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Five players who should join Mike Fisher and make an NHL comeback

Steven Psihogios
What are those chants you hear wafting through Music City? Oh, just the sound of ecstatic fans welcoming Mike Fisher back to the Nashville Predators.
What are those chants you hear wafting through Music City? Oh, just the sound of ecstatic fans welcoming Mike Fisher back to the Nashville Predators.

This past Wednesday, Mike Fisher announced that he will return to the National Hockey League to rejoin the Nashville Predators. After Fisher came out with this announcement, it became fair to wonder, “what other players would make for a good NHL comeback story”? With that in mind, here are the top 5 players that we’d love to see playing in the NHL again.

Ice Hockey – Kladno Knights training – Kladno, Czech Republic – February 1, 2018. Kladno Knights’ Jaromir Jagr during training. REUTERS/Stringer
Ice Hockey – Kladno Knights training – Kladno, Czech Republic – February 1, 2018. Kladno Knights’ Jaromir Jagr during training. REUTERS/Stringer

5. Jaromir Jagr

It’s only been three days since Jagr cleared waivers and announced he would be joining HC Kladno, but NHL fans are already mourning the loss of the NHL legend. Let’s face it, the NHL is a much better place when the mullet is roaming around the rink. Keep in mind that it was only just last year when he scored 16 goals and recorded 46 points. H’s also the best chance there is at topping Wayne Gretzky’s all-time points record, sitting a cool 943 points back of the Great One, and he can’t top that record playing overseas. Jagr has returned to the NHL before, and a proper salute to end his NHL career would only be fitting for a true legend.

Dave Andreychuk, Teemu Selanne and Danielle Goyette were among those inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame on Friday. Selanne says he is humbled to share the honour with the rest of the class of 2017.
Dave Andreychuk, Teemu Selanne and Danielle Goyette were among those inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame on Friday. Selanne says he is humbled to share the honour with the rest of the class of 2017.

4. Teemu Selanne

Recently inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, the Finnish Flash had an unbelievable NHL career. Selanne was an instant star in the NHL, scoring a record 76 goals in his rookie season with the Winnipeg Jets. What would be better than Selanne returning to where it all began with the Jets poised to make a deep postseason push? A top line of Laine, Scheifele and Selanne, anyone? Plus, Selanne never topped the 76 goals he scored in his rookie season, so it would be great to see him give it another shot. Would it be possible? Very unlikely, but it would still be cool to see Teemu skate in an NHL rink once more.

FILE PHOTO: Dec 8, 2014; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Blues goalie Martin Brodeur (30) kisses the back of his helmet before the game between the St. Louis Blues and the Florida Panthers at Scottrade Center. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Dec 8, 2014; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Blues goalie Martin Brodeur (30) kisses the back of his helmet before the game between the St. Louis Blues and the Florida Panthers at Scottrade Center. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports/File Photo

3. Martin Brodeur

The best goalie in NHL history, statistically speaking, Martin Brodeur was a true treat to watch for hockey fans. The pad-stacking phenom is one of the few players in the game’s history that actually changed the way hockey is played with the addition of the Brodeur Rule, which limits where goalies are allowed to handle the puck on the ice. He’s the all-time leader in wins, shutouts, and goals scored by a goalie, so why not quit the rental car commercials and come back and make those records even harder to beat? Especially the goals scored by a goalie record.

NEW YORK, NY – SEPTEMBER 11: NHL player Martin St. Louis participates in Annual Charity Day hosted by Cantor Fitzgerald, BGC and GFI at Cantor Fitzgerald on September 11, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images for Cantor Fitzgerald)
NEW YORK, NY – SEPTEMBER 11: NHL player Martin St. Louis participates in Annual Charity Day hosted by Cantor Fitzgerald, BGC and GFI at Cantor Fitzgerald on September 11, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images for Cantor Fitzgerald)

2. Martin St. Louis

St. Louis spent 13 seasons in Tampa Bay and is the franchise’s all-time leading scorer with 953 points in 972 games. The prolific forward was a trail blazer in the NHL with his diminutive stature and his lightning quick speed (pun fully intended). St. Louis paved the way for players such as Johnny Gaudreau, Mats Zuccarello and Mitch Marner to become strong NHL players. St. Louis demonstrated that there is a place in the game for smaller players, while also bringing to the table one of the most entertaining brands of hockey during his time in the league. While St. Louis retired in 2014-15 with the New York Rangers, he did finish that campaign with 52 points. Considering that St. Louis recorded at least 50 points in his 12 previous NHL seasons, it would be fair to wonder if St. Louis could still lace up the skates and contribute in today’s league.

Russian forward Pavel Datsyuk is in action during the exhibition ice hockey game between Russia and Belarus in Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2018. Pavel Datsyuk will serve as team captain for the “Olympic Athletes from Russia” hockey team at the Pyeongchang Games. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)
Russian forward Pavel Datsyuk is in action during the exhibition ice hockey game between Russia and Belarus in Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2018. Pavel Datsyuk will serve as team captain for the “Olympic Athletes from Russia” hockey team at the Pyeongchang Games. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

1. Pavel Datsyuk

Something a lot of people forget about Pavel Datsyuk is that he didn’t actually leave the NHL as a member of the Detroit Red Wings, but actually as a member of the Arizona Coyotes when he was traded to the team in a salary dump trade. Now, does that sound like a proper ending to a career of a guy nicknamed “The Magic Man?” Definitely not. Datsyuk was far and away the most creative and skilled player in the NHL during his prime, and he’s still averaging almost a point a game (35 points in 37 games) with St. Petersburg SKA in the KHL. Factoring in that Datsyuk only played one season with 3-on-3 overtime, totalling just a little more than 22 minutes of 3-on-3 hockey, NHL fans certainly deserve more Datsyuk. Just think about the magic man and all of that open space.

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