Jes Golbez takes a look at the former Capital and where he might yet end up:
People were saying Bondra was finished after the 99-00 season in which he had just 38 points in 62 games. Bondra then went on to pile up 256 points in 312 games over the next 4 seasons. After a year of rest (in which he played just 6 games for his home town of Poprad), Bondra could still have his noted wheels all revved up to score another 20-25 goals.At the same time, I think Bondra and Winter may not realize that Bondra just isn't worth more than $1.5mil in today's market and at his age and productivity level. If superior players aren't getting a lot more than $1.5mil (think Ray Whitney and Cory Stillman) and a similar player like Tony Amonte can't get more than that, than why would other teams give Bondra more money and a no-trade clause?
Ray Whitney and Cory Stillman? With all due respect, there's one critical difference between Bondra and those two guys: While at times Stillman and Whitney have been pretty nifty players, Bondra is going to the Hockey Hall of Fame. Don't believe me? Just look at the numbers.
Whitney: 700 GP, 205 G, 300 A
Stillman: 684 GP, 184 G, 250 A
Bondra: 984 GP, 472 G, 362 A
Had Bondra played the bulk of his career in any other city besides Washington, he'd be hailed regularly as one of the top talents in the league. In fact, for a pretty good stretch of his career, the only player scoring more often than Bondra was Jaromir Jagr.
One stat I neglected to mention was plus/minus. For his career Whitney is -85, Stillman is +9 and Bondra is +75. Did I mention that Bondra, as he got into his 30s, developed a more complete game and became an absolutely ferocious backchecker?
Now is it a legitimate question whether or not Bondra has as much left in the tank at 37 as Whitney at 33 or Stillman at 31? Of course it is. But let's not pretend that either Whitney or Stillman (last season was Stillman's best, and that came in Tampa Bay where he was surrounded by superior talent) have been as productive as Bondra over the long haul.
I wouldn’t take Jes’s comment that Bondra can still pot 25 goals at 37 as a slight at all.
Bondra’s an enormous talent, and as Eric mentions, has become a complete player. Compare him to a mortal-lock Hall of Famer like Steve Yzerman. Over about the same number of games at the beginning of his career (83-96), Yzerman put up the following numbers:
942 GP, 517 G, 738 A, +85
True, he’s got double Bondra’s assists and 39 more goals in 44 fewer games, but then, consider Yzerman’s surrounding cast in Detroit to Bondra’s in D.C.
Bondra’s easily the greatest player in Caps history, and one of the best ten or so of the last couple decades. (I very much hope the Capitals re-sign him, if he wants to come back.)
Bonzai to the Hall! : )
I wish hockey’s Hall was harder to get into.
(And Yzerman’s been the captain of a three-time Stanley Cup winner