What If's?

[Lafleurs Guy]

Here's a couple of what ifs:

What if Ken Dryden decided to stick around for a while? How many more cups might the Habs have won?

Secondly, the Canadiens drafted Tretiak in 1983. If he'd have come over and played, would the league have ever seen Patrick Roy? There's no way he gets a shot in Montreal with Tretiak there. Certainly not until at least a few years later.

 

[BlueBleeder]

What if the Blues aquire Ray Bourque instead of Colorado?

With Pronger, MacInnis, and Bourque on the ice for just about every min of every game. Do the Blues have enough to finally win the cup?

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

What if the Blues aquire Ray Bourque instead of Colorado?

With Pronger, MacInnis, and Bourque on the ice for just about every min of every game. Do the Blues have enough to finally win the cup?

Probably not because there's only one walker available and Bourque and MacInnis would be fighting over it.

 

[Fish on The Sand]

There are much larger implications than just hockey.

Many people point to the Richard riots as the trigger for the quiet revolution in Quebec. If that riot doesn't happen, there may never have been the whispers of separatism that eventually became a roar. It had huge political ramifications.

What's really interesting there is... what if Tretiak hadn't been pulled from that game? No way do the Americans win.

you can't say no way would they win, tretiak wasn't playing very well. To just assume he would shutout the Americans over 2 periods (which he would have needed to do) is quite a stretch.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

you can't say no way would they win, tretiak wasn't playing very well. To just assume he would shutout the Americans over 2 periods (which he would have needed to do) is quite a stretch.

I don't think there's any way the Yanks win if Tretiak stays in net. He could be the very best goalie who ever lived. He said for years afterwards that Tikonov 'cost him' a gold medal.

 

[EventHorizon]

What if the Whalers score in OT in game 7 against the Habs? Do the Whalers make it to the finals? (Probably) Do they actually win the Cup? (Probably not) But it does legitimize what had been a dismal franchise up to that point. Perhaps they fare much better in the future and never leave Hartford. Or it could be a one time Cinderella run that is never repeated and they leave for Carolina anyway.

Consequently, what happens to Canadiens, and more specifically, Patrick Roy's career? No Conn Smythe Trophy. Maybe he is unfairly labeled a choker. Is he able to recover? Who knows?

 

[Long Duk Dong]

What if Jersey tanked worse than the Pens in 83-84?

What if the lockout lasted longer than one season?

The what ifs on the injuries (Lemieux, Bossy, Orr, Bure, Lindros, Berard, etc)

My favorite is still about the Russians and Europeans playing in the NHL earlier.

 

[NOTENOUGHJTCGOALS]

What if the Blues aquire Ray Bourque instead of Colorado?

With Pronger, MacInnis, and Bourque on the ice for just about every min of every game. Do the Blues have enough to finally win the cup?

In 2000? You gotta think their goaltending still costs them the cup.

 

[yada]

*Al Bundy - What if the Canadiens lose game 3 against the Nordiques in the 1993 playoffs?

They most certainly don't come back from 3-0 and there's a different cup winner that year. Maybe the kings win the cup maybe the team that comes out of the east.

 

[yada]

*Krut - Quote of (flyin_finn): (click to expand/collapse) Originally Posted by flyin_finnWhat if Oilers would have kept their core players until 1995 or so? How many Cups would have they won with Gretzky, Messier, Kurri, Tikkanen, Anderson, Coffey, McSorley, Fuhr, Lowe, MacTavish, Smith etc etc... during years 1991-1995? At LEAST 2 more, but it's not out of the question to think they could have won all 4.

I think at most the oilers win 2 more cups. They didn't win 3 in a row for one reason or another so to think they could win all 4 is a stretch to me.

 

[Koivu84*]

If Pat LaFontaine played a full career without injuries would he be considered the best American player?

 

[Fish on The Sand]

If Pat LaFontaine played a full career without injuries would he be considered the best American player?

I think he already is considered the best american player.

 

[The Thomas J.*]

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?

Actually, in a recent interview Flurey said in hindsight I should have taken the home team discount & stayed with the Flames.
That was among many topcis disscussed, its a good watch.

 

[The Thomas J.*]

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

it would be better.

 

[The Thomas J.*]

If Pat LaFontaine played a full career without injuries would he be considered the best American player?

I think he already is considered the best american player.

I think Modano holds that title.

 

[JCD]

I think he already is considered the best american player.

Chris Chelios

 

[Mothra]

what if Bobby Orr didnt play most of his career on ravaged knees

 

[WingsFan95]

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?

Well I'm not a Pens fan and I have always thought Lemieux was unquestionably the greatest in the game.

Had he not had cancer and missed so many games I really do think he would have broken 1000 goals, laugh if you want but those 92/93 and 95/96 seasons don't lie.

The guy would have by all liklihood had two more 80 goal seasons.

 

[JCD]

Well I'm not a Pens fan and I have always thought Lemieux was unquestionably the greatest in the game.

Had he not had cancer and missed so many games I really do think he would have broken 1000 goals, laugh if you want but those 92/93 and 95/96 seasons don't lie.

The guy would have by all liklihood had two more 80 goal seasons.

Are you, 99wasnotthebest, saying that is your unbiased opinion?

 

[John Flyers Fan]

I don't think there's any way the Yanks win if Tretiak stays in net. He could be the very best goalie who ever lived. He said for years afterwards that Tikonov 'cost him' a gold medal.

Treitak played one period and gave up 2 awful, awful goals. It's every bit if not more reasonable to think that with Tretiak in net for the rest of the gane the US wins 6-3.

 

[ziggy]

Some of the biggest What If´s during the time I´ve followed the NHL:

What if Florida or Anaheim had taken a chance on Sabres back up Dominik Hasek in the 1993 Expansion Draft?

What if Ottawa had accepted Quebec´s offer for the 1st pick overall in the 1993 Entry Draft (A. Daigle), that is the rights to Peter Forsberg, one of Ron Hextall and Stephane Fiset and a 1st round pick in 1993 (Que had two, the 10th pick, eventually used to pick Jocelyn Thibeault, and the 23rd pick, traded to Islanders who took Todd Bertuzzi)?

Btw, Daigle was not a slam-dunk in ´93. About 66% held him 1st, the rest (including yours truly I´m proud to say) thought Pronger to be the better pick.

And of course, what if Milbury hadn´t been GM for the Islanders? Had they kept Bertuzzi and McCabe, not traded away O. Jokinen and Loungo and drafted Heatley or Gaborik in 2000 instead, kept Chara and drafted Spezza in 2001 = definetely one of the best teams in the NHL. With Loungo in goal, two thirds of Ottawa´s 1st line (Spezza and Heatley), O. Jokinen as a second line center, and other players like McCabe, Tim Connoly and Taylor Pyatt for support, a resigned Chara, they probably would have won it all last year and would be a huge favorite to repeat. Also figuring in that they could have had an early pick in the 2002 draft...a big What If?

 

[Al Bundy*]

What if Quebec had not traded away Hextall to the Islanders?

 

[Fish on The Sand]

I think Modano holds that title.

I'm sure you can find a sizable number of people who feel Lafontaine deserves the title despite his injuries.

 

[JCD]

I'm sure you can find a sizable number of people who feel Lafontaine deserves the title despite his injuries.

And I think you will find a significant number who think Chelios is better than either.

For many years, it was between him and Bourque as the league's best defenseman.

The year Mario came back from chemo to race past Pat for the scoring title is the only time either of them was even in consideration for being the league's best forward.

 

[EpochLink]

What if Tim Kerr was healthy enough to play in the Stanley Cup Finals in 1985 and 1987? would he have been the difference maker in both those finals...