This is where I'm at now. Subject to change.
1. Luc Robitaille. Man, I remember a few years ago when I thought he was something of a "compiler" and weak HHOFer. I guess that's what happens when you judge someone by the eye test when you only really saw them past their prime. The guy just produced. Goals and points. For a long time. Racked up a ton of All-Star nods, albeit at a weak position (still more than Goulet or Shanahan).
2. Mark Recchi. Behind Robitaille for 2 reasons - not much of a goal scorer (and lots of secondary assists) + weak all-star record supports the idea that he just didn't have the star power at any particular point in his career.
3. Marian Hossa. Yeah, I'm probably going to have him in my top 5. Average offensive record for this round + probably the best defensive player here. Do I think he contributed more to his teams overall than Paul Kariya did? Do I think he has a greater chance at the HHOF than Kariya does? I think the answer to both is "yes, but it's close."
4. Paul Kariya. The best regular season peak this round (some would argue easily), but not much else. Injury troubles even in his peak hold him back a bit.
5. Babe Dye. About time for a guy with a goal scoring record similar to Pavel Bure to go, even if he was a slow skater who didn't do anything but score goals.
6. Roy Conacher. Arguably the best offensive player this round. Lucky to play with a series of the best playmakers of all-time, but also missed 4 years due to the war. May have him higher. Anyone have any final words on him?
7. Brendan Shanahan - unimpressive offensive peak, but was an impact player for a long time and brought a ton without the puck.
8. Michel Goulet - better single peak season than Shanahan, overall similar prime, but without the longevity as an impact player. Good defensive player, but I think Shanahan's power forward game is a little more valuable.
9. Vladimir Krutov - the hardest guy to rank this round. If it had anything close to a normal decline and didn't have all the questions swirling around him, there's a good chance I'd rank him #1 this round (but then, there's a good chance he would have come available earlier then). If it was proven beyond a reasonable doubt that he was a product of steroids, then I wouldn't rank him in this round or any other round. I won't be happy wherever I rank him, to be honest - wherever it will be, will be some sort of compromise. I expect his rankings to be all over the board.
Probably too soon:
All these guys make our list at some point, but it shouldn't be quite yet, IMO.
Yvan Cournoyer - at some point, he gets added to the list based on playoffs alone. I'm not sure that point is yet. Just comparing him to Goulet - I think I like Goulet better, but it's close.
Ilya Kovalchuk - don't like seeing him as an option before Alfredsson or Elias. Racked up a ton of points for a bad run-and-gun team without contributing anything else. One fantastic season in NJ adds to his resume a lot, but it doesn't make him.
Didier Pitre - I had him too high on my initial list. Didn't realize that he was usually so far behind the leader when he was "top 10 in scoring in the NHA or NHL so many times." I think he's a top 60 winger of all time (as is everyone this round), but not yet.
Where I'm at:
1.
Paul Kariya: Easily the best peak in this round, and prime looks favourable to the rest if you don't put too much emphasis on having a Shanahan-length prime. Did enough to make up for little else outside of best 7 years.
2.
Mark Recchi: Kind of a anti-Kariya. Peak and Prime kinda spread out over 15 years. But has enough really great years, and very consistently a great player across a long time. Best point-producer of the group.
3.
Luc Robitaille: Just about as good a point producer as Recchi, and a much better goal scorer. Very good all-star record.
4.
Michel Goulet: Great goal-scorer and great goal finishes in a tough era for scoring. Only 2 better goal-scorers on the 80's already inducted. Was a plus player away from the puck, too.
5.
Babe Dye: Pretty much what you said. Even if he was just a great goal scorer and nothing else, it was good enough to put him in by now.
6.
Roy Conacher: It appears he wasn't as much "made" as first thought, but he also did a lot to "make" some of his playmakers too. Almost as good a scoring record as Dye, and surely wasn't as bad without the puck.
7.
Marian Hossa: Very solid player in all areas, hard to find something bad about him. Offence not quite as high as most this round, but adds as much as anyone away from the puck as anyone this round, and much more than most (Only Shanahan on same level, Goulet a little behind).
8.
Brendan Shanahan: Incredibly consistent career, adds a lot outside of scoring. Never really the go-to guy though, but an impact player for longer than anyone but maybe Recchi.
9.
Vladimir Krutov: I may be alone in this, but I am not putting any stock into the PED allegations. I am taking his performances in Russia at face value. I think he got a lot of help to perform where he was, but he added a lot to that line on his own. To be in the conversation for top 5 player in the 80's is impressive in itself. Appeared to have outperformed Makarov on a few occasions.
10.
Ilya Kovalchuk: Similar player to Bure, in that his Atlanta days are similar to PB's Florida days, and IK's NJ days similar to PB's Vancouver days. They just experienced them oppositely (if any of that makes sense...). I didn't think Bure's years in Florida took anything away from him like some did, and I think Kovalchuk earned his numbers in ATL as much as anyone did. Often with little help. It's a shame he bolted for Russia, he'd still be a top player I believe.
Pitre and Cournoyer left for next round (maybe).
