Best Pure Goal Scorers? Top 5?

[eric71*]

This has probably been posted before but I searched and didnt find anything, so here I go.

Im born in '92 so my knowledge of ancient hockey is very limited to simply readings and statistics, so I was wondering what the more educated fellow would say the Top 5 pure goal scorers of all time are?

My shot at it;

1. Bossy
2. M Richard
3. Brett Hull
4. P Esposito
5. Bobby Hull
(I avoided using the Great and Magnificent one just cuz Im to lazy to rank them both in)
This was just off the top of my head at 12AM .

Click to read more...

 

[TheDevilMadeMe]

What do you mean by "pure goal scorers?" Does that mean they have to be bad at everything else? Honestly, I hate the term because I can never figure out what it means.

Anyway, here is my attempt at a Top 5:

1) Bobby Hull
2) Gordie Howe
3) Mario Lemieux
4) Mike Bossy
5) Wayne Gretzky

HM: Maurice Richard, Phil Esposito, Brett Hull

Gretzky scored more goals than Bossy when they were both in the league, but something about Bossy seemed more "pure."

 

[Selanne08*]

Bure.

Bure.

Bure.

 

[Bill McCreary]

1. Mike Bossy
2. Bobby Hull
3. Mario Lemieux
4. Pavel Bure
5. Maxime Talbot

 

[Nalyd Psycho]

My top 5...

1. Charlie Conacher
2. Bobby Hull
3. Wayne Gretzky
4. Mario Lemieux
5. Gordie Howe

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

1. Rocket Richard
2. Bobby Hull
3. Mike Bossy
4. Cy Denneny
5. Pavel Bure

 

[Paxton Fettel]

Bossy
Bure
Ovechkin
Hull
Hull

 

[lextune]

Bossy: I believe that there is a a general consensus that Mike was the greatest pure goal scorer of all time.

Mario: Bossy's closest competition and a solid, stand alone, number two all time.

Esposito

Bobby Hull

Brett Hull

 

[Big Phil]

My top 5...

1. Charlie Conacher
2. Bobby Hull
3. Wayne Gretzky
4. Mario Lemieux
5. Gordie Howe

Interesting with Conacher in there. But when you think about it he's not out of place, although #1 might be a huge stretch. Conacher to his credit did lead the NHL in goals 5 times which is the same as Gretzky, Howe and Richard. Only Esposito and Bobby Hull did it more times

 

[Nalyd Psycho]

Interesting with Conacher in there. But when you think about it he's not out of place, although #1 might be a huge stretch. Conacher to his credit did lead the NHL in goals 5 times which is the same as Gretzky, Howe and Richard. Only Esposito and Bobby Hull did it more times

To me, pure means ignoring the injuries. And, from what I can gather, when Conacher was healthy, no one could score like him.

 

[Dark Shadows]

To me, pure means ignoring the injuries. And, from what I can gather, when Conacher was healthy, no one could score like him.

I have declined from making a list here specifically because of the title "Pure goal scorer"

Everyone seems to have their own definition of what "Pure" goal scorer means. Some people think like you, ignoring the injuries and going by goals per game, while others look to career numbers and longevity. Others seem to think it means goal scoring was their dominant trait and that their other attributes were far lesser(Thus eliminating Gretzky/Lemieux). Some people think it means guys who did it themselves without a playmaker helping(Bure), and others point to guys like Bossy, who could pound them home no matter who he was playing with.

I would like a concrete definition what what the original poster means by "Pure goal scorer"

If we are making a list regarding who is the "best" goalscorer, I am going to say Bobby Hull, first and foremost.

The guy has 7 goalscoring titles, 2 runner up's and a total of 12 top 5 finishes(One top 6) in 15 NHL seasons(Not counting his last season of 27 games after the WHA dissolved). In his peak, he was unmatched, and he likely would hold the career record had he not defected to the WHA and played in an era of low scoring and 70 games. The dominance over some of the runner up's in goal scoring was just phenomenal.

When he left for the WHA, he left finishing Runner up in goal scoring to Esposito and then tore it up at an equal pace in the WHA for several more seasons before injuries started taking their toll. 5 elite WHA seasons in which I think also would have been elite NHL seasons as far as Bobby Hull is concerned, albeit not as high scoring.

After him, in no particular order and for differing reasons would be Gretzky, Lemieux, Howe, Richard, Conacher, Esposito and Bossy

 

[Infinite Vision*]

1. Lemieux
2. Gretzky
3. Bobby Hull
4. Richard
5. Bossy

 

[Patrick96]

Bure

 

[TheSniper26]

For me, a pure goal scorer means a guy who can consistently score goals of any kind. Stressing the "any kind" bit. Not saying that should be the universal definition, but that's what it is for me. So going by that, it's an obvious toss up between Lemieux and Bossy. Those guys could beat you in every way possible. A guy like say, Bure, was great at floating around at center ice and finishing a beautiful breakaway. But was he going to crash and bang in front of the net and take punishment to score a goal? Eh, not so much. For me, the best goal scorer is the guy that is dangerous from any spot on the ice. Any time of the game, any situation.

 

[eric71*]

For me, a pure goal scorer means a guy who can consistently score goals of any kind. Stressing the "any kind" bit. Not saying that should be the universal definition, but that's what it is for me. So going by that, it's an obvious toss up between Lemieux and Bossy. Those guys could beat you in every way possible. A guy like say, Bure, was great at floating around at center ice and finishing a beautiful breakaway. But was he going to crash and bang in front of the net and take punishment to score a goal? Eh, not so much. For me, the best goal scorer is the guy that is dangerous from any spot on the ice. Any time of the game, any situation.

Agreed, couldnt have worded that better

 

[ForsbergForever]

For me, a pure goal scorer means a guy who can consistently score goals of any kind. Stressing the "any kind" bit. Not saying that should be the universal definition, but that's what it is for me. So going by that, it's an obvious toss up between Lemieux and Bossy. Those guys could beat you in every way possible. A guy like say, Bure, was great at floating around at center ice and finishing a beautiful breakaway. But was he going to crash and bang in front of the net and take punishment to score a goal? Eh, not so much. For me, the best goal scorer is the guy that is dangerous from any spot on the ice. Any time of the game, any situation.

Yes, but a guy like Dave Andreychuk didn't have the skills of a Bossy or Bure, who with their speed didn't need to sit in the crease waiting to tip in a rebound, it would be a waste of talent. The best of the "pure" goal scorers could have scored from anywhere (and often did) but chose to do so with some flair 'cause thats how they rolled. So, in no particular order:

1. Bossy
2. Bure
3. Richard
4. Bobby Hull
5. Lemieux
bonus:
6. Joe Malone

 

[Sega Dreamcast]

Brett Hull, Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, Maurice Richard, Bobby Hull

Ovechkin will definitely be on this list by the end of his career.

 

[TheSniper26]

- In 88-89, Lemieux puts up 85 goals in 76 games. A 92 goal pace.
- In 92-93, Lemieux has arguably the best single season performance by any player. 69g and 161pts... in 60 games. A 94g/219pt pace if not for the cancer.
- In 95-96, Lemieux puts up 69 goals in 70 games. An 81 goal pace.
- In 00-01, a 36 year old Lemieux scores 35 goals and 76 points in 43 games during the height of the defensive NHL. A 70g/150pt pace. Older and far out of his prime, he was still the best.

That's a goal scoring dominance that stretches from 88-01. The point being that what separates Lemieux from the rest of the pack is that, when healthy(for his standards), he was still an incredibly prolific goal scorer during the times when most everyone else saw a drop off. His game wasn't elevated by a certain type of hockey being played in a certain type of "era" as is the case for some others. He was so talented that he was the best no matter what kind of hockey was being played. For my money, there was nobody better at putting the puck in the net.

 

[kmart]

if u look at the numbers bure can not be compared to the HOF members on most of your lists, so why is he up there.

 

[bunjay]

- In 88-89, Lemieux puts up 85 goals in 76 games. A 92 goal pace.
- In 92-93, Lemieux has arguably the best single season performance by any player. 69g and 161pts... in 60 games. A 94g/219pt pace if not for the cancer.
- In 95-96, Lemieux puts up 69 goals in 70 games. An 81 goal pace.
- In 00-01, a 36 year old Lemieux scores 35 goals and 76 points during the height of the defensive NHL. A 70g/150pt pace. Older and far out of his prime, he was still the best.

That's a goal scoring dominance that stretches from 88-01. The point being that what separates Lemieux from the rest of the pack is that, when healthy(for his standards), he was still an incredibly prolific goal scorer during the times when most everyone else saw a drop off. His game wasn't elevated by a certain type of hockey being played in a certain type of "era" as is the case for some others. He was so talented that he was the best no matter what kind of hockey was being played. For my money, there was nobody better at putting the puck in the net.

 

[Pear Juice]

Bobby Hull, Mike Bossy, Mario Lemieux, Wayne Gretzky, Maurice Richard, Gordie Howe and Phil Esposito

I can't really decide for any order at all apart from Bobby being number 1 and Mario number 2.

 

[Zine]

Im born in '92 so my knowledge of ancient hockey is very limited to simply readings and statistics, so I was wondering what the more educated fellow would say the Top 5 pure goal scorers of all time are?

Ha! I just spit up my coffee after reading this.

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

if u look at the numbers bure can not be compared to the HOF members on most of your lists, so why is he up there.

Goals per game: 6th all-time regular season, 7th all-time playoffs.

Topic is pure goal scorers. Certainly he epitomizes most people's definition of that.

 

[Titan124]

Whatever list doesn't have Bossy= fail.

1. Bossy
2. Hull jr
3. Gretzky
4. Hull sr
5. Bure

 

[malkinfan]

Current list: Kovalchuk, OV, Heatly, Nash, Semin