Well if he wasn't already, he's one of the greatest two way players to ever play the game. If Scott Niedermayer tried, he'd be as deadly a forward as he is defensman. He didn't even need SC #4 or the Conn Smythe to be a hall of famer, this is just icing on the cake.
World Junior Champion, Memorial Cup Champion, World Champion, Olympic Champion, Stanley Cup Champion (x4), World Cup Champion, Conn Smythe Winner, Norris Trophy winner.
All that eludes him is a hart trophy.......but in my mind he's already won that many times.
I know a lot of Devils fans are bitter, as well they should be because it hurts seeing him hoist the cup wearing another logo. But once a Devil, always a Devil even if he's a Duck is what I say. Anaheim can thank Lou Lamoriello for this, because without Brian Burke (a Lou Lamoriello protege) they wouldn't have gone hard after Niedermayer (a Lou Lamoriello draft pick and developed by the team) and without Scott the Ducks wouldn't have won that Stanley Cup because he was the only guy on the team to win one. So cheers to Scott Niedermayer, the greatest winner in NHL history.
World Junior Champion, Memorial Cup Champion, World Champion, Olympic Champion, Stanley Cup Champion (x4), World Cup Champion, Conn Smythe Winner, Norris Trophy winner.
All that eludes him is a hart trophy.......but in my mind he's already won that many times.
I know a lot of Devils fans are bitter, as well they should be because it hurts seeing him hoist the cup wearing another logo. But once a Devil, always a Devil even if he's a Duck is what I say. Anaheim can thank Lou Lamoriello for this, because without Brian Burke (a Lou Lamoriello protege) they wouldn't have gone hard after Niedermayer (a Lou Lamoriello draft pick and developed by the team) and without Scott the Ducks wouldn't have won that Stanley Cup because he was the only guy on the team to win one. So cheers to Scott Niedermayer, the greatest winner in NHL history.
El_Loco_Avs
Registered User
4 cups is a BIG BIG achievement.
but where will he end up in a best ever defensemen ranking? top 10?
but where will he end up in a best ever defensemen ranking? top 10?
pnep
Registered User
4 cups is a BIG BIG achievement.
but where will he end up in a best ever defensemen ranking? top 10?
Top 25-30
imho....
VanIslander
A 19-year ATDer on HfBoards
OMFG no... But I guess you'll be the one picking him the first round of the next all-time draft.
Chris Pronger was better than Scott Niedermayer this postseason but his suspensions (like that of any Duck save perhaps Pahlsson) didn't make a dang bit of difference in the outcome of the defensive-strategied Ducks' game plan. That's why Chris didn't get the Conn Smythe, because his suspensions proved he wasn't totally necessary. The fact is, if Scott had been suspended, the Ducks would have kept on winning as well.
Scott shouldn't be a stitch higher in the history of hockey hierarchy as a result of being given the Conn Smythe: shouldn't be any higher whatsoever.
Among the Top-30 hockey players of all time? How long have you held that view?
Top 50? Maaaayyyyybe. Top-100 sure.
BM67
Registered User
pnep
Registered User
VanIslander
A 19-year ATDer on HfBoards
Drewr15
Registered User
I have to really disagree with Pronger being better than Nieds this postseason. Just the finals alone, the one game Ottawa won Pronger was the one being directly beaten for a few of those goals and the biggest game in the series they won without him and Nieder playing like a star. Not to say that Pronger isn't great but out played niedermayer...no way.
And top 20 to 30 dmen all time sounds about right.
VanIslander
A 19-year ATDer on HfBoards
Drewr15
Registered User
And its amazing how some think because its their opinion its a fact.
Didn't need a trophy to see that Nieder was the best player on the ice for the Ducks.
RallyKiller, this is the icing on the cake for a sure first ballot HOF'er.
He is a top 25 D of all time....
B.Orr
E.Shore
D.Harvey
Bourque
Potvin
Robinson
Kelly (C)
Lidstrom
Chelios
Park
Fetisov
Stevens
Coffey
MacInnis
T.Horton
Pilote
D.Clapper
E.Seibert
Pronger
Leetch
S.Niedermayer
He is a top 25 D of all time....
B.Orr
E.Shore
D.Harvey
Bourque
Potvin
Robinson
Kelly (C)
Lidstrom
Chelios
Park
Fetisov
Stevens
Coffey
MacInnis
T.Horton
Pilote
D.Clapper
E.Seibert
Pronger
Leetch
S.Niedermayer
pnep
Registered User
Speedtrials
Registered User
He is just an unbelievable player, that has it all. He has elite talent on both sides of the puck, a nasty meanstreak, and is a proven winner.
King Clancy is definitely the most "conspicuous by his absence" player on that list. The other players who really stands out as missing are Bill Gadsby and Sprague Cleghorn. All three should definitely be ahead of Niedermayer, and Pronger and Leetch, for that matter.
I'd be interested to know who's in the class of winners that have won each of the World Juniors, World Championships, Olympics, Stanley Cup, World Cup, and an NHL award for being the top player at their position.
I've eliminated the Memorial Cup and Conn Smythe from the question - many players don't go the major junior route, and the Conn Smythe might be a tad too limiting.
Joe Sakic I think has met your first paragraph criteria (using the Hart as 'best forward')
Iginla came pretty close in 04 (and he does have the Memorial cup also...although that pesky Stanley cup is kind of a big one that's missing,)
sure there are many others in the near miss category, but NIedermayers resume is incredible
Perhaps World Cup/Olympics/World Championships should be replaced with "major international tournament", as historically pros were excluded from the Olympics, and I'm not sure for how long the other two tournament formats have existed.
Maybe the first three rounds but once Nieds ankle wasn't killing him, he was our best player during the finals I thought, not that Pronger played poorly but if the Ducks had lost game 4 we'd all be sitting here blaming Pronger for possibly losing the final, who was the guy that kept the team glued together? Scott Niedermayer, the lockerroom wanted blood after Alfie shot at him, and Niedermayer spoke up and made sure everyone stayed focused on the task at hand. He's a great leader, he wouldn't let personal vendettas effect the task at hand.
VanIslander
A 19-year ATDer on HfBoards
Hunter Gathers
The Crown
Sorry, but Niedermayer was worlds more impressive than Pronger.
Each game Pronger was gone, he stepped up a LOT and is probably one of, if not the MAIN, the reasons that they won each of those games.
Hunter Gathers
The Crown
I'm trying hard not to be a homer, but I really think Leetch gets a raw deal when ranking defenseman.
He played on a horrible Rangers team for a long time and was only one of the few specks of gold on an otherwise unpolished turd. And I really think that that skews the view of him all-time. One of the best two-way guys around (and one who, for some reason, is bashed on defense a lot when in all reality he was about as steady as they come for an offensively geared player in his own zone).
If he had played on well constructed and even just decent teams, outside fo the few successful years the Rangers enjoyed in the early to mid 90s, he'd be ranked a lot higher than he's seen.
savemypoorbrain
Registered User
Drewr15
Registered User
Ha Ha Ha...I totally forgot about that fight and when Nieder kicked his jersey. thanks for posting.
Brooklyndevil
Registered User
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