Top 10 Swedish Hockey Players of All Time?

[VictorLustig]

Kent Nilsson was better than Forsberg. Nilsson isn't the 'greatest Swedish hockey player ever' but he is the 'best Swedish hockey player ever'. A shame to see some people leave them off their lists as he has a case to be #1.

For those that never watched The Magic Man play - he was simply incredible when he showed up which unfortunately wasn't often enough as he had a tendency to disappear for games at a time and not really try - but was honestly most talented. He could just do anything he wanted when he was engaged - and when he was engaged, The Flames won.

It was either TSN or NHL that had him as the 5th most talented player ever - behind Orr, Gretzky, Lemieux and Kovalev. He was that good.

No, Nilsson was not that good.

 

[b in vancouver]

No, Nilsson was not that good.

Disagree.
I'd take Forsberg all day every day over him on my team.
But skill-wise? I take Nilsson. He admittedly didn't try that hard or that often, didn't work-out or anything - and his inconsistency was maddening but when he was on - he was amazing like very few players I've seen. When he wanted to show up he'd just rack up 4 or 5 points and be all over the ice and just dominate the game. Kind of a cross between Kovalev and Perrault (or something like that).

Him and Peter Statsny are the two players from the 80s that don't get talked about enough.

 

[joe dirte]

Lidstrom entering in his prime finished ahead Bourque when the latter was at the end of his career? Wow so much better...
(By the way Bourque still finished second to Lidstrom for the Norris trophy at the age of 40 in 2001)

And I could do the same with Bourque and add Lidstrom, Blake, Pronger, Zubov and more too so it just makes Bourque's list even more impressive.

Lidstrom got 3 consecutive runner ups starting at 27. Bourque was 37.

At 37 lidstrom had 2 Norris trophies left in him.

 

[Tuna Tatarrrrrr]

Lidstrom got 3 consecutive runner ups starting at 27. Bourque was 37.

At 37 lidstrom had 2 Norris trophies left in him.

What about Bourque's 6 runner ups? Or the travesty lost to Rod Langway when he had 96 points in 1983-84? (Langway was a great defensive defenseman but no way he should have won the Norris trophy over Bourque this year)

Or maybe he "had" 2 Norris trophies left in him just because the competition was not so great in the Lidstrom's latter years especially his last one in 2011 compared to Bourque.

 

[joe dirte]

What about Bourque's 6 runner ups? Or the travesty lost to Rod Langway when he had 96 points in 1983-84? (Langway was a great defensive defenseman but no way he should have won the Norris trophy over Bourque this year)

Or maybe he "had" 2 Norris trophies left in him just because the competition was not so great in the Lidstrom's latter years especially his last one in 2011 compared to Bourque.

That's not my point. You're saying lidstrom was beating out bourque in norris voting because bourque was old and burnt out.

But at THAT age, lidstrom was still winning norris trophies.

Bourque was great. Lidstrom was better. There may never be another defenseman to get 7 norris trophies.

 

[Tage2Tuch]

This post will either age very well, or terribly.

Time will tell.

He’s looked like the best sabres d man in a decade in 7 games as an 18 year old.

Don’t count on it aging terribly. Especially with all the hype and him already living up to it.

 

[Tuna Tatarrrrrr]

That's not my point. You're saying lidstrom was beating out bourque in norris voting because bourque was old and burnt out.

But at THAT age, lidstrom was still winning norris trophies.

Bourque was great. Lidstrom was better. There may never be another defenseman to get 7 norris trophies.

Maybe because at that age as you said Lidstrom didn't have a as good competition as Bourque at the same age so he was the winner by default especially his last one (2011).

Lidstrom was great but Bourque was simply better period. The reason why Lidstrom won seven Norris trophies is because he played in the weakest era ever for defensemen. No way he would have won as much Norris trophy as seven if he played against the same competition than Bourque had (included prime Bourque himself).

 

[bukwas]

Thomas or Alex? I think his father probably was the better player (no point in comparing raw point totals as Steen Sr played his entire career in the 80's).

Thomas. Loved his game.

 

[Alwalys]

NOT ENOUGH DOUGLAS MURRAY

 

[DDRhockey]

Kent nilsson was not better than forsberg. Forsberg raised his game in playoffs. Nilsson didnt

 

[GlitchMarner]

Kent nilsson was not better than forsberg. Forsberg raised his game in playoffs. Nilsson didnt

Nilsson was also soft and extremely one-dimensional. Forsberg was unquestionably a better overall player.

However, Nilsson's offensive capabilities when he was on were outstanding. He was like the Swedish Kovalev.

 

[DDRhockey]

Nilsson was also soft and extremely one-dimensional. Forsberg was unquestionably a better overall player.

However, Nilsson's offensive capabilities when he was on were outstanding. He was like the Swedish Kovalev.

He also played in a higher scoring era

 

[GlitchMarner]

He also played in a higher scoring era

Yep.

 

[joe dirte]

Maybe because at that age as you said Lidstrom didn't have a as good competition as Bourque at the same age so he was the winner by default especially his last one (2011).

Lidstrom was great but Bourque was simply better period. The reason why Lidstrom won seven Norris trophies is because he played in the weakest era ever for defensemen. No way he would have won as much Norris trophy as seven if he played against the same competition than Bourque had (included prime Bourque himself).

Uh, but he did. The level of play has only improved since the days of the early 80s.

 

[Tuna Tatarrrrrr]

Uh, but he did. The level of play has only improved since the days of the early 80s.

LOL ok and next time you will probably tell me that players back then were not so great and third pairing defensemen today would be first pairing defensemen in Bourque's era right?

Technologies (skates, sticks) and trainings have improved but not the players' skills. Bourque was just better plain and simple.

 

[marone]

View media item 3111Magnus Svensson Florida is the best

 

[joe dirte]

LOL ok and next time you will probably tell me that players back then were not so great and third pairing defensemen today would be first pairing defensemen in Bourque's era right?

Technologies (skates, sticks) and trainings have improved but not the players' skills. Bourque was just better plain and simple.

No I'm not going to tell you that. I'm going to tell you that the changes in training, preparation, and equipment, and the fact that its turned into much more of a business, mean that the gaps from first tier, to second, and beyond are much slimmer these days. It's a bell curve sort of thing. Take a look at the world record 100m record sprint time. As time goes on, the improvements in it get smaller and smaller.

Same thing is happening in every sport. What does that mean? It's harder to stand out as time goes on. Not easier.

Anyway. End result, you're wrong. And everyone here knows it but you.

 

[TheAngryHank]

I agree Lidstrom is probably first over Forsberg but put him 1st/2nd best defenseman of all time is the reason why he is clearly overrated too. No way he was better than Orr and Bourque.

He was better then Bourque , he gets overrated.
Borque = Chelli in my mind, and thats good company.

 

[TheAngryHank]

I would put it:

1. Forsberg - for a period best player in the world
2. Lidstrom - for a long period best d in the world
3-5. Lundqvist, Karlsson, Salming... not easy.. is Salming no1, heck, maybe redo..?
5 Sundin, Sedin, Sedin, Alfredsson, Backstrom, Hedman, Zetterberg, Naslund, Loob, Nilsson and so on.

Forsberg was never better than Fedorov.

 

[Lexus]

Forsberg was never better than Fedorov.

 

[Tuna Tatarrrrrr]

Anyway. End result, you're wrong. And everyone here knows it but you.

Nope you're wrong and everyone here knows it but you.
Bourque > Lidstrom period.

 

[Tuna Tatarrrrrr]

He was better then Bourque , he gets overrated.
Borque = Chelli in my mind, and thats good company.

As I said, Lidstrom is pretty overrated here.

 

[Prntscrn]

Big parts of thbeir careers were before my time really but got to see them some, specially with the national team. Haven't seen much of them at all in the NHL so can't really say who I think was the best. But for me Forsberg is the biggest Swedish hockey player of all time, he fore sure is the one who got most recognition in Sweden.

#petergoat

 

[Tuna Tatarrrrrr]

#petergoat

This is probably the greatest tribute/highlights video of an NHL player I've ever seen on youtube.

 

[Lexus]

Forsberg was never better than Fedorov.

For those who says Forsberg never scored more than 30 goals.

Forsberg was a pretty good goal scorer, as he showed when it mattered the most, the playoffs. Forsberg outscored many of the greats in the post season.

Forsberg's goal per game in the playoffs puts him ahead of players like...
Sergei Fedorov, Teemu Selanne, Steve Yzerman, Glenn Anderson, Paul Kariya, Pavel Datsyuk, Adam Deadmarsh, Doug Gilmour, Mike Modano, Brendan Shanahan, Bryan Trottier, Bobby Clarke, Alexander Mogilny, Ted Lindsay, Bobby Orr, Peter Stastny, Luc Robitaille, Milan Hejduk, Jason Spezza, Andy Bathgate, Denis Savard, Michel Goulet, Patrick Marleau, Mats Sundin, Pat LaFontaine, Lanny McDonald, Claude Lemieux, Jeremy Roenick, Stan Mikita, Darryl Sittler, Frank Mahovlich, Mike Gartner, John LeClair, Markus Naslund... just to name a few.

For example, Forsberg has scored 12 goals more than Fedorov in the playoffs despite playing in 33 games less.
He scored at that rate even though he played over 150 playoff games aswell. (almost all of them in the dead-puck era.)
Forsberg also has 14 game winning goals in the playoffs. (10th all-time).
I think that is pretty good considering his primary weapon was his extraordinary vision and unique playmaking skills.