Edmonton Oilers Mount Rushmore

[GFS]

Detroit was skipped because it was done a year ago

Anaheim Teemu Selanne Paul Kariya Ryan Getzlaf J-S Giguere	ARI/WPG Shane Doan Dale Hawerchuk Keith Tkachuk Teemu Selanne	Boston Bobby Orr Ray Bourque Eddie Shore Phil Esposito
Buffalo Dominik Hasek Gilbert Perreault Ryan Miller Pat LaFontaine	Calgary Jarome Iginla Al MacInnis Lanny McDonald Miikka Kiprusoff	CAR/HAR Ron Francis Rod Brind'Amour Eric Staal Cam Ward
Chicago Stan Mikita Bobby Hull Tony Esposito Patrick Kane	COL/QUE Joe Sakic Peter Forsberg Patrick Roy Peter Stastny	Columbus Rick Nash Sergei Bobrovsky Zach Werenski Cam Atkinson
DAL/MIN Mike Modano Sergei Zubov Jere Lehtinen Ed Belfour	Detroit Gordie Howe Steve Yzerman Nicklas Lidstrom Ted Lindsay

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[Soundwave]

It's kind of hard to do, I went Gretzky, Messier, Smyth, McDavid only because Gretzky/Messier you have to have, Smyth represents the post-Gretzky era and then McDavid is probably the 2nd best talent to play for the team and represents the modern era. Maybe Ryan Smyth shouldn't be there, and then the next one up would be Paul Coffey, but that was my logic.

 

[Puckstuff]

Gretzky, McDavid, Messier, Coffey with an HM to Kurri is just insane.

 

[Dempsey]

Gretzky, Messier, McDavid, and then it got harder and I took Fuhr to have a non-forward and it was close enough in my eyes to justify the decision. Maybe should have been Coffey or Kurri, you really can't go wrong.

 

[Highmarker]

It's kind of hard to do, I went Gretzky, Messier, Smyth, McDavid only because Gretzky/Messier you have to have, Smyth represents the post-Gretzky era and then McDavid is probably the 2nd best talent to play for the team and represents the modern era. Maybe Ryan Smyth shouldn't be there, and then the next one up would be Paul Coffey, but that was my logic.

This was my exact line of thinking as well

 

[zar]

Wow. This is tough!

3 obvious ones and the 4th one is a toss up of about 5 guys.

Locks:
Gretzky
Messier
McDavid

Toss up:
Anderson
Coffey
Draisaitl
Fuhr
Kurri
Smyth

… if you made me pick today, I’d probably go Kurri. By the end of his career, it could very well be Draisaitl.

 

[Regal]

Gretzky, Messier, McDavid seem obvious at this point. I get the no cups for McDavid, but he’s too good and has already been there almost 500 games (and will pass Coffey this year barring significant injury).

After that, Coffey, Fuhr, Kurri and Draisaitl probably all have a case. Anderson is close, but I’d say would be clearly behind the first three among dynasty players. Just not the same peak level. Maybe Ryan Smyth could be considered as well for longevity, fan support and a different era of the team, but I struggle putting someone so far behind the others in actual ability on there.

I ended up going Kurri because he had more years of significance than the others and was a big part of all 5 cups, whereas Coffey was only there for 3 and Fuhr didn’t play a game in the 5th. Draisaitl might get there, particularly if the team wins a cup with him, but I don’t think he’s far enough away from Kurri in ability to make up for fewer seasons and the significant playoff success difference so far.

 

[Steven Toast]

Surprised Coffey is beating out Kurri TBH. Kurri had a longer stint with the Oilers. All time leader in playoff goals with 92. Lead the postseason in goals for 4 of the Oilers cups including for an NHL record 19 one year.

 

[centipede2233]

Surprised Coffey is beating out Kurri TBH. Kurri had a longer stint with the Oilers. All time leader in playoff goals with 92. Lead the postseason in goals for 4 of the Oilers cups including for an NHL record 19 one year.

I’m not, he won 3 norris trophies, which trumps whatever kurri did as a winger.

5 cups to kurri’s 4 as well. Nothing against kurri, coffey is more of a legend to me

 

[Steven Toast]

I’m not, he won 3 norris trophies, which trumps whatever kurri did as a winger.

5 cups to kurri’s 4 as well. Nothing against kurri, coffey is more of a legend to me

This is about what the players did as Oilers.

Coffey won 2 Norris trophies with the Oilers and 3 cups. He was only around for half the dynasty years.

Kurri won a retroactive rocket, probably should have won a Selke or two, and 5 cups (not 4...) in Edmonton. And again is the best Oilers post season scorer ever. He had a significantly longer career as an Oiler and contributed more to the franchise.

 

[centipede2233]

This is about what the players did as Oilers.

Coffey won 2 Norris trophies with the Oilers and 3 cups. He was only around for half the dynasty years.

Kurri won a retroactive rocket, probably should have won a Selke or two, and 5 cups (not 4...) in Edmonton. And again is the best Oilers post season scorer ever. He had a significantly longer career as an Oiler and contributed more to the franchise.

Right I keep forgetting this is just based on oiler years. You make sound arguments, likely could go either way, Coffey is the bigger name. No sleight to kurri

 

[Ratelleitlikeitis]

Off topic but where was the Detroit vote? Alex Delvecchio needed my vote over Terrible Ted.

 

[PeteEakins]

Gretz, Mess, Connor, Lowe.

Lowe
The original Oiler.
First draft Pick in franchise history, first goal in franchise history, player-coach-GM-VP Hockey Operations.
Hockey Hall of Famer
Kevin Lowe is Mr. Oiler.

 

[snipes]

Gretzky, Messier, McDavid, Kurri

Coffey would have been my 5th.

Went Kurri over Coffey due to longevity and being the Oilers all time lead playoff goal scorer. He’s also 3rd all time in playoff scoring behind only Gretzky and Messier.

The thing people forget about Kurri was how elite defensively he was as well.

 

[bobholly39]

To me there are actually only 2 obvious names - Gretzky and Messier.

Im torn between McDavids obvious superior ability and Coffey and Kurri because of the dynasty years. I think it's actually closer than people are thinking.

In the end I went Gretzky/Messier/McDavid/Coffey

 

[Puckclektr]

96% for Gretzky shows you just how much credibility “polls” have.

 

[Boreal01]

Gretzky, Messier, McDavid, Fuhr

 

[biturbo19]

I...don't even know where to go with this one. There are too many good options. You're kinda split over two eras. The "Winning Era" of the City of Champions. And then there's the new kids who haven't won squat for team accolades with McDavey and Drasaitl. It's too easy to just pick the winners, but the two current guys also very much deserve to be recognized.

 

[Nasti]

Until McDavid helps the Oilers win a cup or two, it makes no sense for the four players not to be from the dynasty years.

 

[Fourier]

It's kind of hard to do, I went Gretzky, Messier, Smyth, McDavid only because Gretzky/Messier you have to have, Smyth represents the post-Gretzky era and then McDavid is probably the 2nd best talent to play for the team and represents the modern era. Maybe Ryan Smyth shouldn't be there, and then the next one up would be Paul Coffey, but that was my logic.

It would be very hard for me to see Smyth over either Coffey or Kurri. Honestly, the next guy in line for me after McDavid if you wanted a post Gretzky Era player would be Leon. Smyth was a heart and soul kind of guy but he was never as impactful as any of these others unless you place huge weight on longevity with the team. Leon has matched Smyth's Oiler production in 400+ fewer games.

For me the 4th choice came down to Coffey, Kurri or Leon. I chose Coffey but if you ask me this question 5 years from now, I am pretty sure the answer would be Leon.

Until McDavid helps the Oilers win a cup or two, it makes no sense for the four players not to be from the dynasty years.

Sure it does. McDavid has had an immense impact on the franchise. Second only to Gretzky in my mind.

 

[Fourier]

Surprised Coffey is beating out Kurri TBH. Kurri had a longer stint with the Oilers. All time leader in playoff goals with 92. Lead the postseason in goals for 4 of the Oilers cups including for an NHL record 19 one year.

I chose Coffey because I think his presence early in the 80's was extremely vital in allowing the team to play the way they did with success. Had he not been there I am not so sure the experiment would have worked as well. Coffey was an absolute integral part of the early team's ability to simply overwhelm the opposition. He was also amazing to watch live. But Kurri is an absolutely legitimate choice.

 

[Xspyrit]

Gretzky, McDavid, Messier, Coffey

That shouldn't be much of a debate

 

[JackSlater]

I went with Gretzky, Messier, McDavid, and Smyth. I do not take the mount Rushmore concept to be about listing the four best players. Gretzky is the best and most important player in franchise history, Messier represents the era immediately after Gretzky, Smyth represents the Oilers of the late 90s and 2000s, and McDavid is the recent era. Kurri, Fuhr, and Coffey are all quite deserving as well.

 

[Tufted Titmouse]

Gretzky, McDavid, Messier, Coffey

That shouldn't be much of a debate

Kurri < Coffey is certainly debateable

 

[Xspyrit]

Kurri < Coffey is certainly debateable

Kurri's argument is that he played longer. But Coffey's peak with the Oilers was incredible. They nearly had the same PPG and :

Coffey in 6 seasons :

Norris finishes : 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 5
Hart finishes : 4, 10, 15

Kurri in 10 seasons :

Selke finishes : 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 10
Hart finishes : 14

Kurri was all kind of elite but he played on Gretzky's wing in the highest scoring era. Not saying playing with Gretzky also didn't help Coffey