Best Power Forwards of All-Time...

[DitchMarner]

Other than Mr. Hockey himself...


In terms of ability to impose their will in games and overall impact at their best, whom would you call the best power forwards in history?

I assume most have Lindros at number one...

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[Chadstudsky]

Other than Mr. Hockey himself...


In terms of ability to impose their will in games and overall impact at their best, whom would you call the best power forwards in history?

I assume most have Lindros at number one...

Prime Lucic was also a beast

 

[MadLuke]

Peak Lindros is hard to beat, depend where that 2008-2010 Ovechkin making things happen on the ice get seen

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

For the complete package of scoring, hitting and fighting (yes you need to be good at all 3 to be a power forward), its Cam Neely then everyone else

 

[buffalowing88]

Neely is the definition of a power forward to me. I do think that Gary Roberts had the potential to get there but injuries took away basically two prime years for him. In his early years he was an animal, though.

 

[BenchBrawl]

Mess

 

[Davenport]

The Big "M" demonstrated in the playoffs of 1971 and 1973 that he was - virtually - unstoppable when he was "on."

 

[GMR]

Tim Duncan for me.

In hockey, the definition is too open to interpretation.

 

[BraveCanadian]

Messier, Neely, Stevens, Tocchet, Leclair, Clark, Gillies, Hextall, Cook, Iginla, Tkachuk, Shanahan.. history is littered with them up until recently.

 

[carjackmalone]

Prime Bertuzzi

 

[Gordon Lightfoot]

The Big "M" demonstrated in the playoffs of 1971 and 1973 that he was - virtually - unstoppable when he was "on."

Today I learned that was the nickname of Frank Mahovlich!

 

[BenchBrawl]

Tim Duncan for me.

In hockey, the definition is too open to interpretation.

This isn't the NBA forum.

Don't know what it is with all this Basketball talk spilling over this board last few years.

 

[The Panther]

Depends on who you consider a "power forward" (undefinable term), but if Eric Lindros is one, then probably him at his prime.

Lindros won the scoring title, was capable of multiple 100+point seasons, could score 40+ goals, and was a top passer/playmaker (which guys like Neely and Bertuzzi were not).

Messier was mentioned. He seems too much a puck-carrying skater and finesse player to be what people think of as a "power forward", but if you include him, then yes, in his prime, he'd be top.

 

[Michael Farkas]

Lindros... was a top passer/playmaker

I think this overstates it a bit (or more), actually.

 

[Regal]

Tim Duncan for me.

In hockey, the definition is too open to interpretation.

It was open for interpretation in the NBA too since he was essentially a center after Robinson left but kept insisting he was a power forward.

 

[JackSlater]

Based on excluding Howe then yeah I'd say it is clearly Lindros. Historically the window for these players to even exist is pretty narrow, mainly the 80s-2000s. Benn seems like the last of these players at the top level.

Duncan was a centre for pretty much most of his career, but shamelessly insisted on being called a power forward so that he could be called the greatest ever at his position, since at centre he had no chance. It would be like McDavid insisting on being labelled as a LW, which he does function as sometimes, so that he can maybe go down as the best ever in that spot.

 

[GMR]

It was open for interpretation in the NBA too since he was essentially a center after Robinson left but kept insisting he was a power forward.

It was open for interpretation in the NBA too since he was essentially a center after Robinson left but kept insisting he was a power forward.

He was a PF during his greatest period of productivity.

 

[JianYang]

Some of these guys don't have the longevity, and assuming that is in part because of their style, but if lindros qualifies, I think it's him.

Centers usually don't fall in the realm of a power forward, but i dont think I've seen a player as physically imposing and dominant as lindros in his short lived peak.

 

[Davenport]

If Jean Beliveau were here, I bet he'd mention Bert Olmstead. His being from Saskatchewan - Sceptre - tells you he was tough. He had more PIM than games played. Olmstead was one of the greatest cornermen in the history of the NHL, for the Hawks, Habs and Leafs. His best seasons were in Montreal, where he led the league in assists in 1954-55 and 1955-56. With Bert in the corner, Beliveau would go to the front of the net, and wait for the pinpoint pass which inevitably would come. Olmstead didn't score a lot of goals precisely because he was always in the corners and behind the net. His one 20-goal season came as a rookie in Chicago.

 

[MVP of West Hollywd]

Duncan was a centre for pretty much most of his career, but shamelessly insisted on being called a power forward so that he could be called the greatest ever at his position, since at centre he had no chance. It would be like McDavid insisting on being labelled as a LW, which he does function as sometimes, so that he can maybe go down as the best ever in that spot.

While this probably isn't the thread for a basketball discussion, I'm not really against the Duncan PF label personally, he was genuinely PF for like half his prime to me. Some of it is landing on a team with a star center but the same can be true of Bird where I think if he didn't end up with McHale he would be known as a PF.

 

[Boxscore]

Eric Lindros at his best was the second greatest power forward ever, behind Gordie. Neely, Messier, and Shanahan round out the Top-5, imho. I don't classify guys like Ovechkin and Beliveau as "power forwards" to be honest.

 

[Hobnobs]

Lindros, Ovechkin, Shanahan, Messier and Tocchet is probably my personal top-5 after Howe though it depends on if Rocket Richard should be regarded as a PF or not.

 

[The Panther]

Lindros, Ovechkin, Shanahan, Messier and Tocchet is probably my personal top-5 after Howe though it depends on if Rocket Richard should be regarded as a PF or not.

Good point. None of us saw the Rocket play in his prime (unless you regularly saw the Habs in the 1940s), so we can't really say.

I do think, though, that the Rocket was the #1 bad-ass.

 

[Boxscore]

Lindros, Ovechkin, Shanahan, Messier and Tocchet is probably my personal top-5 after Howe though it depends on if Rocket Richard should be regarded as a PF or not.

Tocchet. What a player that guy was.

 

[Ghetty Green]

My favorite, Iginla