Top 5 Players For Every NHL Team - Edmonton Oilers

[SealsFan]

1. Gretzky
2. Messier
3. Kurri
4. Coffey
5. Fuhr

Ditto, but hard to leave Glenn Anderson off the list though.

 

[Jumptheshark]

1) Pat Hughes
2) Dave Hunter
3) Dave Semenko
4) Craig Muni
5) Petr Klima

 

[lextune]

lol.

 

[sidewayzLEAFS]

gretzky
messier
kurri
coffey
anderson

HM: fuhr, weight, smyth

 

[Lauro]

1. Gretzky
2. Messier
3. Coffey
4. Kurri
5. Fuhr

 

[tiger_80]

No love for Pronger?
I know he was an Oiler for only one year and left in less than classy fashion, but it's hard to deny that he turned the franchise that struggled to make play-offs into a SC contender, albeit only for one year.

 

[Ogopogo*]

No love for Pronger?
I know he was an Oiler for only one year and left in less than classy fashion, but it's hard to deny that he turned the franchise that struggled to make play-offs into a SC contender, albeit only for one year.

Since we are only counting service to the Oilers, Pronger does not belong on the list. If we counted service to all teams, Pronger would edge out Kurri in the #5 slot.

 

[Psycho Papa Joe]

No love for Pronger?
I know he was an Oiler for only one year and left in less than classy fashion, but it's hard to deny that he turned the franchise that struggled to make play-offs into a SC contender, albeit only for one year.

I would think you would have to spend at least 5 years with a team before you could be considered for such a list. Pronger is probably the 2nd greatest d-man to ever put on an Oiler jersey, but one very good year doesn't equate to the accomplishments of many past Oilers in there cummulative accomplishments in an Oiler jersey.

 

[Bill McCreary]

1. Gretzky
2. Messier
3. Fuhr
4. Coffey
5. Anderson

 

[Tim Calhoun]

Gretzky
Messier
Kurri
Anderson
Horcoff/Coffey (couldn't decide)

 

[Leafs Forever]

Gretzky
Messier
Kurri
Anderson
Horcoff/Coffey (couldn't decide)

Really? Perhaps I just don't know enough about the Oilers post-80's, could you explain how what Horcoff has done in an Oilers jersey even comes close to what Coffey has done in it?

 

[poise]

Messier/Kurri is a tough choice. Messier is seen as the guy who took over after Gretzky left, won the Hart, and led Edmonton to the Cup in 1990, and for that reason he's almost a unanimous #2. But Kurri is the most prolific Oilers playoff goal-scorer, having led the team in goals in the first four Cup wins. Rocket Richard is the only player who led the Stanley Cup playoffs in goals more times than Kurri did.

Agreed. I think a lot more consideration should be given to Kurri for the second spot. Though Messier has had the better career overall, as an Oiler alone I'd give it to Kurri.

Just their stats as Edmonton Oilers:

Jari Kurri (1980-1990):

Regular Season:

754 games
464 goals
569 assists
1043 points

Playoffs:

146 games
92 goals
110 assists
202 points

Mark Messier (1979-1991):

Regular Season:

851 games
392 goals
642 assists
1034 points

Playoffs:

166 games
80 goals
135 assists
215 points

Kurri was a close third to Peter Stastny in points for the decade of the 80's and second in goals (his rate statistics were 4th in goals per game and 6th in points per game).

In the Playoffs he was even better. After the 1990 Cup victory, Kurri was the all time leader in Playoff Goals (92 to Gretzky's 89) and second in Points.

While Messier has the Hart in 1990, you could argue that some of Kurri's seasons were just as impressive. Just taking the 1988-1989 season of Kurri's, Kurri had a good case for most of the year to be among the top 5 Players in the league (he was 5th in scoring for about two-thirds of the season) and still finished strong despite injury and constantly shuffling center men (Jimmy Carson to Mark Lamb back to Carson). You had Lemieux, Gretzky, and Yzerman that season, and then you had Nicholls, Coffey, and Chelios. Kurri could certainly assert himself in that group.

While Messier had the Conn Smythe in 1984, I think there is even a better case than in the regular season that Kurri was better for the Oilers. His many (broken or intact) Playoff records concerning Goals are testament to this.

While Messier was as complete a Player as you could want, and his physical dimension was something that Kurri did lack, Kurri was better Defensively. Kurri also did his job without getting into major penalty trouble, which is not at all to say he was a soft Player by any means (he took a lot of abuse early on in his career - a lot of sticks to the head because he was an European).

Watch Game 7 of the 1987 Stanley Cup Finals to see a prime example of Kurri's Defensive play. It was smart, clean, and did make use of the body when need be.

Wayne Gretzky
Jari Kurri
Mark Messier
Paul Coffey
Glen Anderson