Tampa Bay Lightning: Victor Hedman might already be a Hall of Famer
Don’t look now, but Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman might already have a Hall of Fame resume.
With the Tampa Bay Lightning winning the Stanley Cup, several players will see their stock significantly rise. Nikita Kucherov’s historic postseason was needed after a dreadful performance in 2019. Even though he played less than three minutes in the whole postseason, Steven Stamkos is now a champion. And his 167 seconds on the ice in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final will go down as an unforgettable moment.
There’s also Victor Hedman. He’s been regarded as one of the NHL’s elite defensemen for quite some time now. For five straight seasons, Hedman has finished in the top 10 of the Norris Trophy race. In each of the last four, he’s finished in the top 3, winning the Norris Trophy in 2018.
It’s pretty obvious Stamkos is in the Hall of Fame discussion thanks to the Stanley Cup. You can point to his injuries, but he’s a champion and when he’s healthy, there’s no question he’s an elite player. But I think Hedman is in that discussion now as well.
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The HOF Case For Victor Hedman
This is nuts, but Hedman has already been in the league for 11 seasons. After 11 seasons, it’s fair to start truly evaluating most players as a Hall of Fame candidate, though there are some exceptions.
In 762 regular season games, Hedman has 467 points, including 105 goals. It’s not fair to compare this era to other eras, so let’s use adjusted points to compare Hedman to defensemen throughout history.
Hedman’s 530 era-adjusted points are the 25th most among defensemen in their first 11 seasons. He’s very close to Hall of Fame defensemen Larry Murphy (541) and Borje Salming (543). Hedman’s ahead of some likely future Hall of Famers such as Drew Doughty and Duncan Keith. Already, he’s in pretty impressive territory. He also ranks just outside of the top 30 in Point Shares.
Since entering the league in 2009-10, Hedman ranks eighth among defensemen in points per game (min. 500 games played). This establishes him as one of the most proficient defensemen in the NHL during his career and his era-adjusted production through 11 seasons puts him in very impressive company.
Hedman also has done a lot in the postseason. In 109 games, he has 70 points. Hedman had an unbelievable 2020 postseason. I personally would have given Brayden Point the Conn Smythe Trophy, but it’s hard to argue against Hedman. Point was a part of more huge moments while Hedman was their most consistent player on a nightly basis.
Now, let’s get to the meat of Hedman’s resume – his awards. When you evaluate a player’s HOF case, you want to see them have an extended run as one of the best at their position. Hedman has been a Norris Trophy finalist for four straight seasons, winning one of them. The only other defenseman in the salary cap era to be named a finalist four straight times is Nicklas Lidstrom.
Erik Karlsson was a finalist in three straight seasons (2014-15 to 2016-17), but narrowly missed a fourth. Zdeno Chara nearly pulled off five straight years as a Norris Trophy finalist but missed out in 2009-10 (2007-08 to 2008-09 and 2010-11 to 2011-12).
Hedman’s reputation around the league and his two-way play will keep him in the Norris Trophy discussion for a while. He might very well win another one. Hedman has clearly established himself as an elite defenseman. It’s rare to find that kind of consistency in a defenseman.
Verdict
Hedman’s case is already very strong. He needs about one or two more “good” seasons before he’s a concrete Hall of Famer in my book. Hedman’s already there as far as his awards because it has been established you don’t need major awards to be a slam dunk Hall of Famer (see: Scott Stevens). It’s impressive Hedman’s already this close.
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Honestly, if he retired today, a HOF case could be made for Hedman. He wouldn’t get in on the first ballot, but after a few years, he’d probably get in. The Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe Trophy would likely push him over the fence. Do you think Hedman is a future Hall of Famer? Let me know in the comments!