Imagine what we would have seen for a career if his knees hadn't betrayed him. I only got to see him 2 times at the old barn. Both times he was just so dominant on the ice that he looked like a man amongst boys. What I remember most vividly is how absolutely strong and smooth he looked while skating with the puck. It looked like nobody could take it away and very few were interested in taking the body with him. They knew the price would be stiff...

I'd rank them Gretzky, Howe and Orr as the best three, and in that order...

I am not a huge fan of relying too heavily on the +/- ratings to determine the value of a player. But it is one good indicator in making evaluations. The huge + numbers are always impressive but some - numbers aren't always a true indicator. For example, the checking line guys are always playing against the best scorers of the other team. As such, a -5 at the end of the season may be damned impressive.