Now that it looks like Chris Osgood is officially ending his career as a professional hockey player, the debate on his worthiness for the Hall of Fame will begin in earnest with people coming down firmly on both sides of the issue.
Why he shouldn't be in the Hall:
He was never one of the three best goaltenders in the league, at least not for an extended period of time. He was overshadowed by goalies like Dominik Hasek, Patrick Roy, Ed Belfour, Ryan Miller, and others. Other than a couple of Jennings awards, which is a team award, he never won an individual award, and was only named to an All Star team three times in his career. He also spent most of his career playing for elite teams in Detroit where he was more of a passenger than a driving force in their success. Simply put, he doesn't pass the eye test, and the Hall of Fame should be reserved for only the best of the best. After all it's the Hall of FAME not the Hall of Really Good.
Why he should be in the Hall:
Most goalies in the Hall of Fame played on great teams, and all of them spent at least a good chunk of their career on good teams. Goalies simply don't put up wins or good numbers consistently if they play on bad teams. 401 wins, 50 shutouts, a 2.58 GAA, and a .905 save % compares favorably to the other goalies in the Hall. He didn't have the name of some of the other players like Hasek and Roy, but Osgood beat Roy and stepped in for Hasek when his game fell apart and outperformed him.
Too many people remember Osgood as the rookie crying in the locker room after the Sharks knocked the Wings out of the playoffs, and the goals from center ice. Not enough people remember the way that he always came back and upped his play after a bad goal or a bad game. We talk about mental toughness a lot, this guys struggles in the playoffs because he doesn't have it, this guy comes up big because he does have it. Osgood had it. In 129 playoff games, he posted a 2.09 GAA, .916 save % and shutout 15 teams. That's a better GAA and shutout per game ratio than Roy had, and compares to Hasek Brodeur, the three best goalies of Osgood's era. Individual awards are often won partly by reputation, and it's no shame to be the 4th best goalie over the course of your career when you're behind those players.
Was Steve Yzerman's accomplishments diminished because he was behind Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux most of his career? Would he have had the success and accolades that came later in his career if the trade with Ottawa had gone through? Of course not, and Osgood shouldn't be knocked down because he played on good teams. In both the '08 and '09 playoffs, Osgood was consistently one of the best players on the ice for both teams.
The argument that he doesn't meet the standards that the Hall should have doesn't hold water either. Other players who don't meet the eyeball test and who were carried by great teams (Glenn Anderson) and didn't win any individual awards (Dino Ciccarelli) have made it.
Osgood's numbers and accomplishments compare favorable to the people already in it. He will join them some day.
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