In an era dominated by defensemen, there’s no doubt Victor Hedman is among the elite players in the league today.
Does the Tampa Bay Lightning blueliner have what it takes to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame once he decides to hang up the skates?
The second overall draft pick in 2009, Hedman was compared to the great Detroit Red Wings defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom. His first few seasons were a disappointment from a production standpoint, but some of that was due to circumstances outside his control costing him games.
Considered an offensive defenseman, Hedman finally found his groove in the 2013-14’ season. His 55 points and plus-5 rating were the best of his career, while the 42 assists he racked up nearly doubled his previous career high of 23 achieved during his sophomore season.
Injuries limited Hedman to 59 games in 2014-15’, putting a slight damper on his offensive production. He still managed to put up 38 points while the defensive side of his game continued getting better. That was evident in his plus-12 rating.
Hedman took another step forward during the Lightning’s run to the Stanley Cup Final in the summer of 2015, with 14 points and a plus-11 rating in 26 games. The team, unfortunately, fell short of their ultimate goal, losing in six games to the Chicago Blackhawks.
As a defenseman, Hedman just needed to fine-tune the defensive side of his game to be viewed as one of the best. He did that in 2015-16, notching a plus-21 rating. That started a run of four out of five seasons in which he had a plus/minus of over 20.
While the Lightning struggled in 2016-17’, missing the playoffs by one point, Hedman had a nice year. His 56 assists and 72 points were career-bests at the time, and he still played fairly responsible defense, with a plus-3 rating in 79 games.
That rare postseason miss fueled Hedman moving forward. 2017-18’ saw him post a career best plus-32 rating while still producing offensively. That earned him the James Norris Memorial Trophy as the league’s best blueliner.
Still unsatisfied, Hedman put up a plus-24 and plus-27 rating in the next two seasons. He did that while still producing offensively, notching 54 and 55 points, respectively.
The 2020 playoffs were far and away Hedman’s best. He potted ten goals and 22 points. Three of those goals were game-winners. He also had a plus-13 rating in 25 games, earning him the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the Lightning’s first Stanley Cup championship since 2004.
Hedman followed that up with a modest 45 points in a shortened 56 game schedule during the 2021 season. He stepped up in the postseason, recording 18 points as the Lightning captured their second straight Stanley Cup.
Last season, Hedman posted a career-high 85 points. He followed that up by notching 19 points and a plus-2 rating in 23 games. That helped the Lightning to their third straight Stanley Cup Final, a feat that hadn’t been accomplished in a long time.
Midway through this season, Hedman looks to be well on his way to another solid season. He also recently reached 500 assists in his great career.
With all the accolades and Stanley Cups, there’s no doubt that Hedman’s number 77 will hang from the rafters at Amalie Arena once he decides to retire. Has he done enough to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame? While unknown, his career is worthy of consideration.
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