Its funny how Bure and Forsberg get so much more love on hfboards then Gretz ever will. The latter only broke 100 points twice, TWICE, and never got more than 30 goals. Most posters fawn over him like he was the greatest thing since slice bread, not even on the same level as Ovie. Bure cracked 100 points, TWICE. You want to talk goals, many consider Bure the "best" goal scorer next to Mike Bossy. Gretz beat Bure's peak two 60 goal seasons by 32, 11, 27, 13, and 2 while having four 50 goal seasons on top of that compared to Bure's 3, not including 60+ goal seasons. Gretzky had eleven 100 point seasons, just in assists alone. Twice as many 100 point seasons (including goals )as Bure and Forsberg COMBINED.
The explanation is simple, a lot of hfboards like flash, glitter and strobe lights type players. Gretzky, was no where near Forsberg or Bure type of flash. His ability to know where is teammates will be and opponents will be, has been unmatched, not even Crosby comes anywhere close to Gretzky ability to read the game. Gretz ability to just know where the puck will be, is unmatched (outside of Mario/Orr). Thats is boring, because you cant watch it unlike skating 100 mph and able to pull off Datsyuk dekes or hit everything in sight. No amount of almonds, vitamins, or hours on the treadmill will teach what Gretzky's mind was able to pick up. Its why the era vs era argument is pure hogwash.
Another thing that has only been matched by Mario and Orr, is his consistent passing ability. We have seen flashes of it with EK65 in the playoffs last year (the Bruins pass). Gretzky was pulling that off multiple times every night for a good stretch of his career in regular season and playoffs. Factor that in with his passing, you pretty much have a god on the ice.
In the 100 years of the NHL, the dozen or so "eras" played, only 1 player has cracked 200 points in a season... and he did it 4 times. That man is Gretzky. Mario was 1 point away, but 199 is not 200. Crosby, Mcdavid, Yzerman, Jagr, Orr, Howe, Richard, or EK75, have come no where near 200 points, and those are great players in their own right.