Greatest US Born Player Ever?

[beantownmaniac]

Modano carried his team for 15 years.
not sure you can say that about the others (maybe lafontaine)

best right now is between kesler and kessel.
i'd much rather have kesler. in beast-mode, he isamazing to watch.
i think kessel is way over-reaching right now

Great point. Modano was considered a superstar player in his day.

 

[Automattic]

Chewbacca. lol. Is that the Hatcher I don't like?

 

[Eddie_Shack]

I think in Phil's case, If you throw that much gas on someone they are bound to catch on fire. I can't really think of too many others that would be more fed up than Kessel coming into this season.

He's also got a little Olli Jokinen on the Panther's syndrome... of course he's scoring goals, who the hell else on that team do they have to feed the puck??

 

[Eddie_Shack]

Chewbacca. lol. Is that the Hatcher I don't like?

The one who raped Illitch for more money than Uwe Krupp? Yeah, that's the one.

 

[beantownmaniac]

He carried his team during the lean years, but in his prime he also had Sydor, Belfour, Hull, Niewy, Carbo, Zubov, Chewbacca, and a pretty good supporting cast. After the Cup years Dallas still had some good teams with Modano on the decline.

And the debate heats up. Most great players had supporting casts <cough>Gretzky<cough>. Who was great without any other "superstar" on the team?

 

[Eddie_Shack]

And the debate heats up. Most great players had supporting casts <cough>Gretzky<cough>. Who was great without any other "superstar" on the team?

Exactly. Hell, Chelios had Roenick, Suter, Belfour, Amonte, Zhamnov, etc. I'm not saying Modano wasn't great, but I don't think he carried a franchise for 15 years. No more so than what Chelios did in Chicago.

But you're right, I can't really name a superstar player who didn't have some impressive talent around them when they won a Cup or had a consistently good team. Even Lafontaine had Hasek in Buffalo, right?

 

[Eddie_Shack]

Really the closest I can think of to a superstar doing it all on their own was Hasek in Buffalo dragging his team to the Cup finals in '99. Maybe Orr, he never had what Howe, Gretzky, Messier, Sakic, Lemieux, Yzerman, Richard, etc had.

 

[dash]

Chelios was a huge component of the Habs early on his career as well...I think a lot of people tend to focus on Roy, but Chelios was great both in '86 (winning the Cup) and '89 (losing to Calgary in the finals).

 

[Eddie_Shack]

Also (and damn do I hate ragging on a Livonia boy to pump the tires of that dirtbag Chelios) don't forget that Hatcher captained that team to a Cup, and Morrow stripped the C from Mike not long after Hatcher left. Not every great player needs to wear the C, but it's pretty telling that Modano never really seemed to be the heart and soul of his squad.

 

[beantownmaniac]

Really the closest I can think of to a superstar doing it all on their own was Hasek in Buffalo dragging his team to the Cup finals in '99. Maybe Orr, he never had what Howe, Gretzky, Messier, Sakic, Lemieux, Yzerman, Richard, etc had.

Orr had Espo, Bucyk, and Cheevers was a pretty good back-stop, but Orr was destined to be the GOAT. Marcelle Dionne I would say had little talent around him at times from what I can remember. Then again, my memory isn't what it used to be.

 

[Eddie_Shack]

Orr had Espo, Bucyk, and Cheevers was a pretty good back-stop, but Orr was destined to be the GOAT. Marcelle Dionne I would say had little talent around him at times from what I can remember. Then again, my memory isn't what it used to be.

Right, but when you compare that supporting cast to Gretzky (Mess, Kurri, Coffey, Fuhr, Anderson) or Howe (Abel, The Greatest Goalie Ever, Lindsey, only six teams) or Lemieux (Stevens, Francis, Jagr, Kovalev) it pales.

Either way it's plain to see no one does it on their own.

 

[KennyBanyeah]

Modano carried his team for 15 years.
not sure you can say that about the others (maybe lafontaine)

best right now is between kesler and kessel.
i'd much rather have kesler. in beast-mode, he isamazing to watch.
i think kessel is way over-reaching right now

I think Patrick Kane (I think I now need to shower), Ryan Suter and Tim Thomas are in the discussion for best US player right now.

 

[Automattic]

I think Patrick Kane (I think I now need to shower), Ryan Suter and Tim Thomas are in the discussion for best US player right now.

TT might very well be my pick.

 

[beantownmaniac]

Right, but when you compare that supporting cast to Gretzky (Mess, Kurri, Coffey, Fuhr, Anderson) or Howe (Abel, The Greatest Goalie Ever, Lindsey, only six teams) or Lemieux (Stevens, Francis, Jagr, Kovalev) it pales.

Either way it's plain to see no one does it on their own.

No argument here, but both Espo and Bucyk are HOF'ers and Espo was in the top 20 on the all-time list. Gretz, Howe (you forgot Delvecchio, Kelly, Ullman), Lemieux, Bossy (have to add him) all had great players around him.

 

[Slimpikins]

My vote goes to Modano. As much as I hate the Stars I always respected Mike. He was a Shark killer too, it seemed like he scored every damn time we played them.

 

[forty_three]

Chewbacca. lol. Is that the Hatcher I don't like?

Chewbacca won a cup. His older brother, Sasquatch, did not.

What about Brett Hull? I know, I know. Physically born at a lake house in Ontario, but was American trained. Mostly.

My vote goes to Joe Mullen. My God he was a beauty to watch.

 

[Automattic]

Chewbacca won a cup. His older brother, Sasquatch, did not.

What about Brett Hull? I know, I know. Physically born at a lake house in Ontario, but was American trained. Mostly.

My vote goes to Joe Mullen. My God he was a beauty to watch.

I guessed we all figured Brett would show up here and toot his own horn as usual.

 

[Automattic]

Mike Eruzione! FTW!!!!

 

[Winged_Wheel88]

Mike Modano??

 

[Automattic]

lolrep