When Rick Tocchet entered the National Hockey League, he seemed to do so with the strength of his fighting skills. Tocchet still fought, but by his fourth season, he emerged as an effective scorer as well. Tocchet was as hard-nosed as they came and was the quintessential power forward of the game. The popular winger won a Stanley Cup with Pittsburgh, and though he played for six different teams throughout his career, he was always among the more popular. Tocchet did score a lot of points, but it may not have been enough to gain entry. Let’s hope that Rick Tocchet isn’t betting on his chances.

Was Kevin Stevens a superstar forward in the shadow of Mario Lemieux, or was he only a superstar because of Lemieux? Many asked that question as Kevin Stevens topped over 100 points twice and was among the league leaders. The answer may have been somewhere in between. Stevens may not have reached those plateaus without Mario, but he was far from a pylon either. By 1995, injuries had really slowed him down, and he went from superstar to salary liability seemingly overnight. His good years were very good, but there likely weren't enough of them to grant him entry.

One of the better offensive defensemen of the 1980s, Randy Carlyle saw his career take off when he got traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Carlyle won the coveted Norris Trophy in 1981 and was consistently among the top points performers amongst defensemen in the 80s. Carlyle’s career pinnacle may have been as a head coach when he led the Anaheim Ducks to their first Stanley Cup in 2007. It is possible that should they combine his efforts on both sides of the bench, Carlyle could receive a solid look from the Hall.

With a devastating wrist shot and smooth skating skills, Sergei Gonchar has quietly put together a very good career in professional hockey. Gonchar is a four-time All-Star and has had eight seasons with 50 points or more, which is very impressive for a defenseman. With over twenty campaigns in the National Hockey League, Gonchar had a great career, but without that elusive Norris Trophy, the Russian may not be considered for the Hall despite being a two-time Second Team All-Star. Perhaps his four All-Star Appearances and international play with Russia will assist his chances.

With the distinction of being the first ever Russian-born player to be drafted in the first round by a team in the National Hockey League, Alexei Kovalev did not disappoint. Kovalev would score over 1,000 Points in the NHL and is a winner of the Stanley Cup and a Gold Medal as a member of the 1992 Unified Team. The crafty forward was a three-time All-Star and would earn Second Team All-Star honors once in his career.

In terms of the history of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Jean Pronovost would make franchise history as the first player to score 100 Points and 50 Goals in a season.