Teemu Selanne Versus Jarome Iginla

[GlitchMarner]

Who was better?

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[nilssont]

Teemu hands down

 

[Plural]

Teemu no doubt.

 

[TychoFan]

Iginla is my favourite player and got me into hockey. The answer is Selanne.

 

[DannyGallivan]

Me, a Jets fan no less, chose Iginla for the following reasons:

1. He was one of - if not the best - power forward of his era.
2. He was a top sniper when nobody else could score.
3. He was totally robbed of the Hart Trophy when Theodore won.
4. He was totally robbed of the Conn Smythe when Calgary was totally robbed of the Stanley Cup when Gelinas was totally robbed of his overtime goal.

Totally.

 

[bathdog]

Selanne.

1. He was one of - if not the best - power forward of his era.
2. He was a top sniper when nobody else could score.

1. Define power forward. Iginla wasn't better than Forsberg, and if you're referring to post-lockout, Ovechkin.
2. Naslund scored at a marginally lower rate while maintaining a noticeably better ppg in a range that's hand picked for Iginla (02-04). Hejduk isn't too far behind either.

 

[Connor McConnor]

Selanne.



1. Define power forward. Iginla wasn't better than Forsberg, and if you're referring to post-lockout, Ovechkin.
2. Naslund scored at a marginally lower rate while maintaining a noticeably better ppg in a range that's hand picked for Iginla (02-04). Hejduk isn't too far behind either.

1. Agreed that some sort of definition for power forward would have strengthened his case but by simply adding "scoring power forward" it's not really much of a debate. Forsberg went over 30 goals twice in his career. Also, Iginla's prime was 2000-2010 whereas Forsberg's was 1995-2002 so not completely relevant comparable.

2. Naslund never went over 50 goals, played on a better team and line and comparing their primes Iginla scored many more goals so it's borderline laughable if you think Naslund or Hejduk were better goal scorers than Iginla. Iginla's best season (50 goals and 98 points) came in 2007 when Naslund had 25 goals and 55 points in 82 games so again, not sure how you are measuring this.


Answer is still Selanne though so atleast we agree there.

 

[Laineux]

Also, Iginla's prime was 2000-2010 whereas Forsberg's was 1995-2002 so not completely relevant comparable.

You figure that Forsberg was out of his prime in the only two seasons of his career that he lead the league in points per game? (03 and 04)

 

[Thenameless]

This one's actually not that easy. Selanne's got that really awesome 76 goal rookie season that won't be beaten in several lifetimes. He's also got a few 100+ point seasons in his career. While most of his gaudy offensive totals are due to his own talent and skill, I do think Selanne was also helped out more by the players he skated with - Paul Kariya in particular, was awesome in his prime and they had a ridiculous synergy together. Phil Housley in his rookie year is nice too.

Iginla, on the other hand, has a scoring title and a couple of Rockets. His overall scoring totals are lower than Selanne's. Some allowance must be made for his prime coinciding with the dead puck era (whereas Selanne did miss some of it early on in his career), and skating with lesser linemates. Iginla had more leadership qualities and was more intimidating (a decent fighter).

I personally prefer Selanne, but in this comparison I will give the slightest edge to Iginla. Iginla is practically equal in scoring with a more complete game. Honestly, I'd be happy with either one of them.

 

[crowi]

Selänne. With how HF loves stats, the one with more goals, more assists and therefore more points in ~100 less games.

 

[Regal]

Selanne was better at his best, despite Iginla's Art Ross, and aged better in his mid to late 30s as well. I think he was definitely the better talent. You could maybe argue Iginla had a better career though, as Selanne's injuries, and down years due to his knee hurts him, and Iginla has the hardware and big playoff run Selanne lacks. I would probably still go for Selanne though.

 

[CokenoPepsi]

Selanne...and not really that close

 

[GlitchMarner]

4. He was totally robbed of the Conn Smythe when Calgary was totally robbed of the Stanley Cup when Gelinas was totally robbed of his overtime goal.

Totally.

I disagree with all of this. The non-goal wasn't even in OT and Kipper might have won the Smythe that year if CGY had won the Cup.

 

[bathdog]

1. Agreed that some sort of definition for power forward would have strengthened his case but by simply adding "scoring power forward" it's not really much of a debate. Forsberg went over 30 goals twice in his career. Also, Iginla's prime was 2000-2010 whereas Forsberg's was 1995-2002 so not completely relevant comparable.

2. Naslund never went over 50 goals, played on a better team and line and comparing their primes Iginla scored many more goals so it's borderline laughable if you think Naslund or Hejduk were better goal scorers than Iginla. Iginla's best season (50 goals and 98 points) came in 2007 when Naslund had 25 goals and 55 points in 82 games so again, not sure how you are measuring this.


Answer is still Selanne though so atleast we agree there.

1. Forsberg 96-06. Maybe Ovechkin hadn't quite emerged in 07, but that's 1 single season then. Of course you can keep filtering his competition down to "scoring power forward" to make it "valid".

2. So we're going to make a definitive judgement based on some arbitrary cutoff when one scored 52 goals and the other 48 goals where Iginla averaged ~2 mins more TOI/GP? I obviously disagree that his 08 season is his best, why would a season where he finished 3rd in goals, and 3rd in points, be better than a season where he finished 1st in goals, and 1st in points , winning a Pearson, finishing higher in Hart voting, and posting a higher raw goal total, while posting a marginally (0.03) lower ppg. Comparing it to Naslund's post-lockout is an absolute joke, as he fell off a cliff.

Iginla's best GPG in DPE: 0.63, 0.51, 0.47.
Naslund's best GPG in DPE: 0.59, 0.57, 0.49.

Naslund did play on a great line though, and no I don't think Hejduk was a better goal scorer than Iginla, but the statement was where nobody else could score.

 

[DFF]

Selanne was better at his best, despite Iginla's Art Ross, and aged better in his mid to late 30s as well. I think he was definitely the better talent. You could maybe argue Iginla had a better career though, as Selanne's injuries, and down years due to his knee hurts him, and Iginla has the hardware and big playoff run Selanne lacks. I would probably still go for Selanne though.

If they have swapped team, I do not think Selanne would have done as well

The Flames wasted Iginla talent

Iginla was one of the best if not the best RW in the league playing with freaking Craig Conroy and Dean MaCammond....think about that

 

[DannyGallivan]

This one's actually not that easy. Selanne's got that really awesome 76 goal rookie season that won't be beaten in several lifetimes. He's also got a few 100+ point seasons in his career. While most of his gaudy offensive totals are due to his own talent and skill, I do think Selanne was also helped out more by the players he skated with - Paul Kariya in particular, was awesome in his prime and they had a ridiculous synergy together. Phil Housley in his rookie year is nice too.

Iginla, on the other hand, has a scoring title and a couple of Rockets. His overall scoring totals are lower than Selanne's. Some allowance must be made for his prime coinciding with the dead puck era (whereas Selanne did miss some of it early on in his career), and skating with lesser linemates. Iginla had more leadership qualities and was more intimidating (a decent fighter).

I personally prefer Selanne, but in this comparison I will give the slightest edge to Iginla. Iginla is practically equal in scoring with a more complete game. Honestly, I'd be happy with either one of them.

My issue with his rookie season, as incredible as it was, is two-fold (from an historical point of view):

1. Goals were easier than candy at a parade that season. Wasn't that the highest scoring season in NHL history? Even though Teemu scored 76 goals, he wasn't even the clear-cut goal leader that year (he was tied with Mogilny). In fact, there were 14 players with more than 50 goals, and five players with more than 60! I got awarded eight goals just by attending 20 Jet games that season.

Meanwhile, Iginla was scoring when nobody else was. A two-time winner of the Richard Trophy, he was 11 goals ahead of the second highest scorers during his 52 goal season.

2. I never consider players who have already played in a pro men's league true rookies. He was already an established goal, mature 22 year-old goal scorer when he scored 76 goals (Laine, as a comparison, won't be that old for two full seasons yet). I find Bossy's rookie record more impressive because he was straight out of junior.

Hey, I don't want it to sound like I'm dissing Selanne. He was incredible, and was easily the best Finn to ever play the game (sorry Jari). I just find that we're comparing two very different goal scorers, and Iginla never had a chance to play in the high scoring era that Selanne began his career in.

I'll concede that Selanne was a more impressive pure goal scorer, but Iginla's leadership, physical play along with his offensive output on some weak Calgary lines should not be ignored. Plus, I'll always insist that he should have won the Hart over Theodore and the Conn Smythe was his if Calgary's Stanley Cup wasn't stolen over the Gelinas goal that didn't count.

 

[ijuka]

Selänne's better. Iginla's a better fighter but that's about it.

 

[tony d]

I went with Selanne.

 

[tomi2]

I think Selänne in his prime circa 96-99 was a bigger difference maker than Iginla (eventhough his hardware) in his prime. Teemu was twice the runner up for the Art Ross (second to Mario and Jagr). He was absolutely elite in the late 90's. Iginla was still an awesome player, but Teemu was better.

 

[trentmccleary]

Teemu Selanne hands down. He was a superstar level offensive player, along the same lines as a Jagr, Sakic, Forsberg, Thornton, etc.
Iginla was a star level offensive player. He's completely outclassed in this comparison.

 

[Fataldogg]

Iginla had a better peak.

There was a stretch of a couple of years where you could have made the argument he was the best forward in the NHL.

Selanne had a better career but was never considered the best in the NHL and you could never have made the argument he was the best. There were always people clearly better than him.

 

[illpucks]

Selanne had Kariya. Who did Iginla have? Iginla was the best player in the NHL from about '02-'04. When was Selanne ever the best? Ignila is garbage now. But when he was at his peak in Calgary he was unstoppable

 

[Wayne Primeau]

Selanne. It's fairly close -- and I disagree with the previous assessment that Iginla was only better at fighting -- but I'd still take Selanne in terms of pure skill. Both phenomenal players, though.

 

[SlickHands]

Selanne had Kariya. Who did Iginla have? Iginla was the best player in the NHL from about '02-'04. When was Selanne ever the best? Ignila is garbage now. But when he was at his peak in Calgary he was unstoppable

Selanne was netting 100 during arguably the worst offensive period of time in modern NHL history ( about 96-99 or so) and was runner up in points a couple of times (losing to guys like Mario and Jagr). Iginla led once in points during the stretch you mentioned, and then wasn't even in the top 10 the other years. How is that proof that he's better? I absolutely think you could make the argument that he was every bit one of the best in the NHL during that stretch of the late 90s.

I concede the line mate argument. But Selanne was great before and after Kariya. And part of being a great player is finding chemistry with the people you play with.

 

[The Kingslayer]

Selanne had Kariya. Who did Iginla have? Iginla was the best player in the NHL from about '02-'04. When was Selanne ever the best? Ignila is garbage now. But when he was at his peak in Calgary he was unstoppable

Craig Conroy just cried a little hahaha