Is Patrik Elias a Hall of Famer?
On Tuesday night in a half-empty Prudential Center, the New Jersey Devils beat the Buffalo Sabres 4-1. Both teams are depressing for their respective fan bases, with neither coming anywhere near a playoff spot once again. Still, an important moment took place when Devils forward Patrik Elias notched his 1,000th point, putting him in an elite class in National Hockey League history.
Elias became the 82nd member of the 1,000-point club, doing it with an organization that has preached defense throughout his entire career. The Czech Republic native was first called up to New Jersey in 1995-96 before sticking with the top club in 1997-98. During his tenure, the Devils have reached tremendous heights including two Stanley Cups and four Finals appearances. In the championship years of 2000 and 2003, Elias was the most complete forward on New Jersey, the player most game-planned for on a roster light on scoring.
With his career coming to a close, the question bears asking. Is Patrik Elias a Hall of Famer?
Elias is not mentioned often when fans and pundits speak of the best forwards over the last 20 years. He was never as dominant as Pavel Bure or Sidney Crosby, never reaching the offensive heights of Jaromir Jagr or Alexander Ovechkin. Yet, Elias was consistently a terrific two-way player and notched 10 seasons of at least 20 goals.
Context is also important with Elias. Unlike some of his contemporaries, Elias never played on a team rife with offensive talent or a coach willing to open up the game. For years, Elias skated under the watchful eyes of Larry Robinson, Pat Burns, Jacques Lemaire and others who wanted to play sound defense above all else, limiting his vast potential as a scorer. While the style fit and the rings poured in, it will always hinder the offensive totals of men like Elias and Zach Parise.
Detractors will point out the Elias never had an 100-point season. In fact, Elias only amassed 90 points in a campaign once, scoring 96 in 2000-01, the same year as his only 40-goal effort. Reaching 1,000 points is not from eight or nine incredible seasons, but rather a career of consistency marked with greatness.
Elias played a complete game, showcased by his +173 rating. He was also a clutch player, totaling 79 game-winning goals in the regular season. When you start at Elias and move up the list of all-time points leaders, you must get to Joe Nieuwendyk at No. 56 to surpass him in that category.
With next year being the final one on his current contract, it is fair to say Elias is in the twilight of his career. Luckily he already has the hardware, because New Jersey is going nowhere soon. Soon enough, Elias will have his number retired alongside Ken Daneyko, Scott Stevens and Scott Niedermayer, becoming the first Devils forward to receive such an honor. As the team’s all-time leading scorer, it is well deserved.
On the surface, Elias is a borderline candidate for inclusion into the Hockey Hall of Fame. He doesn’t have eye-popping seasons or a litany of individual trophies. Still, when you look closer, he was one of the best and most complete players in the game for almost two decades.
He has endured, and his spot in the Hall has been earned.
