Players you miss from the dark days

[Pointteen]

Disclosure:
This thread started because I remembered how much I loved Jussi Markannen, although he doesn't quite fit into the timeline I am posting about.

2007-2015 has been bad. It may continue on this way, but I honestly feel like 2016 is the season it starts to turn around.

We saw bust after bust in the form of JFJ, Schremp, MA Pouliot, Gilbert Brule, Robert, Nilsson etc

We saw Ethan Moreau, Shawn Horcoff, Fernando Pisani and Ales Hemsky fall apart in front of our eyes. Hometown Heroes.
We saw Belanger, Souray and Perron take shots that seem completely warranted now, but it wasn't very fun at the time.

That being said, we had a few gems while they were here.
Hemsky is one of my favorites but there's no room for him anymore.
Who do you miss? For me I'd love to see Teemu Hartikainen come back to the NHL. I can see him slotting in very well on the third or fourth line in NHL. Especially now that Lander has emerged as a solid NHL player.
Robert Nilsson did bring us some fantastic highlight reel goals as well, but I definitely don't miss rooting for him.

Andy Sutton is another beast of a player that I loved watching. Those dangles.

So HFOil, who do you miss the most?

Click to read more...

 

[McDeathbyCheerios*]

I miss pre eye injury Ryan Jones.

Guy was a good 3rd liner. Could score pretty decently, was great at getting short handed goals and on the pk.

He was also just a great guy

 

[Dangles13]

I miss Cogliano. Guy had heart and speed for days.

 

[Pointteen]

Both good ones. I feel bad for Jones. That eye injury just took away his career. He played 5 games in 2015 with the Utica Comets before going over to the DEL and posting 17 points in 30 games.

 

[McGhostbuster]

Pre-broken Sheldon Souray.

 

[McDeathbyCheerios*]

Both good ones. I feel bad for Jones. That eye injury just took away his career. He played 5 games in 2015 with the Utica Comets before going over to the DEL and posting 17 points in 30 games.

Absolutely. I could of seen him as captain too. He was well spoken and a passionate guy. I think in a few years he could start a good coaching career.

 

[Dangles13]

I miss Roloson. I miss Peckham and Brule even though they were both awful players.

 

[La Bamba]

I miss 2008/09 Sheldon Souray. That slap-shot was probably the best in franchise history.

 

[Dimensha]

Jones was great. Pisani will always be one of my heroes after what he did in that playoff run and what he had to battle through just to play the game.

 

[Pointteen]

Jones was great. Pisani will always be one of my heroes after what he did in that playoff run and what he had to battle through just to play the game.

I admired Pisani a lot and think it's total crap that Jason Blake won the Masterton over him. Blake didn't miss any time from it.

Not just that, but I was recently diagnosed with the same thing. I kept Pisani in mind with my getting back into sports etc.
If he could still keep up at the NHL level after his bout with colitis, that means I surely could play rugby in a men's league. haha

 

[The Bored Man]

Andy Sutton and his sick dangles.

 

[Psychoil]

I miss the good 29 game Ryan Whitney who was looking like a number 1 d-man before he got injured....such a shame, he was tearing it up that year. I also miss Mark Fistric, he wrecked people and was tough as nails, and Andy Sutton.

 

[Dangles13]

Andy Sutton and his sick dangles.

He was a beauty.

 

[Jet Walters]

Matthieu Garon. Really liked his goaltending style.

Vintage Grebeshkov. Not a big fan of retread Grebs though.

 

[SchultzSquared*]

I pulled back-to-back Denis Grebeshkov towels at Fan Appreciation Night back in 2010. Somehow, it didn't make my heart any fonder for his return last year.

On a serious note, I'll say Visnovsky. Loved that guy. Ate minutes like they were candy and found ways to generate offensive punch. We could use seven of him right now.

 

[Aerchon]

I miss pre eye injury Ryan Jones.

Guy was a good 3rd liner. Could score pretty decently, was great at getting short handed goals and on the pk.

He was also just a great guy

This, I thought he would be a perfect 3rd liner for the playoffs.

 

[Narnia]

I admired Pisani a lot and think it's total crap that Jason Blake won the Masterton over him. Blake didn't miss any time from it.

Not just that, but I was recently diagnosed with the same thing. I kept Pisani in mind with my getting back into sports etc.
If he could still keep up at the NHL level after his bout with colitis, that means I surely could play rugby in a men's league. haha

The reason Jason Blake got it was because he played for the Maple Leafs.

 

[Mcnofool6110]

I pulled back-to-back Denis Grebeshkov towels at Fan Appreciation Night back in 2010. Somehow, it didn't make my heart any fonder for his return last year.

On a serious note, I'll say Visnovsky. Loved that guy. Ate minutes like they were candy and found ways to generate offensive punch. We could use seven of him right now.

He is a free agent....

 

[Yeah15]

Definitely Cogliano, though that might have to do with the fact that he's carving out a very nice career in Anaheim

 

[SchultzSquared*]

He is a free agent....

I meant the one we traded pre-Cup Stoll and Greene for. That Vis was a Clydesdale in a 5'10 body; the one today is better off chasing the dream (and the pro hockey pay cheque) overseas.

 

[Vagabond]

Pre-wrist-injured Souray! Many people knocked his defensive capabilities until he proved that crowd wrong. He was a beast here. Knocked people out cold and his shot was the most exciting thing since Pronger. He did everything I thought he'd do and more. Lowe and crew messed his career up and it was unfortunate.

I will say though, he shouldn't have fought as often as he did especially when he fought Iggy and messed his hand/wrist over his head.

Hemsky was #2 for me. I kept thinking he was gonna be a superstar but it never happened. Still was an exciting player to watch and he did well here considering what he went through.

I also liked lazy boy Penner. Something about when he got going, nobody could touch him. Especially 09/10, he dominated in the corners and kicked some ***.

 

[Pointteen]

Pre-wrist-injured Souray! Many people knocked his defensive capabilities until he proved that crowd wrong. He was a beast here. Knocked people out cold and his shot was the most exciting thing since Pronger. He did everything I thought he'd do and more. Lowe and crew messed his career up and it was unfortunate.

I will say though, he shouldn't have fought as often as he did especially when he fought Iggy and messed his hand/wrist over his head.

Hemsky was #2 for me. I kept thinking he was gonna be a superstar but it never happened. Still was an exciting player to watch and he did well here considering what he went through.

I also liked lazy boy Penner. Something about when he got going, nobody could touch him. Especially 09/10, he dominated in the corners and kicked some ***.

Hemsky had some better magic than Datsyuk. But a lot of times it didn't result in goals. I wonder what he would have been like playing for a good team after 2006.

 

[McOylerz]

For me the "dark days" were the late 90s when we watched player after player leave for more money or a better shot at the cup. I liked the frontline guys from those days - Weight, Guerin, Carter - but the unspoken guys I miss would be Rem Murray, Steve Staios, and (don't hate me) Todd Marchant.

Since '07 it's been mainly one disappointment after another. Hard to pick out the bright lights amongs all the dark ones. Jones, Pisani and man I wish we would have kept Cogs.

 

[Wheathead]

Gator.

He was here for 2007, I think.

 

[McArthur]

Curtis Glencross...