Brian Sickles: Projecting Nicklas Backstrom's All-Time Swedish Ranks

Let's not forget Mats Naslund (The Little Viking), who should be in the mix. 651 points in 634 games and a bunch of awards to go with it.

If Backstrom can put away 2 or 3 more elite/very good seasons, he should solidify himself as a solid #2 choice behind Forsberg. Sundin was able to dominate games in a way Backstrom never really does though. Either way, one of the best Swedes ever.

Let's not forget Mats Naslund (The Little Viking), who should be in the mix. 651 points in 634 games and a bunch of awards to go with it.
- Spacebar

Thanks for the comment! Yes, Näslund was great! 16th in all-time Swedish points. Highly proficient point/game over his career. One of the best ratios for guys with that many games played.

Let's not forget Mats Naslund (The Little Viking), who should be in the mix. 651 points in 634 games and a bunch of awards to go with it.
- Spacebar

Yep, him and Hakan Loob should be in the convo.

If Backstrom can put away 2 or 3 more elite/very good seasons, he should solidify himself as a solid #2 choice behind Forsberg. Sundin was able to dominate games in a way Backstrom never really does though. Either way, one of the best Swedes ever.
- Blackstrom2

Thanks for the comment @Blackstrom2 ! I agree. One of the best Swedes ever. Somehow he still flies under the radar to a degree.

Id probably only put him behind Forsberg. One thing im always impressed by is his ability on the PP, to play down below the goal line, feel like it just opens up so many options, including 8's clappers. It makes it so much more frustrating, watching Crosby be far less effective than he should be because he refuses to go down low on the PP, which is literally his 5v5 specialty #siddownlow.

Sundin is definitely underrated historically. Dude delivered top-line to elite-level offense with unreal consistency for a crazy long period of time.

Six players in NHL history have produced at least 15 seasons of 70+ points. Here they are:

Howe - 18
Gretzky - 17
Dionne, Francis - 16
Jagr, Sundin - 15

In other words, three of the top 10 players of all time (Howe, Gretzky, Jagr), a pair of elite forwards who played long careers mostly during the NHL's highest-scoring era (Dionne, Francis), and Sundin.

Sundin is definitely underrated historically. Dude delivered top-line to elite-level offense with unreal consistency for a crazy long period of time.

Six players in NHL history have produced at least 15 seasons of 70+ points. Here they are:

Howe - 18
Gretzky - 17
Dionne, Francis - 16
Jagr, Sundin - 15

In other words, three of the top 10 players of all time (Howe, Gretzky, Jagr), a pair of elite forwards who played long careers mostly during the NHL's highest-scoring era (Dionne, Francis), and Sundin.
- Sven22

Dionne is criminally underrated.

Dionne is criminally underrated.
- Blackstrom2

I agree with that. I just don't think he's quite up there with Gretzky / Howe / Jagr.

I would put him quite a ways above Francis, though, so I probably shouldn't have grouped those two together so casually.