Rocket
1st AST
2nd AST
8x top 10 in goals
5x top 10 in pts
Don't think anyone with a comparable resume is out so a pretty easy yes. The thing about Kovy imo is he's really under appreciated because OV was around at the same time and had one of the best peaks ever.
i feel the same way. if a very similar player, from the same country, didn't come along right after he started and eclipse him in every way, we would think a lot higher of kovalchuk.
just even looking at placements, with no ovechkin, kovalchuk's goal scoring finishes are: 1, 1, 3, 3, 5, 5, 7, 7. but i think more substantially, with no ovechkin, you have a very good argument for kovalchuk being the best goal scorer of the period between the lockouts. the only person you could possibly make an argument for is stamkos, but he only has three seasons, as impressive as finishes of 1, 2, 1 are in those seasons, and his goals/game is only 0.1 higher than kovalchuk's.
HHOF has had so many suspect inductions lately I almost feel like I want to get my favorite player out of there.
don't worry. alex edler won't make the HHOf.
i don't have strong feelings one way or the other about kovalchuk in the HHOF. but if at the end of the day phil kessel is in and kovalchuk is out, that feels wrong to me.