The best team ever in the NHL is the '76-77 Canadiens. This is not a discussion whatsoever. 60-8-12 for 132 points. Lafleur wins the Hart, the Art Ross, Shutt leads the NHl in goals, Robinson wins the Norris, Dryden wins the Vezina. Plus this team sweeps a very good Bruins team in the Finals.
But the best team ever assembled is the 1976 Canada Cup team for Canada. I like the '87 Team with Gretzky and Lemieux but Vachon is no worse at the time than Fuhr, and the '76 defence kills the '87 one. The '87 team has Bourque, Coffey and Murphy. Pretty damn good. But after that its Patrick, Crossman, hartsburg and Rochefort. The '76 team has Orr, Robinson, Potvin, Lapointe, Savard and a seldom used Watson.
Then up front there's Gretzky, Lemieux, Messier, Gilmour, Hawerchuk, Goulet, Anderson, Propp, Sutter, Tocchet, C. Lemieux, Dineen
Compare that to '76. Lafleur, Clarke, Perreault, Sittler, Dionne, Barber, Hull, Esposito, Mahovolich, Leach, Shutt, McDonald, Martin, Gainey, Gare.
I mean the worst forward might be Gare. The guy had 50 goals that year. That says something. Gretzky and Lemieux were at or near their primes and no one on '76 is as good but Lafleur, Perreault, and Clarke were the best players in the game at the time. I'll take '76 over any team ever!