The New Jersey Devils had their most important player represented on the NHL's Quarter Century Team. Martin Brodeur was named the top goalie for this particular team. He was the only New Jersey Devils player who was on the list, which was fan-voted and had a ton of flaws. For one, the team has six goals and just three defensemen. That's a wild roster construction by the fans. Also, one of the defensemen is Cale Makar, who is still incredibly young, while Erik Karlsson is not on the list.
The biggest snub on the list is probably Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov. The former MVP did not get the just he deserves on this team. However, another snub is definitely Patrik Elias.
The Devils' legend had more than 1,000 points in his career, which was mostly after the turn of the century. He was really good in the regular season, but he was especially great in the postseason. In the 2000 Stanley Cup Playoffs, where the Devils kicked off the century with a Stanley Cup championship, Elias had seven goals and a league-leading 13 assists. His most important assist came in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final, when he went into the corner and found Jason Arnott open in front for the Cup-winning goal in overtime.
Elias took it up a notch in 2001, putting up nine goals and 14 assists in the playoffs. Putting up close-to a point per game in the playoffs is incredibly impressive, especially in the pre-lockout era. Elias was an elite scorer and still amazing on the defensive side.
Yet, despite his prowess when it mattered most, which also includes a 2003 Stanley Cup championship, Elias hasn't been able to sniff the Hall of Fame. His analytics are amazing, and his counting numbers are where they need to be. Where the issues arise is a familiar tune. Elias never got the right coverage because the Devils were considered a defensive team.
Despite being so great on both ends of the ice, Elias never even sniffed the Selke Trophy. His best finish was eighth in 2001, and he only received votes in four separate seasons. Elias just wasn't appreciated in his time, and that unappreciation continues today.
Patrik Elias was likely not considered for the NHL's Quarter Century Team
When the NHL announced the pre-2000s players on the Quarter Century Team, some are the best of the best. This includes Jarome Iginla, Joe Sakic, Teemu Selanne, and Joe Thornton. All are deserving players, but Elias should be on the list, too.
As this was fan-voted, there will always be a grain of salt when discussing the list, but if Elias made his way on the team, it likely would have helped his Hall of Fame candidacy. Voters are paying attention to who the fans are talking about, and if there was a HOF snub on this list, it would be a discussion point.
Instead, Elias will likely see his candidacy fade into oblivion as more star players become eligible. It's not publicly available to see where he is in terms of votes, but we'd imagine he's falling down the list every year. This shows he's not well regarded, and that's bad news for his candidacy.