It’s Hockey Hall of Fame induction week, and the class of 2025 is an interesting one. Of the four players on the men’s side, we had two absolute locks (Zdeno Chara and Joe Thornton), plus one guy who was very close (Duncan Keith) and another who should have been (Alexander Mogilny). While you never quite know how the committee will judge a candidate, all four players absolutely felt like future Hall of Famers midway through their careers.
Many eventual HHOFers fit that pattern. That said, it’s possible for a player to feel like a borderline candidate in their prime, only to have the sort of finishing kick that flips them to a sure thing. We saw that with Marc-Andre Fleury, who I had as “not there yet” back in 2019 when he was already well into his mid-30s, but who added a Vezina to his trophy case two years later to seal the deal. Fellow goalie Sergei Bobrovsky was “very” close as recently as early 2024, then won the Stanley Cup back-to-back and is essentially a lock. And in 2019, Shea Weber was a strong candidate who felt like he just needed to close the case — which he emphatically did with the Habs’ 2021 playoff run, leading to his induction last year.
Then again, some players start off looking like they’re on the HHOF fast track but then fade before the finish line. You never really know until a player’s career is over, and sometimes we’re not even sure then.
That’s why it’s worthwhile checking in on a star player as their career is still going on. You won’t get a definitive answer, obviously, but there’s still value in a quick temperature check. We’ve been doing that for years, on this site and others. And a few years ago, we went back for another look at some veterans who’d been borderline calls before.
We’re going to do that again today, as we revisit the HHOF cases of six active players who might make for tricky calls.
Jonathan Quick
The last time we looked: In the fall of 2021, when Quick was about to turn 36. He was still in L.A., but was coming off a season where he’d split starts with Cal Petersen. (Remember the one good Petersen season? It was that one.) His save percentage over the previous three seasons had dropped under .900, and there were grumblings about how the Kings might get out from under a contract that still ran through 2023. Not to put too fine a point on it, but he sure seemed like he was done.
The case at the time: He was over 300 wins and had two Cups to go with a Conn Smythe and several very strong seasons. But he’d never actually won a (real) Vezina or been a first-team All-Star, and with his career heading downhill, it felt like his peak wouldn’t be long enough to make him the rare goalie to the HHOF call.
My verdict back then: I said he wouldn’t get my vote. But then I added what in hindsight is an interesting caveat: “His closest comparable might be fellow Conn Smythe and two-time Cup-winner Mike Vernon, who isn’t in yet but does seem to have a little momentum. If Vernon ever makes it, maybe that opens the door for Quick to follow.”
What’s changed since: Plenty, starting with the fact that Vernon is indeed in. So are Tom Barrasso, Henrik Lundqvist and Roberto Luongo.
As far as Quick, he eventually left the Kings and started bouncing around the league, including a forgettable few hours as a Blue Jacket. But he’s settled in as the Rangers’ backup, posting decent numbers for a guy who’s about to turn 40. That longevity has helped him get past two important milestones, joining the 400-win club and passing Ryan Miller for most wins by an American goalie.
Which way the case is trending: Kings fans might take this as an insult, but Quick reminds me a bit of Pierre Turgeon: a solid if not slam-dunk case based on his prime, then enough longevity as a supporting piece to push his career numbers into hard-to-ignore territory. It worked for Turgeon, eventually, and I’ve heard plenty of smart people call Quick a slam dunk. I wouldn’t go quite that far — Miller isn’t in, for example, and he does have a Vezina — but he’s certainly moved into heavy favorite territory.
Kris Letang
The last time we looked: In November 2023, when he was about to turn 37 and was midway through his 18th season with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, a pro sports record for three teammates. He was also about to pass the 700-point mark, although his play at both ends was clearly diminishing.
The case at the time: He’d never won a Norris, but had been a second-team All-Star twice and had just won the Masterton. I compared his case to Sergei Zubov, who waited seven years before finally being inducted.
My verdict back then: I had him as a close “no” on my ballot, but acknowledged he’d probably get in and that there were weaker blue-line candidates who’d already been inducted.
What’s changed since: Two full years later, the big news is that Letang is still in Pittsburgh and has been mostly healthy. He’s nobody’s idea of a Norris candidate these days, but he’s a good bet to get to 800 points. Maybe more importantly, the Penguins are surprisingly good this year, setting the stage for one last feel-good run from the triplets as Letang’s closing argument.
Which way the case is trending: He hasn’t done anything to hurt his case in the last two years. If he’d been short then, I’m not sure he’d have done enough to improve either. But since he was probably already a likely inductee, adding three more healthy and productive seasons should move the needle in the right direction.
Brent Burns
The last time we looked: Once way back in 2019, and then again in 2022.
The case at the time: When we first looked at him, Burns already had a Norris and two other years as a finalist, and Randy Carlyle is the only eligible player to win the award and not make the HHOF. (Although P.K. Subban and Mark Giordano are likely to join him.) But even back then, he was already 34 and in the 15th year of his career, and those three finalist years were by far his best. Outside of that brief-ish stint at the top, he’d been a good player and a fun character, but not necessarily a HHOF-level presence.
My verdict back then: In 2019 I had him as being on track, but needing either another big year or a long tail of solid ones. In 2022 I nudged him up to being a strong bet, but still short of a sure thing.
What’s changed since: He finished 10th in Norris voting in that 2022-23 season, which isn’t quite a monster year but is certainly impressive for a guy who turned 37. And he’s still going, playing 20-plus minutes a night with a very good Avalanche team.
Which way the case is trending: It’s been fun to watch it evolve over the years, to the point where I think we’re getting very close to calling this one a lock.
Brent Burns is still going strong at 40 years old with the Avalanche. (Candice Ward / Getty Images)
Corey Perry
The last time we looked: In the fall of 2021, when Perry had just helped the Canadiens to their unexpected run to the Final before joining the Lightning. By the way, that Habs run marked the second straight year he’d been to the Final and lost. Wacky, right?
The case at the time: He probably wouldn’t get to 1,000 points, but he was a winner both in the NHL and internationally, who also had a Hart Trophy and a Rocket Richard. Mix in his international experience and you could see the case.
My verdict back then: A no. “His peak was great, but it was too short and his overall numbers just don’t get him into the discussion unless you’re completely fixated on the ‘winner’ stuff.”
What’s changed since: He became quite the journeyman, going from Tampa to Chicago to Edmonton to Los Angeles. Along the way, he lost in the Final three more times, which is now kind of his thing. (Wait, can you be a winner and also a guy who always loses? Apparently!)
Now 40 years old, he hasn’t had a 20-goal season since 2015-16. If we’re being brutally honest, he hasn’t been all that good in almost a decade, and he’s not going to get to 1,000 points unless he plays about three more seasons. And of course, his stint in Chicago did not end well.
Which way the case is trending: He’d still be a no for me, despite the one (and only one) year as a legitimate superstar. But he’s still kicking around, and the longer he can play at an NHL level the stronger his case will get in the eyes of some. If he can help the Kings go on a long run, that “winner” talk may get him into the discussion.
Jamie Benn
The last time we looked: In November 2023, at the start of what would be a 60-point year for the then-34-year-old after an ugly end to the previous season.
The case at the time: He had the Hall-worthy peak, albeit a short one, thanks to an Art Ross and three years as first or second-team All-Star. But he was unlikely to get to 500 goals, and 1,000 points wasn’t guaranteed. Despite a few years in the “best left winger in hockey” conversation, it felt like he was at risk of ending up in the John LeClair zone.
My verdict back then: I was a no at the time, and thought he needed multiple years of strong production to get close.
What’s changed since: His 2023-24 was close to being one of those strong years, and he added 49 points last year to get to 956 in his career. And his next goal will be his 400th, although we don’t know when that might come because he started the year on LTIR. He also has a new contract, signing a one-year extension worth just $1 million, which drives home that he’s no longer a star but also makes him look like a team-first guy on a Dallas team that keeps falling just short. It also keeps him in Dallas, and as I’ve pointed out over the years, guys who spend their entire career with one team seem to get a boost from the Hall committee.
Which way the case is trending: Getting to 1,000 points and/or playing a role in a Stanley Cup win would certainly help. I still don’t think he gets there, and time is running out.
John Tavares
The last time we looked: In 2023, as Tavares was entering his sixth season in Toronto and recently scored the overtime goal that finally sent them to the second round for the first time in the cap era.
The case at the time: He hadn’t quite hit 1,000 points and was a few years away from 500 goals, but looked likely to hit both milestones. But with his production starting to decline at 33, you wondered if he was running out of runway to upgrade his case from likely inductee to lock.
My verdict back then: I wrote that “he wouldn’t have my vote if his career ended today, but if he finishes with 500 goals and something around 1,100 points, he’ll be tough to keep out. And of course, if he ever actually wins anything as the captain in Toronto, debate over.”
What’s changed since: Well, two out of three ain’t bad. The Leafs still haven’t won anything, but Tavares has pushed well past 1,100 points and just hit the 500-goal mark last week.
Which way the case is trending: Islanders fans won’t like it, but Tavares is getting pretty close to slam-dunk territory. If anything, he’s starting to look like a guy who might stay productive well into his late 30s and end up with the sort of career numbers that end any debate. We’re not there yet, but even if he retired today, he’d have a good shot.