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.

From the Original Six, Sid Smith was a consistent star for the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 50’s. Smith was a solid 20-goal scorer (a big deal for that era), but it always seemed that whenever Smith would put the puck in the net, it would be in pivotal situations. Although he was a clutch goal scorer, his gentlemanly play, which while respected, did not exactly make him stand out. Had he been able to do so, the multiple-time All-Star would have had a much better shot at induction.

Although the career of Sean Burke was a long and prosperous one, it can be argued that he didn’t live up to the overall expectations that he came with when he entered the National Hockey League. Burke was a star for the Canadian National Team. Many thought that his first NHL team (New Jersey) would go only as far as Burke could take them, and though it did not prove to be true, Burke proved to be a very good goaltender early in his career. Burke would last twenty years in the NHL, and although he tallied over 300 wins, his overall record showed more losses than victories. Throw in the fact that he played for nine teams in the National Hockey League, and you may have the career of the most outstanding journeyman goalie of all time. Journeyman and Hall of Fame are not precisely synonymous.

A part of the Edmonton Oilers “Kid Line” (With Joe Murphy and Martin Gelinas), Adam Graves was part of the successful tonic that gave the Oilers their last Stanley Cup in 1990. It was, however, when Graves signed with the Rangers that he was removed from the checking line and was able to show what kind of sniper he could be. Graves was a vital cog in the Rangers' 1994 Stanley Cup run and reached the elusive 50-goal plateau that season. Graves may have been known as one of hockey’s “Good Guys” as his efforts to give back to the community are well-documented. Although Graves was a reliable scorer, he likely lacked the overall points total to make the Hall.