Was Jarome Iginla ever the best player in the league?

[newfy]

He had a claim between 2001 and 2003, but he never cemented it. So, I'd lean no. He got robbed of a Hart in the Theodore year by a completely unethical Montreal voter who blatantly strategically voted for the Hart (left Iginla off his ballot, he gets any vote on that ballot he wins over Theodore). He won a Pearson and had 2 2nd place Hart finishes the 3 seasons before the lockout. Answering who the best player between 2001-02 and 2003-04 is almost impossible. Guys who had solid claims entering that era either had significant injury issues (Forsberg) or had a weird mid-career fall off (Jagr). For that 3 year span, you are basically left deciding between Forsberg, Iginla, Naslund, Brodeur, MSL, Pronger, Lidstrom, Sakic, and maybe a couple others.

Its strange in retrospect. Expected elite stars who were meant to replace the former greats all had injuries or fell off (Forsberg, Bure, Kariya, and Lindros). It created a power vacuum to an extent. People seriously discussed guys like Bertuzzi as the best player in the league.

I agree with this post, except I might lean a little more towards yes. Around 2002 when fans talked I think Iginla would get the vote for best player in the NHL. His all around game and goal scoring for a season or two had a strong claim for best player. It didnt last long and other guys also had a claim but I think he had the best one. Iginals best season Forsberg didnt play so he wasnt better. Naslund got that talk but people also talked about his line being a part of his success where Iginla was more of a one man show. The one guy who might've had a claim to challenge him that year was Lidstrom. His style wasnt flashy though and he was really just started to get competely respected league wide but he had the second most hardware with a norris and conn smythe that year. I would say Iginla was still better though and I'm a wings fan

If that idiotic habs writer didnt leave Iginla completely off the ballot strategically he has a Hart, Pearson, Richard and art ross in 2002, I dont think anyone would even ask this question if he cleaned up at those awards. For that season alone he likely was the best in the world.

 

[ProspectsFanatic]

The best players pre-lockout were Lemieux and Forsberg but they were often injured (Iginla won the Art Ross the year Forsberg missed a full regular season, he was 4th in PPG the year prior and 1st the following year, Lemieux never played full seasons), Lindstrom, Jagr and Sakic were also in the picture, then post-lockout it was Crosby/Ovechkin (Thornton/Jagr the first year), so no.

 

[JaymzB]

Has anyone ever looked into where the 4 writters that left Theodore off their ballot in 2002 were located? Perhaps a Canadian province out west?

 

[Reinhart]

I would say that he was. I think a lot of hockey fans in the west who go to see him more often would agree. Iginla could do it all. A one-man wrecking ball with little to no support. There were other big stars at the time, but I do think that Iginla was the best player for a season or two in the early 2000's, and was a top 5 player for at least 4-6 seasons. He literally could do it all except be a goalie. It was at this time that he was so good defensively as well. Complete 200ft player that could play a finesse game, a gritty game, fight, score, and was such an underrated playmaker. He just wasn't a flashy type of player like some other stars, but he was probably the most complete player in the game at the time.

 

[psycat]

No.

 

[SuperScript29]

If anything, I would say in 2002 was the only year he was best player in the league.

 

[CartographerNo611]

52 goals and 96 points in one of the lowest scoring seasons on record which led the league. I think only 2003-2004 had lower scoring and he still netted 41 goals and 73 points. Then you had to go all the way back to the 30s-40s to get that low of scoring. Those are Crosby point totals while playing a much rougher style of play in a much rougher league. Young bloods on hfboards only remember the tail end of his career but Iggy was the ideal power forward and consistent through out the 2000s. There was stretch where he was the top forward imo and gets grossly underrated because the hf teen clan only remembers his Avalanche/ King days.

 

[Luigi Lemieux]

definitely came to say 2001-02

Ross and Rocket winner with 52-44-96

won the Rocket by 11 goals

As for team success...its not his fault the 2nd best skater on that team was Conroy

He had the best season, but no one considered him the best player in the league. Jagr was coming off 4 straight art rosses and still lead the league in points per game.

 

[DJJones]

Maybe... his prime was when the previous generations stars were on the decline and the 06 surge of young talent hadn't arrived yet.

There wasn't a unanimous best player in the league for like 5 years.

 

[DJJones]

He had the best season, but no one considered him the best player in the league. Jagr was coming off 4 straight art rosses and still lead the league in points per game.

People considered Jagr the best after his year in Washington?

Long time ago but that was a massively disappointing season for him.

 

[Volica]

There was a really small window, but I do believe that there's an argument that can be made for him being the best player on the planet during a very small window. That 2002 season was monstrous; he made Craig Conroy, and average 3rd line centre look like a first line elite talent.

It's a shame that Calgary couldn't put it together between 2001 and 2009, when the guy was in the midst of his prime and just an elite talent that brought something not many players did otherwise. Those 2000-2004 years are a prime example of why this league needs a healthy cap and cap floor; the Flames couldn't afford a real team. Coming back from the lockout, some incompetent management... and boom, the career of a first ballot HoF'er disappears.

 

[Luigi Lemieux]

People considered Jagr the best after his year in Washington?

Long time ago but that was a massively disappointing season for him.

Disappointing by his standards maybe, but he did have 79 points in 69 games. He would've pulled in his 5th straight art ross with a full season.

Edit - going by memory but i was wrong. He was on pace for 94 points. That said he was coming off 4 straight art rosses so i think most werent going to take the title from him based on that.

 

[Kybb79]

Iginla never had a elite Centre to play with in Calgary. But yes 2002 he was the best that year.

 

[Flair Hay]

In 2003-04 he 100% was

 

[DJJones]

Disappointing by his standards maybe, but he did have 79 points in 69 games. He would've pulled in his 5th straight art ross with a full season.

Edit - going by memory but i was wrong. He was on pace for 94 points. That said he was coming off 4 straight art rosses so i think most werent going to take the title from him based on that.

Fair enough, and ya. Igninla being behind a prime Jagr isn't something to be upset about haha

 

[WesMcCauley]

He was unreal in his prime

 

[TheStroker]

Flames' fans will say he was at one point the very best. But I can clearly remember during his peak during the 2000s that he never was the clear cut #1 like a Crosby or McDavid was. Yes he was in the conversation. But at no point in time was there ever a general consensus that '' Yes, Jarome Iginla is the #1 player in the entire world''.

At various times in his career his play reached the point of being so dominant that you could make an argument he was. But so did players like say P. Kane and Markus Naslund. Players who at their very best were playing the best hockey in the world. But they never quite had the sustained success for the hockey world to clearly state, without any doubt in anybody's mind, that they were truly the best hockey player in the world.

Players like Crosby in the past and McDavid now, you just know year in and year out they will be the best. Iginla had his moments, but IMO was never on the that tier above everybody else where everyone could all agree he was #1.

This isn't meant to be a knock against Iggy. Just being in the conversation is good enough IMO to cement his legacy.

 

[Iapyi]

Has anyone ever looked into where the 4 writters that left Theodore off their ballot in 2002 were located? Perhaps a Canadian province out west?

Well don't leave us hanging, where were they from?

 

[Cursed Lemon]

If we consider 2002-2009 to be Iginla's prime, then Joe Thornton was a better player over that stretch.

 

[treple13]

I think he was the best player in the world in 2003-2004. I think he was the best player in the world in 2001-2002.

But yeah it's not clear cut like some other players and his best years are during a period when there wasn't a lot of great seasons out there.

 

[jetsfan91]

For a short period of time he was the best player in the NHL yes. Btw what happened in the 05-06 season? “Only” 67 points in a season where scoring was sky high. He has 94 and 98 point seasons respectfully after that but strange to see him have a low scoring season in his absolute prime, in a time where scoring was at a high post lockout.

 

[KoozNetsOff 92]

Has anyone ever looked into where the 4 writters that left Theodore off their ballot in 2002 were located? Perhaps a Canadian province out west?

Yeah I keep reading this "Iginla was robbed" stuff...but no one mentions he was on 3 more ballots than Theodore lol

 

[authentic]

I think he was the best player in the world in 2003-2004. I think he was the best player in the world in 2001-2002.

But yeah it's not clear cut like some other players and his best years are during a period when there wasn't a lot of great seasons out there.

In 2001-02 he was because Forsberg wasn't playing, but in 2003-04 it's clear Forsberg was the same player as he was the year before, he had an identical points per game. 39 games isn't a lot but it's enough to know who the best player was like Crosby in 2010-11. Both their PPG were far above the rest.

 

[authentic]

For a short period of time he was the best player in the NHL yes. Btw what happened in the 05-06 season? “Only” 67 points in a season where scoring was sky high. He has 94 and 98 point seasons respectfully after that but strange to see him have a low scoring season in his absolute prime, in a time where scoring was at a high post lockout.

St. Louis also had a really bad year in 2005-06.

 

[RogerRoger]

He got robbed of a Hart in the Theodore year by a completely unethical Montreal voter who blatantly strategically voted for the Hart (left Iginla off his ballot, he gets any vote on that ballot he wins over Theodore).

That's bull, more people left Theodore off their ballots. So if anyone left a worthy candidate off their ballot unethically, it wasn't to favor Theodore.