New York Rangers’ Henrik Lundqvist will go down as one of the best goalies in NHL history, but Lord Stanley continues to elude him.
On March 2, 1982, in rural Are, Sweden, a star was born. On February 11, 2017, a legend was cemented beyond any doubt. The New York Rangers defeated the Colorado Avalanche 4-2, adding two points to the standings. More importantly, The King was awarded his 400th win.For a great read on Henrik’s journey from rural Sweden to the big apple check out The Players’ Tribune article, “Letter to my younger self.”
As the only Swede in the top 50 in NHL wins, Henrik currently sits at 12th all time. His next victim on the list is Chris Osgood, with 401 wins. All the players above Hank in all time wins are Canadians, go figure.
400 wins for the King, Henrik Lundqvist. #NYR pic.twitter.com/JunvdlkRCt
— Elite Sports NY (@EliteSportsNY) February 12, 2017
- Martin (Fatso) Brodeur (691)
- Patrick Roy (551)
- Ed Belfour (484)
- Curtis Joseph** (454)
- Roberto Luongo** (450)
- Terry Sawchuk (447)
- Jacques Plante (437)
- Tony Esposito (432)
- Glenn Hall (407)
- Grant Fuhr (403)
- Chris Osgood (401)
- Henrik Lundqvist** (400)
Roberto Luongo and Henrik Lundqvist are the only active NHL goalies and are thus in bold.
The New York Rangers have 27 games left this season. The highest Hank could land after this year would be ninth all-time. Not too bad for a guy drafted in the seventh round, eh?
Where could Henrik end up in all time wins when he hangs up the skates?
Let’s do some simple math. Henrik is almost a lock to win 30 games every year barring any injuries. Lundqvist is locked in under contract until the 2020-21 season, blessing us with four more seasons. With 15 more wins this season and 120 wins over the next four years, that lands his win total at 535.
If Henrik decides to play a few more years after this contract he could add to that total. Whoa. Just pictured a world where “The King” was not wearing red, white and blue. That topic is for another sad, gloomy day.
Seriously, stop thinking about it. There are too many dark scenarios involved there.
At the end of his career, Lundqvist will likely end between second and third in all-time wins behind Marty. Unfortunately, Marty Brodeur, behind his stellar New Jersey Devils defenses, will likely hold the crown of all-time wins for a long, long time. Marty Brodeur was able to get his first 400 wins in 735 games. This was the fastest to 400 until Henrik was able to win 400 in 727.
Did you notice those asterisks on the list above? What the hell could those be? Steroids?
If you take a few moments to think about the players noted with the asterisks, what do you notice? That’s right! No Stanley Cups! Curtis Joseph spent his 18-year career with seven different teams and was unable to capture the cup. Roberto Luongo, who ironically is known best for his time with the Vancouver Canucks and Alain Vigneault, has also been unable to hoist the cup.
Hopefully, Hank and the Blueshirts will be able to complete the journey and win their first Stanley Cup since 1994. I would hate to see such a fierce competitor, skilled goaltender and all-around great guy not be able to take home the ultimate prize.
My advice to all Rangers fans out there is take a step back from this roller coaster season that the King has had. Instead, focus on what Hank has been able to do over the years. Hank has lead us to the playoffs in all but one of his 11 past seasons. He will also likely lead us to a playoff run this season as well. Don’t take his performance for granted, as one day we will be without him and dreaming about the days we had an elite goaltender.
Henrik still has some high caliber goaltending left in his tank. His window is closing slowly. The Rangers have five seasons to get the job done and bring the cup back to New York. Should be an exciting half-decade.
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