Who are your generational players?

[ottawa]

Pretty loose definition of generational these days...it seems to be getting thrown around a lot.

Bobby Orr
Dominik Hasek
Wayne Gretzky
Mario Lemieux
Sidney Crosby
Alexander Ovechkin
Connor McDavid (if not now, then soon)

HM: Bossy, Howe, Lidstrom, Jagr

Yes, no Lindros, Roy or Karlsson in the honourable mentions.

Click to read more...

 

[Filthy Dangles]

Matthews

 

[ottawa]

Matthews

Sorry, the minimum qualification is a single 70 point or 30 assist season

 

[SHANNYPLAN]

Sorry, the minimum qualification is a single 70 point or 30 assist season

30 Assist? Not 40 goal? Lol

 

[Baxterman]

Orr
Gretzky
Lemieux
Crosby

I think McDavid has a chance to join that group but needs a little more time. I think if healthy Lindros was pretty close to joining as well.

Its tough to leave Howe off the list because I think he is a top 5 all time guy but what seems to be so impressive about him is how long he was great for not as much of how much better he was than everyone else.

It might be my age that doesn't include Richard but I don't think he fits for me.

I can't really think of anyone else that is that close (at least in recent times I will let others debate Newsy Lalonde or Joe Malone.)

 

[ottawa]

Orr
Gretzky
Lemieux
Crosby

I think McDavid has a chance to join that group but needs a little more time. I think if healthy Lindros was pretty close to joining as well.

Its tough to leave Howe off the list because I think he is a top 5 all time guy but what seems to be so impressive about him is how long he was great for not as much of how much better he was than everyone else.

It might be my age that doesn't include Richard but I don't think he fits for me.

I can't really think of anyone else that is that close (at least in recent times I will let others debate Newsy Lalonde or Joe Malone.)

What about someone like Ovechkin who has a legitimate show at being the best goal scorer of all time?

 

[Pens x]

The only current players are Crosby and Ovechkin and maybe McDavid one day.

 

[leaffaninvancouver]

McDavid has a chance, Ovechkin and Crosby are borderline. This isn’t a slight on either of them I just have a very high bar for generational.

 

[Baxterman]

What about someone like Ovechkin who has a legitimate show at being the best goal scorer of all time?

For me generational players don't need qualifiers like "if you look at goal scoring" to have their arguments made for them. The guys I listed above were just flat out great players.

Ovechikin is certainly one of the best goal scorers ever and if someone wanted to create a generational goal scorer list I would likely put him on it but in terms of just flat out generational players he does not come close to making the list for me.

 

[psycat]

Howe, Orr, Gretzky, Lemieux, possibly Hasek.
My definition might differ abit from yours and mine is that they transcends generations and would be the slamdunk nr1 in any era(except if they happened to play at the same time obviously). Like I am not entirely convinced McDavid would outperform a peak LaFleur let alone Jagr- and I am pretty convinced peak Crosby wouldn't outperform either.

Ovechkin is a generational goalscorer but not combined player. Crosby idk, generational consistency maybe but that's about it. McDavid obviously got a shot. Karlsson might have had one without injuries, same for Malkin. Then again a bunch of earlier players are in the same boat.

If Lemieux didn't play at the same time I might be tempted to put Jagr as one.

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

Gretzky
Lemieux
Orr
Hasek
Howe
Crosby
McDavid
Ovechkin

 

[ottawa]

For me generational players don't need qualifiers like "if you look at goal scoring" to have their arguments made for them. The guys I listed above were just flat out great players.

Ovechikin is certainly one of the best goal scorers ever and if someone wanted to create a generational goal scorer list I would likely put him on it but in terms of just flat out generational players he does not come close to making the list for me.

That's a fair explanation, thank you.

 

[Sweetpotato]

Generational prospects
Orr
Gretzky
Lemeuix
Lindros
Crosby
McDavid
Dahlin

Generational players
Orr
Howe
Gretzky
Lemeuix
Hasek
Crosby
Ovechkin

I'm sure I'm missing some people.

 

[hockeyguy1967]

Sorry to be a generational player you need to win the Art Ross more then 2 times if you are a forward. Crosby twice, Ovy 1 time. Jagr is definately generational if you are over the age of 18..
McDavid has good shot to become that as he has two Art Ross's at 21 years old. Crosby will never win another and either will Ovy.

 

[Conspiracy Theorist]

Howe
Orr
Gretzky
Lemieux
Hasek
Ovechkin

 

[leaffaninvancouver]

Howe, Orr, Gretzky, Lemieux, possibly Hasek.
My definition might differ abit from yours and mine is that they transcends generations and would be the slamdunk nr1 in any era(except if they happened to play at the same time obviously). Like I am not entirely convinced McDavid would outperform a peak LaFleur let alone Jagr- and I am pretty convinced peak Crosby wouldn't outperform either.

Ovechkin is a generational goalscorer but not combined player. Crosby idk, generational consistency maybe but that's about it. McDavid obviously got a shot. Karlsson might have had one without injuries, same for Malkin. Then again a bunch of earlier players are in the same boat.

If Lemieux didn't play at the same time I might be tempted to put Jagr as one.

This is why I find the term generational is so undervalued. Jagr is an amazing player, he deserves all his accolades but Lemieux was clearly a step above. Since Lemieux and Gretzky we haven’t seen that level of dominance.

 

[Baxterman]

Sorry to be a generational player you need to win the Art Ross more then 2 times if you are a forward. Crosby twice, Ovy 1 time. Jagr is definately generational if you are over the age of 18..
McDavid has good shot to become that as he has two Art Ross's at 21 years old. Crosby will never win another and either will Ovy.

That seems like a pretty arbitrary way to look at things.

Especially since the only reason Crosby didn't win more was due to injury but over his career he was without a doubt the best offensive player in the league.

 

[Gsus]

30 Assist? Not 40 goal? Lol

40? Pffft. Make it 44.

 

[CraigBillington]

Orr
Gretzky
Lemieux
Crosby

I think McDavid has a chance to join that group but needs a little more time. I think if healthy Lindros was pretty close to joining as well.

Its tough to leave Howe off the list because I think he is a top 5 all time guy but what seems to be so impressive about him is how long he was great for not as much of how much better he was than everyone else.

It might be my age that doesn't include Richard but I don't think he fits for me.

I can't really think of anyone else that is that close (at least in recent times I will let others debate Newsy Lalonde or Joe Malone.)

I think that list is about as close as it gets for the modern era.
The term is used too loosely, it's the rare player who comes along once every ten years (give or take) or so and dominates, redefines the game and you'll look back at them as one of the best of all time. We are lucky to see two of them right now and that's if McDavid continues to be what he is.

And no, I don't put Ovechkin on the list asuch as I wouldn't put Mike Bossy on the list. Someone suggested Matthews, if you put him on the list, you open the door to have dozens of others on there as well. Kind of demeans having a list of the greatest we will ever see or look back upon

 

[Mr Tadakichi]

Sorry to be a generational player you need to win the Art Ross more then 2 times if you are a forward. Crosby twice, Ovy 1 time. Jagr is definately generational if you are over the age of 18..
McDavid has good shot to become that as he has two Art Ross's at 21 years old. Crosby will never win another and either will Ovy.

cmon man, I like McDavid as well, but it doesn't look good when you stop the qualifications at conveniently what McDavid has done to date rather than a set criteria.

 

[Erikfromfin]

needs more Tretiak and Kharlamov

 

[Luigi Lemieux]

There's a clear separation between the top 4 and guys like Jagr, Crosby, Hasek, Ovechkin. If we include the latter as generational we need to come up with another term for Gretzky/Lemieux/Orr/Howe.

 

[Tage2Tuch]

The term Generation I think typically means 20-25 years, an era of a person born into early adulthood, at least I thought that's what it meant.

But in Pro-Hockey, I think the term can mean any player every 10 or so years if the impact they brought to the game was so special by position that it meant they would be remembered throughout history, or as the very elite of the elite.


The Hockey Guy has a good video on youtube search Generation vs Franchise Players

He talks throughout history what the difference is.

He said something pretty controversial I doubt many on here would agree with that Eichel has the potential to be Generational along with McDavid where-as Matthews is more of a franchise player, and he gives examples why. I found this strange seeing as while not a Leaf Fan, he goes above and beyond defending Matthews and the Leafs and claims they will win a cup in the next two or three years. One thing about The Hockey Guy is he is always non-biased, fair, explains his opinion in fuill detail. He had 70,000 subs almost now in just 2 years and covers everything daily, its his job now and produces news on everything hockey except trade rumors because he hates when they don't happen and he's not just a HITS HOG. He decided not to report on Ray Emery as he doesen't want to make money off tragedies. He's a classy guy who's followed hockey since 1980 and his knowledge about all 31 teams is incredible. He can tell you each prospect on every teams development, where it is how far they came, as well as history.


I completely agree that since Jack has played one full season, with a better team around him and a healthy year, Eichel could be a regular 90-100 pt player, but is that generational? I don't know. Matthews is borderline that now and the two's production isn't very far off. Well Eichel has averaged more points per game then Matthews since Auston entered the league (0.94 > 0.88) With way worse circumstances so it's not an insane opinion. I think when it's said and done Matthews and Eichel could join McDavid one day as Generational Players. Laine because of his shot, situation and playmakers around him could be a Generational GOAL SCORER but that's about it. I can't see many other candidates becoming that. Mackinnon has already started off to bad, unless he repeats his production of last year every year for the next 15 years or so then he would be in the conversation.

It's an overused term and quite frankly everyone has a different definition.

(Don't really want to go earlier then around the 50's)

Guys who could be views as.

Richard/Howe
Sawchuk (Plante/Dryden)
Beliveau
Orr/Dryden/Hull/Esposito/Lafelur
Harvey/Bossy
Bourque/Macinnis
Gretzky/Messier
Lemieux/Francis
Hasek/Roy/Brodeur
Niedermayer (HM Pronger)
Lafontaine and Neely had potential until injuries, like Bure and Lindros though the latter two would make a better argument.
Lidstrom/Yzerman/Sakic/Forsberg
Jagr- Shout out to Kariya and Selanne but no on the term Generational..
(Too Many great players y from 1996-2004 that didn't last long or great/elite enough like Naslund, Iginla, Thonrton to be generational IMO so no to them as well.)
Ovechkin
Malkin
Stamkos was looking like one, not sure if that holds up.
Bergeron's resume is impressive but not sure about Generational. Barkov could be like this one day.
McDavid/Karlsson/Doughty? (Shout out to Pat Kane/Hedman but no)
WIth Possibilities to young guys like Barzal, Matthews, Laine, Eichel (three of these four names have only played one complete season it's too early to tell.)
Dahlin, Hughes, look like they have potential, and who's this NEXT one that's coming in 2020, or is it 2021 Savoie? I think I may of spelled his name wrong. But yeah.



I'm missing names, and some shouldn't be there but I Ztried my best for off the top of my head in like ten minutes.



The true Generational Players Without a DOubt



Howe (Richard/Beliveau?)
Orr
Lafleur (Harvey?)
Gretzky (Messier?)
Lemieux
Crosby (Malkin?)
Hasek (Roy and Brodeur?)
Jagr
Ovechkin
Lidstrom (Yzerman, Sakic/Forsberg?)
McDavid WILL be barring career ending injury (Maybe Karlsson)
Sav (If he's as good as they say for the future)

 

[psycat]

This is why I find the term generational is so undervalued. Jagr is an amazing player, he deserves all his accolades but Lemieux was clearly a step above. Since Lemieux and Gretzky we haven’t seen that level of dominance.

Well I obviously agree, hence I don't rank Crosby or Ovechkin as generational, but you don't have to be as dominant as Gretzky to be considered generational which is why I am on the fence regarding Jagr. To make it clear I wouldn't rank Orr, Lemieux and Howe on Gretzky's tier either, he is in his own tier for me- the other 3 are however closer to him then the next one is to them(save maybe Hasek but goalies are tricky to rank).

 

[GodEmperor]

Team Line Combinations

Ainec tbh