Best goaltender ever?

Question

Do you think if Dominik Hasek started playing sooner after he was drafted, instead of waiting 7 years, do you think he would lead the NHL in wins among all goalies? Would he be considered the best ever to play?

Look people, I'm not asking who the best goalie ever was just could hasek of have had a chance to be the best if he didnt wait 7 years?

Dookie--so your telling me if the wings didnt have hasek that season, they would of won the cup? They had a killer line-up yes, but Hasek had a lot to do with it.

Jcdoco--no crap. just i love my wings and wanna talk about 'em a lot.

Answer 1

Moose, it's a tough question to answer. One of the reasons that Hasek took so long to come to North America was this thing called communism. He didn't wait....he was unable to make himslef available. During that 7 years, he was the leading goaltender in international competition (World Championships/Olympics/Izvestia).

Now, Chicago was a perpetual 30 win team during those 7 years, and had he been able to win 20-25 games a year during those 7 years....he's have 500 wins now. 2-3 shutouts a year? He's be in the 90s. Of course, had he done that, he would have also started ahead of Belfour on the 91 and 92 teams, thereby being a further 40 wins ahead of where he would be, and his win numbers would be in the mid 500s.

So, if he had those 9 years (the 7 before and the two he backed up Belfour) I think he would be the all-time leader in wins and shutouts.

Also, if he had done all that? He would rival Plante and Sawchuk, and Roy and Brodeur as one of the greatest ever.

Answer 2

BEGIN RANT:

Define best. Do you mean highest save percentage? Most wins? Most influential on a team? Games played? Most cups?

I see a lot of talk about who's the best, but each one mentioned is the best in their own way. I'd say Mike Vernon is the best in my book. Not because I think Ed Belfour isn't more skilled or has better stats, or that Patrick Roy (toolbox that he is) doesn't have many more records, but rather what Vernon did for Detroit and the continued sentiments from Detroit for him.

In a town where you can get world class goalie like CuJo and run him out of town on a rail, Detroiters have a certain standard they hold for their goalies. That being said, you have the old arguement "who would you want in net this year if you could have anyone". The majority of Detroiters will tell you Vernon. He was grizzled (read: not injury prone coughHASEKcough), mentally tough (coughLEGACYcough), and with an undeniable will to win (coughOSGOODcough). I know i'm only naming Detroit goalies, but that's my point. To me, the best was Vernon. He did more for my enjoyment of Hockey here in Detroit than anyone. So in my definition, he's the best. Roy was a good rival to have, because getting him pulled in the postseason as we ran up the score wouldn't have felt as good if he was a crappy goalie to begin with.

END RANT:

ANSWER:
Hasek has this wierd quirk about him where you can plainly see he takes games off. Some nights he's superhuman in his abilities and effort, and other nights you can see there is a drop in effort. Goalies are quirky, and when he wants to, he's one of the best to ever play. Not consistant enough, and to an extent not tough enough. For those reasons, I don't think he'd ever be considered the best to ever play.

Answer 3

He's won a lot of games for teams and he's one of the best. I've never paid much attention to goalies, but he is one of those ones you can't help but notice. Some goalies are good because they can position themselves well, while Hasek was the most exciting to watch. I don't think that makes him the best, but it is possible. In his prime he would always keep you on the edge of your seat with some of the most incredible moves any goalie has ever made. That's not to say another goalie couldn't have made the same saves without the dramatics. Very entertaining though.

Answer 4

Well, Dom is already considered one of the best ever to play. As for your question about him playing sooner - he had a chance to play, but he couldn't take the starting job. I think a lot of Dom's skill also came as a result of backing up and watching some very good goalies, and he's surpassed them later on.

So I don't think he would have led the NHL in career wins. Another reason is health. Compare to Roy and Brodeur. Brodeur has always been healthy and is on a great team that easily wins 40 every year. Dom didn't have that luxury except late in his career and is too injury-prone.

Answer 5

Hasek had more than a few brilliant seasons and he's certainly top 10 all time on anyones list... but it's extremely hard to say what would have happened if he played more a little earlier in his career - it could have worked against his numbers just as easily.

Parent or Broduer are the best to ever play...

Answer 6

Hasek is a very good goalie but the best ever? No way!
St Patrick. Mr. "I can't hear what Jeremy (Roenick) says, because I got my two Stanley Cup rings plugging my ears" Roy

Answer 7

I am not a Avalanche fan, but I would have to say Patrick Roy. Dominik Hasek, yes. I also think Cujo(Curtis Joseph). Mike Vernon when he was a Redwing was good, too!

Answer 8

The potential was definitely there, I think Hasek is still one of the best, but an extra 7 years of stat boosting would really have put him near the top.

Answer 9

If I was going to start an all-time hockey team, my goalie would be Patrick Roy. That galls me because I am a diehard Mike Richter fan, but Roy won 4 Cups. The man can play in the pressure situations. My top 3 goalies that I would choose:

1. Patrick Roy
2. Mike Richter
3. Martin Brodeur

Answer 10

yea i think it would have helped him to play then rather then waiting 7 years.
I think that he would be the number one goalie like 3 or 4 (just for example) years ago just because there is a lot of young talented goalies and them now would be better then Hasek.

Hasek had a role of making the wings what they are today!
But now we have two talented goalies and I figure it is going to be hard for the coach to decide who is going to be number one!