Top 5 NHL Player Regular Seasons of the 1990s! (skaters only)

[The Panther]

Just for fun, what would be your top-5 player seasons of the 1990s? Let's ignore goaltenders, as I personally find it too difficult to compare. So, skaters only.

Then, this is for regular seasons only. Let's ignore playoffs. We're looking at 80-84 game regular seasons in isolation here. (You can personally decide how much a player's missing games contributes, or not, to his lowered ranking.)

By "1990s", I am going to include 1990-91 through 1999-00 (ten seasons), which I think is the more technically correct way to do it.

So, here are some obvious candidates to start you off:

1990-91
Wayne Gretzky: 164 points (41G + 122A), +30, Team 1st place, scoring race 1st, 1st team All Star
Brett Hull: 131 points (86G + 45A), +23, Team 2nd place, scoring race 2nd, 1st team All Star, Hart trophy
Ray Bourque: 94 points (21G + 73A), +33, Team 1st place, 1st team All Star, Norris trophy
Adam Oates [only 61 GP]: 115 points (25G + 90A) +15, Team 2nd place, 2nd in points-per-game, 2nd team All Star

1991-92
Mario Lemieux [only 64 GP]: 131 points (44G + 87A), +27, scoring race 1st, 2nd team All Star
Brian Leetch: 102 points (22G + 80A), +25, Team 1st overall, 1st team All Star, Norris trophy

1992-93
Mario Lemieux [only 60 GP]: 160 points (69G + 91A), +55, Team 1st overall, scoring race 1st, 1st team All Star, Hart trophy
Pat Lafontaine: 148 points (53G + 95A), +11, scoring race 2nd, 2nd team All Star
Adam Oates: 142 points (45G + 97A), +15, Team 1st place, scoring race 3rd
Teemu Selänne: 132 points (76G + 56A), +8, scoring race 5th, 1st team All Star, Calder
Alex Mogilny: 127 points (76G + 51A), +7, 2nd team All Star
Doug Gilmour: 127 points (32G + 95A), +32, Selke trophy

1993-94
Sergei Fedorov: 120 points (56G + 64A), +48, Team 1st place, scoring race 2nd, 1st team All Star, Hart trophy, Selke trophy
Ray Bourque: 91 points (20G + 71A), +26, Team 2nd place, 1st team All Star, Norris trophy

1995
Eric Lindros: 70 points (29G + 41A), +27, Team 1st place, 1st team All Star, scoring race 1st, Hart trophy
Jaromír Jágr: 70 points (32G + 38A), +23, Team 2nd place, scoring race 1st, 1st team All Star

1995-96
Mario Lemieux [only 70 GP]: 161 points (69G + 92A), +10, Team 1st place, scoring race 1st, 1st team All Star, Hart trophy
Jaromír Jágr: 149 points (62G + 87A), +31, Team 1st place, scoring race 2nd, 1st team All Star
Chris Chelios: 72 points (14G + 58A), +25, Team 2nd place, 1st team All Star, Norris trophy

1996-97
Mario Lemieux: 122 points (50G + 72A), +27, Team 2nd place, scoring race 1st, 1st team All Star
Teemu Selänne: 109 points (51G + 58A), +28, scoring race 2nd, 1st team All Star
Jaromír Jágr [only 63 GP]: 95 points (47G + 48A), +22, 3rd points per game

1997-98
Jaromír Jágr: 102 points (35G + 67A), +17, Team 1st place, scoring race 1st, 1st team All Star

1998-99
Jaromír Jágr: 127 points (44G + 83A), +17, scoring race 1st, 1st team All Star, Hart trophy
Teemu Selänne: 107 points (47G + 60A), +18, scoring race 2nd, 2nd team All Star
Al MacInnis: 62 points (20G + 42A), +33, Team 2nd place, 1st team All Star, Norris trophy
Joe Sakic [only 73 GP]: 96 points (41G + 55A), +23, Team 1st place, 3rd in points per game
Eric Lindros [only 71 GP]: 93 points (40G + 53A), +35, Team 2nd place, 4th in points per game

1999-00
Chris Pronger: 62 points (14G + 48A), +52, Team 1st overall, 1st team All Star, Hart trophy, Norris trophy
Nicklas Lidström: 73 points (20G + 53A), +19, Team 2nd place, 1st team All Star (2nd Norris voting)
Jaromír Jágr [only 63 GP]: 96 points (42G + 54A), +25, scoring race 1st, 1st team All Star
____________________________________

So, I just hit the obvious ones there, but still left off several, such as some Norris winners, Selke winners, defensive players, Bure, Francis, Recchi, etc.

As far as top scoring seasons go (because scoring levels varied a lot from '91 to 2000), the Hockey Reference flawed-but-good-for-shorthand "adjusted" scoring shows the top seasons of this period as:
156 - Lemieux 1995-96
146 - Gretzky 1990-91
145 - Jágr 1998-99
144 - Jágr 1995-96
129 - Lemieux 1992-93 [only 60GP]
127 - Lemieux 1996-97
122 - Selänne 1998-99
121 - Lindros 1995
121 - Jágr 1995
( I *think* those are the only seasons that "adjust" to 120 points in the nineties, but someone correct me if I'm wrong.)

So, what are your top-5 seasons??

Click to read more...

 

[bobholly39]

#1. Lemieux 1992-1993. In consideration for greatest NHL regular season of all-time. If it wasn't for only 60 games played, I think it would get a lot of consideration for #1 all time (of course, in this case playing only 60 games actually adds to the legend though, considering the comeback, etc)

#2. Lemieux 1995-1996. Simple enough really. 69 goals in 70 games when people simply didn't score like that anymore, towers above everyone else. I think hockey-reference likes this season a bit too much (I think it adjusts #1 for Lemieux, and #1 all-time above even Gretzky's for points if you pro-rate to 80 games). It was good - not quite best season ever, but easily towers over rest of 90s.

Gap

#3. Gretzky 1990-1991. Gretzky's last great season. Towers over the field. Kind of self-explanatory

#4. Brett Hull 1990-1991. I hesitated between this and Gretzky - but in the end hard to overlook Gretzky's edge in overall offense, and so they go back to back at #3 and #4.

#5. Jagr 1998-1999. I hesitated between a few of his seasons, as they're all pretty close level. Even 1995-1996, Lemieux helps but his production goes up, so a bit of a tradeoff. In the end, I'll pick this one though.

My next 5 in some order would likely include:

Lemieux 1992 & 1997, Fedorov 94, Lafontaine 93 or Gilmour 93, Jagr 96 (and maybe a couple of others of his, close).

This was harder than expected

 

[Zanex]

#1. Mario Lemieux (1992-93)
#2. Brett Hull (1990-91)
#3. Brian Leetch (1991-92)
#4. Eric Lindros (1995)
#5. Mark Messier (1991-92)

 

[The Macho King]

Bourque's '91 is the best non-Gretzky or Mario season in a 20 year stretch.

 

[jigglysquishy]

1) Lemieux 92-93. 60 GP 69 G 91 A 160 P.
Lead the league in points and EVP despite missing 24 games. Had a stupid run of 20 GP 30 G 26 A 56 P when he returned from cancer to sweep the Ross and Hart. In that same 20 game period, Selanne was second in points with a line of 21 GP 25 G 16 A 41 P. So, in 1 less game Lemieux had 15 more points. This and Lemieux '89 are his two best seasons. He was a full 0.9 PPG ahead of second place LaFontaine. I think '91 to '94 time period is arguably the NHL at its deepest (with the huge influx of former eastern Bloc players) and Lemieux just dominated everyone.

2) Lemieux 95-96 70 GP 69 G 92 A 161 P.
A clear step down from 92-93, but still easily lead the league in points, goals, and PPG. While Jagr outperformed him in EVP, Lemieux was still the clear cut best in the world. Scored 41 more points in 12 less games than a 25 year old peak Sakic.

3) Gretzky 90-91 78 GP41 G 122 A 163 P
Gretzky's last peak season. Even though he lost the Hart to Hull, I think it's more from voter fatigue and the shininess of Hull's goals. Had more assists than anyone besides Hull had points. A full 72 points more than his closest teammate, Robitaille.

4) Jagr 98-99 81 GP 44 G 83 A 127 P
Jagr at his best. 20 points more than peak Selanne. Approached 130 points in an era where 90 points made you elite. Probably the best season by a forward besides Gretzky/Lemieux since Esposito in the 70s.

5) Hull 90-91 78 GP 86 G 45 A 131 P
Arguably the greatest goal-scoring season of all-time (or at least top 5). A full 35 goals ahead of second place.

Honourable mentions: Fedorov '94, Jagr '96, Bourque '91, Leetch '92, Bourque '94, Chelios '96.

 

[The Macho King]

Best era possibly all-time for Defensemen.

No Defensemen in the top 5.

Perceptions of value in this league are broken.

 

[The Macho King]

Anyway enough slagging other people - I'll put mine up.

1 - Mario 92-93
2 - Bourque 90-91
3 - Mario 95-96
4 - Leetch 91-92
5 - Gretzky 90-91

Edit: Hasek would probably take up two of those spots if we included goaltenders.

 

[jigglysquishy]

Best era possibly all-time for Defensemen.

No Defensemen in the top 5.

Perceptions of value in this league are broken.

Can't you say the same of the contemporaries? No defenseman placed top 3 in Hart voting between Bourque in '90 and Pronger in '00.

Top 10 Hart Finishes in this time period by defenseman
1 - Pronger '00
5- Coffey '95
6 - Bourque ' 94

 

[The Macho King]

Can't you say the same of the contemporaries? No defenseman placed top 3 in Hart voting between Bourque in '90 and Pronger in '00.

Absolutely I can. It's bullshit. We should be better though.

The second the Norris trophy came into being, Defensemen stopped getting consideration for the Hart. I don't think this is a coincidence.

 

[jigglysquishy]

Absolutely I can. It's bullshit. We should be better though.

The second the Norris trophy came into being, Defensemen stopped getting consideration for the Hart. I don't think this is a coincidence.

That's true. When I think of best seasons by a defenseman in this era I'm drawn to Bourque '87 and '90, outside the scope here. If we were doing 1989-90 to 1998-99 I would absolutely have Bourque '90 in my top 5.

Taking a closer look, Bourque '91 would probably be my 6. I just struggle to push it above the 3 160 point seasons, 86 goals, or Peak Jagr.

 

[The Macho King]

That's true. When I think of best seasons by a defenseman in this era I'm drawn to Bourque '87 and '90, outside the scope here. If we were doing 1989-90 to 1998-99 I would absolutely have Bourque '90 in my top 5.

Taking a closer look, Bourque '91 would probably be my 6. I just struggle to push it above the 3 160 point seasons, 86 goals, or Peak Jagr.

Personally I'm not particularly impressed by peak Jagr. Great player, top 30 of all time most likely, but he's a one-way player with no real signature playoff runs. Additionally, he kind of gets elevated as the best player post-Mario because he won those AR trophies. IDK - I think his Hart trophy-case accurately represents his actual impact - i.e. he was the best of a rather pedestrian forward group offensively compared to the generation before and what would come after post-lockout.

For me, this is (the late 80s to the mid-90s) is THE era of the great defenseman. The 200 foot player who logged 30 minutes a night in all situations and did those minutes well. This is the Bourque, Chelios, MacInnis, Pronger, Lidstrom era. It feels weird seeing guys like Brett Hull or Jagr or Selanne put over players that were better than them.

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

Personally I'm not particularly impressed by peak Jagr. Great player, top 30 of all time most likely, but he's a one-way player with no real signature playoff runs. Additionally, he kind of gets elevated as the best player post-Mario because he won those AR trophies. IDK - I think his Hart trophy-case accurately represents his actual impact - i.e. he was the best of a rather pedestrian forward group offensively compared to the generation before and what would come after post-lockout.

For me, this is (the late 80s to the mid-90s) is THE era of the great defenseman. The 200 foot player who logged 30 minutes a night in all situations and did those minutes well. This is the Bourque, Chelios, MacInnis, Pronger, Lidstrom era. It feels weird seeing guys like Brett Hull or Jagr or Selanne put over players that were better than them.

Plus Leetch, Blake, Coffey, Stevens, Niedermayer, Zubov, Konstantinov (we all got robbed there)

 

[The Macho King]

Can't you say the same of the contemporaries? No defenseman placed top 3 in Hart voting between Bourque in '90 and Pronger in '00.

Top 10 Hart Finishes in this time period by defenseman
1 - Pronger '00
5- Coffey '95
6 - Bourque ' 94

Sorry I'm going to harp on this a little bit more - not trying to single you out but since you raised it I just can't get off my soap box.

It's not even just defenseman. The only time any non-forward gets *any* significant Hart consideration (outside of some notable exceptions like Bourque and, of course, Orr) is a year where scoring takes a significant drop. Price only won the Hart because it was the weakest Art Ross in the history of the sport post-forward pass and the lowest AR scoring total since BEFORE EXPANSION. Theodore wins the Hart when the Art Ross was only for the second time *since expansion* a sub 100 point season. Hasek wins the Hart twice, both of them with Art Ross trophies that are very low considering the era before (now of course we know that it was the sign of the DPE, but 122 and 102 for the AR would have been the lowest non-lockout totals since 1970). And Pronger wins the Hart with the first sub-100 point Art Ross since the beginning of the expansion era.

It's frustrating to me because if you're building a team you know the value of a top Dman. But journalists who vote for the Hart don't even factor it in unless they are basically forced to.

 

[MS]

Eric Lindros' 1995 or 1996 seasons would have to be on this list for me (1994-95 was better, but does it get weighed down because of the short season?). Just absolute physical dominance and I'd rate peak Lindros over peak Hull or Jagr, for sure.

 

[ResilientBeast]

Sorry I'm going to harp on this a little bit more - not trying to single you out but since you raised it I just can't get off my soap box.

It's not even just defenseman. The only time any non-forward gets *any* significant Hart consideration (outside of some notable exceptions like Bourque and, of course, Orr) is a year where scoring takes a significant drop. Price only won the Hart because it was the weakest Art Ross in the history of the sport post-forward pass and the lowest AR scoring total since BEFORE EXPANSION. Theodore wins the Hart when the Art Ross was only for the second time *since expansion* a sub 100 point season. Hasek wins the Hart twice, both of them with Art Ross trophies that are very low considering the era before (now of course we know that it was the sign of the DPE, but 122 and 102 for the AR would have been the lowest non-lockout totals since 1970). And Pronger wins the Hart with the first sub-100 point Art Ross since the beginning of the expansion era.

It's frustrating to me because if you're building a team you know the value of a top Dman. But journalists who vote for the Hart don't even factor it in unless they are basically forced to.

This is a really good point

Like if you drop Hedman onto the Oilers, I'd (like to) think we'd start winning games and be among the best in the league (ignore the cap implications for this hypothetical).

But I guarantee it would be McDavid and Drai getting all the Hart buzz

 

[Nathaniel Skywalker]

Lemieux 93
Lemieux 96
Hull 91
Gretzky 91
Jagr 99

 

[frisco]

Lemieux 1993
Jagr 1999
Lemieux 1992
Lemieux 1996
Hull 1991

My Best-Carey

 

[NigerianNightmare]

I. Lemieux 92-93
II. Fedorov 93-94
III. Jagr 98-99
IV. Messier 91-92
V. Leetch 91-92

 

[buffalowing88]

I have four sure things, not in any particular order:
91 Hull
94 Fedorov
93 Lemieux
91 Bourque

I can't decide between 96 Lemieux, 99 Jagr, and 95 Lindros. That iteration of Lindros is getting some shine on this forum the last couple days but I still don't think it's ever really enough. He filled players with dread with his size and aggression and goalies with fear because of his skills. I think I am going to pick Lindros but there's nothing wrong with any three of these guys.

 

[NigerianNightmare]

Honourable mention:

Zhamnov 95, a one hit wonder

 

[The Panther]

I think I mostly agree with @jigglysquishy, but I would maybe run it like this:

1. Lemieux 1992-93
I'm normally wary of the 60-game season as top, but it's Lemieux and he was just too good this year. Total dominance at even strength, on the power play, goal scoring, assists, etc. One of the very greatest seasons of all time.

2A. Gretzky 1990-91
I don't find much to choose between this one and Mario '96. Similar production, but 103 ES points for Wayne with considerably less impressive offensive teammates.

2B. Lemieux 1995-96
69 goals in 70 games, and total power play dominance. Lemieux was past his physical peak here, but was still clearly the best player in the world.

4. Jágr 1998-99
127 points in this low-scoring period is just crazy and this was one of the most team-dominant offensive seasons in NHL history.

5. Chris Pronger 1999-00
I'm more of a fan of Bourque ('91, etc.) and Leetch ('92), but I think this Pronger Hart trophy season was pretty unbelievable. Over 30 minutes a night, and a +52 in that low-scoring period is crazy good. The Blues dominated the League despite not having any 80-point players, and they did it with defense, i.e., Pronger, the hardest player in the League then to play against.


Pretty tough competition here when I'm leaving off an 86-goal season (Hull) and some late-peak Bourque, Chelios, etc. But there it is.

 

[MadLuke]

1) Jagr 98-99 seem the biggest offensive season of that decade (not by game that would be the Lemieux's, 92-93 and 95-96)

The pens that year:

Jagr: 127 pts
Strala: 83 pts
Titov: 56 pts
Kovalev: 46 pts

Thats carrying a team with a bad PK, terrible .894 save percentage to a playoff spot.

Almost 26 minutes a night, dominated a field of Selanne-Kariya playing together having a peak season, Forsberg-Sakic playing together during their peak and healthy.

2) Lemieux 92-93 is cleanly the most impressive in a by game basis I think, lead leading +55 in only 60 games combined with arguably best power play player ever.

3) 90-91 Gretzky, that the last of pre-Suter Gretzky here and even if it is older Gretzky it is still ridiculous affair, 122 assists.

4) 93-94 Fedorov, 120 points selke

5) Pronger 99-00 has well I think.

Lower you go the larger the field of solid season of Selanne, Bourque, Chelios, Gilmour, Hull, Oates, Lafontaine, second tier Lemieux, etc... get, too close to call in a way and it is more a tier of season that I have in mind.

 

[nabby12]

Peter Bondra led the NHL in goals during the 1994-95 lockout-shortened season with 34 goals in 47 games. He followed that up with 52 goals in 67 games the following season.

86 goals in 114 games is pretty impressive. Dead puck era too.

 

[Nathaniel Skywalker]

1) Jagr 98-99 seem the biggest offensive season of that decade (not by game that would be the Lemieux's, 92-93 and 95-96)

The pens that year:

Jagr: 127 pts
Strala: 83 pts
Titov: 56 pts
Kovalev: 46 pts

Thats carrying a team with a bad PK, terrible .894 save percentage to a playoff spot.

Almost 26 minutes a night, dominated a field of Selanne-Kariya playing together having a peak season, Forsberg-Sakic playing together during their peak and healthy.

2) Lemieux 92-93 is cleanly the most impressive in a by game basis I think, lead leading +55 in only 60 games combined with arguably best power play player ever.

3) 90-91 Gretzky, that the last of pre-Suter Gretzky here and even if it is older Gretzky it is still ridiculous affair, 122 assists.

4) 93-94 Fedorov, 120 points selke

5) Pronger 99-00 has well I think.

Lower you go the larger the field of solid season of Selanne, Bourque, Chelios, Gilmour, Hull, Oates, Lafontaine, second tier Lemieux, etc... get, too close to call in a way and it is more a tier of season that I have in mind.

You serious with this? Jagr won the art ross by 20 points. Lemieux won by 12 while playing 24 less games than the second leading scorer. Also put up the 2nd N third highest goal and ppg ratio in history.

 

[NigerianNightmare]

Also deserve to be mentioned:

Mogilny and LaFontaine in 92-93,
Hull 90-91,
Selanne 92-93,
Gilmour 92-93,
Oates 92-93

Seems that the 1992-1993 season was the most impressive in terms of individual performance