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What If's?

habsfan87

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Mar 1, 2008
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Inspired by Bill Simmons' latest column, some of the NHL's biggest "What If's?".

What if Bobby Hull stayed in the NHL, rather than going to the WHA. He wasn't showing any signs of slowing down when he left in '72, coming off of a 93 point season. He played 411 games in the WHA, scoring 303 goals. He had 610 goals during his NHL career. If he played those 411 games in the NHL, how many goals does he end up with? He probably passes Howe. Does he come close to Gretzky's 894?

What if Cam Neely doesn't get injured by Ulf Samuelsson? From the '91-'92 season until the '93-'94 season, Neely had 70 goals in 71 season. What do those three seasons look like if he wasn't injured? Does he win a Hart trophy? Do the Bruins win a Stanley Cup?

What if the Senators take Pronger, rather than Daigle in '93? Do they have a cup now? I'd guess that they would.
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Al Bundy*

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What if the Sabres decide to let Vanek go to the Oilers and not match that offer sheet? Maybe it would have saved some extra money that could have kept either Briere or Drury, if not both?
 

habsfan87

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Mar 1, 2008
129
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Al Bundy said:
What if the Sabres decide to let Vanek go to the Oilers and not match that offer sheet? Maybe it would have saved some extra money that could have kept either Briere or Drury, if not both?
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What if they Sabres had signed Briere and Drury to extensions before the '07 season. It was rumoured they could have had both for relatively cheap compared to what they ended up getting.
 

Al Bundy*

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Another one:

What if Theo Fleury had rejected the Rangers' big offer in 1999? If he had stayed in Colorado, would he have had a happier end to his NHL career?
 
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Passchendaele

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Dec 11, 2006
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I don't think Hull would've had a 77-goal season in the NHL. However, I'm pretty sure he would currently stand 2nd all-time behind Gretzky.
 

Al Bundy*

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familyguyman said:
What if the Sabres got that call against Dallas?
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Better question:

What if the Sabres had scored in regulation or the first or second overtime?

Buffalo is not an innocent lamb just because of the bad call; 1 goal in 8 periods of hockey!

They only scored 4 combined goals in their 2 series wins!
 
Sensfanman

Sensfanman

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Al Bundy said:
Better question:

What if the Sabres had scored in regulation or the first or second overtime?

Buffalo is not an innocent lamb just because of the bad call; 1 goal in 8 periods of hockey!

They only scored 4 combined goals in their 2 series wins!
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True but you gotta admit the series was over after that goal. Buffalo could have made a comeback or something, but not after that.
 

Pensfan86

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Let's try to confine this to the last 10 years like Simmons did with his. I think we all can agree there are TONS of "What If's?" throughout hockey's history.

As a Pens fan, I look at Mario Lemieux as the ULTIMATE what if. What if he wasn't so injury-ridden. How many goals does he end up with? Is it even a question as to who the greatest ever is? Another classic is what if the Pens didn't choke against the Islanders in 93'?

Recently, what if the Pens do not get Crosby in the 05 draft? Are we anywhere near as good as we are now? Further, who do the Pens take? JMFJ? Do we begin looking for guys to "Fill out the top 4 defensemen" rather than "Play alongside Sid?"
 

Roger's Pancreas*

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What if Pelle Lindbergh doesn't get in the car that night?
 

Al Bundy*

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What if Pittsburgh did NOT beat the Capitals or the Rangers in the 1992 playoffs? Who would have likely won it all that year had the Pens gone out early?
 

steevy

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Mar 5, 2008
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What if the NHL decided it should remain a regional sport and not expanded beyond 22 teams?
 

BNHL

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Dec 22, 2006
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What if Orr remained healthy,and Dryden and Mark Howe signed with the team that drafted them (Boston)?
 
Fish on The Sand

Fish on The Sand

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Al Bundy said:
What if the Sabres decide to let Vanek go to the Oilers and not match that offer sheet? Maybe it would have saved some extra money that could have kept either Briere or Drury, if not both?
Click to expand...

they already lost Drury and Briere by then, but they would be looking at the distinct possibility of getting both Stamkos AND JT.
 

canucks4ever

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Mar 4, 2008
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what if tretiak, maltsev, mikhailov and kharlamov were in the nhl? It could have been the most talented decade ever.
 

NOTENOUGHJTCGOALS

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Feb 28, 2006
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What if Bourque doesnt retire in 2001 and goes back to Boston? Sure he was old, but he was still a top 3 defenseman that year. By the 01 season Thornton was already a PPG player 02, 03, and 04 werent very memorable years in terms of scoring and Art Ross winners. Iginla with 96, Forsberg with 106, St Louis with 94.

Could he have won another scoring title or two?

Does Bourque make the Olympic team and win his gold medal?
 
Chili

Chili

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What if the NHL ever elected someone who had actually played the game to run the show?
 
Chili

Chili

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habsfan87 said:
What was the story behind that? I've never heard about that.
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I was at that draft it was weird. There was a table set up for them, but no one showed up. From memory, the ownership was in a state of flux and I believe they had already traded their top two picks anyway. I can remember Ron Caron petitioning the league for extra picks as compensation the following season but none were awarded.
 
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