Teams from the Metropolitan Division have won the most Stanley Cups out of any division since 2000. With seven titles, the division is loaded with historical players. These are the current players from the Metropolitan Division that have already built a hall of fame worthy career.
Metropolitan Division Hall of Fame
Among the eight teams in the Metropolitan Division, six players have already built a resume strong enough to put them in the Hockey Hall of Fame. Out of the six players, just three teams are represented.
Philadelphia Flyers Hall of Fame Players
Claude Giroux
Philadelphia Flyers captain, Claude Giroux has been one of the most consistent forwards in the game during his 13 years in Philadelphia. His offensive production and dependability has helped the Flyers navigate through the ups and downs during his tenure
Giroux’s presence has been felt in every season he’s played. He’s scored 20-plus goals eight times in his career. He’s a six-time all-star and led the league in assists during the 2017-18 season. Giroux has been the one consistent in Philadelphia over the last decade. He has 257 goals and 558 assists for 815 points in 889 career games. As his career continues, any further accomplishments will continue to solidify his hall of fame resume.
Pittsburgh Penguins Hall of Fame Players
Sidney Crosby
One of the best players to ever play the game, Sidney Crosby, is a lock for the Hockey Hall of Fame. Being the first overall pick brings added expectations and Crosby has surpassed them all.
Crosby dominated from day one, as a rookie, he set Pittsburgh Penguins franchise records in assists (63) and points (102). He also became the youngest player in NHL history to score 100 points in a season and the seventh rookie ever to do so.
His individual accomplishments would put him in the hall of fame alone. An eight-time all-star, two-time Art Ross Trophy winner, two-time Hart Memorial Trophy winner, three-time Ted Lindsay Award winner and two-time Conn Smythe Trophy winner.
He is also a three-time Stanley Cup Champion, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and leads current NHL players in playoff points.
Crosby’s 1263 career points are third-most among active players. He’s scored 462 goals and 801 assists in 984 career games. At 32-years-old, Crosby has plenty of hockey left and will only add to a historic career. Crosby will be a first-ballot Hockey Hall of Famer.
Evgeni Malkin
Crosby’s teammate in Pittsburgh, Evgeni Malkin has achieved a hall of fame career. Malkin’s career has been underappreciated as a teammate of Crosby’s, but he’s one of the best players of his era.
416 goals and 660 assists for 1076 points in 907 games played are fifth-most points among active players. He’s led the league in points twice in his career and has never scored under 30 points in a season.
His 1.186 points-per-game average is second among active players and he’s been an integral part of Pittsburgh’s success. Malkin is a seven-time all-star, Calder Memorial Trophy winner, Ted Lindsay Award winner, Hart Memorial Trophy winner, two-time Art Ross Trophy winner, Conn Smythe Trophy winner and three-time Stanley Cup Champion.
Malkin’s career has been nearly as good as his counterparts, Crosby. Much like Crosby, Malkin likely has some strong years ahead and will continue to bolster his hall of fame career.
Patrick Marleau
The third member of the Penguins worthy of a call to the hall of fame is Patrick Marleau. His years on the San Jose Sharks are where he established himself as a hall of fame calibre player.
As a Shark, Marleau did enough to get himself inducted into the hall of fame, but he’s not done yet. In San Jose, Marleau scored 518 goals and 584 assists for 1102 points in 1551 games played.
His durability and dependability are unmatched. Marleau has not missed a game since the 2009 season, appearing in 854 consecutive games. His 854 consecutive games played is fifth most all-time and second among active players.
Marleau played in 164 games for the Toronto Maple Leafs before being traded back to the Sharks and then to the Penguins. Marleau’s career awards wouldn’t be enough to get an ordinary player into the hall of fame. He’s a three-time all-star and a two-time Olympic gold medal winner.
He’s never led the league in a statistic other than games played, however, his ability to play good hockey for an incredibly long time is what will get him into the hall of fame. His 1723 games played are fifth-most all-time. The best ability is dependability, and Marleau is the definition of that.
Washington Capitals Hall of Fame Players
Alex Ovechkin
Arguably the greatest goal scorer of all-time, Alex Ovechkin, needs no explanation. His 706 career goals are 144 more than the next active player. Ovechkin lit the league on fire as a rookie, scoring 52 goals and 54 assists for 106 points and winning the Calder Memorial Trophy.
The Washington Capitals forward has won the Maurice Richard Trophy a record eight times and is tied for the lead in goals currently. He’s an 11-time all-star, Art Ross Trophy winner, three-time Hart Memorial Trophy winner, three-time Ted Lindsay Award winner, Conn Smythe Award winner and Stanley Cup Champion.
He’s been the best goal scorer in the NHL since entering the league in 2005 and holds that title to this day. The only thing left for Ovechkin to accomplish is breaking Wayne Gretzky‘s all-time goal record. Regardless, he’s without question a first-ballot hall of famer.
Nicklas Backstrom
Much like the one-two punch of Crosby and Malkin in Pittsburgh, the Capitals have their one-two punch of Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom.
Out of all the players on this list, Backstrom has the weakest resume. He’s a player who has been consistently good as a playmaker and a champion. His 927 points rank 11th most among active players but his 684 assists are fourth-most among active players.
In his 13 years, he’s never had less than 30 assists in a season and led the league in assists (60) in 2014-15. Offensively, Backstrom has been incredibly consistent as a playmaker.
As a defender, his skills are underrated. He’s consistently received Selke Trophy votes but has never been a nominee despite being deserving of one.
Individually, he has some work to do to help his case, but he’s close enough to add to the list. If he can hit 1000 career assists and continue to be a strong player, it will certainly help his chances. Backstrom is likely a player who’s career will be appreciated more after he retires.
Outside of the Hall of Fame
The Metropolitan Division has some players with interesting cases for the hall of fame that ultimately fall short.
Penguins defenceman, Kris Letang, has accomplished some prestigious awards. As a five-time all-star and three-time Stanley Cup champion, he’s had a strong career. Ultimately he hasn’t had enough individual success to make the hall of fame.
Capitals forward Ilya Kovalchuk is an interesting case. In 13 years, he’s been a strong offensive player and could certainly add to his numbers as his career goes on.
The two glaring arguments against him is his decision to leave the NHL for five years before returning and his lack of strong defensive play. His decision to leave the NHL won’t sit well with voters and likely takes him out of the running regardless of how his career finishes.
New Jersey Devils defenceman, P.K. Subban, was making a strong case for a hall of fame career early on. Winning a Norris Trophy at 23-years-old and finishing third in votes just two years later had him on the right path. However, his play has levelled off and would need an incredible second half of his career to regain consideration.
Players like Mathew Barzal and Artemi Panarin have young careers with plenty of individual success. If they can continue on their path, they’ll have a strong case when it’s all said and done.
Main Photo:
Embed from Getty Images
