(Ed. Note. What We Learned shall return next Monday. Here's Ryan Lambert on the Hockey Hall of Fame cases for several players.)

One of the most fun-slash-infuriating things to think about in this sport is which players belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame. Sometimes, it seems like they'll let just about anyone in (every third-line guy from the Canadiens of the late '50s), and other times an answer is so obvious that you can't believe it took that long for him to get in (Pavel Bure).

But the good part of that problem, if you want to call it “good” in the first place, is that it becomes a lot more difficult to guess who's going to make it in one day. That, in turn, sparks a good amount of debate as to who's going to make it. Here again, there are the slam-dunk players who are in the league right now — Pavel Datsyuk, Sidney Crosby, Jaromir Jagr, etc. — that “debating it” isn't worth your time.

But then there are the borderline cases, guys some would swear on a stack of bibles 100 percent belong to be immortalized in the Hall, while others would look at their names and scoff audibly. Here are the 10 current players whose current HHOF cases are most intriguing, ranked from least likely selection at No. 10, to most likely at No. 1.

10. Jason Spezza

The case against: I get the feeling that in seeing this list, people did that “scoffing audibly” thing I just talked about. Spezza has a reputation as a bit of a hanger-on, and a guy who's not all that durable. His teams have often been only okay, and only twice has he gotten out of the first round of the playoffs. Most people wouldn't consider him a top-10 center of his era.

The case for: His numbers are surprisingly great. As in, among players who were in the league through the end of last season, Spezza's points per game was sixth, at 1.002. That puts him behind only Crosby, Malkin, Ovechkin, Jagr, and Selanne. (His points per game in the playoffs? 0.93.) And despite the fact that it feels as though he's been in the league forever, he just turned 31 in June. Will his scoring slow down? Sure it will, but the chances that he breaks both 1,000 games and points seems quite high. He's a sneaky-dominant scorer for his era.

The verdict: I doubt he makes it, at least based on his current reputation and career, but it wouldn't be preposterous.

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9. Tim Thomas

The case against: A playing career of only 378 games across portions of just eight seasons, of which he was only dominant for four or five. Possibly a “product of the system” behind Claude Julien's meat-grinder defense in Boston. After all, look at what Tuukka Rask and any Boston backup has done since Julien took over. Also, kind of a jerk and no one in the league seems to like him much.

The case for: That thing about being dominant? He was absurdly dominant. From 2007-08 to 2011-12, his save percentage was the best in the league among goalies with at least 200 games. He won a Stanley Cup, he won two Vezinas, and his worst save percentage by far in that time was .915. He saved the Bruins a lot of goals.

The verdict: Obama broke him. His peak, high though it may have been, was entirely too brief.

8. Patrik Elias

The case against: Never have you ever been able to say “Patrik Elias is one of the best forwards in this league.” He's had just one season north of 90 points, and he's only 20th in active points per game. Doesn't score a ton, doesn't set up a ton. Another guy whose success might be seen as a “product of the system,” he's never even been the best player on his own team.

The case for: Patrik Elias has been very good for a very long time. He just completed a 53-point season in 65 games as a 37-year-old and basically seems ageless. He's won two Stanley Cups and could be seen as integral in both cases. Played the entire front half of his career on what is (perhaps unfairly) seen as a defense-first in the Dead Puck Era but still hangs around among the best active producers producers regardless.

The verdict: This guy is basically the perfect test case for Hall of Fame candidacy. I'd really doubt he gets in.

7. Sergei Gonchar

The case against: He's Russian. Also, a shell of what he used to be. Like Elias, you could never say Sergei Gonchar was one of the best blue liners in the league. The ability to stick around for a long time is not necessarily a Hall of Fame-worthy skill in and of itself.

Story continues