Which career has been the biggest "what if" in NHL History?

[jvcjdudu jcycyxjene]

Robert Orr

 

[David Bruce Banner]

Voted Lemieux but i assume its overall health (including back issues) and not just cancer

Orr is a close second

Its diffferent. With Orr we saw him at his best for full seasons and it was great....and then he had to leave. The "what if" is likely more of the same - but for how many more years its the question. Not necessarily as intriguing a question as with Lemieux

Lemieux really only hit his peak ability around 89. And for the next 7 years he was plagued with health issues. Even in seasons where he played a lot he was nowhere near 100% with chronic back pain. To me the "what if" is more interresting as i wonder which single season offensive records he would have been able to beat if he was at 100% capacity during those years

Actually, we never saw Orr at his “best”. He was already battling knee problems by his second season.

But probably the biggest what if would be Bryan Fogerty. We have no idea what he could have accomplished if not for the addiction and mental issues... but there were hints that he could have been great.

 

[bob27]

Jagr without 2 full seasons lost to lockouts and 3 seasons spent in the KHL could've had around 2300 points.

 

[b in vancouver]

I think people are collectively forgetting how young Orr was when his career was essentially over.

Think of Wayne Gretzky's tearful press conference after being traded to LA. If that was actually his retirement announcement and his career was done would be around the same thing, but he was older than Orr was.
Scott Stevens hit on Lindros. (although I know he had been concussed already).
Mario's cancer diagnose.
Bossy's back.
etc. these happened to them when they were older than Orr.

And he was a defence man. He was just entering his prime. He was a few years younger than guys like Eric Karlsson and Victor Hedman and P.K. Subban and only a year, year and a half older, than guys like Morgan Reilly and Dougie Hamilton when he was done.

He did so much as a kid entering the league that people kinda wash over how young he actually was. He would've only been 31 years-old (32?) when Gretzky won his first Hart trophy. Could you imagine a grown-up mature Orr playing 1980s hockey?

The whole NHL landscape would've been different if Bobby Orr never had such brutal knee problems.

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

I think people are collectively forgetting how young Orr was when his career was essentially over.

Think of Wayne Gretzky's tearful press conference after being traded to LA. If that was actually his retirement announcement and his career was done would be around the same thing, but he was older than Orr was.
Scott Stevens hit on Lindros. (although I know he had been concussed already).
Mario's cancer diagnose.
Bossy's back.
etc. these happened to them when they were older than Orr.

And he was a defence man. He was just entering his prime. He was a few years younger than guys like Eric Karlsson and Victor Hedman and P.K. Subban and only a year, year and a half older, than guys like Morgan Reilly and Dougie Hamilton when he was done.

He did so much as a kid entering the league that people kinda wash over how young he actually was. He would've only been 31 years-old (32?) when Gretzky won his first Hart trophy. Could you imagine a grown-up mature Orr playing 1980s hockey?

The whole NHL landscape would've been different if Bobby Orr never had such brutal knee problems.

yup, I tried making the point about his age earlier.

career over at 26.

McDavid is 22...imagine saying McDavid only has 4 more years of hockey to play. That's what happened to Orr

 

[EXTRAS]

I think if lindros never gets cancer/back issues Gretzky's title of best ever wouldn't be so cut and dry. So gotta go with that. Although I suppose same can be said with orr.

 

[b in vancouver]

yup, I tried making the point about his age earlier.

career over at 26.

McDavid is 22...imagine saying McDavid only has 4 more years of hockey to play. That's what happened to Orr

No doubt. I kinda get it because he was so good and did so much, like people understand his career ended early, but it doesn't compute how young he actually was.

- I'll use 'retire' because, although he never, he only had a handful of games.
If Crosby and Ovechkin retired 4-6 years ago. Denis Potvin retiring before The Isles dynasty. Lidstrom retiring 4 years before he won his first Norris trophy. Ray Bourque retiring when receiving his first Norris trophy.

Yet still ranked somewhere in the top 4 all-time. We missed out on a lot and it's a massive What If?

p.s. Never mind that he was that while being slowed by knee injuries his whole career.

 

[Voight]

Orr would have probably won 10 or 12 Norris' in a row, plus maybe another scoring title if his knee didn't blow out.

 

[psycat]

Ill go a slightly different route, what if the Sovjet players were able to play in the NHL during their peaks?

What if Gretzky had a career ending injury in 89?

 

[psycat]

Crosby

Him playing full seasons in 2010-11 & 2011-12 completely change his legacy IMO

Agreed, doubt we believe that in the same way though.

 

[BlueBaron]

I picked Orr but they are all big "what ifs". In couple years you can add "What if McDavid had played for a real hockey team?".

 

[Spirit of 67]

Voted Other.

(if the details are wrong, please correct me as I heard this story a while ago)

Doug McLean was saying that CBJ won their last game of the year, one year, and leap frogged Washington in the standings.
Washington won the draft lottery and took Ovechkin.

What would have been had CBJ drafted Ovie?

 

[Oddbob]

Voted Orr, but am surprised by how few votes Mike Bossy has. The guy had 8 or 9 straight 50 goal seasons, which was unheard of at that time, and was 28. Have to think he would have tacked on 3-5 more 50 goal seasons at least if he hadn't had the back injury.

 

[Oddbob]

Voted Other.

(if the details are wrong, please correct me as I heard this story a while ago)

Doug McLean was saying that CBJ won their last game of the year, one year, and leap frogged Washington in the standings.
Washington won the draft lottery and took Ovechkin.

What would have been had CBJ drafted Ovie?

How would that be the biggest what if of all time? Ovy still played, he simply would have played for CBJ instead.

 

[Spirit of 67]

How would that be the biggest what if of all time? Ovy still played, he simply would have played for CBJ instead.

Ya, I imagine that would've had no effect on the player or either franchise.

BAU.

 

[Oddbob]

Ya, I imagine that would've had no effect on the player or either franchise.

BAU.

My point is more, you can do that with any player. What if Gretzky had been traded to the Jets instead of the Oilers, something that was actually much closer to happening than Ovy to CBJ. Ovy would have simply played the same with the Jackets, and maybe they have 1 Cup now instead of WSH.

 

[InfinityIggy]

Went with the less popular option of Bossy. Reason being I feel like most of the other options are extremely well regarded despite their ‘issue’, whatever it might’ve been. I feel like Bossy doesn’t get that same recognition for whatever reason and if he had higher career point totals I imagine he would be more well regraded, especially by casual fans.

 

[Fugazy]

Had to go with Lindros and his concussions.

 

[ohheyhemsky]

Tony Hand.

Not sure if already posted - but if you don't know the name, google it.

 

[ReginKarlssonLehner]

Alexei Kovalev if he tried