FanHouse's Adam Gretz takes a look at his top 50 players in the NHL. No. 29 is Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Sergei Gonchar.Coming out of the NHL lockout prior to the 2005-06 season, the Pittsburgh Penguins took a New York Rangers-like dive into the free agency pool, signing high-profile players Sergei Gonchar, John Leclair, Zigmund Palffy, Mark Recchi and Jocelyn Thibault. Playoff hopes were higher than they were in any of the previous three seasons, and the hype machine was spinning out of control. As it turns out, the season was nothing short of a disaster, salvaged only by the rookie performance of Sidney Crosby and the fact it resulted in the No. 2 overall pick the following summer, used to select Jordan Staal.
Palffy retired halfway through the season, and Leclair and Recchi were dumped over the course of the next two seasons. The one player that worked out and is still with the team today? Gonchar, and they're a completely different team without him.
The NHL's Top 50 Players: See the Entire List
After spending the first 10 seasons of his career with the Washington Capitals (and about two months with the Boston Bruins) the Penguins signed Gonchar to a five-year, $25 million contract in July, 2005. After a sluggish start in the first half of the season, Gonchar quickly established himself as the No. 1 defenseman in Pittsburgh and the player it used to match up against the other team's top lines.
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Draft Year: 1992
Gonchar went 14th overall in 1992. Roman Hamrlik and Alexei Yashin went Nos. 1 and 2 to the expansion Tampa Bay Lightning and Ottawa Senators, while the rest of the top-10 consisted of Mike Rathje, Todd Warriner, Darius Kasparaitis, Cory Stillman, Ryan Sittler, Brandon Convery, Robert Petrovicky, and Andrei Nazarov. Not exactly a banner year for top-10, superstar talent.
Why He's On My List
Always one of the best offensive defensemen in the league, Gonchar has made huge improvements to his defensive game in recent years and is a legitimate No. 1 defenseman. It's possible that he's playing the best hockey of his career at this point.
Obligatory YouTube Video
Perhaps the biggest goal of Gonchar's career, the game-winner in Game 3 of this year's Stanley Cup Final. If the Penguins lose this game they go down 3-0 in the series and don't come back to win the Cup.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
7-29-2009 @ 2:22PM
John said...
"and the fact it resulted in the No. 2 overall pick the following summer, used to select Jordan Staal."
Ahh yes, the Pens 3rd installment of let's make sure we lose enough games so we can get another high draft pick.
Some teams develop players, others tank to make sure they get can't misses.
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7-29-2009 @ 2:28PM
darci said...
Um John, let me guess, you are a jealous Redwing fan, A poor sport Flyers Fan, or a Obitchkin loving Caps fan right? The last place team gets first round pick the following season in every sport that I know of. Why should it be different in hockey. Stupidest gripe I hear from all you Pens haters!
7-29-2009 @ 2:32PM
adamfanhouse said...
John, care to address how the Penguins "tanked" to get Jordan Staal? As I pointed out, they spent like drunken sailors the previous offseason and thought they had a legitimate shot to make the playoffs. I have my issues with a lot of the trades the Penguins made in the early 2000's (Jagr, Kovalev) but this "tank" stuff gets a little old, seeing as how the Penguins have only missed the playoffs four times since 1990.
7-29-2009 @ 2:35PM
darci said...
opps, posted twice with the same message, at least it was a good one - LMAO...and Thanks Adam, glad I am not the only one sick of the "tanking" comments! Go Pens!
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7-29-2009 @ 3:17PM
kerrakaitesmom said...
Great article on Gonchar. He is a great player on and off the ice. The team respects him. Can't wait for the season to start! GO PENS!!!!
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7-29-2009 @ 3:57PM
claytor said...
This list just went idiot.
While enjoying the list so far, simply for the inclusion of some players who normally garner zero fanwide respect like Doan, it astonishes me that youd actually believe Gonchar of all people should be a top thiry player. No, he is NOT a legit defenseman, the only time he has truly shined in his career has been on the power play, and before you try and flip some card on me, no, i dont think Green is in the top thirty either, these two are DEFENSEMEN. They both dont play their particular position very well.
The fact that this goof, who is only a couple years younger than Scotty N. and a year or two OLDER than Hossa is ranked this high on your list is pure homerism.
You actually ranked this guy higher than Spezza, Alfredsson, and Kopitar. Not to mention clearing Vanek, barely. Wow.
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7-30-2009 @ 8:10AM
CraigoMc said...
If Gonchar and Green don't play the position particularly well, Bobby Orr and Paul Coffey must have sucked.
7-30-2009 @ 8:42AM
claytor said...
Craig, come on, man...you really believe that outside of being pp qbs, these guys play other worldly defense?? Ive watched Green in D.C., hes an excessive blue line pp shooter, and no, he isnt a big hitter. Not on par with the two way excellence of Lidstrom any way, which i hope to god since were overrating defensemen now, hes got to be top ten.
To say this guy is the 29th most important player in the league is hilarious. Please dont ever compare a guy whos cracked 60 points three times in 14 years to either Coffey OR Orr.
Compare importance, do you honestly believe someone would take Gonchar over Spezza in a heartbeat??? Kopitar??? Carter??? A guy closing in on 40 who is starting to breakdown...sigh, i suppose youre a Blackhawks fan.
7-30-2009 @ 9:06AM
adamfanhouse said...
Claytor,
If I were building my team for the next 10 years, I would absolutely take Jeff Carter, Jason Spezza, and Anze Kopitar over Sergei Gonchar. But that wasn't my criteria. I'm basing this on taking the 50 best players right now, if I were trying to win this season. In that case, I would still take Gonchar.
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7-30-2009 @ 9:48AM
claytor said...
Thats fair enough, Adam, and i only made the homer comment in regards to the overall picture.
I watched Sergei play for a lot of years in D.C., being the nearest hockey team to me, and the guy was kind of sieve-ish when it came to defense, so honestly speaking, ive already heard the Mike Green story before, only he went to Pittsburgh. I cant deny, the guy is a great pp specialist, sets up well, has a quality blue line shot, and if he doesnt score, helps to create decent rebound chances. But were talking the "now", and the guy is 35, didnt play 65+ games just this past season, and still isnt very great defensively. Id completely take a younger defenseman with about equal skill to win now, because its the same skill set, minus the just gotten past long term injury deal. Keep in mind he also claimed Ovechkin destroyed his knee, although he amazingly pulled a Paul Pierce and performed decently on said totally messed up knee, which leads one to wonder if he seriously got injured if hed tell or keep playing on it, and cost the team substantial time at an important spot, namely, the Pens pp qb position.
The same reason youd say Gonchar is worth it is the same reason Columbus wont bring in Zubov, who is the benchmark for a player of Gonchars caliber. Id sweat him breaking down again.
7-30-2009 @ 11:05AM
Josh said...
I don't like this pick either. I do believe Gonchar earned the right to be top 50 this past playoffs (he was a big part of the reason The Wings only put up one goal in game 7) but I don't think, right now, that he is better than Spezza or Alredsson. Or, hell, let's go to his position - Phaneuf or Bouwmeester. The only problem I've had with this list thus far has been Gaborik being so high (if this list is about players you would take to win a cup this season, why choose a player who is injured 50% of each season?).
Gonchar is a good scoring defenceman but when you are choosing defenceman, I would HAVE to go with players who, you know, play really good defense before players who can put up 60 points a season, but I guess that is just me.
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8-04-2009 @ 12:05PM
four50one said...
How in Gods name did you arrive at Gonchar in the top 30 and Scott Freakin Niedermayer at 41?
As yourself this, if you were putting together a team to play a tournament THIS year, would you really pick Gonchar or Phaneuf over Niedermayer?
If you would, I'd like to invite you to join my fantasy league.
That should have been the criteria for your whole list, "if drafting a team for a tournament this year", as it stands, I'm not even sure how you decided the order... Names in a hat?
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