Why do GMs think Dominik Hasek is the 2nd best goalie in the NHL?

Question

In the NHL Central Scouting list that LITY provided in an earlier question, Hasek was ranked the #18 overall player and the #2 goalie in the NHL (behind Brodeur). This list is compiled using the votes of 30 NHL GMs and 277 scouts. It is updated BI-MONTHLY, and this is the latest list (9 days ago). Am I the only one that thinks Hasek ISN'T the 2nd best goalie in the NHL?

Let me say that I like Hasek, I probably like him more than a lot of Wings fans like him. I think he is probably the 3rd best goalie EVER. But is he the 2nd best goalie today? Of course not.

Some people may even argue that he isn't even the best goalie on the team. Osgood seems to be playing much better. So, why, I ask, is it that the NHL GMs and professionals that work for the NHL voted Dominik Hasek as the #2 goalie in the NHL? Can anyone give me a reason why Hasek is better than Luongo? Turco? Lundqvist? Leclaire??? It makes me wonder about the hockey IQ of the NHL GMs. (The whole list is topsy-turvy, btw)

Yes, that's right, I have questioned the authority of NHL GMs. I hope the hockey gods do not smite me, lol.

If I needed a goalie in one winner-take-all game, I would much rather take Luongo, who is in his PRIME, rather than taking the brittle, 42 year old Hasek. Experience does count for something, but 42??? That's too much experience, lol.

Bob, I am not questioning the greatness of Hasek. I have said that I think he is the 3rd best goalie all time. But is he the 2nd best goalie RIGHT NOW??? The only reason he got that deep in the playoffs is because of the great team around him. If you want a goalie who got deep in the playoffs, how about J.S. Giguere? He won the Cup. Yet you would still argue that Hasek is better?

I think Brodeur is overrated, I am biased against him. I do not like him. BTW, here is a whole blog devoted to Brodeur: http://brodeurisafraud.blogspot.com/ (That guy sounds a bit like a lunatic, but he does have a couple of good points, read around).

lol, I'm not seriously mentioning Leclaire. Notice the 3 question marks after his name. I was gonna put Theodore, but then I decided that's going too low, lmao.

Ok, ok Bob. I'll stop torchering you, lmao. But you really should read that blog, especially, the "10 questions for Brodeur fans". It's the first link on the right top corner there.

Bob: He says that Roy is greatly overrated as well. I think that he is saying that Hasek is the best all time, but I'm not sure. But he does not defend Roy in anyway. He flat out says that Roy and Brodeur are two of the most overrated goalies ever.

LITY: lol, I'm pretty sure that no one would watch hockey if goalies had SV% over .990. lmao, that's a fairly true statement though.

OK Bob, let's stop about Brodeur, this isn't about him. I'll never agree with you, and you can't change that (yes I'm THAT biased, lol).

LITY: That's EXACTLY what I said!! I said that Spezza should be ahead of Kovalchuk, Sundin, Sakic, and 1 or 2 other guys.

TKO Bob??? lmao, I don't think so. I still say that Hasek is NOT the 2nd best goalie in the NHL today. You just showed a bunch of trophies from 10 years ago showing how good Hasek was back then. But oh well, screw that, I'm gonna go watch the Nuggets season opener.

lmao @ Frank the Tank, that movie is freaking hilarious!

Answer 1

6 Vezinas, Lord Stanley, Gold medal- Oh I know, the age factor and none of those accomplishments are recent.

What is recent though is last year. He went further in the play-offs then Luongo, Turco, Lundqvist and of course LeClaire (asinine for you to even mention him in the same breathe- why? because he has 4 SO's this year? UNPROVEN)
Luongo has won what, like one round in the post season EVER? Turco is notorious for post season chokes. Lundqvist has a career 6-7 post season record.

Hard to argue the minds of 307 people who watch and evaluate hockey for a living. To question a few is OK but to question the findings of them all quite frankly makes me question your IQ. Kidding.......somewhat.
You maintain that Brodeur is not a great goaltender which really has made me question your hockey IQ though. To me, that is asinine and I know you have some homerism involved but still you seem adament that Brodeur sucks. I have watched ALOT of hockey over the years and lots of great goaltenders and Brodeur is aces. Never been a big Hasek fan but his numbers don't lie and I have come around in giving credit where credit is due- 6 Vezinas, WOW. I just don't like the diving. Injury prone at his age too but he has been in some big games and proven he is one of the best ever.

Answer 2

My first thought was to say because all the others are number 1 LOL. Mike, don't forget, this has something to do with what Hasek brings to the table based on past experience. These guys (GMs and scouts) aren't swamis with crystal balls (bet you started laughing there, do crystal balls need a special kind of jock?) that can see for sure what the players will do in the future but they can see what Hasek (and the others) have done in the past and just how their skills are holding up so they guess at what the player will deliver going forward in the immediate future. It also has to do with job performance. Do the players do the job they're asked to do? Do they do it regularly and can they bring that little bit extra into a team that makes them a winner, in fact THE winner. After all, the whole league is about that big, shiny, silver whatchamacallit. Oh and money of course.

Answer 3

Hello,

Long time wings fan here. Needless to say, I watch a lot of red wings hockey. Your 100% right. Somehow Hasek does show up big in playoff games, but he is mediocre I think. There are a lot of great goaltenders out there, and Hasek is one of them, but cetainly not in the top 2.

Something to think about-- Detroit has had a great defense for a # of years. Does that have impact on how good Hasek really seems?

Answer 4

Did you just say that I don't like Hasek as much as you? When he absolutely stuffed your team in 2002?

It's the same reason Michigan and Ohio State keep getting ranked in the top 10 in the football polls at the start of the season: history. People remember the great that happened rather than recent sour things, unless it made the cover of SI (that one hurt a bit).

Answer 5

Nine days ago, really? Nine years ago, yeah. lol

Seriously, his durability issues over the last 4 years, nevermind his age, would be huge concerns but, then again, I have no way of knowing what the contributing factors are in compiling the hierarchy.

All things being equal, I'd say he's maybe top 5 in a two week tourney and definitely top 5 in a winner take all game. That's not how the league's set up, though, so I don't get it either.

EDIT: You must apologize to the entire Neale family to avoid the wrath of the GM Gods.

Answer 6

Mike

25 years from now, Zjbwbjzjytw Zjbjwzjy from Ethiopia is going to be leading the NHL in goals against average with 0.23GAA and a Save percentage of 0.993 playing for the Shreveport Pucks.

You're going to be on Yahoo Answers slamming the guy saying Patrick Roy was 100x the goalie Zjbjwzjy is because Roy played in a 30 team NHL with tiny pads and Wayne Gretzky and the 7'10" Zjbjwzjy is playing in a heavily diluted 200 team NHL where have the teams are composed of the swift stickhandling pygmies of Central America.


And....

I'd agree with you (and still be saying that Plante and sawchuk were even better!)


The whole thing is relative, but the knowledge of the people make it accurate.

I think Spezza should be higher, I think Pronger should be higher, hell....I even think Ovechkin should be top 10. But I no longer participate.

In 1957..........as far as I was concerned, Maurice Richard had 20 years left in him, and Gordie Howe was a lucky bum who was only in the NHL because the Hockey Gods felt that Montreal would only be great if they competition to be beat...and that Gordie was great in Detroit, but was unworthy to hold the jock strap of Richard.

Over the years, as a talent evaluator, I've realized that stats don't tell the whole story, but they do say a lot.

Let's look at Patrick Roy for instance.

His goals against average in his career isn't in the top 25. His save percentage and shutouts aren't in the top 10. His games/shutout ratio isn;t even in the top 100. Longevity makes him look better than he actually was.............BUT.......like Fuhr (and don't get me started on him).......he was a big game goalie. 4 Rings, 3 Vezinas, and 3 Conn Smythes confirm that. If you compare Belfour to Roy, minus the hardware............Belfour wins hands down. But I don't know anybody (aside from me) who will say that Belfour is better than Roy.

Likewise, compare Belfour to Tony Esposito.....Belfour holds his own, but I don't know too many people who think Belfour is better than Esposito........yet statistically, he wins. Esposito has the hardware however.

It's all relative. You can't evaluate who you didn't see. Thirty years from now...you'll be much better!

Answer 7

i think it is mainly because he is a future HOFer and are still on his @ss about it. you are 100% right i think that Hasek is not the 2nd best or even top 5. Luongo and others are better then Hasek. but because of his legace and his career he will be put as the second best. although he is the best in 1 catagory. flopping like a fish nad hoping for the best.

Answer 8

You did say GM's.

Unless Keith Allen or the late Sam Pollack say Hasek is #2, then the Dominator is just another washed up, overpaid, whiny old goalie.

Answer 9

Due to his unorthdox style Hasek either makes incredible saves, or lets in sleepers due to his reluctance to use the butterfly technique. As a DRW fan i perfer osgood currently as he has been playing great. (7-0-0 93%)

Answer 10

He is one of the best all time, yes. But second best today? No. Look at some other goalies. Luongo could be ahead in the standings, Kiprusoff...a ton of goalies. I find it confusing because Zetterberg isn't in the top 50 i believe.