What players (in your eyes) solidified themselves as HOF'ers after this season.

[tarheelhockey]

"We’ve seen guys like Karlsson and Weber who were considered absolute no-brainer locks at one point, turn into topics of debate when they didn’t age all that well."

What you wrote is just banal. No one cares about the debates here. They don't matter. Karlsson and Weber didn't lose their standing because of some guys posting on hfboards.

If you were going to ignore the evidence, why ask for it?

 

[PocketNines]

Say wut? Either you didn't watch a lot of hockey from 1974 to now, or you have a very long list of "greatest players".

yep I didn't watch a lot of hockey from 1974 until now, you got it. been here 20 years too. I said what I said. the guy was the team MVP for a decade straight in which his team won the most regular season games in the conference over a decade culminating in a Cup. I watched almost every game in his Blues career. I saw Pronger who was more dominant, I saw a transcendent year of Stevens, I saw MacInnis. There is a subtlety to Pietrangelo's game that is difficult to appreciate unless you are just seeing it game in and game out over time. He's not a pure offensive guy by any means. But he's going to end up in the top 30 all time scoring defenseman and was the absolute glue and best player on a top conference team over a long time. Like, whether national writers could really appreciate it versus the actual accomplishment of elevating every playoffs and winning two Cups as ice time leader ... that is not a very serious argument to me. His peers know he is great. I value a player who bedrocks winning and that's what his game was geared to do. He was more than just a catalyst he is a success support beam. You watch, when he retires it won't even seem like a question. He is getting in the Hall.

Now if you want to argue with me whether I have your permission to equate guys who I watched who were hall of fame caliber as "greatest players" then that is dumb and absolutely not.

 

[SeanMoneyHands]

Connor Hellabuck.

 

[Ghetty Green]

McDavid’s numbers look strikingly similar to Bobby Orr’s, except for the G:A ratio.

If he abruptly retired today, he’d get in for the same reason. Everyone knows he’s the best player of his generation, whether he’s actively playing or not. A player of that caliber is a HHOF’er.

You say Marner derisively, but it’s an interesting question. He’s no lock, but is he “in the discussion” after three 90-point seasons, yes he probably is. He’ll easily blow past 1000 points with Selke recognition, so it would be odd if nobody was at least considering him.

If Marner gets in then Bernie Nicholls should get in first

 

[tarheelhockey]

If Marner gets in then Bernie Nicholls should get in first

Marner was more decorated at 25 than Nicholls was for his whole career, and will end up with better numbers in a lower scoring era while not getting fed by Gretzky.

 

[ultra63]

Just going to come out and say it - but Hank got the benefit of being loved, and to a certain extent the HOF is the ultimate popularity contest. Hank is a classy guy who everyone likes. That helps a ton for getting into the HHOF.

That will help Marchand's case

 

[TheFamousFart]

Rantanen & Barkov

 

[filinski77]

Completely disagree with all of the people saying Makar - purely based on the premise of the thread. To 'solidify' yourself as a HOF player after this season, wouldn't that mean that if you never played a single game after this season, you still think that player would make the HOF.

Makar isn't making the HOF if he retires with 1 (or even 2) Norrises, a Smythe, and only 350 points.

Same goes with Barkov, I don't really see 1-2 Selke's and 700 career points being a HOF career yet. Although I completely agree that he's on 'track' for it.

 

[JuJu Mobb]

Jake Evans

 

[HFpapi]

Rantanen & Barkov

Rantanen was a name I was going to throw out there.

I think he falls into the Pastrnak camp where he wouldn't be a HOF'er if he retired after this season but this year guaranteed they both will be in time since they obviously aren't retiring after this year (if that makes any sense). This gave them both back-to-back signature seasons and a peak that makes them worthy. Now they just need to compile.

Guys like Matthews and Josi I think have actually stamped their tickets this year unconditionally.

 

[Soundgarden]

Josi: 50/50 and I don't think this season has solidified anything. More team success/stats compiling will continue to help him but still needs a few more years for me to view it as "solidified."

He has a Norris and an additional 95 point season, I think he's a lock.

 

[AhosDatsyukian]

He has a Norris and an additional 95 point season, I think he's a lock.

Nashville market really hurts him. Not that it should, but it will. Bias towards larger hockey markets exists.

 

[Soundgarden]

Nashville market really hurts him. Not that it should, but it will. Bias towards larger hockey markets exists.

I don't think market really matters when it comes to the HHOF, at some point he's going in, even if it has to be a weak year. But right now he's tied for 34th in defenseman scoring and another PPG year and he'll be close to 20th, where Blake, Zubov and Salming are.

 

[UrbanImpact]

Q Hughes.

Norris Trophy plus he climbed to 2nd in all time in Franchise scoring for a Dman.

 

[blundluntman]

Panarin is probably as close as you can get without a cup after this season. His prime/peak has been great, he'll likely have 2 1st ASTs and 2 2nd ASTs on his resume by the end of this season. If the Rangers win a cup, he's probably a 1st ballot as long as he doesn't fall off a cliff.

 

[Ishdul]

Nashville market really hurts him. Not that it should, but it will. Bias towards larger hockey markets exists.

I don't think there's been many tests to this theory and I kind of doubt it holds weight. Josi has been doing well in awards voting and a lot of the HHOF voters are going to be guys who have played with or against him, coached against him or otherwise been involved in the game at the same time.

 

[Soundgarden]

I think if there's a Predator worth discussing it's Foraberg, I think this year cements him firmly in the Hall of Very Good.

Will he have the longevity or another at his peak to push him towards the HHOF?

 

[jetsforever]

Bobrovsky is getting close

 

[cowboy82nd]

Hedman had six all-star selections and two other top 10 Norris finishes. Weber had 4 total all-stars and zero Norris'. Hedman also has a Conn Smythe - Weber generally was disappointing in the playoffs outside of the final run with Montreal. He's also likely adding another top 10 Norris finish and *may* (although seems to be on the fringe) get another AS selection.

I know you're trying to hedge and all that, but there isn't a single defenseman with a comparable resume to Hedman that did not make the HHOF. The list of defensemen with 6 AS selections or more are:

Ray Bourque
Nick Lidstrom
Doug Harvey
Earl Seibert
Bobby Orr
Paul Coffey
Pierre Pilote
Eddie Shore
Red Kelly
Brad Park
Bill Gadsby
Zdeno Chara
Denis Potvin
Al MacInnis
Chris Chelios
Larry Robinson
Tim Horton
Borje Salming
Victor Hedman

That's the list. All HHOF players. Throw in the Conn Smythe and you knock out most of that list to boot.

All star selections (where fans get to vote people in) don't hold much water to me.

 

[The Macho King]

All star selections (where fans get to vote people in) don't hold much water to me.

Post-season All-Star teams.