Predicting every NHL team’s future Hall of Famers

Arizona Coyotes – Shane Doan

Yes, Shane Doan should be in the Hockey Hall of Fame one day. However, it won’t be as a player. Doan’s a unique case, as I think he might have a better shot of getting in as a builder. The definition of “builder” is vague enough for Doan to qualify as one.

As a player, there’s no easy way for me to say this – he wasn’t good enough to be in the Hall of Fame. Doan’s in the top 20 for most games played ever, but he’s not even in the top 90 in goals, assists, or points. He has two awards to his name, but they’re the King Clancy Memorial Trophy and the Mark Messier Award, which aren’t that relevant. Doan didn’t even crack 1,000 points.

That said, it’s impossible to consider his Hall of Fame case without considering everything he has done for hockey in Arizona. Without Doan, the Arizona Coyotes might not exist. Who knows if Auston Matthews would have played hockey if it wasn’t for Doan? Doan made people in Arizona care about hockey. That’s why he should be in the Hall – as a builder.

Honorable mentions: I cannot wait for Phil Kessel to be eligible for the Hall of Fame. That’s going to be one fun discussion. He’ll likely retire as one of the most prolific American hockey players of all-time. Kessel will retire with no fewer than two Stanley Cups. But Kessel isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, and voters have proven they can be very petty.

Boston Bruins – Zdeno Chara

Zdeno Chara will go into the Hall of Fame three years after he retires. He’s indisputably one of the greatest defensemen of the salary cap era. Chara has a Norris Trophy on his resume, even if Mike Green should have won it (sorry, I’m a bitter Capitals fan!). In addition to that Norris, he has five other top-three finishes.

Chara’s been the captain of one of the most storied franchises in NHL history for over a decade. He’s also one heck of an ambassador for hockey and a tough son of a gun. All of this leads to one possible outcome – Chara’s a first-ballot Hall of Famer.

Boston Bruins – Patrice Bergeron

All you have to do to make a HOF case for Patrice Bergeron is look at how many Selke Trophies he has. Four, which is tied for the most of all-time with Bob Gainey. Now, compare the careers of Bergeron and Gainey. Good luck convincing anyone Gainey was a better player.

Also, consider that Bergeron should have probably won more Selkes, as he has been at least a finalist in each of the past eight seasons (most likely nine after this one). Thank goodness the advanced stats era came during his career because otherwise, people might not have realized just how great he is.

Honorable mentions: Oh boy, I can’t wait for the Brad Marchand discussion. He’s an interesting case. Yes, Marchand’s a bit of a jerk, but he’s a late bloomer and he’s showing no signs of slowing down. He has a bit of a way to go to be a Hall of Famer, but I wouldn’t bet against the little ball of hate.

Tuukka Rask is going to have a really strong case too. He’s got most of the franchise records for the Bruins. The lone blemish on his resume is zero Stanley Cups as a starter. I’m willing to ignore the same blemish for Henrik Lundqvist, so it would be unfair for me to say it disqualifies Rask from the Hall of Fame.

David Pastrnak is off to a strong start to his career, but he’s going to have to separate himself from Bergeron and Marchand. Being the third-best forward on your team isn’t a good HOF case, even if the two forwards better than you are Hall of Famers.

Buffalo Sabres – Alexander Mogilny

I’m going to beat the “Alexander Mogilny is a Hall of Famer” drum until it happens. On the ice, he was objectively one of the most productive players of the salary cap era if you look at points per game. He once scored 76 goals in 77 games. Mogilny was easily one of the best players in the NHL when he was on his game.

But I haven’t even gotten to the biggest reason why Mogilny should be a Hall of Famer. He was the first Soviet skater to defect from the USSR and play in the NHL. Mogilny had a huge impact off the ice and opened the doors for many Russians and Soviets to play in the world’s best hockey league.  It’s humiliating Mogilny isn’t in the Hall of Fame yet.

Honorable mentions: Tom Barrasso has an interesting case. Unfortunately, the Hall of Fame is cruel to goaltenders. I’d be all for him getting in if only so the floor for goaltenders gets lowered a bit so more can get in.

It’s a bit early to tell with Jack Eichel, but assuming the Buffalo Sabres don’t completely waste the best years of his career, he’s definitely on the right path. Even if they do, Eichel’s still building a pretty good case.

The Ryan Miller Hall of Fame debate is going to be fascinating. He’s unquestionably one of the greatest American goaltenders of all-time. Miller has a Vezina Trophy to his name too and he nearly led the United States to a gold medal in the 2010 Olympics.

Two questions are going to have to be answered. First, was his prime long enough? Secondly, will he finish high enough on the career wins list that it won’t matter? Ask Curtis Joseph about that last one.

Calgary Flames – Theo Fleury

It feels great to know Jarome Iginla is a Hall of Famer. He was one of my favorite players growing up and it’s awesome to see a black skater finally make it into the Hall of Fame as a player. Now we must turn our attention to Theo Fleury.

On paper, he’s already got a pretty strong case. Fleury got to 1,000 games played and 1,000 points. He had some great seasons even after the 1994-95 lockout, AKA the start of the “dead puck era”.

However, Fleury didn’t win any awards, nor was he even a finalist for anything. He has a second-team All-Star team on his resume, but that’s about it. Fleury’s lone Stanley Cup came during his rookie season. But considering he’s black and there aren’t enough black players in the Hall of Fame, Fleury should be in the Hall of Fame. He was one of the NHL’s first black stars and he was a heck of a power forward.

Honorable mentions: Mark Giordano’s going to be an interesting discussion when he’s eligible. Like Marchand, he’s a bit of a late bloomer, but boy howdy, did he bloom. Unlike Marchand, Giordano has a Norris Trophy he can point to.

It’s worth noting he was on pace to at worst be a strong contender for the Norris in 2014-15 before getting injured. Johnny Gaudreau’s quietly putting together a decent case. He’ll need a Stanley Cup and a major award (Lady Byng doesn’t count) to be a serious contender.

Carolina Hurricanes – Rod Brind’Amour

Before last year, Rod Brind’Amour’s case for the Hall of Fame was a bit underwhelming. But then Guy Carbonneau got enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame. If you compare Carbonneau to Brind’Amour, it’s really hard to say the former shouldn’t be in the Hall of Fame.

The bulk of his case is built around his well-rounded game. Brind’Amour put up strong offensive numbers despite facing tough competition. Also, he has two Selke Trophies on his resume. Here’s a full list of every player who has won multiple Selke Trophies in the post-2004-05 lockout era.

• Patrice Bergeron – definitely a Hall of Famer
• Pavel Datsyuk – definitely a Hall of Famer
• Anze Kopitar – most likely a Hall of Famer
• Rod Brind’Amour

That’s a pretty good group to be in. And only Datsyuk, Brind’Amour, and Bergeron have won consecutive Selke Trophies. His counting stats are a little underwhelming after adjusting for era, but his two Selke Trophies and his Stanley Cup are enough to push him in the Hall of Fame.

Honorable mentions: I’m curious to see how Justin Williams will be received. His regular-season numbers are pretty good, but not Hall of Fame good. The big question with Williams is how heavily do you weigh postseason performances? Because Williams is called “Mr. Game 7” for a reason.

Chicago Blackhawks – Patrick Kane

Patrick Kane’s probably going to have the strongest case of the Chicago Blackhawks “Big 3” of Kane, Jonathan Toews, and Duncan Keith. Barring something unforeseen, Kane will retire as the most prolific American player of all-time and it probably won’t be close. He’s showing minimal if any, signs of slowing down as far as scoring. Kane’s the lone American to win the scoring title and Hart Trophy in the same season.

Chicago Blackhawks – Jonathan Toews

I think Jonathan Toews is a little bit overrated, but I still think he’s a slam dunk Hall of Famer. Toews has a Selke Trophy on his resume, as well as three Stanley Cups, two Olympic Gold medals, a World Championship gold medal, and a World Cup of Hockey gold medal. He’s going to get to 1,000 games and 1,000 points. Toews has an outside shot at 500 goals as well.

Chicago Blackhawks – Duncan Keith

Duncan Keith is one of the most prolific defensemen of the salary cap era. Other than Erik Karlsson and Nicklas Lidstrom, no other defenseman has won multiple Norris Trophies since the 2004-05 lockout.

Keith also has three Stanley Cups on his resume. Moreover, he has a Conn Smythe Trophy on his resume as well. And boy, did Keith earn that one. The 2014-15 postseason is the masterpiece of his career.

Chicago Blackhawks – Joel Quenneville

It’s not a matter of if Joel Quenneville will make the Hall of Fame. Rather, it’s a matter of when. The Hall of Fame is weird with coaches, so who knows. But Quenneville’s one of the winningest coaches of all-time and brought three Stanley Cups to Chicago, so you have to figure his day will come soon.

Chicago Blackhawks – Stan Bowman

Say what you want about Stan Bowman, he built a dynasty in the salary cap era. Everything he has done since 2015 should be viewed suspiciously, but the fact is, Bowman built a dynasty. That’s enough to put him in the Hall of Fame.

Honorable mentions: Jeremy Roenick is the quintessential “Hall of Very Good” candidate. His numbers, on paper, are strong, but was he ever one of the NHL’s top five players at his position for an extended period of time? Corey Crawford’s two Stanley Cups are going to help his case, but goalies always have a hard time getting into the Hall of Fame, so it’s hard to say if he’ll get the nod. If it were up to me, he’d be in.

Colorado Avalanche – Nathan MacKinnon

Nathan MacKinnon has a lot of years ahead of him, which means he has a lot of time to build his Hall of Fame case. He’s done a heck of a job building it over the past three seasons. MacKinnon has easily been one of the five best players in the NHL over a three-season span, which is a good start. However, he’ll have to keep building on that.

Mikko Rantanen falls into a similar category. He’s certainly off to a really good start to his career. A Stanley Cup or two would do wonders for his chances. But like MacKinnon, it’s a bit too early to tell with him. That said, both MacKinnon and Rantanen are both building pretty impressive cases considering how young they are.

Honorable mentions: Joe Sakic might eventually have a case to be in the Hall of Fame as a player and a builder if he wins a Stanley Cup or two. But if you want a player, you’re going to have to go way back to their days as the Quebec Nordiques in the WHA. Joseph Gérard Marquis Tardif (AKA Marc Tardif) is the WHA’s leader in career goals. It’s a tad bit odd he isn’t in the Hockey Hall of Fame, though given the rivalry between the NHL and WHA, it’s not too surprising.

Most of their best players are either in the Hall of Fame or aren’t really that close (or it’s simply too early to tell).

Columbus Blue Jackets – John Tortorella

As I said earlier with Quenneville, it’s tough to predict with coaches. But I can’t see how anyone could argue John Tortorella shouldn’t be in the Hall of Fame. The definition of “builder” is vague enough that someone like Tortorella who didn’t really build anything could sneak in.

Tortorella is the winningest American-born coach in NHL history. He has a Stanley Cup on his resume. Torts is also one of the most prominent coaches and his teams have consistently been pretty good.

His lack of a recent Stanley Cup will hurt his case, but whenever Tortorella retires, I’d put him in the next year. There’s no reason to make him wait. Also, Larry Brooks has to be the guy who introduces Tortorella, right?

Columbus Blue Jackets – Rick Nash

Saying Rick Nash is a Hall of Fame player is a bit of a stretch, but it can be done (you better know yoga, though). During his prime, he was arguably one of the best five players in the NHL over a five-year span. Unfortunately, that’s the best part of his HOF resume. Nash does have two Olympic gold medals and a World Championship gold medal, but he failed to win the hardest part of the Triple Gold club membership requirements – a Stanley Cup. He got to 400 goals, but that might not be enough.

Honorable mentions: There aren’t many goalies who have won multiple Vezina Trophies in the salary cap era. In fact, there are just two – Tim Thomas and Sergei Bobrovsky. Bob will have to turn things around, but few goalies had a better prime than him. Seth Jones needs a Norris Trophy before he enters the conversation, I think.

Dallas Stars – Jere Lehtinen

If we’re finally starting to reward defensively strong forwards with spots in the Hall of Fame, Jere Lehtinen deserves one of those spots. He won three (!!!) Selke Trophies as a wing. To this day, Lehtinen is the only wing to win multiple Selke Trophies.

His offensive numbers aren’t overwhelming, though he had 243 goals and 514 points in 875 games, which isn’t too shabby considering the entirety of his career was played in the dead puck era. What did Lehtinen accomplish that Guy Carbonneau didn’t? Nothing. So yup, Lehtinen should be in the Hall of Fame. Carbonneau getting in opened a Pandora’s box of candidates, just like everyone predicted.

Honorable mentions: Tyler Seguin needs a major award to make his Hall of Fame case stronger. Also, he better hope the 2019-20 season was an outlier (50 points in 69 games). Before the 2019-20 season, Seguin was riding a streak of six straight seasons with at least 70 points.

Jamie Benn has an Art Ross on his resume and a top-three Hart Trophy finish. But other than that, nothing stands out. Benn’s declining numbers aren’t going to help his case, either. It’s too early to tell with Miro Heiskanen, but there’s probably a Norris Trophy or two in his future, so he has a chance at making the Hall of Fame.

Pat Verbeek has 525 career goals, the second-most of any player who isn’t in the Hall of Fame and won’t be a slam dunk candidate when they retire. He also won a Stanley Cup with the Stars in 1998-99. However, the Hall of Fame hasn’t been kind to stat compilers and Verbeek never received a vote for a major award.

Detroit Red Wings – Pavel Datsyuk

Pavel Datsyuk’s NHL career was relatively short, as he didn’t even get to 1,000 regular-season games. But he made the most of every single one of the 953 regular-season games and 157 postseason games he played. Datsyuk had an impressive run of awards, winding up with three Selke Trophies, two Stanley Cups, and four Lady Byngs.

He also averaged nearly a point per game, which is really impressive in the dead puck era. Datsyuk’s counting stats aren’t overwhelming, but his prime is definitely good enough to carry him into the Hall of Fame.

Detroit Red Wings – Henrik Zetterberg

I’m leaning towards “yes” on Henrik Zetterberg. He’s one of the best Swedish forwards of all-time, he got the 2008 Conn Smythe, and he captained a Stanley Cup champion. Zetterberg was always second fiddle on the Red Wings, but there have been very, very few second fiddles better than him.

Honorable mentions: Sadly, Vladimir Konstantinov’s hockey career ended prematurely when he was in a car accident in 1997. But when he was on the ice, he was a very special player. Heck, I’ll come out and say it – just put the entire Russian Five in the Hockey Hall of Fame. Look, if the WWE can put the entire NWO in the Hall of Fame, the NHL can find a way to pull it off too.

Chris Osgood could get in once the floor for goalies is set at a more reasonable level. The only problem is he only received Vezina Trophy votes in two seasons. Osgood did get to 400 wins and won several Stanley Cups, though. If Luongo gets in, that could open the door for him. Mike Babcock is an overrated coach, but if you look at his resume, it’s impossible to deny he’s going to be in the Hall of Fame one day.

Edmonton Oilers – Connor McDavid

Connor McDavid could retire today and I’d champion him as a Hall of Fame candidate. He’s proven himself to be a generational talent. Every game, McDavid does something that makes your jaw drop.

He’s only played in five seasons, yet has multiple scoring titles, a Hart Trophy, and multiple Ted Lindsay Awards. Additionally, McDavid has been named to three first-team All-Star teams so far, which is mind-boggling. There’s a good chance he’ll make it four whenever this year’s teams are named.

If it wasn’t for the novel coronavirus pandemic, McDavid would likely have four straight 100+ point seasons on his resume too. He’s done enough to prove he’s a Hall of Famer even if he doesn’t do anything else. If you disagree, please tell me a player who did more than him in his first five seasons. I’ll wait.

Honorable mentions: The Hockey Hall of Fame has very few WHA stars in it. Why not open it up by putting Al Hamilton in the Hall of Fame? He was on the WHA’s best defensemen and he helped build what the Oilers did in the 1980s. Leon Draisaitl could enter the conversation with a few more good years.

Florida Panthers – Roberto Luongo

The Hall of Fame is often unfairly cruel to goaltenders. That said, it would be a travesty if Roberto Luongo isn’t put in the Hall of Fame. If nothing else, you could literally just have his best tweets projected onto a wall.

In all seriousness, Luongo is one of the best goalies of all-time. He has zero Vezina Trophies, but he is in the top three in wins, saves, and games played. Luongo also has one of the highest save percentages of all-time. Even with zero individual awards, I feel like that’s enough to put him in the Hall of Fame.

Of course, people said the same thing about Curtis Joseph, and look where that got him. But I feel like Luongo’s different because I have never talked to anyone who hates the guy. And whether we want to admit it or not, being liked matters a lot when your name comes up as a Hall of Fame candidate.

Another reason why Luongo should get in is that the floor for goalies right now is set way too high. Getting Luongo in there would make it a little bit lower. Seriously, the Hall of Fame needs more modern goalies.

Honorable mentions: Aleksander Barkov has been the most underrated player in the NHL for at least four years now. Frankly, that’s impressive (and also telling of how silly the word “underrated” is). Barkov has a Lady Byng on his resume and is annually in the Selke Trophy discussion. He needs some more major awards and a Stanley Cup wouldn’t hurt. But he’s already carved out a fairly impressive resume.

Los Angeles Kings – Anze Kopitar

Anze Kopitar’s career is probably heading downwards at this point. That said, I think he’s done enough to be a Hall of Famer.

First of all, Kopitar’s by far the most prominent Slovenian hockey player of all-time. Yes, there are only two, but Kopitar’s going to get to 1,000 games played, 700 assists, and 1,000 points. He’ll finish his career with at least two Stanley Cups, at least two Selke Trophies, and at least one Lady Byng Trophy. For me, that adds up to a spot in the Hall of Fame.

Los Angeles Kings – Drew Doughty

Drew Doughty’s career, much like Kopitar’s, is trending in the wrong direction. But even if he does nothing else in his career, Doughty has an iron-clad HOF case. He has a Norris Trophy (2016) and nearly won another one in 2015. Also, he’s a member of the Triple Gold Club, plus he has a World Cup of Hockey gold medal.

Honorable mention: Jonathan Quick’s case isn’t nearly as strong as it was about two years ago. Still, he could retire with over 400 wins, which would put him in the top 15 among goalies. Those two Stanley Cups are going to help his case significantly, though his lack of a Vezina Trophy will hurt. If he can get to 400 wins, he’s got a good shot of making it. But honestly, I don’t know if he will get to that point.

Dean Lombardi is going to get some consideration because he was the general manager for two Stanley Cup-winning teams. The same goes for Darryl Sutter, but he was the coach. Sutter also nearly led the Calgary Flames to a Stanley Cup, but they lost to the Tampa Bay Lightnin in seven games.

Minnesota Wild – Honorable Mentions

I don’t see the Minnesota Wild having any “slam dunk” candidates. Or even great candidates, to be honest. But I think they might have one or two players sneak in.

Ryan Suter is one of the best defensemen of the modern era, but he also has zero Norris Trophies, though he consistently places fairly high and has finished in the top five on three occasions). Ironically, you could say those same words about his former teammate Shea Weber.

Unlike Weber, Suter will likely have to end his career with zero Stanley Cups, World Championships, and Olympic gold medals, which will hurt his case. Weber can at least point to his gold medals.

Zach Parise had a decent shot a few years ago, but injuries have put on a damper on those chances. If he can play long enough to reach 500 goals and/or 1,000 points (preferably both), he’s still got a good chance. But how much longer can Parise’s body hold up?

Montreal Canadiens – Claude Provost

Look, if Guy Carbonneau’s in the Hall of Fame, Claude Provost should be too. Provost played before the Selke Trophy was invented, but he helped the Montreal Canadiens win nine Stanley Cups and had over 500 points in a shade over 1,000 career games. Like Carbonneau, Provost was strong defensively and shut down his opponent’s top players. It’ll probably take a weak year to get him in, though.

Montreal Canadiens – Carey Price

Yes, Carey Price is probably overrated. But he’s still done enough to be, at worst, a strong Hall of Fame candidate. First of all, very few goalies have done what Price did in 2015 by winning the Hart Trophy and the Vezina Trophy. Secondly, think of how storied the Canadiens’ history is. Price is the Habs’ career leader in wins. That says a lot.

Thirdly, he’s got several gold medals on his resume – an Olympic gold medal in 2014 and a World Cup of Hockey gold medal in 2016. Fourthly, like Luongo, voters are probably going to have a very positive opinion of him. I don’t think he gets in on the first ballot, but it wouldn’t shock me at all if he gets in.

Montreal Canadiens – Shea Weber

Shea Weber’s probably the best defenseman in NHL history not named Scott Stevens who never won a Norris Trophy. Between his impressive production in the NHL and his gold medals, Weber has enough accolades to get over the fence.

Honorable mentions: Claude Julien could sneak into the Hall of Fame. He’ll retire as one of the winningest coaches in NHL history, plus he won a Stanley Cup in 2011. But as I’ve said before, the Hall of Fame is unpredictable when it comes to coaches. So who knows?

Nashville Predators – David Poile

He hasn’t won a Stanley Cup yet, but he’s been a general manager for a very long time and built an expansion team into a Stanley Cup contender. David Poile will be in the Hall of Fame one day. But since the Hall is odd with builders, who knows when that day will come? I think it’ll be soon, though.

Nashville Predators – Barry Trotz

Barry Trotz was already a fringe Hall of Fame candidate even before his Washington Capitals won the 2018 Stanley Cup. Now he’s a slam dunk candidate. Trotz will retire as one of the winningest coaches of all-time and he’ll forever be known as the guy who helped the Capitals end the seemingly eternal DC sports curse.

Honorable mentions: Pekka Rinne’s going to be an interesting candidate. He probably ends up with over 400 wins, maybe even 500. Rinne has a Vezina Trophy on his resume, which will certainly help his cause. If the Hall of Fame was a bit kinder to goalies, I’d have him as a slam dunk candidate. Rinne has a much better chance of getting in if someone like Curtis Joseph (more on him later) or Roberto Luongo gets in.

New Jersey Devils – Patrik Elias

On paper, Patrik Elias’ stats aren’t overwhelming. Sure, he got over 1,000 points, 400 goals, and 1,000 games played and he won two Stanley Cups, but he has no individual awards and only got named to one first-team All-Star team.

However, it’s undeniable Elias suffered because his prime didn’t come in the advanced stats era. If it did, he might well be in the same conversation as Bergeron (albeit with no Selke Trophies because wings don’t win those). Advanced stats started being tracked in 2007-08, when Elias was 31. His possession numbers were off the charts. I can’t imagine how good he was before he turned 30. Elias will have to wait a little while to get in, but anyone who thinks Daniel Alfredsson should get in before Elias is silly.

Honorable mentions: The P.K. Subban discussion is going to be a great one. He’s objectively one of the best defensemen of the salary cap era. Subban has a Norris Trophy on his resume, as well as two additional top-three finishes. He’s one of the most productive defensemen of the salary cap era as well.

His influence off the ice is only going to help his cause. But Subban’s starting to trend in the wrong direction. Say what you want about Subban, but he’s got a pretty solid HOF case already. If elected, he’ll be the first black NHL defenseman in the Hall of Fame.

New York Islanders – Honorable Mentions

I included Barry Trotz with the Predators, so that means the Islanders don’t really have any slam dunk candidates. They’ve got three pretty interesting candidates that stand out to me, though.

First of all, let’s talk about our good buddy John Tavares. He’s been one of the best players in the NHL over the past decade. Tavares nearly won the Hart Trophy in 2013 and 2015, but unfortunately for him, he finished third each time. His Olympic gold medal in 2014 will help his cause, as will his World Cup of Hockey gold medal in 2016. So will his two WJC gold medals. But I think Tavares is a Stanley Cup away from emerging as a true candidate, even if it’s on another team.

Secondly, Mogilny’s going to get into the Hall of Fame one day (hopefully). If and when he does, Žigmund Pálffy could get some attention. Unfortunately, the case against Mogilny starts with his lack of longevity, and well, Pálffy played even fewer games than Mogilny. But Pálffy was a really great player whose best years came at the wrong time.

Thirdly, it’s time we talk about Pierre Turgeon. On paper, he’s arguably the most productive player who’s not yet in the Hall of Fame and isn’t a slam dunk. But on the other hand, he has no major awards, which really hurts his case. Also, Turgeon is far from a popular player, which is probably why he hasn’t made it yet.

New York Rangers – Henrik Lundqvist

Henrik Lundqvist is the best goaltender of the salary cap era, bar none. He’ll retire as one of the NHL’s winningest goalies of all-time. Moreover, Lundqvist has a Vezina Trophy on his resume, which is really going to bolster his case. There’s an outside chance he could get to 500 wins if he’s willing to play for a team other than the Rangers.

Lundqvist should probably have more than one Vezina Trophy, as the advanced stats had him as at least a top-five goalie for nearly 10 straight seasons. That’s enough to show he was among the best in the league for a really long time at a position that’s a bunch of voodoo.

At the very least, he’ll retire as arguably the second-best European goalie in NHL history, trailing only Dominik Hasek, who many believe is the best goalie in NHL history. Lundqvist has done enough to get in even before we talk about his international career.

Outside of the NHL, Lundqvist has an Olympic gold medal and an Olympic silver medal. There’s no reason he shouldn’t be a first-ballot Hall of Famer other than he’s a goalie and the Hall of Fame treat them cruelly.

Honorable mentions: Artemi Panarin has been extremely productive and is just entering the best years of his career. But he has no major awards other than the Calder Trophy. A Stanley Cup and a Hart Trophy would probably get him in the conversation.

Ottawa Senators – Daniel Alfredsson

Quietly, Daniel Alfredsson was one of the best players of the post-1995 lockout era. Among players with at least 900 games played, he ranks 13th in points per game. Everyone above him is at least a really good candidate. Alfredsson has only one major award, but it’s a Calder Trophy.

His lack of awards and a Stanley Cup aren’t going to help his cause. That’s probably why he’s already had to wait two years on the ballot. But Alfredsson ought to get in eventually. His case is too strong.

Ottawa Senators – Erik Karlsson

Erik Karlsson is barely 30 years old and he’s still got a cement-strong Hall of Fame case. He could retire today on another team and he’d be one. Karlsson, Keith, and Lidstrom are the only defensemen to win multiple Norris Trophies in the salary cap era. Karlsson’s the only right-handed defenseman to do it.

His impressive run from 2011 to 2019 is enough for me to say, “Yup, he’s a Hall of Famer regardless of what he does from here on out”. You could make the case Karlsson’s the best right-handed defensemen of all-time.

Ottawa Senators – Bryan Murray

Darn shame he didn’t get in while he was still alive. Again, builders are complicated, I get that. But still, Murray deserves to be a Hall of Famer and they’ve made him wait too long.

Honorable mentions: Dany Heatley’s an interesting candidate. His counting stats aren’t great, but for a five-year span, he was among the best players in the world. Probably not enough to get in, but it’s enough to at least get into the conversation.

Jason Spezza is one of my favorite players to watch, but he’s probably in the Hall of Very Good, not the Hall of Fame. He’s been underrated for most of his career, which isn’t a good sign. A Stanley Cup, though, could get him into the conversation.

Philadelphia Flyers – Claude Giroux

Claude Giroux’s going to be one fascinating case when he retires. He’ll get to 1,000 games played and 1,000 points easily. I’m willing to bet Giroux gets to 500 goals as well, and that’s a pretty important milestone to reach if you want to be a Hall of Famer.

But then you realize Giroux’s prime wasn’t that great. He never won any major awards, nor has he even been a finalist for any major award. Daniel Alfredson has had to wait four years to get into the Hall of Fame and I could see Giroux suffering a similar fate.

That said, I think Giroux gets in eventually. But unless he wins a Hart Trophy or a Stanley Cup, it’s not going to happen on the first ballot.

Honorable mentions: John LeClair is a pretty underrated player. The Hall has occasionally been generous to players who had a really great prime, and LeClair certainly had one, even if it only lasted for five seasons.

From 1995 to 2000, nobody scored more goals than LeClair’s 235. And only Teemu Selanne and Jaromir Jagr had more points. Anytime you were the best at something for five years, you should get some HOF consideration. Yet I rarely hear LeClair’s name.

Pittsburgh Penguins – Sidney Crosby

I’m a Capitals fan, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen a player as good as Sidney Crosby. I’ll be shocked if I ever watch one as good as him again. Not much more needs to be said. When it’s all said and done, Crosby’s going to be one of the all-time greats. Heck, he already is an all-time great. Crosby’s resume is probably the most impressive in the hockey world.

Pittsburgh Penguins – Evgeni Malkin

A bunch of silly people thought Evgeni Malkin wasn’t one of the top 100 NHL players back in 2017. Malkin has struggled to stay healthy, but when he’s healthy, very few players are better. He’s overlooked because it’s so easy to be overlooked when you play on the same team as Crosby. But I can’t see the Hall of Fame overlooking Malkin. He’s getting in on the first ballot.

Pittsburgh Penguins – Jaromir Jagr

Much like Crosby, there’s not a lot that needs to be said for Jaromir Jagr. He’s among the league leaders in just about every offensive category, including best mullet. Before anyone asks, I’m well ahead of you. No, Jagr would not be the first Hall of Fame player to make a comeback after making the Hall of Fame. Guy Lafleur and Gordie Howe both did it.

Honorable mentions: Kris Letang is quite underrated. He’s put up outstanding numbers for a defenseman and he has three Stanley Cups on his resume. If Letang finds a way to win a Norris Trophy, he’ll be a slam dunk candidate. But even if he doesn’t, I think it’ll be next to impossible to ignore his impressive numbers. Mike Sullivan could be a really interesting candidate if he wins another Stanley Cup.

San Jose Sharks – Joe Thornton

What’s there to say about Joe Thornton? He wasn’t named to the NHL’s list of the top 100 players of all-time, but he absolutely should have been on that list. Thornton’s the only player in the salary cap era to have at least 90 assists in a single season. And he’s done it twice.

Thornton’s 2005-06 season is one of the greatest of all-time, as he won the Hart Trophy and scoring title despite being traded midseason. Oh, and he basically won the Rocket Richard because Jonathan Cheechoo wouldn’t have won it without Thornton’s help.

Obviously, his offense has always been his calling card. But Thornton has always been strong defensively too and in hindsight, should probably have gotten more attention for the Selke Trophy. He ranks seventh all-time in assists and 14th in points. Thornton jumps to fifth and seventh respectively if you look at era-adjusted assists and points.

San Jose Sharks – Patrick Marleau

Patrick Marleau is basically the Rickey Henderson of the NHL. He has never won a major award and never came close, but he’s been consistently great. Goal scoring is a hard thing to do and Marleau has scored at least 20 goals 15 times in his career (most times since the 1994-95 lockout) and has 568 career goals. 500 goals are the NHL’s equivalent of hitting 500 home runs – if you get there and you didn’t cheat, you’re in.

Honorable mentions: Evgeni Nabokov has a better case than you think. He had a pretty solid NHL career, though he never won a Vezina Trophy or a Stanley Cup. However, Nabokov has influenced a lot of Russian goaltenders. Brent Burns is a late bloomer, but he has been one of the most productive defensemen in the NHL over a five-year span. The Norris Trophy will help his case too.

St. Louis Blues – Doug Armstrong

Even before the St. Louis Blues won the Stanley Cup in 2019, Doug Armstrong had a pretty impressive resume. He was an assistant GM for the Dallas Stars when they won the Stanley Cup and served in the front office of two gold medal-winning Team Canada squads (2010 and 2014). Additionally, he has won two World Championships in a front-office role. I think the Stanley Cup pushes him into the Hall of Fame.

St. Louis Blues – Ken Hitchcock

You could argue Hitchock should be listed under the Dallas Stars, but when I think of Hitchcock, I think of the Blues, not the Stars. He has a long and impressive resume. The Stanley Cup he won with the Stars in 1999 cemented his legacy. It’s not a matter of if he’ll make the Hall of Fame. Rather, it’s a matter of when.

Honorable mentions: Keith Tkachuk is another quintessential “Hall of Very Good” guy. Sure, he has over 500 goals, but he did it during a time when it was easier to get there. I have a gut feeling he’ll get in eventually, but it could take a while.

Ryan O’Reilly’s building a fascinating case. If he wins another Selke Trophy, that could give him the boost he needs to be a Hall of Famer. Vladimir Tarasenko has quietly been a pretty darn good goal scorer. Losing basically a full season this year certainly won’t help, though.

Jay Bouwmeester is a Triple Gold club member, which is going to help his cause. Alex Pietrangelo needs a Norris Trophy to be a serious contender, but he’s quietly building a pretty strong case. If he wins a World Championship gold medal, he’ll join the Triple Gold Club.

Tampa Bay Lightning – Steven Stamkos

If it wasn’t for Alex Ovechkin, Steven Stamkos would be known as the best goal scorer of the salary cap era. That’s a pretty nice title to have. Injuries have cost him quite a bit of time, but Stamkos has still posted some eye-popping numbers.

Of course, his resume lacks the ultimate exclamation point – a Stanley Cup – but even if he doesn’t win one, it’s hard to see Stamkos not making the Hall of Fame.

Tampa Bay Lightning – Victor Hedman

Quietly, Victor Hedman has emerged as a very strong HOF candidate. He still needs to compile some more stats, but he already has a Norris Trophy to his name and has been a finalist on several other occasions. Hedman is showing no signs of slowing down, so I think he’ll do enough to get in.

Honorable mentions: Vincent LeCavalier is yet another “Hall of Very Good” guy. He had some excellent years, but his prime just wasn’t long enough or strong enough. Andrei Vasilevskiy has done a lot in a very short period of time to start building his HOF case. If the Lightning remain an elite team and he stays healthy, he’s going to end up being very high on the career wins list.

Toronto Maple Leafs – Curtis Joseph

Dear goodness, the Hall of Fame needs more goaltenders. Why not start with Curtis Joseph? If you’re going to have Patrick Marleau in the HOF, why not have Joseph, who was basically the goaltending version of him?

Sure, he has no major awards, but he made a lot of teams better and helped his teams pull off some massive upsets in the postseason. Joseph is in the top seven in career wins, so it’s a bit weird that he’s not in the HOF yet.

I’ve said this multiple times already, but the floor for goaltenders need to be set at a reasonable level. Not too high, but not too low. I think Joseph would be the perfect floor. He was a very consistent goaltender who stuck around long enough to win a lot of games.

Honorable mentions: Auston Matthews is off to one heck of a start to his career. He’s already proven he’s an elite goal scorer and should be the heir to Alex Ovechkin’s goal-scoring throne. Of course, he still has a ways to go, but he’s already building an impressive case. A Rocket Richard or two would help his case a lot. Oh, and if he wins a Stanley Cup for the Leafs, you might as well just waive the three-year waiting period.

Vancouver Canucks – Daniel Sedin, Henrik Sedin

The 2022 Hockey Hall of Fame class will be a special one. Barring something unforeseen, it will feature the first set of identical twins inducted into the Hall of Fame – Henrik Sedin and Daniel Sedin.

Both players were top-notch players in the NHL. Over a six-year span from about 2009 to 2015, very few players were better than them. Both Henrik and Daniel have a scoring title on their resume. The former also has a Hart Trophy (2010) and two King Clancy Memorial Trophies (2016 and 2018) on his resume. Meanwhile, the latter has a Pearson Trophy and one King Clancy Memorial Trophy.

Neither of them won a Stanley Cup, but they spent their entire careers with the Vancouver Canucks. They are among the franchise leaders in virtually every category. Both Henrik and Daniel reached the 1,000 games, 1,000 points, and 600 assists milestones. Only two other players (Martin St. Louis and Joe Thornton) have accomplished all three in the 21st century.

Admittedly, I think it would be hilarious if the Hall of Fame went with just Henrik next year and made Daniel wait until the following year. But the twins deserve to go in together. There will never be another duo like the Sedins. Hopefully, they will share a plaque because it’s impossible to think of one without immediately thinking of the other.

Vegas Golden Knights – Marc-Andre Fleury

Look, we might as well get used to it. Marc-Andre Fleury is going to be in the Hockey Hall of Fame one day. He probably won’t have to wait long, either. Fleury’s resume is simply too impressive. He has won three Stanley Cups and nearly led the Vegas Golden Knights to a title in their first-ever season.

Fleury has also been impressive on the international stage. He led Canada to consecutive silver medals at the World Juniors in 2003 and 2004. Furthermore, Fleury was named the MVP and best goaltender of the 2003 World Juniors. Additionally, he was a member of the 2010 Olympic gold-winning Team Canada squad.

Honorable mentions: William P. Foley and George McPhee both have compelling cases as builders. But I think only one will get in. I think the latter has the upper hand because of his significant time as a general manager. He built a Stanley Cup contender with the Washington Capitals and did a perfect job at the expansion draft, putting together a team that nearly won the Stanley Cup in its first season.

That said, Foley certainly has a case as well. He’s the owner of the Golden Knights and has helped put together a very impressive team, especially if you consider the franchise only a few years old.

Washington Capitals – Alex Ovechkin

Other than Crosby, I don’t think there’s an easier pick for the Hall of Fame among active players. Alex Ovechkin is already one of the greatest goal scorers of all-time. No matter where he ends up, he’ll go down as one of the best ever at doing the hardest thing to do in all of hockey.

Ovechkin has a decent shot of breaking Wayne Gretzky’s previously untouchable career goals record. It’ll require him to stick around for a bit, but if there’s one thing I know, it’s to never bet against Ovechkin scoring goals.

The Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe he won in 2018 put an exclamation point on his career. Ovechkin was already a Hall of Famer before he won the Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe. But now he’s a no-brainer. The lone thing his resume lacks is an Olympic Gold Medal.

Washington Capitals – Nicklas Backstrom

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Nicklas Backstrom is going to be a Hall of Famer one day. It probably won’t be on the first ballot because he has never won an individual award or even been a finalist for one. But Backstrom’s going to retire as one of the most productive Swedish players of all-time.

He’s going to hit the 1,000 point plateau very soon, as he’s just 73 points away from it. Also, nobody in the salary cap era has more seasons with at least 50 assists than Backstrom.

Honorable mentions: Peter Bondra is yet another “Hall of Very Good” guy, but he still has a pretty compelling case. He was one of the NHL’s top goal scorers during his career. Unfortunately, he didn’t get enough points. His lack of individual awards certainly doesn’t help his cause either.

Sergei Gonchar never won a Norris Trophy but was consistently in the discussion during his prime. He should get in because he’s one of the best, if not the best, Russian defensemen in NHL history. Gonchar could have to wait a while, though.

John Carlson has a slim chance of making it. A Norris Trophy would make his case a lot stronger, especially if you consider how great he was during the Capitals’ Stanley Cup run. It’ll take him quite a bit of luck to get in, though. And let’s be honest – if Burns is in the conversation, there’s no reason Carlson shouldn’t be if he wins the Norris this season.

Winnipeg Jets – Ilya Kovalchuk

It’s weird to see Ilya Kovalchuk here, but New Jersey Devils fans would have rioted if I put his name with them and I’m pretty sure nobody remembers his time with the LA Kings, Montreal Canadiens, or Washington Capitals. His best years came with the Atlanta Thrashers, who are now the Winnipeg Jets.

Kovalchuk’s NHL numbers are a tad bit lacking, as he hasn’t yet reached the 1,000 games played or 1,000 points milestones. He has, however, scored over 400 goals (443 to be precise). If Kovalchuk plays another two seasons, he’ll probably reach both 1,000 games and 1,000 points. Kovalchuk might even sneak his way to 500 goals.

Regardless of what he does from here on out, if you consider his international career and his outstanding prime, he’s done enough to be a Hall of Famer in my book. Just don’t let Lou Lamoriello be the guy who introduces him.

Honorable mentions: Paul Maurice is high enough on the career wins list (seventh) that it’s time to start talking about him as a Hall of Fame candidate. But here’s my counterpoint – he’s also first in career losses. Herb Brooks is the only Hall of Fame coach in the modern era with a lower career point percentage than Maur