed in the playoffs that the the right decision had been made.

That said, if Bourque had won that year, he would have been a great choice, so I really shouldn't sell him short. Just one of those years where you kind of wish there was a tie. But me personally, I would have voted Messier 1st, Bourque 2nd.
 
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Rhiessan71

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Messier won, and I agree with the choice based on what I saw of both players that season. IMO not only was he better (ie Pearson) he was also more important to his team's success. He carried his team to a higher degree and really showed in the playoffs that the the right decision had been made.

That said, if Bourque had won that year, he would have been a great choice, so I really shouldn't sell him short. Just one of those years where you kind of wish there was a tie. But me personally, I would have voted Messier 1st, Bourque 2nd.

Both players led their teams to the SCF that year and Ranford was the difference maker in who won that Cup, not Messier.

Also, I'm not sure how you can say Messier was a bigger difference maker during the season when Bourque was playing 10-15 minutes a game more than Messier.

Agree to disagree I guess.
 

kmad

riot survivor
Jun 16, 2003
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Vancouver
I'm really having trouble deciding between Clarke and Trottier. It comes down to the stretch of time you give to 'peak'. If it's just one season, well Trottier's Hart season surpasses any of Clarke's. If it's a stretch of three or four, you have to give it to Clarke.

Either way, it goes:
Howe
Lindros
[Clarke/Trottier]
Messier
 

canucks4ever

Registered User
Mar 4, 2008
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Sakic and Messier were playoff monsters in thier peaks, while clarke never was. I pick joe sakic's hart season over any of clarke's seasons.
 

seventieslord

Student Of The Game
Mar 16, 2006
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Also, I'm not sure how you can say Messier was a bigger difference maker during the season when Bourque was playing 10-15 minutes a game more than Messier.
.

Actually, this is nitpicking, but GF/GA figures indicate Bourque was playing 29.3 minutes per game and Messier 24.5 that season...
 

Kyle McMahon

Registered User
May 10, 2006
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I'm really having trouble deciding between Clarke and Trottier. It comes down to the stretch of time you give to 'peak'. If it's just one season, well Trottier's Hart season surpasses any of Clarke's. If it's a stretch of three or four, you have to give it to Clarke.

Either way, it goes:
Howe
Lindros
[Clarke/Trottier]
Messier

If it's a stretch of three or four, how on earth is Lindros not 5th?

Even for a single season, he's 5th in my books anyway. Which season of Lindros' was better than Messier's '90, Trottier's '82, or Clarke's '75?
 

kmad

riot survivor
Jun 16, 2003
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Vancouver
If it's a stretch of three or four, how on earth is Lindros not 5th?

Even for a single season, he's 5th in my books anyway. Which season of Lindros' was better than Messier's '90, Trottier's '82, or Clarke's '75?

Lindros from '94 to '99 was as dominant as any forward not named Mario or Wayne.
 

kmad

riot survivor
Jun 16, 2003
34,133
60
Vancouver
So games observed from the press box while injured are given full credit?

Well this is (I assume) quality of player at peak performance, not statistics accumulated during peak performance..

Lindros when he was healthy would be easily 2nd on this list.
 

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