The NHL is in an interesting place in the sports world. The players are getting much better contracts and building off national media deals with Turner Sports and ESPN. They have a platform that is dedicated to growing the sport of hockey, and we're seeing it come to life. People are interested in the sport of hockey, and it's bringing more American athletes to the forefront.
However, the game looks a little different. What's called for penalties is different after the impact of concussion was studied closely. The huge hits that once defined the sport are often called a penalty and even comes with a suspension. The goals seem more intense, and the advent of the shootout gives players another chance to show off their skills.
Today's NHL could use a few stars, and we want to go back in time to find them. Which former NHL stars, even some Hall of Famers, would have an even better career in 2025 and beyond. For this exercise, we're looking for players who didn't make the Hall of Fame but could have if they played today.
1. Peter Bondra
Peter Bondra is such an interesting case because one could look at him in two different ways. If he were to play in today’s game, his skill set would fit the league so much better. He was insanely fast, earning himself the nickname the “Slovakian Bullet.” He would go on to win the Fastest Skater competition twice, one of only three players to do that in league history.
Speed is such an important part of the NHL today. Players with speed have such an advantage when they are on the ice. It sounds obvious, but speed wasn’t always used like it is today. With more open space and an ability to go coast to coast with the puck, creating your own opportunities with your speed is paramount.
The other situation is Bondra’s former team. The reason he didn’t get the recognition he deserved was that he was on the Washington Capitals. Bondra was on the Washington Capitals from 1990 to 2004, ironically, the last year they played without Alexander Ovechkin. Imagine if they put Bondra, who finished his career with 503 goals, on the teams with Ovechkin and Backstrom?
Bondra would absolutely have 1,000 career points if he played today, whether it’s with the Capitals or any other team. He would have players who could realistically keep up with him, like Connor McDavid and Jack Hughes. His assist numbers would be way higher as a result.
2. Marian Gaborik
Another player out of Slovakia, Marian Gaborik wasn’t in the NHL that long ago. He retired from the NHL in 2018. At that point, he was a shell of himself, trying to keep his career alive with the Ottawa Senators. However, when he was with the Minnesota Wild, he was always one of the most underrated players in the league. Minnesota doesn’t always get the most publicity, and this was especially true when he was a star.
Gaborik had this electricity about him that would really translate to the NHL today. He was very light on his skates, and he could cut through a defense like it was butter. He had great hands for his position, and his scoring ability netted him three 40-goal seasons early in his career.
He even contributed for the New York Rangers, with two such 40-goal seasons while playing on Broadway.
There are a few reasons why Gaborik would thrive today, but the elevated coaching styles would really help. Old school coaches like Jacques Lemaire wanted to keep players focused on defense. While that’s a nice philosophy, they should also let playmakers be playmakers, and the coaches today would have let Gaborik thrive.
3. Patrik Elias
Patrik Elias is a player who has struggled to get attention for Hall of Fame eligibility despite a stellar NHL career. He played for one franchise, which is something voters often like. He was great on both sides of the ice, despite never getting the Selke Trophy love he deserved. Elias finished with 1,000 points, which should put him in any Hall of Fame conversation. He was also the best offensive player on two Stanley Cup teams.
The reason Elias doesn’t get the Hall of Fame recognition he deserves is he won his two Stanley Cups alongside Martin Brodeur, Scott Stevens, and Scott Niedermayer. The defensive focus of the New Jersey Devils was a staple of their championship runs. Nobody is arguing how important those three were to the Devils in 1995, 2000, and 2003. However, Elias was a huge reason they won, too.
And if Elias were to play today, he might get the same recognition that Sasha Barkov gets. We know it sounds like conjecture, but Elias was that good. He could score like most superstars, but he was great on the ice against an opponent’s top line.
That wasn’t appreciated as much back in the day, but analytics and advanced stats have shown just how important Elias was to the game back then. Also, getting away from the Brodeur, Stevens, and Niedermayer shadows would help his case as a star in this league.
4. Claude Lemieux
Going to another former New Jersey Devils great, Claude Lemieux was actually all around the league and has the distinction of being a four-time Stanley Cup Champion. He won two with the Devils, but he also won the last championship of the Montreal Canadiens, and he was on that first Colorado Avalanche Stanley Cup team.
Not only did he win Cups, but he was the Conn Smythe winner for the Devils in 1995. He had one of the great postseasons ever, similar to what Sam Bennett did this season. He scored 13 goals in 20 postseason games, leading all players. He would match that 13 goals when the Avs won in 1997, and he did it that time in just 17 games.
Lemieux was insanely clutch with his scoring, and he played that rough and tough style that gets likened to star players in today’s game. While he was very good in the 1990s and early 2000s, he was never considered that big star. He was actually traded multiple times because of contract demands.
Today, a player who is tough and can score is considered Brad Marchand. Marchand is considered a lock to make the Hall of Fame.
5. Sean Burke
It’s interesting to look at the goalies who were great for a long time and wonder why they aren’t in the Hall of Fame. It’s the exercise that’s interesting, as being a goalie throughout the eras could not be more different. They literally went from psychopaths who watched flying rubber spheres coming at their head with barely any equipment on to the closest equivalent to the Michelin Man in today’s game.
History has many outstanding goalies who have yet to receive the call to Toronto, but one who might have just been in the wrong era was Sean Burke. He started his career as the goalie who helped the Devils emerge from the doldrums before Martin Brodeur took over and became a legend. He had a solid career for the rest of his time in the NHL before he became a successful front office member.
Burke played 13 games his rookie season, and he somehow ended up eighth in Hart Trophy voting. Not Calder Trophy voting (where he was also eighth), enough people voted him for MVP after his 10-1 start to his career that he finished eighth. From there, he never finished higher than third in Vezina Trophy voting, and his career was considered fine throughout.
Burke did have crazy expectations coming into his career, helping Team Canada in international play. He even played on multiple Olympic teams. However, he was a player who didn’t get over the hump in most people’s minds. He had the advanced stats, which would have helped him in 2025.
6. Tie Domi
There is an assumption in this pick. Tie Domi would not survive the rules that govern today’s NHL as he was currently playing the game. He’d have to be a lot better at toeing the line between illegal and immoral checks or other violent activity on the ice. Domi was a fire starter on the ice, putting opponents on their heels with his tactics.
Yet, something tells us Domi would do what it takes to make the most of his career in the NHL. He knew if he played the style of hockey that the 1990s demanded, he’d have a long and prosperous career.
Would Domi go from a player who failed to score 200 goals in more than 1,000 games to a Hall of Famer if he played today? It’s asking a lot, but we do think he would score a minimum of 100 more goals if he played in 2025 and made slight adjustments to his game to continue contributing instead of constantly being suspended.
We see players like Evander Kane and Tom Wilson play that style while also scoring goals and contributing to all aspects of hockey. Domi could absolutely be that type of player in the right context. Wouldn’t the Toronto Maple Leafs’ brass love a player like Tie Domi right now? They may have his son, but his father is the one you want.
7. Alexei Yashin
Alexei Yashin was well on his way to a Hall of Fame career, but something derailed that dream. It was mostly his own effort level that hurt him more than anything. By the end of his career, he was mostly known as a huge mistake by the New York Islanders, who sent the farm to get him from the Ottawa Senators.
Let’s talk about Yashin when he first started. He was an All-Star and a 30-goal scorer in his very first season. After two seasons where he didn’t play full years (including a lockout-shortened 1996 season), he was back to business in 1996-97. He would put up three consecutive 30-goal seasons, including a 44-goal season in 1998-99.
Then, he left. Yashin sat out the 1999-00 season as he was trying to get a better contract from the Senators. This was his third contract demand that led to media attention, and this one was dirty. This was so bad, he got sued by a fan. He was eventually traded to the Islanders, letting them handle the headache.
He immediately signed a contract worth more than $80 million and never lived up to it. Yashin was good his first year on The Island, but it fell off a cliff from there. There is so much that went wrong with his talent, but the NHL has a better way to get the most out of those guys today.
8. Rod Brind’Amour
Rod Brind’Amour is one of those players that many think should be in the Hall of Fame today, but he’s not so he’s eligible for this exercise. Brind’Amour is best known in 2025 as the head coach of the Carolina Hurricanes, who just made another run to the Eastern Conference Finals. However, he was an intriguing player in his day.
Yet, he would be so much better if he were playing today. The big-bodied forward would be putting up much more offense in 2025 than he was in 2005. He did win the Selke Trophy twice in his career, and the offensive acumen he showed early in his career with the Philadelphia Flyers shows he had something there the whole time. We think he changed his play style to fit what his team needed.
If he were to play today, his team would need more offense. Every team needs more offense, and those who win the Selke need to have offense as a central part of their impact on the NHL.
Brind’Amour in the 90s and early 2000s was a really good player, but he was never at the top of the mountain. He was 10th in Hart Trophy voting once, and that was the closest he’s ever gotten to MVP candidacy. He would be a legit candidate yearly, as his two-way game would put him among the league’s best.
9. Sergei Gonchar
There are so many defensemen who would make a lot of sense on this list, but let’s start with Sergei Gonchar. He was an offensive weapon on the blue line at a time when that wasn’t all that common. Teams needed some offense from defensemen, but Gonchar was changing how teams defended them. That wasn’t happening nearly as much as it does today for the likes of Erik Karlsson and Cale Makar.
Gonchar finished his career with more than 800 points. He helped the Pittsburgh Penguins win the Stanley Cup in 2009. He helped the Washington Capitals get to the 1998 Stanley Cup Final. Gonchar would be great today. Like, really great.
Gonchar was also a fantastic puck mover. His passes were second to few. Only the likes of Scott Niedermayer and Paul Coffey could move the puck like him. That helped his teams so much to know they could start the breakout without looking back.
Today, Gonchar would be leading some of the top offenses in the league. Coaches know now more than ever how important the breakout is to offense, and he could become a 1,000 point player in today’s NHL.
10. Randy Carlyle
Randy Carlyle holds the unfortunate distinction as the only Norris Trophy winning defenseman who isn't in the Hockey Hall of Fame, but he might be joined by P.K. Subban who didn't get much hype in the most recent Hall of Fame vote. Carlyle is not given his due as a great defenseman because he became a decent head coach. It’s a what have you done for me lately type of business.
It’s also a business with finicky assessments. Players were raked over the coals if they had a terrible +/-, and Carlyle’s career -137 doesn’t get him close to the Hall of Fame. However, he was doing this on some terrible Winnipeg Jets teams. That happens to great players.
If Carlyle weren’t a coach today but a player, he would be adding what many want from their defensemen today. His 83-point 80-81 season would be one of the best offensive defenseman seasons of any era. Add in seasons with 50+ points four other times, and this becomes the consideration of the Hall of Fame in this era.
His skill set would assimilate better to the NHL today. His view of the game and Hockey IQ would translate well, and he would be a team’s best player in some instances. Carlyle became a coach for a reason. He really understands the game of hockey, and that is just as important in this era.