What current NHL players belong in the hall of fame?

Great Debates
1

OK, perhaps not a hugely important question, but I hope it will result in some lively discussion:

In for sure

Luc Robitaille - tons of goals
Scott Stevens - heart of multi-cup winner
Martin Brodeur - best goalie alive and a top five 'tender for years
Steve Yzerman - heart of a multi-cup winner
Chris Chelios - Highly respected blueliner for, what, 2 decades?
Dominick Hasek - Multi-winner of Vezina
Brendan Shanahan - Solid Mike-Gartner-esque career, with cups and a far more complete game
Brett Hull (First Father/Son combo in the HOF?) - Tons and tons of goals - like his old man
Mats Sundin - Year after year consistent performance in a media center
Joe Sakic - Cup and consistent greatness
Rob Blake - Ditto
Mark Messier - Only bigger locks were Howe and Gretzky
Brian Leetch - Best US defenceman ever
Phil Housley - Long career, lots of points
Jeremy Roenick - Poor man’s Shanahan
Mario Lemieux - Only bigger locks were Howe and Gretzky
Ron Francis - Quietly amassed one of the best careers ever - No cup
Jaromir Jagr - Still young (ish), but has already done enough for HOF
Al McInnis - Best offensive defenceman of his generation after Coffey - with a more complete game
Mike Modano - solid career and a cup
Vincent Damphousse - solid career. Don’t love his game, but his numbers are solid

On the Bubble

Pavel Bure - Great numbers, but injuries cut great career short
Nic Lidstrom - A couple more years of solid production get him in. Virtual lock
Chris Pronger - If he can regain his Hart trophy level, will get in - still young
Paul Kariya - Seemed destined for Hall, but has become pretty average - will need a bunch more years to get in on his numbers.
Teemu Selanne - Similar to Kariya, but started late, may not play enough years
Saku Koivu - If he can stay healthy - a big if - should get in.
Daniel Alfredson - Kind of a Ron Francis career. Plays great in a sleepy town. May need a change of scenery to really be noticed.
Mike Richter - Probably makes the hall. Didn’t really follow him.
Adam Oates - tons of assists
Pierre Turgeon - He’s got the points, but has always been knocked as one-way player and no cup.
Sergei Zubov - A few more consistent years gets him in
Sean Burke - I personally like him, but has not really ever been a top five goalie
Peter Forsberg - If he lasts a few more years, he’s in
Eric Lindros - Monster force in his first few years, but fading fast.
John Leclair

2

Ron Francis won two Stanley Cups with Pittsburgh.

All your certains are certain - the NHL has low Hall of Fame standards - but I’d say some of your on the bubbles are pretty questionable, esp. Lindros, whose career just don’t have the heft. Sean Burke hasn’t got a hope in hell.

You missed Sergei Federov, who still has a shot. Theo Fleury could make it if he could lay off the sauce for awhile and go out with some dignity.

Some others you missed I think are going in:

Joe Nieuwendyk
Dave Andreychuk (over 600 goals, a total lock)
Ed Belfour - lock
Curtis Joseph, although I think he’s overrated
Pat Verbeek, if he’s still playing, but maybe he’s not
Mark Recchi
Eric Desjardins
Scott Neidermayer

3

Can’t believe I forgot Francis’ cups!!

You add some good names.

Federov should make the hall
I think Fleury has made too big a fool of himself to make it in.
Nieuwendyk is in
Andreychuk as well - Although he really hasn’t impressed me.
Ed Belfour is a lock, as you say
Curtis Joseph too
Pat Verbeek does seem retired - 1000 points puts him in, though
Mark Recchi is also in
Eric Desjardins is for sure bubble material. Depends on what his reputation says. I don’t think he makes it in
Scott Neidermayer has had a great career, and I love his game, but has suffered under the NJ system and being under Stevens. I think he gets in due to a great rep.

I hadn’t realized just how many HOF careers we are witnessing. That’s something like 30 players! I suppose that’s what you get with expansion.