Poachers

[TheMoreYouKnow]

In soccer, there is a group of forwards that people call "poachers". The name's origin can be easily explained by describing a typical poacher goal: A player makes a dazzling run into the box and takes a lovely shot, only for it to be deflected by the goalkeeper, a defender or the goalpost and fall right in front of a forward who is all too happy to score the easy goal.

Forwards like this tend to not be particularly skillful or great at any one aspect of the game, they could be big or small, fast or slow, quite often somewhere in the middle. If they are particularly good at anything it's being in the right place at the right time and being able to get a shot off in tight spots. Haters call it luck, some may call it a lethal instinct for goals, others may call it a keen knowledge of all the tricks in the bag of a forward and a sense for how plays develop.

Assuming such a group of players exists in hockey, who would be the best "poachers" in NHL history? Do not confuse this with power forwards who have their own skill-set that they are great at, but rather players who do not seem to be that great on their own terms but seem to manage to get goals on savvy and timing.

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[TheDevilMadeMe]

Basically, you're talking about guys who got lots of "garbage goals" from rebounds and the like? Gordie Drillon, Dave Andreychuk, and Luc Robitaille come to mind. Dino Ciccarelli, but he brought more grit so he might not count.

 

[CharlestownChiefsESC]

This conversation starts and ends with Phil Esposito

 

[Passchendaele]

Dany Heatley circa 2006?

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

tim kerr was always there to put the garbage into the can.

 

[TheDevilMadeMe]

This conversation starts and ends with Phil Esposito

I purposely didn't list him because the OP specifically said not to include guys who had other noticable skills, and Espo was huge and incredibly strong on his skates, and also was also a good passer, from what I've gathered. But yes, he is the king of garbage goals.

 

[KingGallagherXI]

Kevin Stevens anyone?
Adam Graves maybe?

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

I purposely didn't list him because the OP specifically said not to include guys who had other noticable skills, and Espo was huge and incredibly strong on his skates, and also was also a good passer, from what I've gathered. But yes, he is the king of garbage goals.

now that i've read the OP more carefully, kerr doesn't really count too. he was fantastic at deflections, was a great faceoff man for a winger, and he could fight.

maybe if we don't count deflections as a skill, then i would add ryan smyth or andy brunette? those guys, especially brunette, you watch them and they just don't look like goal scorers. but as a canucks fan, i've seen both of those guys score more goals than i can count.

does screening the goalie count as a skill? holmstrom also comes to mind.

robitaille might be the king of this thread, scoring so many goals for a guy with no wheels or any discernible ability to create space for himself. but then he also had a wicked release so maybe he doesn't count either?

 

[Hasbro]

Ray Sheppard

 

[TheMoreYouKnow]

now that i've read the OP more carefully, kerr doesn't really count too. he was fantastic at deflections, was a great faceoff man for a winger, and he could fight.

maybe if we don't count deflections as a skill, then i would add ryan smyth or andy brunette? those guys, especially brunette, you watch them and they just don't look like goal scorers. but as a canucks fan, i've seen both of those guys score more goals than i can count.

does screening the goalie count as a skill? holmstrom also comes to mind.

robitaille might be the king of this thread, scoring so many goals for a guy with no wheels or any discernible ability to create space for himself. but then he also had a wicked release so maybe he doesn't count either?

I don't know if I'd count Holmstrom because of how methodical the Wings are about it, it's not really opportunism on Holmstrom's part, the screening is just his job in the strategy.

I do think Robitaille would count here.

 

[Canadiens1958]

O6 Era

Camille Henry from the O6 era had a knack for finding the opening during especially power plays for rebounds and deflections.

Later, there were players like Gilbert Dionne, Jason Dawe who if put on the ice with experienced playmaking centers like Denis Savard would have temporary success.

 

[tarheelhockey]

This is a bit of an obscure reference, but at the ECHL level Phil Berger became legendary in the 1990s for putting up goal-per-game seasons of pure garbage.

http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=344

 

[weaponomega]

Dave Andreychuk and Ryan Smyth come to mind.

 

[Bryz4shiz]

As far as recent players I feel like Mike Knuble is a pretty good example

 

[KingGallagherXI]

Rick Tocchet

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

I purposely didn't list him because the OP specifically said not to include guys who had other noticable skills, and Espo was huge and incredibly strong on his skates, and also was also a good passer, from what I've gathered. But yes, he is the king of garbage goals.

Leading the NHL in assists 3 times and coming in 2nd 4 times, I guess you could say he was a good passer.

Not a poucher.

Remember, Espo would lead the league in shots on goal also, so he wasn't just tapping in rebounds. Most of his goals came from the mid to high slot.