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There were some questionable omissions from the NHL’s top 100 players list. Here are the five biggest snubs.
Anytime you make a list of the best, there are going to be debates. Everyone has a different opinion. As the saying goes, butts are like opinions — everyone has one and most of them stink. On Friday night, the NHL released its list of the top 100 players. Even though they didn’t rank them, it still created a lot of debate.
While the league did a pretty good job of naming its top 100 players, they omitted some of the best players of all time. Here are five players who should have been on the NHL’s top 100 players list.
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5. Mark Recchi
The reason Mark Recchi wasn’t on the top 100 players list is fairly obvious. There are over 300 members of the Hockey Hall of Fame. For some odd reason, Recchi isn’t one of them. But this doesn’t excuse the omission of one of the most underrated and consistent players in league history.
Recchi is among the leading scorers of all time, ranking 20th in goals (577), 15th in assists (956), and 12th in points (1,533). If you adjust for era, he is eighth in adjusted points (1,569). Sure, Recchi never won a major individual trophy. But neither did Mike Gartner, a member of the Hall of Fame and of the top 100 players.
Recchi compares very favorably to Gartner. He has the same career points per game (0.93) despite playing in an era defined by defense. Gartner, on the other hand, had his best years in the 1980s, which was the NHL’s equivalent of MLB’s home runs-for-everyone era in the ’90s.
Stanley Cups are usually a bad way of defining a player’s greatness, but Recchi won three titles, each with a different team. Meanwhile, Gartner never won a Stanley Cup. Even if you think Gartner gets the stats edge, three Stanley Cups is enough to give Recchi the nod. This is another case of Recchi getting overlooked, which makes no sense because he’s easily one of the best players of all time.
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4. Evgeni Malkin
The top 100 players list didn’t have enough modern players. Only six active players were selected. Alex Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby, and Jaromir Jagr are unquestionably deserving. Duncan Keith is a bit of a stretch, but with two Norris Trophies and arguably the best postseason performance ever for a defenseman on his resume, his selection is justifiable. Evgeni Malkin was an omission from the list and he should have been selected.
The NHL put Jonathan Toews on the top 100 players list, yet couldn’t find a place for Malkin, a more productive center. That’s a bit baffling. While Toews has three Stanley Cups as the Chicago Blackhawks captain and a Conn Smythe, Malkin has two titles and a Conn Smythe as well. So why not include a guy who is 14th all-time in points per game?
Moreover, Malkin has a Hart Trophy, two Art Ross trophies and a Lester B. Pearson Award. Alex Ovechkin’s ridiculous 2008-09 season is the only reason he doesn’t have two Harts. Toews’ lone major regular season individual award is a Selke Trophy.
Including the Blackhawks captain, whether he’s deserving or not, and excluding Malkin makes very little sense. Even when you factor in the Russian’s unfortunate injuries, he has a heck of a resume.
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3. Ed Belfour
Maybe it’s appropriate goaltender Ed Belfour got snubbed from the NHL’s top 100 players list. After all, he was underrated for his entire career. Belfour had great numbers during a time when goalies weren’t great. However, his prime came at the worst possible time. Belfour’s prime was at roughly the same time Patrick Roy and Dominik Hasek dominated the league. Because of this, it’s very easy to forget how good he was.
Belfour won two Vezina Trophies (1990-91 and 1992-93) and a Calder Trophy (1990-91). He won a Stanley Cup with the Dallas Stars (1998-99) and led the Chicago Blackhawks to a Stanley Cup appearance in 1992. While the Pittsburgh Penguins swept them, Belfour performed admirably against a team with six Hall of Famers, a future Hall of Famer and, ironically, Recchi.
He has longevity on his side, as his 963 games are the fourth most all-time. His prime didn’t last for long, but he was dominant at his best. At a time when goalies were at the mercy of scoring forwards, Belfour stood tall. He’s ninth in career shutouts with 79. Hasek and Roy were rightfully named to the top 100 players list, but Belfour was overlooked, perhaps because of how great Hasek and Roy are.
Think of Belfour as the NHL’s Craig Biggio. Unappreciated by many, but deeply appreciated by fans of the teams he played for.
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2. Jarome Iginla
Jarome Iginla’s exclusion, to be frank, is a bit insulting to his legacy. Over the past 20 years, only Alex Ovechkin has more goals. If it wasn’t for the generational Russian sniper, Iginla would have been the best goal scorer in the NHL for roughly 20 percent of the league’s existence.
Patrick Kane deserves his place on the list, but would he be a slam dunk Hall of Famer if he retired right now? Nope. Kane would eventually get in, but he wouldn’t be a sure thing. Iginla, on the other hand, is a slam dunk future Hall of Famer.
Arguably the most beloved player in Calgary Flames history, their former captain has 617 goals, ranking him 15th all-time. However, of everyone above him, only Jaromir Jagr and Teemu Selanne have played their entire career outside of the 1980’s like Iginla. Adjusting for era, he is sixth all-time in adjusted goals.
So while Kane is an extremely deserving player, Iginla should be on the list over him because of his resume. Don’t worry Blackhawks fans, Kane is going to retire as arguably the greatest American forward of all time. But Iginla should have been allowed to have his last shining moment, standing on stage with his fellow legends.
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1. Joe Thornton
Joe Thornton’s omission from the NHL’s list is the most confusing. He has one of the most impressive resumes of all time. Since the start of the 2001-02 season, he has been arguably the second most dominant center in the league, trailing only Sidney Crosby. No player has more points since the start of the 2001-02 season than Thornton.
“Jumbo Joe” Thornton is one of the most effective passers in league history. His 992 assists rank 13th all-time, which is pretty impressive. However, like many current players, Thornton has dealt with an era defined by a lack of scoring. Adjusting for era, his assist total jumps up to 1,105 which is fifth all-time.
Thornton is defined by his remarkable consistency, but he also has one of the most memorable single seasons of any NHL player. His 2005-06 season was legendary, as he’s the only player in league history to win the Hart Trophy and Art Ross Trophy while being traded mid-season.
Not to pick on oews, but his career high in points? 76. Thornton has twice gotten more than 76 assists in a single season and has beaten his 76 points in nine of his 18 full seasons. In 12 of his seasons, he has finished in the top 10 in assists. Thornton is more than just a productive player. He’s also a very underrated two-way center. Sadly, Thornton’s prime was so productive, people likely overlooked his defense.
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