Jean Ratelle (Murillo Pyramid Rank = #102)
Adjusted Stats
1960-1961 NYR 4 GP 2 goals 1 assist 4 points 1.03 PPG
1961-1962 NYR 36 GP 5 goals 10 assists 14 points 0.40 PPG
1962-1963 NYR 56 GP 13 goals 11 assists 24 points 0.43 PPG
1963-1964 NYR 18 GP 0 goals 9 assists 9 points 0.52 PPG
1964-1965 NYR 63 GP 18 goals 26 assists 44 points 0.69 PPG
1965-1966 NYR 78 GP 25 goals 36 assists 60 points 0.77 PPG
1966-1967 NYR 48 GP 7 goals 6 assists 13 points 0.28 PPG
1967-1968 NYR 82 GP 39 goals 56 assists 95 points 1.16 PPG
1968-1969 NYR 81 GP 36 goals 51 assists 87 points 1.07 PPG
1969-1970 NYR 81 GP 37 goals 48 assists 85 points 1.04 PPG
1970-1971 NYR 82 GP 27 goals 48 assists 75 points 0.91 PPG
1971-1972 NYR 66 GP 49 goals 66 assists 115 points 1.74 PPG
1972-1973 NYR 82 GP 40 goals 52 assists 93 points 1.13 PPG
1973-1974 NYR 71 GP 28 goals 39 assists 68 points 0.95 PPG
1974-1975 NYR 81 GP 33 goals 51 assists 84 points 1.03 PPG
1975-1976 NYR/Bos 82 GP 33 goals 64 assists 97 points 1.18 PPG
1976-1977 Bos 80 GP 31 goals 58 assists 89 points 1.12 PPG
1977-1978 Bos 82 GP 24 goals 56 assists 80 points 0.98 PPG
1978-1979 Bos 82 GP 24 goals 41 assists 65 points 0.79 PPG
1979-1980 Bos 69 GP 25 goals 40 assists 65 points 0.95 PPG
1980-1981 Bos 48 GP 9 goals 21 assists 30 points 0.63 PPG
Adjusted Playoff Stats
1966-1967 NYR 4 GP 0 goals 0 assists 0 points 0.00 PPG
1967-1968 NYR 6 GP 0 goals 4 assists 4 points 0.67 PPG
1968-1969 NYR 4 GP 1 goal 0 assists 1 point 0.25 PPG
1969-1970 NYR 6 GP 1 goal 3 assists 4 points 0.62 PPG
1970-1971 NYR 13 GP 2 goals 8 assists 10 points 0.78 PPG
1971-1972 NYR 6 GP 0 goals 1 assist 1 point 0.16 PPG
1972-1973 NYR 10 GP 2 goals 6 assists 8 points 0.80 PPG
1973-1974 NYR 13 GP 2 goals 4 assists 6 points 0.45 PPG
1974-1975 NYR 3 GP 1 goal 5 assists 5 points 1.83 PPG
1975-1976 Bos 12 GP 8 goals 8 assists 16 points 1.29 PPG
1976-1977 Bos 14 GP 4 goals 11 assists 15 points 1.07 PPG
1977-1978 Bos 15 GP 3 goals 7 assists 10 points 0.65 PPG
1978-1979 Bos 11 GP 6 goals 5 assists 12 points 1.07 PPG
1979-1980 Bos 3 GP 0 goals 0 assists 0 points 0.00 PPG
1980-1981 Bos 3 GP 0 goals 0 assists 0 points 0.00 PPG
Career - 1372 GP, 505 goals, 790 assists, 1296 points, 0.94 PPG
Career-Highs - 49 goals (71-72); 66 assists (71-72); 115 points (71-72); 1.74 PPG (71-72)
Avg. (20 seasons) - 68 GP, 25 goals, 39 assists, 65 points, 0.94 PPG
Peak Avg. (69-77) - 78 GP, 35 goals, 53 assists, 88 points, 1.13 PPG, 0 Cups
Playoff Career - 123 GP, 30 goals, 62 assists, 92 points, 0.75 PPG
Playoff-Highs - 8 goals (75-76); 11 assists (76-77); 16 points (75-76); 1.83 PPG (74-75)
Accolades - 2 Lady Byngs
All-Star Teams - 1-time 2nd-team
Never Won Stanley Cup
Some players, like Henri Richard, saw their production drop off heavily when the league expanded and the "Original Six" era ended. Jean Ratelle was the exact opposite. In his first seven seasons with the New York Rangers, he cracked 40+ points only twice, and his high watermark was sixty. Not exactly #1 center production. But as soon as the league expanded, Ratelle began an eleven-year stretch that saw him best 80 points nine times.
Did Ratelle benefit from the league's expansion watering down his opponents? Perhaps, but then the same charge could be leveled against Phil Esposito and a host of other stars who blossomed in the post-expansion era. Whatever the causes, Ratelle took advantage and became something of the Mats Sundin of his era: the good soldier on a mediocre team, putting up 80 or 90 points and leading his team to the Conference finals, but never beyond. He didn't disappear come playoff time, but he didn't exactly elevate his game either.
Ratelle's legacy has faded because he was overshadowed during the era by Phil Esposito and Bobby Clarke, and later by Bryan Trottier. He did have one ridiculously productive season, though, in 1971-1972, when he put up 49 goals and 115 points in only 66 games. The 1.74 adjusted PPG mark ranks as one of the best non-Gretzky or Lemieux averages of the post-Original Six era.
I've seen NHL Classic games with Ratelle, and what strikes you is the combination of his imposing size, his playmaking vision, and his smooth skating style. It's indicative of the level of respect Ratelle had achieved that he was traded, along with fellow great Brad Park, to the Boston Bruins in exchange for Phil Esposito (in what is surely one of the biggest trades in NHL history, even if the repercussions were minimal). With Orr out of the picture, Ratelle and Park helped lead the Bruins to two consecutive Stanley Cup finals, and Ratelle was integral in the 1977 run, scoring 15 adjusted points in 14 playoff games.
Unfortunately for Ratelle and the Bruins, their opponent in both years was the Montreal Canadiens' dynasty of the late 1970s. And so Ratelle, one of the league's classiest centers, an earlier generation's Ron Francis, retired without a Stanley Cup. He remains one of the better players on my Pyramid not to have a championship to his credit.
Monday, February 28, 2011
#100 - Larry Murphy
Larry Murphy (Murillo Pyramid Rank = #100)
Adjusted Stats
1980-1981 LA 82 GP 13 goals 49 assists 62 points 0.76 PPG
1981-1982 LA 81 GP 17 goals 35 assists 52 points 0.64 PPG
1982-1983 LA 79 GP 11 goals 39 assists 51 points 0.64 PPG
1983-1984 LA/Wsh 80 GP 10 goals 29 assists 39 points 0.49 PPG
1984-1985 Wsh 81 GP 11 goals 34 assists 45 points 0.55 PPG
1985-1986 Wsh 80 GP 17 goals 35 assists 52 points 0.65 PPG
1986-1987 Wsh 82 GP 20 goals 50 assists 70 points 0.85 PPG
1987-1988 Wsh 81 GP 7 goals 45 assists 52 points 0.64 PPG
1988-1989 Wsh/Min 80 GP 9 goals 29 assists 39 points 0.48 PPG
1989-1990 Min 79 GP 9 goals 50 assists 58 points 0.74 PPG
1990-1991 Min/Pit* 77 GP 8 goals 31 assists 39 points 0.51 PPG
1991-1992 Pit* 79 GP 19 goals 51 assists 70 points 0.88 PPG
1992-1993 Pit 81 GP 18 goals 52 assists 70 points 0.87 PPG
1993-1994 Pit 82 GP 16 goals 52 assists 68 points 0.82 PPG
1994-1995 Pit 82 GP 23 goals 44 assists 67 points 0.82 PPG
1995-1996 Tor 82 GP 12 goals 48 assists 60 points 0.73 PPG
1996-1997 Tor/Det* 81 GP 9 goals 38 assists 47 points 0.59 PPG
1997-1998 Det* 82 GP 13 goals 48 assists 61 points 0.74 PPG
1998-1999 Det 80 GP 12 goals 49 assists 61 points 0.76 PPG
1999-2000 Det 81 GP 11 goals 34 assists 45 points 0.55 PPG
2000-2001 Det 57 GP 2 goals 21 assists 23 points 0.41 PPG
Adjusted Playoff Stats
1980-1981 LA 4 GP 2 goals 0 assists 2 points 0.53 PPG
1981-1982 LA 10 GP 2 goals 6 assists 8 points 0.78 PPG
1983-1984 Wsh 8 GP 0 goals 3 assists 3 points 0.33 PPG
1984-1985 Wsh 5 GP 2 goals 2 assists 4 points 0.75 PPG
1985-1986 Wsh 9 GP 1 goal 4 assists 5 points 0.58 PPG
1986-1987 Wsh 7 GP 2 goals 2 assists 4 points 0.51 PPG
1987-1988 Wsh 13 GP 3 goals 3 assists 6 points 0.46 PPG
1988-1989 Min 5 GP 0 goals 2 assists 2 points 0.34 PPG
1989-1990 Min 7 GP 1 goal 2 assists 3 points 0.36 PPG
1990-1991 Pit* 23 GP 4 goals 15 assists 20 points 0.85 PPG
1991-1992 Pit* 21 GP 5 goals 9 assists 14 points 0.67 PPG
1992-1993 Pit 12 GP 2 goals 9 assists 11 points 0.89 PPG
1993-1994 Pit 6 GP 0 goals 5 assists 5 points 0.82 PPG
1994-1995 Pit 12 GP 2 goals 11 assists 13 points 1.10 PPG
1995-1996 Tor 6 GP 0 goals 2 assists 2 points 0.32 PPG
1996-1997 Det* 20 GP 2 goals 9 assists 12 points 0.58 PPG
1997-1998 Det* 22 GP 3 goals 13 assists 17 points 0.76 PPG
1998-1999 Det 10 GP 0 goals 2 assists 2 points 0.22 PPG
1999-2000 Det 9 GP 2 goals 4 assists 6 points 0.67 PPG
2000-2001 Det 6 GP 0 goals 1 assist 1 point 0.20 PPG
Career - 1669 GP, 267 goals, 863 assists, 1131 points, 0.68 PPG
Career-Highs - 23 goals (94-95); 52 assists (92-93); 70 points (91-92); 0.88 PPG (91-92)
Avg. (21 seasons) - 79 GP, 13 goals, 41 assists, 54 points, 0.68 PPG
Peak Avg. (91-99) - 81 GP, 15 goals, 48 assists, 63 points, 0.78 PPG, 3 Cups
Playoff Career - 215 GP, 33 goals, 104 assists, 140 points, 0.65 PPG
Playoff-Highs - 5 goals (91-92); 15 assists (90-91); 20 points (90-91); 1.10 PPG (94-95)
Accolades - None
All-Star Teams - 3-time 2nd-team
4-time Stanley Cup Champion
I hate throwing around the terms overrated or underrated, because how does one know who is doing the rating? But in Larry Murphy's case, I think I can safely say that, within the hockey community, he was, and continues to be, quite underrated. Certainly, he's respected as one of the better offensive defencemen of his day. Yet do people recognize that he was an integral veteran presence on four Stanley Cup champions?
Murphy got a bad wrap at times for being somewhat soft defensively, and it's certainly true that he wasn't going to be mistaken for Chris Chelios any time. He was primarily a power-play specialist in the mold of Paul Coffey (and in today's era, Mike Green). His point totals aren't as mind-blowing as those of contemporaries like Bourque, MacInnis and Coffey, but they are still quite decent by any era's standards. And while Murphy's career +/- for his career averages out to a +10 per 82 games played (solid but not spectacular), it shouldn't be forgotten that the first decade of his career was spent on mediocre teams (the North Stars, the Kings, the Capitals).
Oddly enough, Murphy's career really took off when he turned 30. After being traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1991, his fourth team already in a ten-year career (Murphy detractors could point to this), Murphy brought a much-needed presence to the Penguins' power play, anchoring it from the point. Joining new additions like Ron Francis and young up-and-comers like Jagr and Recchi, the Penguins were a powerhouse behind Mario Lemieux. Murphy's playoff contributions during the Penguins' back-to-back championships shouldn't be forgotten: he put up 20 adjusted points in 23 games in the 1991 run with an amazing +17 to join it, and followed it up in 1992 with 14 points in 21 games.
Basically, after joining Pittsburgh, the only blip on Murphy's resume came during his stint with the Maple Leafs. It's not that Murphy was particularly bad with them, but Leaf fans decided that they didn't like him and booed him mercilessly if ever he turned the puck over. Thankfully, Murphy was rescued and sent packing to Detroit, where he teamed up with Nik Lidstrom and, as he had done with the Penguins, put a talented but underachieving club over the top. I had remembered Murphy's veteran calmness helping the Red Wings win back-to-back championships...what I had forgotten is that he had 29 points in 42 playoff games and both years led the postseason in +/- (not bad for someone who wasn't great defensively).
So after Murphy turned 30, he averaged 60+ points a year in the regular season and then was a key part of four championship runs on two different squads. Not too shabby for a guy who has slipped through the cracks of history. Considering that he played in an era with Bourque and Coffey, it's impressive that Murphy managed to make three second-all star teams in his career as well. And since, as any Canadian knows, Murphy was the decoy recipient of Gretzky's pass to Lemieux in the 1987 Canada Cup, it's obvious that he was a highly-valued defenceman even before winning his championships. Larry Murphy made it in to the hall-of-fame in his first eligible year, and yet when you saw him ranked on the Pyramid, you may have been a little surprised. You shouldn't have been.
Adjusted Stats
1980-1981 LA 82 GP 13 goals 49 assists 62 points 0.76 PPG
1981-1982 LA 81 GP 17 goals 35 assists 52 points 0.64 PPG
1982-1983 LA 79 GP 11 goals 39 assists 51 points 0.64 PPG
1983-1984 LA/Wsh 80 GP 10 goals 29 assists 39 points 0.49 PPG
1984-1985 Wsh 81 GP 11 goals 34 assists 45 points 0.55 PPG
1985-1986 Wsh 80 GP 17 goals 35 assists 52 points 0.65 PPG
1986-1987 Wsh 82 GP 20 goals 50 assists 70 points 0.85 PPG
1987-1988 Wsh 81 GP 7 goals 45 assists 52 points 0.64 PPG
1988-1989 Wsh/Min 80 GP 9 goals 29 assists 39 points 0.48 PPG
1989-1990 Min 79 GP 9 goals 50 assists 58 points 0.74 PPG
1990-1991 Min/Pit* 77 GP 8 goals 31 assists 39 points 0.51 PPG
1991-1992 Pit* 79 GP 19 goals 51 assists 70 points 0.88 PPG
1992-1993 Pit 81 GP 18 goals 52 assists 70 points 0.87 PPG
1993-1994 Pit 82 GP 16 goals 52 assists 68 points 0.82 PPG
1994-1995 Pit 82 GP 23 goals 44 assists 67 points 0.82 PPG
1995-1996 Tor 82 GP 12 goals 48 assists 60 points 0.73 PPG
1996-1997 Tor/Det* 81 GP 9 goals 38 assists 47 points 0.59 PPG
1997-1998 Det* 82 GP 13 goals 48 assists 61 points 0.74 PPG
1998-1999 Det 80 GP 12 goals 49 assists 61 points 0.76 PPG
1999-2000 Det 81 GP 11 goals 34 assists 45 points 0.55 PPG
2000-2001 Det 57 GP 2 goals 21 assists 23 points 0.41 PPG
Adjusted Playoff Stats
1980-1981 LA 4 GP 2 goals 0 assists 2 points 0.53 PPG
1981-1982 LA 10 GP 2 goals 6 assists 8 points 0.78 PPG
1983-1984 Wsh 8 GP 0 goals 3 assists 3 points 0.33 PPG
1984-1985 Wsh 5 GP 2 goals 2 assists 4 points 0.75 PPG
1985-1986 Wsh 9 GP 1 goal 4 assists 5 points 0.58 PPG
1986-1987 Wsh 7 GP 2 goals 2 assists 4 points 0.51 PPG
1987-1988 Wsh 13 GP 3 goals 3 assists 6 points 0.46 PPG
1988-1989 Min 5 GP 0 goals 2 assists 2 points 0.34 PPG
1989-1990 Min 7 GP 1 goal 2 assists 3 points 0.36 PPG
1990-1991 Pit* 23 GP 4 goals 15 assists 20 points 0.85 PPG
1991-1992 Pit* 21 GP 5 goals 9 assists 14 points 0.67 PPG
1992-1993 Pit 12 GP 2 goals 9 assists 11 points 0.89 PPG
1993-1994 Pit 6 GP 0 goals 5 assists 5 points 0.82 PPG
1994-1995 Pit 12 GP 2 goals 11 assists 13 points 1.10 PPG
1995-1996 Tor 6 GP 0 goals 2 assists 2 points 0.32 PPG
1996-1997 Det* 20 GP 2 goals 9 assists 12 points 0.58 PPG
1997-1998 Det* 22 GP 3 goals 13 assists 17 points 0.76 PPG
1998-1999 Det 10 GP 0 goals 2 assists 2 points 0.22 PPG
1999-2000 Det 9 GP 2 goals 4 assists 6 points 0.67 PPG
2000-2001 Det 6 GP 0 goals 1 assist 1 point 0.20 PPG
Career - 1669 GP, 267 goals, 863 assists, 1131 points, 0.68 PPG
Career-Highs - 23 goals (94-95); 52 assists (92-93); 70 points (91-92); 0.88 PPG (91-92)
Avg. (21 seasons) - 79 GP, 13 goals, 41 assists, 54 points, 0.68 PPG
Peak Avg. (91-99) - 81 GP, 15 goals, 48 assists, 63 points, 0.78 PPG, 3 Cups
Playoff Career - 215 GP, 33 goals, 104 assists, 140 points, 0.65 PPG
Playoff-Highs - 5 goals (91-92); 15 assists (90-91); 20 points (90-91); 1.10 PPG (94-95)
Accolades - None
All-Star Teams - 3-time 2nd-team
4-time Stanley Cup Champion
I hate throwing around the terms overrated or underrated, because how does one know who is doing the rating? But in Larry Murphy's case, I think I can safely say that, within the hockey community, he was, and continues to be, quite underrated. Certainly, he's respected as one of the better offensive defencemen of his day. Yet do people recognize that he was an integral veteran presence on four Stanley Cup champions?
Murphy got a bad wrap at times for being somewhat soft defensively, and it's certainly true that he wasn't going to be mistaken for Chris Chelios any time. He was primarily a power-play specialist in the mold of Paul Coffey (and in today's era, Mike Green). His point totals aren't as mind-blowing as those of contemporaries like Bourque, MacInnis and Coffey, but they are still quite decent by any era's standards. And while Murphy's career +/- for his career averages out to a +10 per 82 games played (solid but not spectacular), it shouldn't be forgotten that the first decade of his career was spent on mediocre teams (the North Stars, the Kings, the Capitals).
Oddly enough, Murphy's career really took off when he turned 30. After being traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1991, his fourth team already in a ten-year career (Murphy detractors could point to this), Murphy brought a much-needed presence to the Penguins' power play, anchoring it from the point. Joining new additions like Ron Francis and young up-and-comers like Jagr and Recchi, the Penguins were a powerhouse behind Mario Lemieux. Murphy's playoff contributions during the Penguins' back-to-back championships shouldn't be forgotten: he put up 20 adjusted points in 23 games in the 1991 run with an amazing +17 to join it, and followed it up in 1992 with 14 points in 21 games.
Basically, after joining Pittsburgh, the only blip on Murphy's resume came during his stint with the Maple Leafs. It's not that Murphy was particularly bad with them, but Leaf fans decided that they didn't like him and booed him mercilessly if ever he turned the puck over. Thankfully, Murphy was rescued and sent packing to Detroit, where he teamed up with Nik Lidstrom and, as he had done with the Penguins, put a talented but underachieving club over the top. I had remembered Murphy's veteran calmness helping the Red Wings win back-to-back championships...what I had forgotten is that he had 29 points in 42 playoff games and both years led the postseason in +/- (not bad for someone who wasn't great defensively).
So after Murphy turned 30, he averaged 60+ points a year in the regular season and then was a key part of four championship runs on two different squads. Not too shabby for a guy who has slipped through the cracks of history. Considering that he played in an era with Bourque and Coffey, it's impressive that Murphy managed to make three second-all star teams in his career as well. And since, as any Canadian knows, Murphy was the decoy recipient of Gretzky's pass to Lemieux in the 1987 Canada Cup, it's obvious that he was a highly-valued defenceman even before winning his championships. Larry Murphy made it in to the hall-of-fame in his first eligible year, and yet when you saw him ranked on the Pyramid, you may have been a little surprised. You shouldn't have been.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
#93 - Martin St. Louis
Martin St. Louis (Murillo Pyramid Rank = #93)
Adjusted Stats
1998-1999 Cgy 13 GP 1 goal 1 assists 2 points 0.18 PPG
1999-2000 Cgy 56 GP 3 goals 17 assists 20 points 0.36 PPG
2000-2001 TB 78 GP 20 goals 25 assists 45 points 0.57 PPG
2001-2002 TB 53 GP 19 goals 22 assists 41 points 0.78 PPG
2002-2003 TB 82 GP 38 goals 43 assists 81 points 0.99 PPG
2003-2004 TB* 82 GP 45 goals 67 assists 112 points 1.37 PPG
2005-2006 TB 80 GP 32 goals 30 assists 62 points 0.78 PPG
2006-2007 TB 82 GP 46 goals 63 assists 109 points 1.33 PPG
2007-2008 TB 82 GP 28 goals 66 assists 94 points 1.14 PPG
2008-2009 TB 82 GP 32 goals 54 assists 86 points 1.05 PPG
2009-2010 TB 82 GP 32 goals 71 assists 103 points 1.26 PPG
2010-2011 TB 82 GP 35 goals 77 assists 111 points 1.36 PPG
Adjusted Playoff Stats
2002-2003 TB 11 GP 8 goals 6 assists 14 points 1.30 PPG
2003-2004 TB* 23 GP 11 goals 19 assists 31 points 1.33 PPG
2005-2006 TB 5 GP 4 goals 0 assists 4 points 0.80 PPG
2006-2007 TB 6 GP 3 goals 6 assists 9 points 1.51 PPG
2010-2011 TB 18 GP 10 goals 10 assists 20 points 1.11 PPG
Career - 854 GP, 331 goals, 536 assists, 866 points, 1.01 PPG
Career-Highs - 46 goals (06-07); 77 assists (10-11); 112 points (03-04); 1.37 PPG (03-04)
Avg. (11 seasons) - 78 GP, 30 goals, 49 assists, 79 points, 1.01 PPG
Peak Avg. (02-11) - 82 GP, 36 goals, 59 assists, 95 points, 1.16 PPG, 1 Cup
Playoff Career - 63 GP, 36 goals, 41 assists, 78 points, 1.24 PPG
Playoff-Highs - 11 goals (03-04); 19 assists (03-04); 31 points (03-04); 1.51 PPG (06-07)
Accolades - 1 MVP Award, 1 Art Ross, Lady Byng
All-Star Teams - 1-time 1st-team, 3-time 2nd-team
1-time Stanley Cup Champion
It's impossible not to root for Martin St. Louis. He's listed at 5-foot-8 (but looks more like 5-6) playing in a game with giants surrounding him. He was the victim of stereotyping early in his career when coaches and general managers decided he must be too small to play in the NHL. They'd rather have the Derian Hatchers and Chris Dingmans of the world (yes, we lived through this era). But when coach John Tortorella entrusted St. Louis with bigger minutes, his career blossomed. He's the rare case of a star who didn't have his first standout season until the age of 27.
I was originally thinking of ranking St. Louis lower, but then I thought: why punish him for the stupidity of leaguewide management? If St. Louis had been given his chance earlier in his career, he might have career numbers that would be even more impressive. But consider this stretch of eight years that St. Louis is looking at from 2002 to 2011 :
St. Louis Avg. (8 years, 2002-2011): 82 GP, 36 goals, 59 assists, 95 points
That's a remarkable stretch, in which St. Louis will have topped 100+ adjusted points four times, making him the highest-scoring right-winger the league has seen since Jagr. There's also this accomplishment: since the vaunted Gretzky/Lemieux days, only two players have won the Hart trophy in the same season that their team won the Stanley Cup. Those players: Joe Sakic, and Martin St. Louis. Sakic, you could see...but St. Louis surprises many. During that Cup run, St. Louis had 31 adjusted points in the playoffs, so it's not like he disappears come playoff time, although we haven't been able to see that much, since Tampa Bay has rarely qualified.
Perhaps this is why St. Louis continues to be underrated (he didn't make Canada's 2010 Olympic team, much to my surprise). He's responsible defensively, but Tampa Bay is often languishing near the bottom of the league in goals-against. Even though he's won the Stanley Cup, St. Louis has only made the playoffs four times in his career (although as of this writing, it looks as if the Lightning are a contender in the East once again).
There's also the fact that St. Louis has been overshadowed by his own teammates. When the Lightning won the Cup, it was Brad Richards who won the Conn Smythe. And when St. Louis put up 63 assists and 109 points in 2006-2007, Vinny Lecavalier grabbed the headlines. But look closer and it appears that St. Louis might be the common thread for the Lightning. When St. Louis moved to the line of young Steven Stamkos, he developed into one of the league's premier snipers, while Lecavalier saw his production plummet. Is this a coincidence?
Either way, it's fitting that St. Louis continues to be underappreciated even as he puts up a remarkable career and continues to be productive at age 36. For a player who had to battle through the prejudices that he couldn't be valuable because of his size, it's just one more struggle to earn the respect of the hockey community.
Adjusted Stats
1998-1999 Cgy 13 GP 1 goal 1 assists 2 points 0.18 PPG
1999-2000 Cgy 56 GP 3 goals 17 assists 20 points 0.36 PPG
2000-2001 TB 78 GP 20 goals 25 assists 45 points 0.57 PPG
2001-2002 TB 53 GP 19 goals 22 assists 41 points 0.78 PPG
2002-2003 TB 82 GP 38 goals 43 assists 81 points 0.99 PPG
2003-2004 TB* 82 GP 45 goals 67 assists 112 points 1.37 PPG
2005-2006 TB 80 GP 32 goals 30 assists 62 points 0.78 PPG
2006-2007 TB 82 GP 46 goals 63 assists 109 points 1.33 PPG
2007-2008 TB 82 GP 28 goals 66 assists 94 points 1.14 PPG
2008-2009 TB 82 GP 32 goals 54 assists 86 points 1.05 PPG
2009-2010 TB 82 GP 32 goals 71 assists 103 points 1.26 PPG
2010-2011 TB 82 GP 35 goals 77 assists 111 points 1.36 PPG
Adjusted Playoff Stats
2002-2003 TB 11 GP 8 goals 6 assists 14 points 1.30 PPG
2003-2004 TB* 23 GP 11 goals 19 assists 31 points 1.33 PPG
2005-2006 TB 5 GP 4 goals 0 assists 4 points 0.80 PPG
2006-2007 TB 6 GP 3 goals 6 assists 9 points 1.51 PPG
2010-2011 TB 18 GP 10 goals 10 assists 20 points 1.11 PPG
Career - 854 GP, 331 goals, 536 assists, 866 points, 1.01 PPG
Career-Highs - 46 goals (06-07); 77 assists (10-11); 112 points (03-04); 1.37 PPG (03-04)
Avg. (11 seasons) - 78 GP, 30 goals, 49 assists, 79 points, 1.01 PPG
Peak Avg. (02-11) - 82 GP, 36 goals, 59 assists, 95 points, 1.16 PPG, 1 Cup
Playoff Career - 63 GP, 36 goals, 41 assists, 78 points, 1.24 PPG
Playoff-Highs - 11 goals (03-04); 19 assists (03-04); 31 points (03-04); 1.51 PPG (06-07)
Accolades - 1 MVP Award, 1 Art Ross, Lady Byng
All-Star Teams - 1-time 1st-team, 3-time 2nd-team
1-time Stanley Cup Champion
It's impossible not to root for Martin St. Louis. He's listed at 5-foot-8 (but looks more like 5-6) playing in a game with giants surrounding him. He was the victim of stereotyping early in his career when coaches and general managers decided he must be too small to play in the NHL. They'd rather have the Derian Hatchers and Chris Dingmans of the world (yes, we lived through this era). But when coach John Tortorella entrusted St. Louis with bigger minutes, his career blossomed. He's the rare case of a star who didn't have his first standout season until the age of 27.
I was originally thinking of ranking St. Louis lower, but then I thought: why punish him for the stupidity of leaguewide management? If St. Louis had been given his chance earlier in his career, he might have career numbers that would be even more impressive. But consider this stretch of eight years that St. Louis is looking at from 2002 to 2011 :
St. Louis Avg. (8 years, 2002-2011): 82 GP, 36 goals, 59 assists, 95 points
That's a remarkable stretch, in which St. Louis will have topped 100+ adjusted points four times, making him the highest-scoring right-winger the league has seen since Jagr. There's also this accomplishment: since the vaunted Gretzky/Lemieux days, only two players have won the Hart trophy in the same season that their team won the Stanley Cup. Those players: Joe Sakic, and Martin St. Louis. Sakic, you could see...but St. Louis surprises many. During that Cup run, St. Louis had 31 adjusted points in the playoffs, so it's not like he disappears come playoff time, although we haven't been able to see that much, since Tampa Bay has rarely qualified.
Perhaps this is why St. Louis continues to be underrated (he didn't make Canada's 2010 Olympic team, much to my surprise). He's responsible defensively, but Tampa Bay is often languishing near the bottom of the league in goals-against. Even though he's won the Stanley Cup, St. Louis has only made the playoffs four times in his career (although as of this writing, it looks as if the Lightning are a contender in the East once again).
There's also the fact that St. Louis has been overshadowed by his own teammates. When the Lightning won the Cup, it was Brad Richards who won the Conn Smythe. And when St. Louis put up 63 assists and 109 points in 2006-2007, Vinny Lecavalier grabbed the headlines. But look closer and it appears that St. Louis might be the common thread for the Lightning. When St. Louis moved to the line of young Steven Stamkos, he developed into one of the league's premier snipers, while Lecavalier saw his production plummet. Is this a coincidence?
Either way, it's fitting that St. Louis continues to be underappreciated even as he puts up a remarkable career and continues to be productive at age 36. For a player who had to battle through the prejudices that he couldn't be valuable because of his size, it's just one more struggle to earn the respect of the hockey community.
#99 - Michel Goulet
Michel Goulet (Murillo Pyramid Rank = #99)
Adjusted Stats
1979-1980 Que 79 GP 20 goals 29 assists 48 points 0.61 PPG
1980-1981 Que 78 GP 26 goals 32 assists 58 points 0.75 PPG
1981-1982 Que 82 GP 33 goals 33 assists 66 points 0.80 PPG
1982-1983 Que 82 GP 46 goals 39 assists 86 points 1.04 PPG
1983-1984 Que 77 GP 45 goals 52 assists 97 points 1.26 PPG
1984-1985 Que 71 GP 45 goals 32 assists 77 points 1.09 PPG
1985-1986 Que 77 GP 42 goals 40 assists 83 points 1.07 PPG
1986-1987 Que 77 GP 42 goals 40 assists 82 points 1.07 PPG
1987-1988 Que 82 GP 41 goals 49 assists 90 points 1.10 PPG
1988-1989 Que 71 GP 22 goals 32 assists 54 points 0.76 PPG
1989-1990 Que/Chi 67 GP 17 goals 26 assists 43 points 0.64 PPG
1990-1991 Chi 76 GP 25 goals 35 assists 59 points 0.78 PPG
1991-1992 Chi 77 GP 20 goals 37 assists 57 points 0.74 PPG
1992-1993 Chi 62 GP 19 goals 17 assists 36 points 0.59 PPG
1993-1994 Chi 55 GP 15 goals 13 assists 28 points 0.51 PPG
Adjusted Playoff Stats
1980-1981 Que 4 GP 2 goals 3 assists 5 points 1.24 PPG
1981-1982 Que 16 GP 6 goals 4 assists 10 points 0.63 PPG
1982-1983 Que 4 GP 0 goals 0 assists 0 points 0.00 PPG
1983-1984 Que 9 GP 2 goals 4 assists 5 points 0.59 PPG
1984-1985 Que 17 GP 8 goals 8 assists 16 points 0.93 PPG
1985-1986 Que 3 GP 1 goal 2 assists 3 points 0.86 PPG
1986-1987 Que 13 GP 8 goals 4 assists 13 points 0.96 PPG
1989-1990 Chi 14 GP 2 goals 3 assists 5 points 0.36 PPG
1991-1992 Chi 9 GP 3 goals 3 assists 6 points 0.68 PPG
1992-1993 Chi 3 GP 0 goals 1 assist 1 point 0.27 PPG
Career - 1113 GP, 458 goals, 506 assists, 964 points, 0.87 PPG
Career-Highs - 46 goals (82-83); 52 assists (83-84); 97 points (83-84); 1.26 PPG (83-84)
Avg. (15 seasons) - 74 GP, 31 goals, 34 assists, 64 points, 0.87 PPG
Peak Avg. (80-88) - 78 GP, 40 goals, 40 assists, 80 points, 1.02 PPG, 0 Cups
Playoff Career - 92 GP, 32 goals, 32 assists, 64 points, 0.70 PPG
Playoff-Highs - 8 goals (86-87); 8 assists (84-85); 16 points (84-85); 1.24 PPG (80-81)
Accolades - None
All-Star Teams - 3-time 1st-team, 2-time 2nd-team
Never Won Stanley Cup
Michel Goulet played at left-wing alongside Peter Stastny at center for the Quebec Nordiques in the 1980s. Their careers are extremely similar: they put up gaudy numbers but didn't achieve legendary status because of the Nordiques' lack of team success; they put up about six or seven elite years before leaving Quebec and hitting a massive wall in terms of production; and when adjusted for the high-scoring 1980s, their career numbers don't look quite as impressive.
Goulet's peak still earns him a spot on the Pyramid. For a six-year stretch from 1982 to 1988, Goulet scored 40+ goals each season and averaged 44 goals, 42 assists and 86 points. That's a remarkable stretch of consistent production for a left-winger, and during that time he was named the league's best left-winger three times and second-best twice.
Unfortunately, as discussed with Stastny, the Nordiques were unlucky enough to play in the Oilers' dynasty era. They made the Conference finals once, and Goulet put up 16 adjusted points in 17 games during that stretch. But other than that, unlike Stastny, who was productive come post-season time, Goulet's numbers dipped a bit. His real-life career adjusted PPG in the playoffs of 0.70 is noticeably lower than his 0.87 mark for the regular season.
That's one of the major reasons why I rank Goulet a good twenty-five spots lower than Stastny. The other is that, other than Goulet's elite six-year stretch, there really isn't much to talk about. Take away that run and you're left with career averages of 22 goals, 28 assists and 50 points. Quite brutal. So we'll remember Goulet for clicking with Stastny during the high-flying 1980s and wracking up gaudy numbers. Since left-wing is a thin position historically, Goulet cracks the top fifteen or so LWs. But he wasn't quite as elite as his numbers would suggest.
Adjusted Stats
1979-1980 Que 79 GP 20 goals 29 assists 48 points 0.61 PPG
1980-1981 Que 78 GP 26 goals 32 assists 58 points 0.75 PPG
1981-1982 Que 82 GP 33 goals 33 assists 66 points 0.80 PPG
1982-1983 Que 82 GP 46 goals 39 assists 86 points 1.04 PPG
1983-1984 Que 77 GP 45 goals 52 assists 97 points 1.26 PPG
1984-1985 Que 71 GP 45 goals 32 assists 77 points 1.09 PPG
1985-1986 Que 77 GP 42 goals 40 assists 83 points 1.07 PPG
1986-1987 Que 77 GP 42 goals 40 assists 82 points 1.07 PPG
1987-1988 Que 82 GP 41 goals 49 assists 90 points 1.10 PPG
1988-1989 Que 71 GP 22 goals 32 assists 54 points 0.76 PPG
1989-1990 Que/Chi 67 GP 17 goals 26 assists 43 points 0.64 PPG
1990-1991 Chi 76 GP 25 goals 35 assists 59 points 0.78 PPG
1991-1992 Chi 77 GP 20 goals 37 assists 57 points 0.74 PPG
1992-1993 Chi 62 GP 19 goals 17 assists 36 points 0.59 PPG
1993-1994 Chi 55 GP 15 goals 13 assists 28 points 0.51 PPG
Adjusted Playoff Stats
1980-1981 Que 4 GP 2 goals 3 assists 5 points 1.24 PPG
1981-1982 Que 16 GP 6 goals 4 assists 10 points 0.63 PPG
1982-1983 Que 4 GP 0 goals 0 assists 0 points 0.00 PPG
1983-1984 Que 9 GP 2 goals 4 assists 5 points 0.59 PPG
1984-1985 Que 17 GP 8 goals 8 assists 16 points 0.93 PPG
1985-1986 Que 3 GP 1 goal 2 assists 3 points 0.86 PPG
1986-1987 Que 13 GP 8 goals 4 assists 13 points 0.96 PPG
1989-1990 Chi 14 GP 2 goals 3 assists 5 points 0.36 PPG
1991-1992 Chi 9 GP 3 goals 3 assists 6 points 0.68 PPG
1992-1993 Chi 3 GP 0 goals 1 assist 1 point 0.27 PPG
Career - 1113 GP, 458 goals, 506 assists, 964 points, 0.87 PPG
Career-Highs - 46 goals (82-83); 52 assists (83-84); 97 points (83-84); 1.26 PPG (83-84)
Avg. (15 seasons) - 74 GP, 31 goals, 34 assists, 64 points, 0.87 PPG
Peak Avg. (80-88) - 78 GP, 40 goals, 40 assists, 80 points, 1.02 PPG, 0 Cups
Playoff Career - 92 GP, 32 goals, 32 assists, 64 points, 0.70 PPG
Playoff-Highs - 8 goals (86-87); 8 assists (84-85); 16 points (84-85); 1.24 PPG (80-81)
Accolades - None
All-Star Teams - 3-time 1st-team, 2-time 2nd-team
Never Won Stanley Cup
Michel Goulet played at left-wing alongside Peter Stastny at center for the Quebec Nordiques in the 1980s. Their careers are extremely similar: they put up gaudy numbers but didn't achieve legendary status because of the Nordiques' lack of team success; they put up about six or seven elite years before leaving Quebec and hitting a massive wall in terms of production; and when adjusted for the high-scoring 1980s, their career numbers don't look quite as impressive.
Goulet's peak still earns him a spot on the Pyramid. For a six-year stretch from 1982 to 1988, Goulet scored 40+ goals each season and averaged 44 goals, 42 assists and 86 points. That's a remarkable stretch of consistent production for a left-winger, and during that time he was named the league's best left-winger three times and second-best twice.
Unfortunately, as discussed with Stastny, the Nordiques were unlucky enough to play in the Oilers' dynasty era. They made the Conference finals once, and Goulet put up 16 adjusted points in 17 games during that stretch. But other than that, unlike Stastny, who was productive come post-season time, Goulet's numbers dipped a bit. His real-life career adjusted PPG in the playoffs of 0.70 is noticeably lower than his 0.87 mark for the regular season.
That's one of the major reasons why I rank Goulet a good twenty-five spots lower than Stastny. The other is that, other than Goulet's elite six-year stretch, there really isn't much to talk about. Take away that run and you're left with career averages of 22 goals, 28 assists and 50 points. Quite brutal. So we'll remember Goulet for clicking with Stastny during the high-flying 1980s and wracking up gaudy numbers. Since left-wing is a thin position historically, Goulet cracks the top fifteen or so LWs. But he wasn't quite as elite as his numbers would suggest.
#97 - Pierre Pilote
Pierre Pilote (Murillo Pyramid Rank = #97)
Adjusted Stats
1955-1956 Chi 23 GP 4 goals 7 assists 11 points 0.49 PPG
1956-1957 Chi 82 GP 4 goals 19 assists 23 points 0.28 PPG
1957-1958 Chi 82 GP 8 goals 31 assists 39 points 0.47 PPG
1958-1959 Chi 82 GP 9 goals 37 assists 46 points 0.56 PPG
1959-1960 Chi 82 GP 9 goals 46 assists 55 points 0.67 PPG
1960-1961 Chi* 82 GP 7 goals 35 assists 42 points 0.51 PPG
1961-1962 Chi 69 GP 8 goals 42 assists 50 points 0.73 PPG
1962-1963 Chi 69 GP 10 goals 22 assists 31 points 0.46 PPG
1963-1964 Chi 82 GP 9 goals 60 assists 69 points 0.84 PPG
1964-1965 Chi 80 GP 18 goals 56 assists 74 points 0.93 PPG
1965-1966 Chi 60 GP 2 goals 40 assists 43 points 0.71 PPG
1966-1967 Chi 82 GP 7 goals 56 assists 63 points 0.77 PPG
1967-1968 Chi 82 GP 1 goal 44 assists 45 points 0.55 PPG
1968-1969 Tor 74 GP 3 goals 20 assists 23 points 0.31 PPG
Adjusted Playoff Stats
1958-1959 Chi 6 GP 0 goals 2 assists 2 points 0.31 PPG
1959-1960 Chi 4 GP 0 goals 1 assist 1 point 0.26 PPG
1960-1961 Chi* 12 GP 3 goals 13 assists 17 points 1.41 PPG
1961-1962 Chi 12 GP 0 goals 7 assists 7 points 0.58 PPG
1962-1963 Chi 6 GP 0 goals 8 assists 8 points 1.32 PPG
1963-1964 Chi 7 GP 2 goals 6 assists 8 points 1.21 PPG
1964-1965 Chi 12 GP 0 goals 8 assists 8 points 0.64 PPG
1965-1966 Chi 6 GP 0 goals 2 assists 2 points 0.35 PPG
1966-1967 Chi 6 GP 2 goals 4 assists 6 points 1.03 PPG
1967-1968 Chi 11 GP 1 goal 3 assists 4 points 0.36 PPG
1968-1969 Tor 4 GP 0 goals 1 assist 1 point 0.25 PPG
Career - 1031 GP, 99 goals, 515 assists, 614 points, 0.60 PPG
Career-Highs - 18 goals (64-65); 60 assists (63-64); 74 points (64-65); 0.93 PPG (64-65)
Avg. (13 seasons) - 78 GP, 7 goals, 39 assists, 46 points, 0.60 PPG
Peak Avg. (59-67) - 76 GP, 9 goals, 45 assists, 53 points, 0.70 PPG, 1 Cup
Playoff Career - 86 GP, 8 goals, 55 assists, 64 points, 0.74 PPG
Playoff-Highs - 3 goals (60-61); 13 assists (60-61); 17 points (60-61); 1.41 PPG (60-61)
Accolades - 3 Norris Trophies
All-Star Teams - 5-time 1st-team, 3-time 2nd-team
1-time Stanley Cup Champion
Pierre Pilote has the distinction of being the best defenceman of the 1960s...that is, before Bobby Orr came along. Anchoring a Chicago Blackhawk team that featured Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita at forward, Pilote was an elite puck-moving defenceman who began putting up excellent assist numbers before Orr came along and the blew the doors off the record-books.
Pilote is remembered for his offensive contributions, but he was also excellent defensively. There is evidence in the fact that he won the 1963 Norris Trophy despite scoring just 31 points. That would be the first of three consecutive Norris trophies that Pilote would win, and the next two years are more understandable, since he put up 69 and 74 points (offensively, that's in the MacInnis/Leetch/Lidstrom area). Unlike some of the puck-movers who followed, Pilote also had quite a bit of sandpaper...he averaged almost 100 PIM a season, and in 1960-1961 (the year the Blackhawks won the Cup), he had 165 in just 70 games.
While we remember Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita helping the Blackhawks win the championship, the fact is that neither of them had remarkably productive regular seasons or postseasons in 1961. No, if anything, it was Pilote who was their most valuable player during the playoff run (along with of course Glenn Hall). In the playoffs, Pilote had 13 adjusted assists and 17 points in 12 games...the assist and point totals led the playoffs, remarkable for a defenceman in an era when they were not expected to contribute much offensively. If the Conn Smythe award had been invented, I think Pilote probably would have won it.
So you could say that Pilote, along with of course Doug Harvey, set the stage for what Orr would do to the league in a few years. I give extra points to Pilote for being a good scout, as well. When he saw Orr enter the league in 1966, he said "I'm glad I won the Norris trophy already, because now that this guy's in the league, he's going to win it for the next ten years". Good assessment, Pierre.
Adjusted Stats
1955-1956 Chi 23 GP 4 goals 7 assists 11 points 0.49 PPG
1956-1957 Chi 82 GP 4 goals 19 assists 23 points 0.28 PPG
1957-1958 Chi 82 GP 8 goals 31 assists 39 points 0.47 PPG
1958-1959 Chi 82 GP 9 goals 37 assists 46 points 0.56 PPG
1959-1960 Chi 82 GP 9 goals 46 assists 55 points 0.67 PPG
1960-1961 Chi* 82 GP 7 goals 35 assists 42 points 0.51 PPG
1961-1962 Chi 69 GP 8 goals 42 assists 50 points 0.73 PPG
1962-1963 Chi 69 GP 10 goals 22 assists 31 points 0.46 PPG
1963-1964 Chi 82 GP 9 goals 60 assists 69 points 0.84 PPG
1964-1965 Chi 80 GP 18 goals 56 assists 74 points 0.93 PPG
1965-1966 Chi 60 GP 2 goals 40 assists 43 points 0.71 PPG
1966-1967 Chi 82 GP 7 goals 56 assists 63 points 0.77 PPG
1967-1968 Chi 82 GP 1 goal 44 assists 45 points 0.55 PPG
1968-1969 Tor 74 GP 3 goals 20 assists 23 points 0.31 PPG
Adjusted Playoff Stats
1958-1959 Chi 6 GP 0 goals 2 assists 2 points 0.31 PPG
1959-1960 Chi 4 GP 0 goals 1 assist 1 point 0.26 PPG
1960-1961 Chi* 12 GP 3 goals 13 assists 17 points 1.41 PPG
1961-1962 Chi 12 GP 0 goals 7 assists 7 points 0.58 PPG
1962-1963 Chi 6 GP 0 goals 8 assists 8 points 1.32 PPG
1963-1964 Chi 7 GP 2 goals 6 assists 8 points 1.21 PPG
1964-1965 Chi 12 GP 0 goals 8 assists 8 points 0.64 PPG
1965-1966 Chi 6 GP 0 goals 2 assists 2 points 0.35 PPG
1966-1967 Chi 6 GP 2 goals 4 assists 6 points 1.03 PPG
1967-1968 Chi 11 GP 1 goal 3 assists 4 points 0.36 PPG
1968-1969 Tor 4 GP 0 goals 1 assist 1 point 0.25 PPG
Career - 1031 GP, 99 goals, 515 assists, 614 points, 0.60 PPG
Career-Highs - 18 goals (64-65); 60 assists (63-64); 74 points (64-65); 0.93 PPG (64-65)
Avg. (13 seasons) - 78 GP, 7 goals, 39 assists, 46 points, 0.60 PPG
Peak Avg. (59-67) - 76 GP, 9 goals, 45 assists, 53 points, 0.70 PPG, 1 Cup
Playoff Career - 86 GP, 8 goals, 55 assists, 64 points, 0.74 PPG
Playoff-Highs - 3 goals (60-61); 13 assists (60-61); 17 points (60-61); 1.41 PPG (60-61)
Accolades - 3 Norris Trophies
All-Star Teams - 5-time 1st-team, 3-time 2nd-team
1-time Stanley Cup Champion
Pierre Pilote has the distinction of being the best defenceman of the 1960s...that is, before Bobby Orr came along. Anchoring a Chicago Blackhawk team that featured Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita at forward, Pilote was an elite puck-moving defenceman who began putting up excellent assist numbers before Orr came along and the blew the doors off the record-books.
Pilote is remembered for his offensive contributions, but he was also excellent defensively. There is evidence in the fact that he won the 1963 Norris Trophy despite scoring just 31 points. That would be the first of three consecutive Norris trophies that Pilote would win, and the next two years are more understandable, since he put up 69 and 74 points (offensively, that's in the MacInnis/Leetch/Lidstrom area). Unlike some of the puck-movers who followed, Pilote also had quite a bit of sandpaper...he averaged almost 100 PIM a season, and in 1960-1961 (the year the Blackhawks won the Cup), he had 165 in just 70 games.
While we remember Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita helping the Blackhawks win the championship, the fact is that neither of them had remarkably productive regular seasons or postseasons in 1961. No, if anything, it was Pilote who was their most valuable player during the playoff run (along with of course Glenn Hall). In the playoffs, Pilote had 13 adjusted assists and 17 points in 12 games...the assist and point totals led the playoffs, remarkable for a defenceman in an era when they were not expected to contribute much offensively. If the Conn Smythe award had been invented, I think Pilote probably would have won it.
So you could say that Pilote, along with of course Doug Harvey, set the stage for what Orr would do to the league in a few years. I give extra points to Pilote for being a good scout, as well. When he saw Orr enter the league in 1966, he said "I'm glad I won the Norris trophy already, because now that this guy's in the league, he's going to win it for the next ten years". Good assessment, Pierre.
#96 - Eric Staal
Eric Staal (Murillo Pyramid Rank = #96)
Adjusted Stats
2003-2004 Car 81 GP 13 goals 24 assists 37 points 0.46 PPG
2005-2006 Car* 82 GP 46 goals 56 assists 102 points 1.24 PPG
2006-2007 Car 82 GP 32 goals 43 assists 75 points 0.91 PPG
2007-2008 Car 82 GP 43 goals 50 assists 93 points 1.13 PPG
2008-2009 Car 82 GP 43 goals 38 assists 81 points 0.99 PPG
2009-2010 Car 70 GP 32 goals 45 assists 77 points 1.10 PPG
2010-2011 Car 81 GP 37 goals 48 assists 86 points 1.06 PPG
Adjusted Playoff Stats
2005-2006 Car* 25 GP 9 goals 19 assists 28 points 1.11 PPG
2008-2009 Car 18 GP 10 goals 5 assists 15 points 0.85 PPG
Career - 560 GP, 246 goals, 304 assists, 551 points, 0.98 PPG
Career-Highs - 46 goals (05-06); 56 assists (05-06); 102 points (05-06); 1.24 PPG (05-06)
Avg. (7 seasons) - 80 GP, 35 goals, 43 assists, 79 points, 0.98 PPG
Playoff Career - 43 GP, 19 goals, 24 assists, 43 points, 1.00 PPG
Playoff-Highs - 10 goals (08-09); 19 assists (05-06); 28 points (05-06); 1.11 PPG (05-06)
Accolades - None
All-Star Teams - 1-time 2nd-team
1-time Stanley Cup Champion
As with Henrik Zetterberg, I'm doing a bit of projecting with Eric Staal. Of all the much-hyped Staal brothers, Eric is clearly the most likely to end up high in the Pyramid. As with brother Jordan, he's already won a Stanley Cup, but he distinguishes himself because he was the key player on that team, scoring 102 points in the regular season and then leading the playoffs with 28 points in 25 games. If it weren't for Cam Ward, Eric Staal would have been a deserving Conn Smythe winner himself.
For a center, Staal's assist numbers aren't elite, but his goal-scoring is remarkably consistent. At just 26, he's already had five straight 30+ goal seasons and three of 40+. I can't help but think that with a more talented supporting cast, Staal would be more in the 40-50-90 range annually instead of the 35-45-80 level he's currently at. But his accomplishments are still impressive: combined with his physical style of play, Staal is one of the few power forwards in the league who plays center...he's got more of a left-winger's style of game.
Staal has been remarkably durable so far in his career, playing 80+ games in his first five seasons before missing 12 games in 2009-2010. He was enjoying another consistent season with the Hurricanes in 2010-2011 at the time of this writing, but he's suffered a head injury and potential concussion mere days ago, adding to the growing list of NHL stars sidelined by concussions (and, along with Sidney Crosby, giving me fear that some of the young stars of this generation may have their careers hampered).
Fortunately, Staal returned quickly and hasn't shown any ill effects. He may end up putting together a career that doesn't have a lot of insanely high peaks but is remarkable for its consistency, like Mats Sundin except with a Stanley Cup ring. I could easily see him ending up quite high on the career-scoring list just because he started so young and seems to be extremely durable (as long as no one hits him in the head again). Years from now when we think of the Staal brothers, it will be Eric who stands out at the head of the pack.
Adjusted Stats
2003-2004 Car 81 GP 13 goals 24 assists 37 points 0.46 PPG
2005-2006 Car* 82 GP 46 goals 56 assists 102 points 1.24 PPG
2006-2007 Car 82 GP 32 goals 43 assists 75 points 0.91 PPG
2007-2008 Car 82 GP 43 goals 50 assists 93 points 1.13 PPG
2008-2009 Car 82 GP 43 goals 38 assists 81 points 0.99 PPG
2009-2010 Car 70 GP 32 goals 45 assists 77 points 1.10 PPG
2010-2011 Car 81 GP 37 goals 48 assists 86 points 1.06 PPG
Adjusted Playoff Stats
2005-2006 Car* 25 GP 9 goals 19 assists 28 points 1.11 PPG
2008-2009 Car 18 GP 10 goals 5 assists 15 points 0.85 PPG
Career - 560 GP, 246 goals, 304 assists, 551 points, 0.98 PPG
Career-Highs - 46 goals (05-06); 56 assists (05-06); 102 points (05-06); 1.24 PPG (05-06)
Avg. (7 seasons) - 80 GP, 35 goals, 43 assists, 79 points, 0.98 PPG
Playoff Career - 43 GP, 19 goals, 24 assists, 43 points, 1.00 PPG
Playoff-Highs - 10 goals (08-09); 19 assists (05-06); 28 points (05-06); 1.11 PPG (05-06)
Accolades - None
All-Star Teams - 1-time 2nd-team
1-time Stanley Cup Champion
As with Henrik Zetterberg, I'm doing a bit of projecting with Eric Staal. Of all the much-hyped Staal brothers, Eric is clearly the most likely to end up high in the Pyramid. As with brother Jordan, he's already won a Stanley Cup, but he distinguishes himself because he was the key player on that team, scoring 102 points in the regular season and then leading the playoffs with 28 points in 25 games. If it weren't for Cam Ward, Eric Staal would have been a deserving Conn Smythe winner himself.
For a center, Staal's assist numbers aren't elite, but his goal-scoring is remarkably consistent. At just 26, he's already had five straight 30+ goal seasons and three of 40+. I can't help but think that with a more talented supporting cast, Staal would be more in the 40-50-90 range annually instead of the 35-45-80 level he's currently at. But his accomplishments are still impressive: combined with his physical style of play, Staal is one of the few power forwards in the league who plays center...he's got more of a left-winger's style of game.
Staal has been remarkably durable so far in his career, playing 80+ games in his first five seasons before missing 12 games in 2009-2010. He was enjoying another consistent season with the Hurricanes in 2010-2011 at the time of this writing, but he's suffered a head injury and potential concussion mere days ago, adding to the growing list of NHL stars sidelined by concussions (and, along with Sidney Crosby, giving me fear that some of the young stars of this generation may have their careers hampered).
Fortunately, Staal returned quickly and hasn't shown any ill effects. He may end up putting together a career that doesn't have a lot of insanely high peaks but is remarkable for its consistency, like Mats Sundin except with a Stanley Cup ring. I could easily see him ending up quite high on the career-scoring list just because he started so young and seems to be extremely durable (as long as no one hits him in the head again). Years from now when we think of the Staal brothers, it will be Eric who stands out at the head of the pack.
#95 - Paul Kariya
Paul Kariya (Murillo Pyramid Rank = #95)
Adjusted Stats
1994-1995 Ana 80 GP 32 goals 37 assists 69 points 0.85 PPG
1995-1996 Ana 82 GP 49 goals 57 assists 106 points 1.29 PPG
1996-1997 Ana 69 GP 46 goals 58 assists 104 points 1.51 PPG
1997-1998 Ana 22 GP 20 goals 16 assists 36 points 1.64 PPG
1998-1999 Ana 82 GP 46 goals 72 assists 118 points 1.44 PPG
1999-2000 Ana 74 GP 47 goals 49 assists 96 points 1.30 PPG
2000-2001 Ana 66 GP 37 goals 38 assists 75 points 1.13 PPG
2001-2002 Ana 82 GP 38 goals 29 assists 67 points 0.82 PPG
2002-2003 Ana 82 GP 29 goals 65 assists 94 points 1.14 PPG
2003-2004 Col 51 GP 13 goals 30 assists 43 points 0.84 PPG
2005-2006 Nsh 82 GP 32 goals 55 assists 86 points 1.05 PPG
2006-2007 Nsh 82 GP 26 goals 56 assists 81 points 0.99 PPG
2007-2008 Stl 82 GP 18 goals 55 assists 73 points 0.90 PPG
2008-2009 Stl 11 GP 2 goals 14 assists 16 points 1.47 PPG
2009-2010 Stl 75 GP 20 goals 27 assists 47 points 0.63 PPG
Adjusted Playoff Stats
1996-1997 Ana 11 GP 7 goals 6 assists 14 points 1.24 PPG
1998-1999 Ana 3 GP 1 goal 3 assists 4 points 1.46 PPG
2002-2003 Ana 21 GP 7 goals 7 assists 14 points 0.68 PPG
2003-2004 Col 1 GP 0 goals 1 assist 1 point 1.28 PPG
2005-2006 Nsh 5 GP 2 goals 5 assists 7 points 1.39 PPG
2006-2007 Nsh 5 GP 0 goals 2 assists 2 points 0.45 PPG
Career - 1022 GP, 455 goals, 658 assists, 1111 points, 1.09 PPG
Career-Highs - 49 goals (95-96); 72 assists (98-99); 118 points (98-99); 1.51 PPG (96-97)
Avg. (15 seasons) - 68 GP, 30 goals, 44 assists, 74 points, 1.09 PPG
Peak Avg. (95-03) - 70 GP, 39 goals, 48 assists, 87 points, 1.25 PPG, 0 Cups
Playoff Career - 46 GP, 17 goals, 24 assists, 42 points, 0.91 PPG
Playoff-Highs - 7 goals (96-97); 7 assists (02-03); 14 points (96-97); 1.46 PPG (98-99)
Accolades - 2 Lady Byng Trophies
All-Star Teams - 3-time 1st-team, 2-time 2nd-team
Never Won Stanley Cup
Think of Alexander Ovechkin now, and that was Paul Kariya in the late 1990s. He was a phenomenal skater, one of the fastest in the league. He routinely led the league in shots on goal, and was the best playmaking left-winger in the game, putting up three 100+ point seasons in his first five years. When The Hockey News compiled its list of the NHL's greatest players in 1998, it added a footnote about that era's young players and which ones might make future lists in, say, 25 years. It mentioned three locks: Eric Lindros, Peter Forsberg, and Paul Kariya. Two others were included in the "maybe" section: Martin Brodeur and (holding back laughter) Keith Tkachuk. And finally, a wild-card: Bryan Berard! No mention of Nicklas Lidstrom or Joe Sakic. Woops.
So what happened? Unlike with Lindros and Forsberg, you can't exactly lump Kariya into the "what-if" category, because he played in more than 1,000 career games and scored 1,111 career adjusted points. In the 2000s, Kariya played in all 82 regular season games five times, and scored 80+ points in three of those seasons. So it's not like he was injury-plagued or unproductive. But in only one of those seasons, 2002-2003, did Kariya feel relevant, and at no point was he the scintillating star of the late-1990s. Does anyone remember Kariya's term with the Nashville Predators? Maybe, but probably not too fondly, even though he had 167 points over two years and never missed a game.
If I had to pinpoint a turning point in Kariya's career, it would no doubt be in 1997-1998. Kariya was coming off his finest season, in which he'd finished runner-up to Dominik Hasek as league MVP and led the Mighty Ducks (yes, they were still Mighty back then) to the second round for the first time in the franchise's history. As was becoming a disturbing pattern in that era, Kariya held out for a larger contract, but when he returned, the Ducks were already far out of a playoff spot. Kariya was still playing well and appeared ready to help Team Canada attempt to win gold in Nagano, which would have been amazing since Kariya was of Japanese heritage. Then, this happened:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tid_86o9M-o
It's one of the cheapest shots I've seen, a headshot that should have gotten Gary Suter (an American, by the way) banned from the league, but instead got a piddling suspension from Brian Burke (also American...just saying). Kariya missed the rest of the season with a concussion, and even though he came back with his most productive season yet the following year, it seemed as if there was a certain caution creeping into Kariya's game.
Two semi subpar seasons followed, until a rejuvenated Kariya (now sans his longtime linemate Teemu Selanne) scored 94 points in 2002-2003, made the second all-star team, and helped the Ducks get to the Cup final despite scoring just 14 adjusted points in 21 playoff games (this was the run in which the Ducks were winning 1-0 in triple overtime thanks to a defensive style and the goaltending of J.S. Giguere). The Ducks ended up losing to New Jersey in a hard-fought seven games, but in Game 6, Kariya suffered another defining hit, this one a cheapshot from Scott Stevens (and that's hard for me to admit):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mKmYWy-gBU&NR=1
In today's era, that would be viewed as a predatory headshot and even a late hit...back then, it was viewed as perhaps marginally late, but ample punishment for Kariya admiring his pass. Kariya incredibly returned in that game and scored a beautiful slapshot goal against Martin Brodeur, and for a moment it looked like he might be headed for legendary status if the Ducks could somehow win. But they were shut down in Game 7, and Kariya's quest for the Cup came up short. Whether or not it had anything to do with the Stevens' hit, Kariya's game was never quite the same from that point on.
His teaming with Teemu Selanne in Colorado was a debacle, although Kariya's production wasn't nearly as laughably bad as Selanne's. But where Selanne returned to Anaheim, had his career rejuvenated and eventually won a Cup, in one of the great ironies, the Ducks' most iconic player moved on to Nashville and St. Louis and was largely forgotten or ignored by the hockey community, despite putting up a few 80+ point seasons.
Kariya hasn't officially retired, but it seems likely that his days are numbered. His peak was remarkably exciting and productive, which is why I have him ranked high. Yet there is a certain feeling that there could have been more...that Kariya could have moved higher up the goal-scoring charts. His numbers over a fifteen year career are certainly hall-of-fame worthy, especially for a left-winger. But when the 1990s ended, Kariya's days as a superstar went with them.
Adjusted Stats
1994-1995 Ana 80 GP 32 goals 37 assists 69 points 0.85 PPG
1995-1996 Ana 82 GP 49 goals 57 assists 106 points 1.29 PPG
1996-1997 Ana 69 GP 46 goals 58 assists 104 points 1.51 PPG
1997-1998 Ana 22 GP 20 goals 16 assists 36 points 1.64 PPG
1998-1999 Ana 82 GP 46 goals 72 assists 118 points 1.44 PPG
1999-2000 Ana 74 GP 47 goals 49 assists 96 points 1.30 PPG
2000-2001 Ana 66 GP 37 goals 38 assists 75 points 1.13 PPG
2001-2002 Ana 82 GP 38 goals 29 assists 67 points 0.82 PPG
2002-2003 Ana 82 GP 29 goals 65 assists 94 points 1.14 PPG
2003-2004 Col 51 GP 13 goals 30 assists 43 points 0.84 PPG
2005-2006 Nsh 82 GP 32 goals 55 assists 86 points 1.05 PPG
2006-2007 Nsh 82 GP 26 goals 56 assists 81 points 0.99 PPG
2007-2008 Stl 82 GP 18 goals 55 assists 73 points 0.90 PPG
2008-2009 Stl 11 GP 2 goals 14 assists 16 points 1.47 PPG
2009-2010 Stl 75 GP 20 goals 27 assists 47 points 0.63 PPG
Adjusted Playoff Stats
1996-1997 Ana 11 GP 7 goals 6 assists 14 points 1.24 PPG
1998-1999 Ana 3 GP 1 goal 3 assists 4 points 1.46 PPG
2002-2003 Ana 21 GP 7 goals 7 assists 14 points 0.68 PPG
2003-2004 Col 1 GP 0 goals 1 assist 1 point 1.28 PPG
2005-2006 Nsh 5 GP 2 goals 5 assists 7 points 1.39 PPG
2006-2007 Nsh 5 GP 0 goals 2 assists 2 points 0.45 PPG
Career - 1022 GP, 455 goals, 658 assists, 1111 points, 1.09 PPG
Career-Highs - 49 goals (95-96); 72 assists (98-99); 118 points (98-99); 1.51 PPG (96-97)
Avg. (15 seasons) - 68 GP, 30 goals, 44 assists, 74 points, 1.09 PPG
Peak Avg. (95-03) - 70 GP, 39 goals, 48 assists, 87 points, 1.25 PPG, 0 Cups
Playoff Career - 46 GP, 17 goals, 24 assists, 42 points, 0.91 PPG
Playoff-Highs - 7 goals (96-97); 7 assists (02-03); 14 points (96-97); 1.46 PPG (98-99)
Accolades - 2 Lady Byng Trophies
All-Star Teams - 3-time 1st-team, 2-time 2nd-team
Never Won Stanley Cup
Think of Alexander Ovechkin now, and that was Paul Kariya in the late 1990s. He was a phenomenal skater, one of the fastest in the league. He routinely led the league in shots on goal, and was the best playmaking left-winger in the game, putting up three 100+ point seasons in his first five years. When The Hockey News compiled its list of the NHL's greatest players in 1998, it added a footnote about that era's young players and which ones might make future lists in, say, 25 years. It mentioned three locks: Eric Lindros, Peter Forsberg, and Paul Kariya. Two others were included in the "maybe" section: Martin Brodeur and (holding back laughter) Keith Tkachuk. And finally, a wild-card: Bryan Berard! No mention of Nicklas Lidstrom or Joe Sakic. Woops.
So what happened? Unlike with Lindros and Forsberg, you can't exactly lump Kariya into the "what-if" category, because he played in more than 1,000 career games and scored 1,111 career adjusted points. In the 2000s, Kariya played in all 82 regular season games five times, and scored 80+ points in three of those seasons. So it's not like he was injury-plagued or unproductive. But in only one of those seasons, 2002-2003, did Kariya feel relevant, and at no point was he the scintillating star of the late-1990s. Does anyone remember Kariya's term with the Nashville Predators? Maybe, but probably not too fondly, even though he had 167 points over two years and never missed a game.
If I had to pinpoint a turning point in Kariya's career, it would no doubt be in 1997-1998. Kariya was coming off his finest season, in which he'd finished runner-up to Dominik Hasek as league MVP and led the Mighty Ducks (yes, they were still Mighty back then) to the second round for the first time in the franchise's history. As was becoming a disturbing pattern in that era, Kariya held out for a larger contract, but when he returned, the Ducks were already far out of a playoff spot. Kariya was still playing well and appeared ready to help Team Canada attempt to win gold in Nagano, which would have been amazing since Kariya was of Japanese heritage. Then, this happened:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tid_86o9M-o
It's one of the cheapest shots I've seen, a headshot that should have gotten Gary Suter (an American, by the way) banned from the league, but instead got a piddling suspension from Brian Burke (also American...just saying). Kariya missed the rest of the season with a concussion, and even though he came back with his most productive season yet the following year, it seemed as if there was a certain caution creeping into Kariya's game.
Two semi subpar seasons followed, until a rejuvenated Kariya (now sans his longtime linemate Teemu Selanne) scored 94 points in 2002-2003, made the second all-star team, and helped the Ducks get to the Cup final despite scoring just 14 adjusted points in 21 playoff games (this was the run in which the Ducks were winning 1-0 in triple overtime thanks to a defensive style and the goaltending of J.S. Giguere). The Ducks ended up losing to New Jersey in a hard-fought seven games, but in Game 6, Kariya suffered another defining hit, this one a cheapshot from Scott Stevens (and that's hard for me to admit):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mKmYWy-gBU&NR=1
In today's era, that would be viewed as a predatory headshot and even a late hit...back then, it was viewed as perhaps marginally late, but ample punishment for Kariya admiring his pass. Kariya incredibly returned in that game and scored a beautiful slapshot goal against Martin Brodeur, and for a moment it looked like he might be headed for legendary status if the Ducks could somehow win. But they were shut down in Game 7, and Kariya's quest for the Cup came up short. Whether or not it had anything to do with the Stevens' hit, Kariya's game was never quite the same from that point on.
His teaming with Teemu Selanne in Colorado was a debacle, although Kariya's production wasn't nearly as laughably bad as Selanne's. But where Selanne returned to Anaheim, had his career rejuvenated and eventually won a Cup, in one of the great ironies, the Ducks' most iconic player moved on to Nashville and St. Louis and was largely forgotten or ignored by the hockey community, despite putting up a few 80+ point seasons.
Kariya hasn't officially retired, but it seems likely that his days are numbered. His peak was remarkably exciting and productive, which is why I have him ranked high. Yet there is a certain feeling that there could have been more...that Kariya could have moved higher up the goal-scoring charts. His numbers over a fifteen year career are certainly hall-of-fame worthy, especially for a left-winger. But when the 1990s ended, Kariya's days as a superstar went with them.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
#94 - Daniel Alfredsson
Daniel Alfredsson (Murillo Pyramid Rank = #94)
Adjusted Stats
1995-1996 Ott 82 GP 25 goals 34 assists 60 points 0.73 PPG
1996-1997 Ott 76 GP 25 goals 50 assists 75 points 0.99 PPG
1997-1998 Ott 55 GP 20 goals 33 assists 52 points 0.95 PPG
1998-1999 Ott 58 GP 13 goals 26 assists 39 points 0.66 PPG
1999-2000 Ott 57 GP 24 goals 43 assists 66 points 1.16 PPG
2000-2001 Ott 68 GP 27 goals 51 assists 78 points 1.15 PPG
2001-2002 Ott 78 GP 43 goals 40 assists 83 points 1.07 PPG
2002-2003 Ott 78 GP 31 goals 59 assists 90 points 1.16 PPG
2003-2004 Ott 77 GP 38 goals 57 assists 96 points 1.24 PPG
2005-2006 Ott 77 GP 44 goals 61 assists 105 points 1.36 PPG
2006-2007 Ott 77 GP 31 goals 62 assists 93 points 1.21 PPG
2007-2008 Ott 70 GP 45 goals 55 assists 101 points 1.44 PPG
2008-2009 Ott 79 GP 26 goals 54 assists 80 points 1.01 PPG
2009-2010 Ott 70 GP 22 goals 56 assists 78 points 1.11 PPG
2010-2011 Ott 54 GP 16 goals 19 assists 35 points 0.65 PPG
Adjusted Playoff Stats
1996-1997 Ott 7 GP 5 goals 2 assists 7 points 1.05 PPG
1997-1998 Ott 11 GP 8 goals 2 assists 10 points 0.91 PPG
1998-1999 Ott 4 GP 1 goal 2 assists 3 points 0.82 PPG
1999-2000 Ott 6 GP 1 goal 4 assists 5 points 0.80 PPG
2000-2001 Ott 4 GP 1 goal 0 assists 1 point 0.29 PPG
2001-2002 Ott 12 GP 8 goals 7 assists 15 points 1.29 PPG
2002-2003 Ott 18 GP 5 goals 5 assists 10 points 0.53 PPG
2003-2004 Ott 7 GP 1 goal 3 assists 4 points 0.55 PPG
2005-2006 Ott 10 GP 2 goals 8 assists 10 points 0.99 PPG
2006-2007 Ott 20 GP 16 goals 9 assists 25 points 1.25 PPG
2007-2008 Ott 2 GP 0 goals 0 assists 0 points 0.00 PPG
2009-2010 Ott 6 GP 2 goals 6 assists 8 points 1.25 PPG
Career - 1056 GP, 430 goals, 700 assists, 1131 points, 1.07 PPG
Career-Highs - 45 goals (07-08); 62 assists (06-07); 105 points (05-06); 1.44 PPG (07-08)
Avg. (15 seasons) - 70 GP, 29 goals, 47 assists, 75 points, 1.07 PPG
Peak Avg. (00-09) - 76 GP, 36 goals, 55 assists, 91 points, 1.20 PPG, 0 Cups
Playoff Career - 107 GP, 50 goals, 48 assists, 98 points, 0.92 PPG
Playoff-Highs - 16 goals (06-07); 9 assists (06-07); 25 points (06-07); 1.29 PPG (01-02)
Accolades - Calder
All-Star Teams - 1-time 2nd-team
Has Not Won Stanley Cup
An eerily similar, right-wing version of Mats Sundin's career at center: both Swedish, both the good soldiers for teams in Ontario, both universally respected in the NHL (except in Toronto where Alfredsson is booed over a perceived cheapshot against Darcy Tucker), both gold medalists with Team Sweden in 2006 and perennially excellent international players, both with two-way games that steadily improved over time, both criticized early in their career for playoff shortcomings before coming up with excellent efforts in their mid-30s. And oh yeah, neither of them won a Stanley Cup.
I wrote "has not won Stanley Cup" for Daniel Alfredsson because his career isn't over yet. But I might as well go ahead and say it: he's not going to win one. The Senators as of this writing are an absolute mess, and Alfredsson, after a run of about twelve straight excellent seasons, has finally hit a wall, with age starting to catch up to him. Still, Alfredsson's been one of the most consistent players of the 2000s, never considered at the absolute top of the list of right-wingers (he was overshadowed by Jagr and Iginla), but consistently getting 80-100 points and playing good two-way hockey for a Senators team that was almost always one of the league's best regular-season teams.
Sadly, that's the big albatross for the Senators: they may be one of the greatest teams to never win a Stanley Cup. From 2000 to 2008, the Senators were always one of the favourites to emerge from the Eastern Conference. Instead, they made the finals only once, and were soundly defeated by the Anaheim Ducks. If Alfredsson had been able to win the Cup in that season, he'd be a good fifteen or so spots higher on the Pyramid. But the Senators, along with the Sharks, were the all-choking team of the decade.
As I mentioned, Alfredsson seemed to get better with age (before finally hitting the wall this season). From the ages of 30 to 36 he averaged 97 points and had a stellar +/- (Alfredsson evolved into an excellent penalty-killer and shorthanded threat, an underrated part of his game). In the early part of the decade, Alfredsson and the Senators were consistently shut down by the Toronto Maple Leafs, often scoring at a ridiculously low pace. The pattern was the same: in the regular season, the Sens would sweep the Leafs and score four or five goals a game...come playoff time, they'd be the ones getting swept, and they'd be lucky if they scored four goals in the entire series! Alfredsson rightly shouldered some of the blame for this, but he shouldn't be held solely responsible for the team's collapse.
If it weren't for the Sens run to the Cup in 2007, Alfredsson might be remembered as a Joe Thornton-like playoff choker. But he put up 25 adjusted points in 20 games after putting up 10 in 10 the previous postseason. Add to that his excellent international play and it seems as if Alfredsson has been more a victim of bad luck in the postseason than that there's something inherently within him that wilts under pressure. Granted, his legacy is tarnished by the fact that he was the captain of a perenially underachieving team, but as his career has gone on, Alfredsson has at least been able to say that he brought it when the games mattered, and that wasn't always the case.
So Alfredsson makes the Pyramid for his consistency, all-around game and steady offensive production at right-wing, as well as being a good captain for a team that was very good but never great, and should perhaps have won more. There is the aura of failure around Alfredsson as there is with Sundin, but that's because they spent their careers with teams that didn't have it within them to push through. How much of that was due to the shortcomings of their franchise players is up for debate.
Adjusted Stats
1995-1996 Ott 82 GP 25 goals 34 assists 60 points 0.73 PPG
1996-1997 Ott 76 GP 25 goals 50 assists 75 points 0.99 PPG
1997-1998 Ott 55 GP 20 goals 33 assists 52 points 0.95 PPG
1998-1999 Ott 58 GP 13 goals 26 assists 39 points 0.66 PPG
1999-2000 Ott 57 GP 24 goals 43 assists 66 points 1.16 PPG
2000-2001 Ott 68 GP 27 goals 51 assists 78 points 1.15 PPG
2001-2002 Ott 78 GP 43 goals 40 assists 83 points 1.07 PPG
2002-2003 Ott 78 GP 31 goals 59 assists 90 points 1.16 PPG
2003-2004 Ott 77 GP 38 goals 57 assists 96 points 1.24 PPG
2005-2006 Ott 77 GP 44 goals 61 assists 105 points 1.36 PPG
2006-2007 Ott 77 GP 31 goals 62 assists 93 points 1.21 PPG
2007-2008 Ott 70 GP 45 goals 55 assists 101 points 1.44 PPG
2008-2009 Ott 79 GP 26 goals 54 assists 80 points 1.01 PPG
2009-2010 Ott 70 GP 22 goals 56 assists 78 points 1.11 PPG
2010-2011 Ott 54 GP 16 goals 19 assists 35 points 0.65 PPG
Adjusted Playoff Stats
1996-1997 Ott 7 GP 5 goals 2 assists 7 points 1.05 PPG
1997-1998 Ott 11 GP 8 goals 2 assists 10 points 0.91 PPG
1998-1999 Ott 4 GP 1 goal 2 assists 3 points 0.82 PPG
1999-2000 Ott 6 GP 1 goal 4 assists 5 points 0.80 PPG
2000-2001 Ott 4 GP 1 goal 0 assists 1 point 0.29 PPG
2001-2002 Ott 12 GP 8 goals 7 assists 15 points 1.29 PPG
2002-2003 Ott 18 GP 5 goals 5 assists 10 points 0.53 PPG
2003-2004 Ott 7 GP 1 goal 3 assists 4 points 0.55 PPG
2005-2006 Ott 10 GP 2 goals 8 assists 10 points 0.99 PPG
2006-2007 Ott 20 GP 16 goals 9 assists 25 points 1.25 PPG
2007-2008 Ott 2 GP 0 goals 0 assists 0 points 0.00 PPG
2009-2010 Ott 6 GP 2 goals 6 assists 8 points 1.25 PPG
Career - 1056 GP, 430 goals, 700 assists, 1131 points, 1.07 PPG
Career-Highs - 45 goals (07-08); 62 assists (06-07); 105 points (05-06); 1.44 PPG (07-08)
Avg. (15 seasons) - 70 GP, 29 goals, 47 assists, 75 points, 1.07 PPG
Peak Avg. (00-09) - 76 GP, 36 goals, 55 assists, 91 points, 1.20 PPG, 0 Cups
Playoff Career - 107 GP, 50 goals, 48 assists, 98 points, 0.92 PPG
Playoff-Highs - 16 goals (06-07); 9 assists (06-07); 25 points (06-07); 1.29 PPG (01-02)
Accolades - Calder
All-Star Teams - 1-time 2nd-team
Has Not Won Stanley Cup
An eerily similar, right-wing version of Mats Sundin's career at center: both Swedish, both the good soldiers for teams in Ontario, both universally respected in the NHL (except in Toronto where Alfredsson is booed over a perceived cheapshot against Darcy Tucker), both gold medalists with Team Sweden in 2006 and perennially excellent international players, both with two-way games that steadily improved over time, both criticized early in their career for playoff shortcomings before coming up with excellent efforts in their mid-30s. And oh yeah, neither of them won a Stanley Cup.
I wrote "has not won Stanley Cup" for Daniel Alfredsson because his career isn't over yet. But I might as well go ahead and say it: he's not going to win one. The Senators as of this writing are an absolute mess, and Alfredsson, after a run of about twelve straight excellent seasons, has finally hit a wall, with age starting to catch up to him. Still, Alfredsson's been one of the most consistent players of the 2000s, never considered at the absolute top of the list of right-wingers (he was overshadowed by Jagr and Iginla), but consistently getting 80-100 points and playing good two-way hockey for a Senators team that was almost always one of the league's best regular-season teams.
Sadly, that's the big albatross for the Senators: they may be one of the greatest teams to never win a Stanley Cup. From 2000 to 2008, the Senators were always one of the favourites to emerge from the Eastern Conference. Instead, they made the finals only once, and were soundly defeated by the Anaheim Ducks. If Alfredsson had been able to win the Cup in that season, he'd be a good fifteen or so spots higher on the Pyramid. But the Senators, along with the Sharks, were the all-choking team of the decade.
As I mentioned, Alfredsson seemed to get better with age (before finally hitting the wall this season). From the ages of 30 to 36 he averaged 97 points and had a stellar +/- (Alfredsson evolved into an excellent penalty-killer and shorthanded threat, an underrated part of his game). In the early part of the decade, Alfredsson and the Senators were consistently shut down by the Toronto Maple Leafs, often scoring at a ridiculously low pace. The pattern was the same: in the regular season, the Sens would sweep the Leafs and score four or five goals a game...come playoff time, they'd be the ones getting swept, and they'd be lucky if they scored four goals in the entire series! Alfredsson rightly shouldered some of the blame for this, but he shouldn't be held solely responsible for the team's collapse.
If it weren't for the Sens run to the Cup in 2007, Alfredsson might be remembered as a Joe Thornton-like playoff choker. But he put up 25 adjusted points in 20 games after putting up 10 in 10 the previous postseason. Add to that his excellent international play and it seems as if Alfredsson has been more a victim of bad luck in the postseason than that there's something inherently within him that wilts under pressure. Granted, his legacy is tarnished by the fact that he was the captain of a perenially underachieving team, but as his career has gone on, Alfredsson has at least been able to say that he brought it when the games mattered, and that wasn't always the case.
So Alfredsson makes the Pyramid for his consistency, all-around game and steady offensive production at right-wing, as well as being a good captain for a team that was very good but never great, and should perhaps have won more. There is the aura of failure around Alfredsson as there is with Sundin, but that's because they spent their careers with teams that didn't have it within them to push through. How much of that was due to the shortcomings of their franchise players is up for debate.
#92 - Toe Blake
Toe Blake (Murillo Pyramid Rank = #92)
Adjusted Stats
1934-1935 Mtl (M)*14 GP 0 goals 0 assists 0 points 0.00 PPG
1935-1936 Mtl 19 GP 2 goals 5 assists 7 points 0.39 PPG
1936-1937 Mtl 73 GP 21 goals 26 assists 47 points 0.64 PPG
1937-1938 Mtl 73 GP 35 goals 33 assists 69 points 0.93 PPG
1938-1939 Mtl 82 GP 50 goals 48 assists 97 points 1.19 PPG
1939-1940 Mtl 82 GP 36 goals 40 assists 76 points 0.92 PPG
1940-1941 Mtl 82 GP 24 goals 39 assists 63 points 0.76 PPG
1941-1942 Mtl 82 GP 29 goals 42 assists 71 points 0.86 PPG
1942-1943 Mtl 79 GP 32 goals 50 assists 82 points 1.05 PPG
1943-1944 Mtl* 67 GP 32 goals 41 assists 73 points 1.08 PPG
1944-1945 Mtl 80 GP 40 goals 52 assists 92 points 1.14 PPG
1945-1946 Mtl* 82 GP 44 goals 32 assists 75 points 0.92 PPG
1946-1947 Mtl 82 GP 28 goals 39 assists 66 points 0.81 PPG
1947-1948 Mtl 44 GP 13 goals 22 assists 34 points 0.79 PPG
Adjusted Playoff Stats
1934-1935 Mtl (M)* 1 GP 0 goals 0 assists 0 points 0.00 PPG
1936-1937 Mtl 5 GP 2 goals 0 assists 2 points 0.30 PPG
1937-1938 Mtl 3 GP 4 goals 1 assists 5 points 1.69 PPG
1938-1939 Mtl 3 GP 1 goal 1 assist 3 points 0.93 PPG
1940-1941 Mtl 3 GP 0 goals 4 assists 4 points 1.27 PPG
1941-1942 Mtl 3 GP 0 goals 3 assists 3 points 1.06 PPG
1942-1943 Mtl 5 GP 4 goals 3 assists 6 points 1.27 PPG
1943-1944 Mtl* 9 GP 7 goals 11 assists 18 points 2.02 PPG
1944-1945 Mtl 6 GP 0 goals 2 assists 2 points 0.38 PPG
1945-1946 Mtl* 9 GP 6 goals 5 assists 11 points 1.25 PPG
1946-1947 Mtl 11 GP 2 goals 7 assists 10 points 0.88 PPG
Career - 941 GP, 386 goals, 469 assists, 852 points, 0.91 PPG
Career-Highs - 50 goals (38-39); 52 assists (44-45); 97 points (38-39); 1.19 PPG (38-39)
Avg. (13 seasons) - 71 GP, 30 goals, 36 assists, 66 points, 0.91 PPG
Peak Avg. (38-46) - 80 GP, 36 goals, 43 assists, 79 points, 0.99 PPG, 2 Cups
Playoff Career - 58 GP, 26 goals, 37 assists, 64 points, 1.10 PPG
Playoff-Highs - 7 goals (43-44); 11 assists (43-44); 18 points (43-44); 2.02 PPG (43-44)
Accolades - 1 MVP Award, Lady Byng
All-Star Teams - 3-time 1st-team, 2-time 2nd-team
3-time Stanley Cup Champion
Mention Toe Blake to your average hockey fan today and they'll think about one of the most successful coaches to ever be behind an NHL bench. And with good reason: he has a career winning percentage of .634 and was the coach of eight Stanley Cup champions, bested only by Scotty Bowman. Pretty damn impressive. But what many forget is that Toe Blake was one of the best players, and certainly one of the best left-wingers, of his era. That places him with Jacques Lemaire as one of the few people in hockey history with hall-of-fame credentials as both a player and a coach.
Blake was the Canadiens' star player before Maurice Richard burst onto the scene. In 1938-1939, he won the Hart trophy with adjusted numbers of 50 goals and 97 points, good for the scoring title as well. Throughout the 1940s, Blake would crack the top ten in scoring five more times and earn first or second-team all-star recognition five times in total for his career.
His run from 1938 to 1946 is pretty much elite-level for a left-winger...the only reason I have Blake this low on the Pyramid is that he was playing in a somewhat inferior era. Like Bill Cowley, his legacy suffers because Blake's best years came when the league was watered-down due to elite players serving in the war. Nevertheless, Blake put up some of the best postseason numbers of any left-winger in the Original Six era, averaging over a point a game. In 1944, while Richard was grabbing the headlines for his 50-in-50 performance, Blake put forward an incredible postseason, scoring 7 goals and 18 points in just 9 playoff games as the Canadiens won the Cup. Had the Conn Smythe trophy existed, it's fair to say Blake would have taken it home. He followed that effort up in 1946 by leading the playoffs in goal scoring and putting up 11 points in 9 games for another Cup victory.
Blake retired in 1947 as one of the best left-wingers of the 1940s. Eight years later, he was behind the Habs' bench, where he began a remarkable run of success, winning five championships in his first five seasons as coach. It's one of the rare examples of an elite player being able to translate his skills to coaching. One of the most clutch players of the 1940s soon became the face of brilliant coaching in the 1950s. It would be as if Luc Robitaille retired, and then a few years later had reinvented himself as the second coming of Scotty Bowman. In a way, Blake may have been his own worst enemy: he was such a good coach, he ended up overshadowing his accomplishments as a player.
Adjusted Stats
1934-1935 Mtl (M)*14 GP 0 goals 0 assists 0 points 0.00 PPG
1935-1936 Mtl 19 GP 2 goals 5 assists 7 points 0.39 PPG
1936-1937 Mtl 73 GP 21 goals 26 assists 47 points 0.64 PPG
1937-1938 Mtl 73 GP 35 goals 33 assists 69 points 0.93 PPG
1938-1939 Mtl 82 GP 50 goals 48 assists 97 points 1.19 PPG
1939-1940 Mtl 82 GP 36 goals 40 assists 76 points 0.92 PPG
1940-1941 Mtl 82 GP 24 goals 39 assists 63 points 0.76 PPG
1941-1942 Mtl 82 GP 29 goals 42 assists 71 points 0.86 PPG
1942-1943 Mtl 79 GP 32 goals 50 assists 82 points 1.05 PPG
1943-1944 Mtl* 67 GP 32 goals 41 assists 73 points 1.08 PPG
1944-1945 Mtl 80 GP 40 goals 52 assists 92 points 1.14 PPG
1945-1946 Mtl* 82 GP 44 goals 32 assists 75 points 0.92 PPG
1946-1947 Mtl 82 GP 28 goals 39 assists 66 points 0.81 PPG
1947-1948 Mtl 44 GP 13 goals 22 assists 34 points 0.79 PPG
Adjusted Playoff Stats
1934-1935 Mtl (M)* 1 GP 0 goals 0 assists 0 points 0.00 PPG
1936-1937 Mtl 5 GP 2 goals 0 assists 2 points 0.30 PPG
1937-1938 Mtl 3 GP 4 goals 1 assists 5 points 1.69 PPG
1938-1939 Mtl 3 GP 1 goal 1 assist 3 points 0.93 PPG
1940-1941 Mtl 3 GP 0 goals 4 assists 4 points 1.27 PPG
1941-1942 Mtl 3 GP 0 goals 3 assists 3 points 1.06 PPG
1942-1943 Mtl 5 GP 4 goals 3 assists 6 points 1.27 PPG
1943-1944 Mtl* 9 GP 7 goals 11 assists 18 points 2.02 PPG
1944-1945 Mtl 6 GP 0 goals 2 assists 2 points 0.38 PPG
1945-1946 Mtl* 9 GP 6 goals 5 assists 11 points 1.25 PPG
1946-1947 Mtl 11 GP 2 goals 7 assists 10 points 0.88 PPG
Career - 941 GP, 386 goals, 469 assists, 852 points, 0.91 PPG
Career-Highs - 50 goals (38-39); 52 assists (44-45); 97 points (38-39); 1.19 PPG (38-39)
Avg. (13 seasons) - 71 GP, 30 goals, 36 assists, 66 points, 0.91 PPG
Peak Avg. (38-46) - 80 GP, 36 goals, 43 assists, 79 points, 0.99 PPG, 2 Cups
Playoff Career - 58 GP, 26 goals, 37 assists, 64 points, 1.10 PPG
Playoff-Highs - 7 goals (43-44); 11 assists (43-44); 18 points (43-44); 2.02 PPG (43-44)
Accolades - 1 MVP Award, Lady Byng
All-Star Teams - 3-time 1st-team, 2-time 2nd-team
3-time Stanley Cup Champion
Mention Toe Blake to your average hockey fan today and they'll think about one of the most successful coaches to ever be behind an NHL bench. And with good reason: he has a career winning percentage of .634 and was the coach of eight Stanley Cup champions, bested only by Scotty Bowman. Pretty damn impressive. But what many forget is that Toe Blake was one of the best players, and certainly one of the best left-wingers, of his era. That places him with Jacques Lemaire as one of the few people in hockey history with hall-of-fame credentials as both a player and a coach.
Blake was the Canadiens' star player before Maurice Richard burst onto the scene. In 1938-1939, he won the Hart trophy with adjusted numbers of 50 goals and 97 points, good for the scoring title as well. Throughout the 1940s, Blake would crack the top ten in scoring five more times and earn first or second-team all-star recognition five times in total for his career.
His run from 1938 to 1946 is pretty much elite-level for a left-winger...the only reason I have Blake this low on the Pyramid is that he was playing in a somewhat inferior era. Like Bill Cowley, his legacy suffers because Blake's best years came when the league was watered-down due to elite players serving in the war. Nevertheless, Blake put up some of the best postseason numbers of any left-winger in the Original Six era, averaging over a point a game. In 1944, while Richard was grabbing the headlines for his 50-in-50 performance, Blake put forward an incredible postseason, scoring 7 goals and 18 points in just 9 playoff games as the Canadiens won the Cup. Had the Conn Smythe trophy existed, it's fair to say Blake would have taken it home. He followed that effort up in 1946 by leading the playoffs in goal scoring and putting up 11 points in 9 games for another Cup victory.
Blake retired in 1947 as one of the best left-wingers of the 1940s. Eight years later, he was behind the Habs' bench, where he began a remarkable run of success, winning five championships in his first five seasons as coach. It's one of the rare examples of an elite player being able to translate his skills to coaching. One of the most clutch players of the 1940s soon became the face of brilliant coaching in the 1950s. It would be as if Luc Robitaille retired, and then a few years later had reinvented himself as the second coming of Scotty Bowman. In a way, Blake may have been his own worst enemy: he was such a good coach, he ended up overshadowing his accomplishments as a player.
#91 - Evgeni Malkin
Evgeni Malkin (Murillo Pyramid Rank = #91)
Adjusted Stats
2006-2007 Pit 78 GP 35 goals 56 assists 91 points 1.16 PPG
2007-2008 Pit 82 GP 53 goals 67 assists 120 points 1.46 PPG
2008-2009 Pit* 82 GP 38 goals 84 assists 122 points 1.49 PPG
2009-2010 Pit 67 GP 31 goals 54 assists 84 points 1.26 PPG
2010-2011 Pit 43 GP 17 goals 25 assists 42 points 0.97 PPG
Adjusted Playoff Stats
2006-2007 Pit 5 GP 0 goals 5 assists 5 points 0.91 PPG
2007-2008 Pit 20 GP 10 goals 13 assists 23 points 1.15 PPG
2008-2009 Pit* 24 GP 14 goals 23 assists 37 points 1.54 PPG
2009-2010 Pit 13 GP 5 goals 6 assists 10 points 0.80 PPG
Career - 352 GP, 174 goals, 286 assists, 459 points, 1.30 PPG
Career-Highs - 53 goals (07-08); 84 assists (08-09); 122 points (08-09); 1.49 PPG (08-09)
Avg. (5 seasons) - 70 GP, 35 goals, 57 assists, 92 points, 1.30 PPG
Playoff Career - 62 GP, 29 goals, 47 assists, 75 points, 1.21 PPG
Playoff-Highs - 14 goals (08-09); 23 assists (08-09); 37 points (08-09); 1.54 PPG (08-09)
Accolades - 1 Art Ross, Calder, Conn Smythe
All-Star Teams - 2-time 1st-team
1-time Stanley Cup Champion
Of all of the young stars in today's game, Malkin's is the hardest to project for the rest of his career. If you talked to me at the end of the 2009 Stanley Cup playoffs, I'd have argued that Malkin was the best player in the game. Two disappointing and injury-riddled years later, he's not even close, and with a knee injury threatening to cut into his 2011-2012 season, it's debatable whether Malkin will ever return to his previous heights. But we shouldn't forget how high those heights were. Ridiculous as it seems right now, at the time the Pittsburgh Penguins won their Stanley Cup, a more-than-legitimate case could be made that Sidney Crosby wasn't even the best player on the team, it was Malkin.
Consider: Malkin had been the finalist for the Hart Trophy two years in a row, not Crosby. He had back-to-back years of 120+ adjusted points, while Crosby had 81 in an injury-shortened year (in which, when Crosby went down, Malkin put the team on his back) and 111 in a somewhat lackluster 08-09 (lackluster by Sid's standards). Malkin had made 1st-team all-star at center both times. And it was Malkin who won the Conn Smythe trophy after putting forward the highest scoring playoffs of anyone since Joe Sakic, and in the process becoming the first player since Lemieux to lead the regular season and the playoffs in scoring in the same year. Add it all up and it looked like Malkin was legitimately in the conversation for the beginnings of an amazing career.
When I watched Penguins games during that stretch, it was amazing to notice how Malkin was the one who drew your attention when he was on the ice, not Crosby. When Crosby went down with an injury halfway through Game 7 of the Cup championships against Detroit, I was amazed by how Malkin and Jordan Staal seemed to be always on the ice from that point on, never missing a shift. It was also interesting to see how underrated Malkin's defensive game was...seeing him in person, you noticed his constant attacking presence and the way he forced turnovers consistently.
But in 2009-2010, Malkin battled through injuries and inconsistency, winding up with a still respectable 84 points in 67 games, but not ever seeming a dominant presence. Unfortunately, Malkin didn't shake that funk in 2010-2011 to get back to his 07-09 levels...on some nights, he looked dominant, but on far too many nights, he was listless. When Crosby got nailed by David Steckel and was forced out with a concussion, it looked like it was Malkin's time to take over the Penguins, as he had done in 2008, but a fluke injury occurred when Tyler Myers fell on Malkin's knee, spraining his ACL and MCL. Malkin may end up missing a calendar year, a devastating injury (although still one that I think is more hopeful than Crosby's concussion).
It still looks like Malkin may end up putting together a great career, but its the variance within that greatness that is difficult to predict. Will he return to his elite scoring levels and end up with a career on par with, say, the great Jaromir Jagr? Or will it be more of a modest, 80-90 point range from now on, one that leaves us appreciative of Malkin's prowess but also feeling like he's leaving something on the table. Only time will tell...he may end up shooting up the Pyramid, or perhaps be content to be second-banana in the Sidney Crosby show. The worst scenario is that the knee injury plagues him as it did Pavel Bure, in which case we'll have been robbed one of the most dynamic European centers to ever play the game.
Adjusted Stats
2006-2007 Pit 78 GP 35 goals 56 assists 91 points 1.16 PPG
2007-2008 Pit 82 GP 53 goals 67 assists 120 points 1.46 PPG
2008-2009 Pit* 82 GP 38 goals 84 assists 122 points 1.49 PPG
2009-2010 Pit 67 GP 31 goals 54 assists 84 points 1.26 PPG
2010-2011 Pit 43 GP 17 goals 25 assists 42 points 0.97 PPG
Adjusted Playoff Stats
2006-2007 Pit 5 GP 0 goals 5 assists 5 points 0.91 PPG
2007-2008 Pit 20 GP 10 goals 13 assists 23 points 1.15 PPG
2008-2009 Pit* 24 GP 14 goals 23 assists 37 points 1.54 PPG
2009-2010 Pit 13 GP 5 goals 6 assists 10 points 0.80 PPG
Career - 352 GP, 174 goals, 286 assists, 459 points, 1.30 PPG
Career-Highs - 53 goals (07-08); 84 assists (08-09); 122 points (08-09); 1.49 PPG (08-09)
Avg. (5 seasons) - 70 GP, 35 goals, 57 assists, 92 points, 1.30 PPG
Playoff Career - 62 GP, 29 goals, 47 assists, 75 points, 1.21 PPG
Playoff-Highs - 14 goals (08-09); 23 assists (08-09); 37 points (08-09); 1.54 PPG (08-09)
Accolades - 1 Art Ross, Calder, Conn Smythe
All-Star Teams - 2-time 1st-team
1-time Stanley Cup Champion
Of all of the young stars in today's game, Malkin's is the hardest to project for the rest of his career. If you talked to me at the end of the 2009 Stanley Cup playoffs, I'd have argued that Malkin was the best player in the game. Two disappointing and injury-riddled years later, he's not even close, and with a knee injury threatening to cut into his 2011-2012 season, it's debatable whether Malkin will ever return to his previous heights. But we shouldn't forget how high those heights were. Ridiculous as it seems right now, at the time the Pittsburgh Penguins won their Stanley Cup, a more-than-legitimate case could be made that Sidney Crosby wasn't even the best player on the team, it was Malkin.
Consider: Malkin had been the finalist for the Hart Trophy two years in a row, not Crosby. He had back-to-back years of 120+ adjusted points, while Crosby had 81 in an injury-shortened year (in which, when Crosby went down, Malkin put the team on his back) and 111 in a somewhat lackluster 08-09 (lackluster by Sid's standards). Malkin had made 1st-team all-star at center both times. And it was Malkin who won the Conn Smythe trophy after putting forward the highest scoring playoffs of anyone since Joe Sakic, and in the process becoming the first player since Lemieux to lead the regular season and the playoffs in scoring in the same year. Add it all up and it looked like Malkin was legitimately in the conversation for the beginnings of an amazing career.
When I watched Penguins games during that stretch, it was amazing to notice how Malkin was the one who drew your attention when he was on the ice, not Crosby. When Crosby went down with an injury halfway through Game 7 of the Cup championships against Detroit, I was amazed by how Malkin and Jordan Staal seemed to be always on the ice from that point on, never missing a shift. It was also interesting to see how underrated Malkin's defensive game was...seeing him in person, you noticed his constant attacking presence and the way he forced turnovers consistently.
But in 2009-2010, Malkin battled through injuries and inconsistency, winding up with a still respectable 84 points in 67 games, but not ever seeming a dominant presence. Unfortunately, Malkin didn't shake that funk in 2010-2011 to get back to his 07-09 levels...on some nights, he looked dominant, but on far too many nights, he was listless. When Crosby got nailed by David Steckel and was forced out with a concussion, it looked like it was Malkin's time to take over the Penguins, as he had done in 2008, but a fluke injury occurred when Tyler Myers fell on Malkin's knee, spraining his ACL and MCL. Malkin may end up missing a calendar year, a devastating injury (although still one that I think is more hopeful than Crosby's concussion).
It still looks like Malkin may end up putting together a great career, but its the variance within that greatness that is difficult to predict. Will he return to his elite scoring levels and end up with a career on par with, say, the great Jaromir Jagr? Or will it be more of a modest, 80-90 point range from now on, one that leaves us appreciative of Malkin's prowess but also feeling like he's leaving something on the table. Only time will tell...he may end up shooting up the Pyramid, or perhaps be content to be second-banana in the Sidney Crosby show. The worst scenario is that the knee injury plagues him as it did Pavel Bure, in which case we'll have been robbed one of the most dynamic European centers to ever play the game.
#90 - Milt Schmidt
Milt Schmidt (Murillo Pyramid Rank = #90)
Adjusted Stats
1936-1937 Bos 44 GP 4 goals 17 assists 21 points 0.48 PPG
1937-1938 Bos 75 GP 27 goals 29 assists 56 points 0.75 PPG
1938-1939 Bos* 70 GP 31 goals 35 assists 66 points 0.95 PPG
1939-1940 Bos 82 GP 46 goals 63 assists 109 points 1.34 PPG
1940-1941 Bos* 77 GP 25 goals 49 assists 74 points 0.97 PPG
1941-1942 Bos 62 GP 24 goals 35 assists 59 points 0.96 PPG
1945-1946 Bos 79 GP 20 goals 27 assists 47 points 0.59 PPG
1946-1947 Bos 81 GP 36 goals 47 assists 82 points 1.02 PPG
1947-1948 Bos 45 GP 13 goals 24 assists 37 points 0.83 PPG
1948-1949 Bos 60 GP 15 goals 34 assists 50 points 0.82 PPG
1949-1950 Bos 80 GP 25 goals 29 assists 54 points 0.68 PPG
1950-1951 Bos 73 GP 29 goals 52 assists 81 points 1.12 PPG
1951-1952 Bos 81 GP 29 goals 40 assists 69 points 0.86 PPG
1952-1953 Bos 80 GP 17 goals 35 assists 51 points 0.64 PPG
1953-1954 Bos 73 GP 21 goals 27 assists 48 points 0.66 PPG
1954-1955 Bos 27 GP 6 goals 11 assists 17 points 0.64 PPG
Adjusted Playoff Stats
1936-1937 Bos 3 GP 0 goals 0 assists 0 points 0.00 PPG
1937-1938 Bos 3 GP 0 goals 0 assists 0 points 0.00 PPG
1938-1939 Bos* 12 GP 4 goals 4 assists 8 points 0.69 PPG
1939-1940 Bos 6 GP 0 goals 0 assists 0 points 0.00 PPG
1940-1941 Bos* 11 GP 6 goals 8 assists 14 points 1.27 PPG
1945-1946 Bos 10 GP 3 goals 4 assists 7 points 0.69 PPG
1946-1947 Bos 5 GP 3 goals 1 assist 4 points 0.86 PPG
1947-1948 Bos 5 GP 2 goals 5 assists 7 points 1.36 PPG
1948-1949 Bos 4 GP 0 goals 2 assists 2 points 0.58 PPG
1950-1951 Bos 6 GP 0 goals 1 assist 1 point 0.23 PPG
1951-1952 Bos 7 GP 3 goals 1 assist 4 points 0.61 PPG
1952-1953 Bos 10 GP 5 goals 1 assist 6 points 0.61 PPG
1953-1954 Bos 4 GP 1 goal 0 assists 1 point 0.33 PPG
Career - 1089 GP, 368 goals, 554 assists, 921 points, 0.85 PPG
Career-Highs - 46 goals (39-40); 63 assists (39-40); 109 points (39-40); 1.34 PPG (39-40)
Avg. (16 seasons) - 68 GP, 23 goals, 35 assists, 58 points, 0.85 PPG
Peak Avg. (38-49) - 70 GP, 26 goals, 39 assists, 66 points, 0.94 PPG, 2 Cups
Playoff Career - 86 GP, 27 goals, 27 assists, 54 points, 0.63 PPG
Playoff-Highs - 6 goals (40-41); 8 assists (40-41); 14 points (40-41); 1.36 PPG (47-48)
Accolades - MVP Award
All-Star Teams - 3-time 1st-team, 1-time 2nd-team
2-time Stanley Cup Champion
Milt Schmidt was ranked #27 in the 1998 Hockey News list of the all-time great NHL players, and ridiculously, as the eleventh best center in THN's 2010 poll, ahead of, get this: Bryan Trottier, Syl Apps, Peter Forsberg, Marcel Dionne, and Sidney Crosby. Puhlleeease. Suffice it to say, with all due respect to Schmidt's career and his remarkable life, I don't see it when it comes to ranking him that high. I realize that with some players, the numbers don't tell the whole story, but there have to be at least some numbers to back things up.
By all accounts, Schmidt was an aggressive force, much like Ted Lindsay at LW a decade or so later, so there's no doubt that his game was more than just goals and assists. Still, the offensive numbers don't stack up with contemporaries like teammate Bill Cowley. A peak average of just 26 goals and 66 points, even when adjusted, doesn't strike me as particularly impressive, nor does the fact that only three times in a sixteen-year career did Schmidt top 80 points (incidentally, those were the three years in which Schmidt made 1st-team all-star).
Schmidt did have one transcendent year, in 1939-1940, when he scored 109 points. The next spring, he led the playoffs in scoring as the Bruins won the Stanley Cup, their second in three seasons. Then the war came, and Schmidt was called upon for service, cutting into his prime years. But given the fact that Schmidt was still scoring only about 0.95 PPG during those seasons, I don't think I'd be much more impressed with his offensive totals if Schmidt had enjoyed a full career.
Still, despite the fact that I think his place in the game is somewhat overrated, there's no doubt that Schmidt deserves to be on the Pyramid. The two Stanley Cup rings and three 1st-team all star selections are great accomplishments, and the fact that he played sixteen seasons even after missing three due to the war is remarkable considering he was playing in an era when drinking, smoking and poor fitness were the norm. Even if the offensive numbers don't stack up, I also have to give some weight to the fact that the old fogies at The Hockey News thought highly enough of Schmidt's game to rank him as highly as they did. His legend may be overblown by people who are nostalgic for a bygone era, but he still deserves a place on the Pyramid, even if it's on the low end.
Adjusted Stats
1936-1937 Bos 44 GP 4 goals 17 assists 21 points 0.48 PPG
1937-1938 Bos 75 GP 27 goals 29 assists 56 points 0.75 PPG
1938-1939 Bos* 70 GP 31 goals 35 assists 66 points 0.95 PPG
1939-1940 Bos 82 GP 46 goals 63 assists 109 points 1.34 PPG
1940-1941 Bos* 77 GP 25 goals 49 assists 74 points 0.97 PPG
1941-1942 Bos 62 GP 24 goals 35 assists 59 points 0.96 PPG
1945-1946 Bos 79 GP 20 goals 27 assists 47 points 0.59 PPG
1946-1947 Bos 81 GP 36 goals 47 assists 82 points 1.02 PPG
1947-1948 Bos 45 GP 13 goals 24 assists 37 points 0.83 PPG
1948-1949 Bos 60 GP 15 goals 34 assists 50 points 0.82 PPG
1949-1950 Bos 80 GP 25 goals 29 assists 54 points 0.68 PPG
1950-1951 Bos 73 GP 29 goals 52 assists 81 points 1.12 PPG
1951-1952 Bos 81 GP 29 goals 40 assists 69 points 0.86 PPG
1952-1953 Bos 80 GP 17 goals 35 assists 51 points 0.64 PPG
1953-1954 Bos 73 GP 21 goals 27 assists 48 points 0.66 PPG
1954-1955 Bos 27 GP 6 goals 11 assists 17 points 0.64 PPG
Adjusted Playoff Stats
1936-1937 Bos 3 GP 0 goals 0 assists 0 points 0.00 PPG
1937-1938 Bos 3 GP 0 goals 0 assists 0 points 0.00 PPG
1938-1939 Bos* 12 GP 4 goals 4 assists 8 points 0.69 PPG
1939-1940 Bos 6 GP 0 goals 0 assists 0 points 0.00 PPG
1940-1941 Bos* 11 GP 6 goals 8 assists 14 points 1.27 PPG
1945-1946 Bos 10 GP 3 goals 4 assists 7 points 0.69 PPG
1946-1947 Bos 5 GP 3 goals 1 assist 4 points 0.86 PPG
1947-1948 Bos 5 GP 2 goals 5 assists 7 points 1.36 PPG
1948-1949 Bos 4 GP 0 goals 2 assists 2 points 0.58 PPG
1950-1951 Bos 6 GP 0 goals 1 assist 1 point 0.23 PPG
1951-1952 Bos 7 GP 3 goals 1 assist 4 points 0.61 PPG
1952-1953 Bos 10 GP 5 goals 1 assist 6 points 0.61 PPG
1953-1954 Bos 4 GP 1 goal 0 assists 1 point 0.33 PPG
Career - 1089 GP, 368 goals, 554 assists, 921 points, 0.85 PPG
Career-Highs - 46 goals (39-40); 63 assists (39-40); 109 points (39-40); 1.34 PPG (39-40)
Avg. (16 seasons) - 68 GP, 23 goals, 35 assists, 58 points, 0.85 PPG
Peak Avg. (38-49) - 70 GP, 26 goals, 39 assists, 66 points, 0.94 PPG, 2 Cups
Playoff Career - 86 GP, 27 goals, 27 assists, 54 points, 0.63 PPG
Playoff-Highs - 6 goals (40-41); 8 assists (40-41); 14 points (40-41); 1.36 PPG (47-48)
Accolades - MVP Award
All-Star Teams - 3-time 1st-team, 1-time 2nd-team
2-time Stanley Cup Champion
Milt Schmidt was ranked #27 in the 1998 Hockey News list of the all-time great NHL players, and ridiculously, as the eleventh best center in THN's 2010 poll, ahead of, get this: Bryan Trottier, Syl Apps, Peter Forsberg, Marcel Dionne, and Sidney Crosby. Puhlleeease. Suffice it to say, with all due respect to Schmidt's career and his remarkable life, I don't see it when it comes to ranking him that high. I realize that with some players, the numbers don't tell the whole story, but there have to be at least some numbers to back things up.
By all accounts, Schmidt was an aggressive force, much like Ted Lindsay at LW a decade or so later, so there's no doubt that his game was more than just goals and assists. Still, the offensive numbers don't stack up with contemporaries like teammate Bill Cowley. A peak average of just 26 goals and 66 points, even when adjusted, doesn't strike me as particularly impressive, nor does the fact that only three times in a sixteen-year career did Schmidt top 80 points (incidentally, those were the three years in which Schmidt made 1st-team all-star).
Schmidt did have one transcendent year, in 1939-1940, when he scored 109 points. The next spring, he led the playoffs in scoring as the Bruins won the Stanley Cup, their second in three seasons. Then the war came, and Schmidt was called upon for service, cutting into his prime years. But given the fact that Schmidt was still scoring only about 0.95 PPG during those seasons, I don't think I'd be much more impressed with his offensive totals if Schmidt had enjoyed a full career.
Still, despite the fact that I think his place in the game is somewhat overrated, there's no doubt that Schmidt deserves to be on the Pyramid. The two Stanley Cup rings and three 1st-team all star selections are great accomplishments, and the fact that he played sixteen seasons even after missing three due to the war is remarkable considering he was playing in an era when drinking, smoking and poor fitness were the norm. Even if the offensive numbers don't stack up, I also have to give some weight to the fact that the old fogies at The Hockey News thought highly enough of Schmidt's game to rank him as highly as they did. His legend may be overblown by people who are nostalgic for a bygone era, but he still deserves a place on the Pyramid, even if it's on the low end.
#88 - Henrik Zetterberg
Henrik Zetterberg (Murillo Pyramid Rank = #88)
Adjusted Stats
2002-2003 Det 79 GP 25 goals 25 assists 51 points 0.65 PPG
2003-2004 Det 61 GP 18 goals 34 assists 51 points 0.84 PPG
2005-2006 Det 77 GP 40 goals 47 assists 86 points 1.12 PPG
2006-2007 Det 63 GP 35 goals 37 assists 73 points 1.15 PPG
2007-2008 Det* 75 GP 49 goals 55 assists 104 points 1.39 PPG
2008-2009 Det 77 GP 33 goals 45 assists 79 points 1.02 PPG
2009-2010 Det 74 GP 25 goals 52 assists 77 points 1.04 PPG
2010-2011 Det 80 GP 27 goals 63 assists 90 points 1.13 PPG
Adjusted Playoff Stats
2002-2003 Det 4 GP 1 goal 0 assists 1 point 0.30 PPG
2003-2004 Det 12 GP 3 goals 3 assists 5 points 0.43 PPG
2005-2006 Det 6 GP 6 goals 0 assists 6 points 0.99 PPG
2006-2007 Det 18 GP 7 goals 9 assists 16 points 0.88 PPG
2007-2008 Det* 22 GP 14 goals 15 assists 28 points 1.29 PPG
2008-2009 Det 23 GP 11 goals 13 assists 25 points 1.07 PPG
2009-2010 Det 12 GP 7 goals 8 assists 14 points 1.17 PPG
2010-2011 Det 7 GP 3 goals 5 assists 8 points 1.15 PPG
Career - 586 GP, 252 goals, 358 assists, 611 points, 1.04 PPG
Career-Highs - 49 goals (07-08); 63 assists (10-11); 104 points (07-08); 1.39 PPG (07-08)
Avg. (8 seasons) - 73 GP, 32 goals, 45 assists, 76 points, 1.04 PPG
Playoff Career - 104 GP, 52 goals, 53 assists, 103 points, 0.99 PPG
Playoff-Highs - 14 goals (07-08); 15 assists (07-08); 28 points (07-08); 1.29 PPG (07-08)
Accolades - Conn Smythe
All-Star Teams - 1-time 2nd-team
1-time Stanley Cup Champion
A bit of a reach here, but I'm projecting what I think Zetterberg will accomplish for the rest of his career. With only two 80+ point seasons and one 100+ point season to his credit, Zetterberg's offensive accomplishments aren't quite at the elite level that his reputation might suggest. But Zetterberg is perenially averaging over a point a game at left-wing, no easy feat (even if he seems to miss about 10 games a season), and like his similar teammate Pavel Datsyuk, he's unquestionably one of the best two-way forwards in the game today.
At only 30 years old, Zetterberg probably has at least another six or seven good seasons left in his career. He'll no doubt end up with around 1100+ career points, good but not mind-blowing, but that doesn't change the fact that he is one of the most coveted left-wingers in the game...certainly with a more complete game than his contemporary Alexander Ovechkin, who has hogged the MVP awards and first-team all-star honours.
As with anyone who has spent their career with Detroit in the 2000s, Zetterberg's career +/- is extremely impressive, an average of about +18 per 82 games played. He simply doesn't make many defensive mistakes and, as with Datsyuk, he's one of the few players in the league who can score a beautiful breakaway goal or shut down the opponent's best line, depending on what his team needs. That's why with Zetterberg, it's about more than just the numbers, although the numbers are certainly impressive.
The one knock on Zetterberg throughout the first three or four seasons of his career was that he tended to dry up come postseason time. That all changed during Zetterberg's finest season, the 2007-2008 campaign. After scoring 49 goals and 104 points in the regular season, Zetterberg won the Conn Smythe trophy with a stellar 28 adjusted points and +11 rating in 22 playoff games. Since then, he's had 39 points in 35 playoff games and has, along with teammate Johan Franzen, become one of the most reliable scorers in the postseason.
Considering he was a key part of Sweden's gold medal Olympic team, Zetterberg is now established as one of the most successful winners of his era. If he continues to excel and the Red Wings' remain a contending team for a few more years, my assessment of Zetterberg's placement on the Pyramid will be accurate. However, if he drops off (something that seems unlikely), he could fall a few spots or perhaps even off my list. If I had to bet, it'd be on Zetterberg and Datsyuk continuing to remain one of the league's best forward duos, and on Zetterberg moving up the list of the best left-wingers to play for the Red Wings.
Adjusted Stats
2002-2003 Det 79 GP 25 goals 25 assists 51 points 0.65 PPG
2003-2004 Det 61 GP 18 goals 34 assists 51 points 0.84 PPG
2005-2006 Det 77 GP 40 goals 47 assists 86 points 1.12 PPG
2006-2007 Det 63 GP 35 goals 37 assists 73 points 1.15 PPG
2007-2008 Det* 75 GP 49 goals 55 assists 104 points 1.39 PPG
2008-2009 Det 77 GP 33 goals 45 assists 79 points 1.02 PPG
2009-2010 Det 74 GP 25 goals 52 assists 77 points 1.04 PPG
2010-2011 Det 80 GP 27 goals 63 assists 90 points 1.13 PPG
Adjusted Playoff Stats
2002-2003 Det 4 GP 1 goal 0 assists 1 point 0.30 PPG
2003-2004 Det 12 GP 3 goals 3 assists 5 points 0.43 PPG
2005-2006 Det 6 GP 6 goals 0 assists 6 points 0.99 PPG
2006-2007 Det 18 GP 7 goals 9 assists 16 points 0.88 PPG
2007-2008 Det* 22 GP 14 goals 15 assists 28 points 1.29 PPG
2008-2009 Det 23 GP 11 goals 13 assists 25 points 1.07 PPG
2009-2010 Det 12 GP 7 goals 8 assists 14 points 1.17 PPG
2010-2011 Det 7 GP 3 goals 5 assists 8 points 1.15 PPG
Career - 586 GP, 252 goals, 358 assists, 611 points, 1.04 PPG
Career-Highs - 49 goals (07-08); 63 assists (10-11); 104 points (07-08); 1.39 PPG (07-08)
Avg. (8 seasons) - 73 GP, 32 goals, 45 assists, 76 points, 1.04 PPG
Playoff Career - 104 GP, 52 goals, 53 assists, 103 points, 0.99 PPG
Playoff-Highs - 14 goals (07-08); 15 assists (07-08); 28 points (07-08); 1.29 PPG (07-08)
Accolades - Conn Smythe
All-Star Teams - 1-time 2nd-team
1-time Stanley Cup Champion
A bit of a reach here, but I'm projecting what I think Zetterberg will accomplish for the rest of his career. With only two 80+ point seasons and one 100+ point season to his credit, Zetterberg's offensive accomplishments aren't quite at the elite level that his reputation might suggest. But Zetterberg is perenially averaging over a point a game at left-wing, no easy feat (even if he seems to miss about 10 games a season), and like his similar teammate Pavel Datsyuk, he's unquestionably one of the best two-way forwards in the game today.
At only 30 years old, Zetterberg probably has at least another six or seven good seasons left in his career. He'll no doubt end up with around 1100+ career points, good but not mind-blowing, but that doesn't change the fact that he is one of the most coveted left-wingers in the game...certainly with a more complete game than his contemporary Alexander Ovechkin, who has hogged the MVP awards and first-team all-star honours.
As with anyone who has spent their career with Detroit in the 2000s, Zetterberg's career +/- is extremely impressive, an average of about +18 per 82 games played. He simply doesn't make many defensive mistakes and, as with Datsyuk, he's one of the few players in the league who can score a beautiful breakaway goal or shut down the opponent's best line, depending on what his team needs. That's why with Zetterberg, it's about more than just the numbers, although the numbers are certainly impressive.
The one knock on Zetterberg throughout the first three or four seasons of his career was that he tended to dry up come postseason time. That all changed during Zetterberg's finest season, the 2007-2008 campaign. After scoring 49 goals and 104 points in the regular season, Zetterberg won the Conn Smythe trophy with a stellar 28 adjusted points and +11 rating in 22 playoff games. Since then, he's had 39 points in 35 playoff games and has, along with teammate Johan Franzen, become one of the most reliable scorers in the postseason.
Considering he was a key part of Sweden's gold medal Olympic team, Zetterberg is now established as one of the most successful winners of his era. If he continues to excel and the Red Wings' remain a contending team for a few more years, my assessment of Zetterberg's placement on the Pyramid will be accurate. However, if he drops off (something that seems unlikely), he could fall a few spots or perhaps even off my list. If I had to bet, it'd be on Zetterberg and Datsyuk continuing to remain one of the league's best forward duos, and on Zetterberg moving up the list of the best left-wingers to play for the Red Wings.
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