Predicting the Hockey Hall of Fame’s class of 2023

This past weekend was a celebration of hockey history writ large as the 2022 Hockey Hall of Fame inductees were honoured for their contributions to the sport.

Daniel and Henrik Sedin headlined a class that also included Daniel Alfredsson, Roberto Luongo, Riikka Sallinen and the late Herb Carnegie. It’s a stellar class that stands out among the Hall’s illustrious history.

By its very nature, the Hall is an exclusive place and we’re going to look ahead to identify who may get inducted next year. The Hall still has an archaic rule in place, allowing a maximum of four men’s players and two women’s players per year. This is a prediction of next year’s class, and there were some tough cuts.

Alexander Mogilny

Mogilny’s omission from the Hall makes no sense. He scored prolifically in bunches at every level he played at, he’s a member of the Triple Gold Club (a Stanley Cup, IIHF World Championship and Olympic gold medal) and ranks 81st all-time with 1,032 points. For a history museum, it’s an affront to a pivotal era of hockey to ignore Mogilny, who became the first NHL draftee to defect from the former Soviet Union to play in North America. Without him, we simply may not have the influx of Russian players who have made their immeasurable impact on the league. Mogilny made the All-Star team six times and tied for the league lead with 76 goals during the 1992-93 season. It’s time for the Hall to correct their greatest oversight.

Henrik Lundqvist

Lundqvist headlines all first-year eligible players next year and he’s almost certainly a lock for 2023. An all-time legend for the New York Rangers, Lundqvist ranks sixth in career wins (459) and became the first goalie to post 11 30-win seasons during his first 12 years in the league. He was the best goaltender during the 2006 Olympics, leading Sweden to a gold medal, to go along…