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Originally Posted by SuperMatt18
I mean actually players that were in the Flames silks when they hit that level of performance though.
Savard for sure became a guy that was probably a top 10 center in the league, but he wasn't that guy as a Flame.
Gilmour became that guy in Toronto for a couple seasons, but not sure he was at that level as a Flame.
I don't think this team has ever had that true elite #1 center.
And not even talking about the generational guys because really only Pittsburgh and Edmonton have claim to those guys since 1980 (Gretzky, Lemieux, Crosby, McDavid).
But we haven't even had a guy at the tier below in the Sakic, Yzerman, Thornton, etc range.
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Nieuwendyk is in the Hall of Fame and also has a Conn Smythe Trophy and was an integral part of 3 Cup championships.
I think he qualifies as an elite #1 center.
Gilmour was too while he was here, but he was overshadowed by Nieuwendyk.
I would put both guys in the same tier as Sakic, Yzerman and Thornton. Maybe I'm biased. I think Gilmour and Nieuwendyk had better two way games than those 3 guys, they probably sacrificed some points so their numbers aren't as gaudy as those 3. I think Gilmour and Nieuwendyk were as good a 1-2 punch as Sakic-Forsberg, it's too bad ego, management and money got in the way.
Both Gilmour and Nieuwendyk didn't get the recognition until they played for the Leafs. That's the problem with playing in Calgary. I mean how Iggy wasn't one of the top 100 players of all time says it all about how bad it is to play in Calgary. If Iggy played in Toronto, he'd have been in the top 20. Mike Gartner? Dave Keon? Ted Kennedy? Give me a break.