Sundin Versus Backstrom Versus Zetterberg
- Thread starter GlitchMarner
- Start date
GlitchMarner
Typical malevolent, devious & vile Maple Leafs fan
PPG finishes among players who played at least 40 games:
Sundin:
10, 12, 13, 13, 17, 17, 18, 20, 23, 23, 23, 28, 29, 39, 49, 52, 88, 105
Zetterberg:
5, 5, 10, 13, 19, 21, 22, 24, 25, 31, 31, 61, 105, 120, 140
Scoring race finishes:
Sundin:
4, 7, 11, 12, 13, 15, 17, 20, 23, 25, 27, 28, 31, 35, 38, 40, 71, 273
Zetterberg:
6, 9, 15, 20, 25, 25, 25, 29, 30, 53, 88, 96, 103, 121, 127
Hart voting finishes:
Sundin:
8, 12, 16, 18, 18
Zetterberg:
10, 16, 20, 22, 23
All-Star voting finishes:
Sundin:
AS-2, AS-2, AS-5, AS-6, AS-7, AS-7
Zetterberg:
AS-2, AS-3, AS-4, AS-5, AS-7, AS-7, AS-8, AS-9, AS-9, AS-10
Selke voting finishes:
Sundin:
32, 37
Zetterberg:
3, 4, 7, 9, 9, 12, 14, 18, 32, 43
Awards:
Sundin:
Messier Leadership Award
Zetterberg:
Conn Smythe
King Clancy
Playoffs:
Sundin:
38 goals, 44 assists, 82 points, +2 in 91 games
Zetterberg:
57 goals, 63 assists, 120 points, +41 in 137 games
Number of times leading a team in scoring:
Sundin:
13
Zetterberg:
5
Olympics:
Sundin:
16 GP, 11 G, 9 A, 20 P, +5
Zetterberg:
17 GP, 5 G, 4 A, 9 P, +7
W-Cup:
Sundin:
8 GP, 5 G, 8 A, 13 P, +1
Zetterberg:
4 GP, 1 G, 1 A, 2 P, -7
WC-A
Sundin:
35 GP, 18 G, 26 A, 44 P, +10
Zetterberg:
52 GP, 11 G, 33 A, 44 P, +17
Sundin:
10, 12, 13, 13, 17, 17, 18, 20, 23, 23, 23, 28, 29, 39, 49, 52, 88, 105
Zetterberg:
5, 5, 10, 13, 19, 21, 22, 24, 25, 31, 31, 61, 105, 120, 140
Scoring race finishes:
Sundin:
4, 7, 11, 12, 13, 15, 17, 20, 23, 25, 27, 28, 31, 35, 38, 40, 71, 273
Zetterberg:
6, 9, 15, 20, 25, 25, 25, 29, 30, 53, 88, 96, 103, 121, 127
Hart voting finishes:
Sundin:
8, 12, 16, 18, 18
Zetterberg:
10, 16, 20, 22, 23
All-Star voting finishes:
Sundin:
AS-2, AS-2, AS-5, AS-6, AS-7, AS-7
Zetterberg:
AS-2, AS-3, AS-4, AS-5, AS-7, AS-7, AS-8, AS-9, AS-9, AS-10
Selke voting finishes:
Sundin:
32, 37
Zetterberg:
3, 4, 7, 9, 9, 12, 14, 18, 32, 43
Awards:
Sundin:
Messier Leadership Award
Zetterberg:
Conn Smythe
King Clancy
Playoffs:
Sundin:
38 goals, 44 assists, 82 points, +2 in 91 games
Zetterberg:
57 goals, 63 assists, 120 points, +41 in 137 games
Number of times leading a team in scoring:
Sundin:
13
Zetterberg:
5
Olympics:
Sundin:
16 GP, 11 G, 9 A, 20 P, +5
Zetterberg:
17 GP, 5 G, 4 A, 9 P, +7
W-Cup:
Sundin:
8 GP, 5 G, 8 A, 13 P, +1
Zetterberg:
4 GP, 1 G, 1 A, 2 P, -7
WC-A
Sundin:
35 GP, 18 G, 26 A, 44 P, +10
Zetterberg:
52 GP, 11 G, 33 A, 44 P, +17
Nalens Oga
Registered User
GlitchMarner
Typical malevolent, devious & vile Maple Leafs fan
This is perhaps Sundin's best 11 season stretch: 1995-1996 to 2007-2008.
NHL.com - Stats
Tenth in points per game among players who played at least 400 games (0.03 PPG behind Kariya and Selanne, who played together during that period, and just barely ahead of Thornton and Kovalchuk in PPG). Third in total points. Fifth in total goals.
Backstrom from 2007-2008 to 2017-2018:
NHL.com - Stats
Also tenth in points per game among players who played at least 400 games (barely behind Getzlaf, Datsyuk and St. Louis; ahead of Thornton and Tavares). Fifth in total points. Tied for 46th in goals but better Selke record than Sundin had from '97-'08. Has played with Ovechkin often.
NHL.com - Stats
Tenth in points per game among players who played at least 400 games (0.03 PPG behind Kariya and Selanne, who played together during that period, and just barely ahead of Thornton and Kovalchuk in PPG). Third in total points. Fifth in total goals.
Backstrom from 2007-2008 to 2017-2018:
NHL.com - Stats
Also tenth in points per game among players who played at least 400 games (barely behind Getzlaf, Datsyuk and St. Louis; ahead of Thornton and Tavares). Fifth in total points. Tied for 46th in goals but better Selke record than Sundin had from '97-'08. Has played with Ovechkin often.
Critical13
Fear is the mind-killer.
I think Sundin and Zetterbeg are easily HHOF. I am not sure about Backstrom yet. He's always had a quiet game that we never appreciated. I might need to look back once he's retired to really get a feel for it.
filinski77
Registered User
- Feb 12, 2017
- 2,619
- 4,296
Why didn't you include Backstroms stats in a poll that includes him?
Selke placements: 7/10/11/12/18/23/28
Top 10 point finishes: 4/4/6/8/9
Top 10 assist finishes: 1/2/3/3/3/3/7
Top 10 Hart finishes: 9/9
Backstrom had a better offensive peak than both, is edged out by Z a bit in selke finishes.
Backstrom is a great player and I believe he will end up putting a career together worthy of the Hall rather easily.
I'm still unsure about Zetterberg. 330 goals and just shy of 1000 points. His team accomplishments will probably put him into the yes category for enough voters though. Also, he was a great defensive player along with Datsyuk.
The drawback (if you want to call it that) that really separates these 2 from Mats is the longevity and the dominance over the teammates that Sundin had to overcome.
During his tenure in Detroit, Zetterberg had 80 more points than Datsyuk while playing nearly 200 more games. He also had Lidstrom and Kronwall adding up another 900+ points from the back end.
During his years in Toronto, Mats scored 585 more points than any of his teammates on the team. Granted, he played a lot more than any of his teammates during that time period, but his points per game is almost double of those in the top 5 total scoring. To drive a point home, Mats scored more goals during his time in Toronto than any of his teammates got points while here.
Backstrom is and always will be the second best player on his team and that's never going to be anything to pout over. He's joined by one of, if not the best goal scorers in NHL history. He trails Ovechkin by 130 points during his time in Washington despite playing basically the same number of games.
Sundin ended his career with 1350 games played and 1350 points.
Backstrom, while playing with Ovechkin, has put up just under 1 point per game in his career.
Zetterberg, while playing with Datsyuk and Lidstrom, put up considerably less than a point per game in his career.
Sundin's stats are crazy when the quality of teammates is taken into consideration quite honestly.
I'm still unsure about Zetterberg. 330 goals and just shy of 1000 points. His team accomplishments will probably put him into the yes category for enough voters though. Also, he was a great defensive player along with Datsyuk.
The drawback (if you want to call it that) that really separates these 2 from Mats is the longevity and the dominance over the teammates that Sundin had to overcome.
During his tenure in Detroit, Zetterberg had 80 more points than Datsyuk while playing nearly 200 more games. He also had Lidstrom and Kronwall adding up another 900+ points from the back end.
During his years in Toronto, Mats scored 585 more points than any of his teammates on the team. Granted, he played a lot more than any of his teammates during that time period, but his points per game is almost double of those in the top 5 total scoring. To drive a point home, Mats scored more goals during his time in Toronto than any of his teammates got points while here.
Backstrom is and always will be the second best player on his team and that's never going to be anything to pout over. He's joined by one of, if not the best goal scorers in NHL history. He trails Ovechkin by 130 points during his time in Washington despite playing basically the same number of games.
Sundin ended his career with 1350 games played and 1350 points.
Backstrom, while playing with Ovechkin, has put up just under 1 point per game in his career.
Zetterberg, while playing with Datsyuk and Lidstrom, put up considerably less than a point per game in his career.
Sundin's stats are crazy when the quality of teammates is taken into consideration quite honestly.
LeafsNation75
Registered User
Another impressive Sundin stat is that he's currently 12th all time in game winning goals with a total of 96.
NHL & WHA Career Leaders and Records for Game-Winning Goals | Hockey-Reference.com
NHL & WHA Career Leaders and Records for Game-Winning Goals | Hockey-Reference.com
Il Mediano
Registered User
- Feb 24, 2018
- 1,837
- 690
Sundin all day, every day.
Give him Ovi to play with in his prime and see what his numbers look like.
Give him Ovi to play with in his prime and see what his numbers look like.
Albus Dumbledore
Master of Death
- Mar 28, 2015
- 9,007
- 2,670
Because he had ovi next to him.
Z and Sundin didn't have as good linemates for the most part. Although Z did play on some good teams.
Legend Leinonen
Registered User
Zetterberg was in the discussion for best player in the league during his short peak, something Backstrom has never been close to. Backstrom is a great player in his own right, but he is a playmaker who has been playing with argubably the best goal scorer in hockey history for an entire decade. He wouldn't have his current assist or point totals if he played with the linemates Sundin played with, which is why you can't simply judge players based on points.
What also doesn't help Backstrom's case is the fact that he's been underwhelming in big games for most of his career. It's only in the last couple of years he has stepped up in big moments, such as the World Championship last year and the Stanley Cup last spring. Sundin and Zetterberg have been recognized as big leaders and big game players for a much longer time. Of course Sundin never won the cup, but he's argubly the most succesfull international player in Team Sweden's history, and OP did write the words "including international competition".
GlitchMarner
Typical malevolent, devious & vile Maple Leafs fan
'Cause I copied and pasted a previous post of mine that didn't relate to him. But thanks.
Last edited:
GlitchMarner
Typical malevolent, devious & vile Maple Leafs fan
Tied for fifth all-time in regular season OT winners.
NHL.com - Stats
Tied for tenth in shorthanded points since 1933-1934 (which is as far back as NHL.com tracks SHPs).
NHL.com - Stats
I’d go Zetterberg here but he and Sundin are close. I think Z’s two way game gets overlooked in all of the focus on pure offensive stats.
This. The one specific moment of their absolute best, Zetterberg probably had Sundin beat. Over an extended period, give me Sundin without a second thought.
Pocket Hercules
Business in the front, party in the back.
This!
It is a G'damn shame that Sundin played with plugs, band-aids and pseudo-stars throughout the majority of his career. Pair him with wingers like Ovi, Panarin or Laine, and see what his numbers would be like.
