Bob Gainey Was Overrated
According to Hockey-Reference.com, 134 forwards played at least 500 NHL games between 1979–80 and 1989–90. Of those, Bob Gainey was 118th in points per game with 0.46. Basically tied with Rick Meagher, another Selke-winning forward I don't recall seeing in the Hockey Hall of Fame, and Pat Hughes, who was some guy. He was much worse than Troy Murray (66th, 0.77), another Selke winner and a St. Albert Saints legend, much worse than Keith Acton (86th, 0.68), much worse his successor Guy Carbonneau (87th, 0.66). He scored less than Steve Tambellini (100th, 0.56) and Craig MacTavish (103rd, 0.53), he scored less than Tiger Williams (107th, 0.51). This is a list of (mostly) good players, because few bad ones play 500 NHL games in a decade, but a Hockey Hall of Famer is not just one of the hundred best forwards of the '80s.
Bob Gainey is not an accidental Hall of Famer, but was inducted in 1992 at the earliest possible moment, before his management and coaching careers had added any laurels. He has, on multiple occasions, been named one of the 100 best players in NHL history. notwithstanding that he was a less effective offensive player than Steve Tambellini (though a considerably better general manager). Steve Shutt: "There are a lot of defensive forwards in the league, but he is the only one who controls a game." Serge Savard: "I can’t think of anyone on our team who means more to us than Gainey. A few guys like Larry Robinson, Guy Lafleur and Guy Lapointe mean as much. But they’re not more important than Gainey." The Habs have retired his number. He won five Stanley Cups, one as a captain, the first four Selke Trophies in a row, and a Conn Smythe.
Who cares? Nobody pretends Bob Gainey is in the Hall of Fame for his scoring. His strengths did not show up in statistics and everyone knew it. He was a durable leader with first-rate intelligence, strong physical play, and an inspiring work ethic; if there was an NHL award for intangibles Gainey would have won it every year until the voters got sick of him, and arguably that's what those Selkes in fact were. And Gainey's teams won. He was obviously a useful player, but realize just how vast a problem his scoring is. Offensively, he does not belong in the conversation with any other Hall-of-Fame forward. He is not close; he is not close to being close. Over the highest-scoring era in hockey history, Bob Gainey was an average to below-average scoring forward. To be a Hockey Hall of Fame-quality player, he would have to be so good defensively as to make up for that. Today, we know that is probably impossible. Defensive forwards are not that valuable, and Bob Gainey simply wasn't extraordinary enough to be the exception.
