What was the greatest Oilers team of all-time?

[Al Bundy*]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/hockey/news/2002/06/16/eliot_top10/

I was reading this article by Darren Eliot, and I have to disagree with his choice that the 1986-87 Oilers were the best NHL team ever.

IMO, that was not even the greatest Oilers team of all-time. I personally have to go with the 1983-84 version.

(I would rank the 1986-87 team behind the first two Cup champ teams, BTW)

Most goals EVAH, Gretzky's 51-game point streak, THREE 50-goal scorers.

Honestly, I consider the 1983-84 Oilers to be the greatest team in hockey history.

Who do YOU consider the greatest Oilers team of all-time?

Click to read more...

 

[dashingsilverfox*]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/hockey/news/2002/06/16/eliot_top10/

I was reading this article by Darren Eliot, and I have to disagree with his choice that the 1986-87 Oilers were the best NHL team ever.

IMO, that was not even the greatest Oilers team of all-time. I personally have to go with the 1983-84 version.

(I would rank the 1986-87 team behind the first two Cup champ teams, BTW)

Most goals EVAH, Gretzky's 51-game point streak, THREE 50-goal scorers.

Honestly, I consider the 1983-84 Oilers to be the greatest team in hockey history.

Who do YOU consider the greatest Oilers team of all-time?

I'm with you on'83/'84

 

[Fourier]

The individual accomplishments of the 83-84 version were unmatched, but the team continued to mature and improve. The addition of Nilsson and Tikkanen make the 1986-1987 squad the most talented Oiler team ever. The defense was also the best of the dynasty years. Overall, I would agree that this was the best Oiler team.

 

[8LX7psQ]

Any thoughts on this hoh guys? 84 or 87?

 

[Dorian2]

84 for me. Not even close.

 

[samiam]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/hockey/news/2002/06/16/eliot_top10/

I was reading this article by Darren Eliot, and I have to disagree with his choice that the 1986-87 Oilers were the best NHL team ever.

IMO, that was not even the greatest Oilers team of all-time. I personally have to go with the 1983-84 version.

(I would rank the 1986-87 team behind the first two Cup champ teams, BTW)

Most goals EVAH, Gretzky's 51-game point streak, THREE 50-goal scorers.

Honestly, I consider the 1983-84 Oilers to be the greatest team in hockey history.

Who do YOU consider the greatest Oilers team of all-time?

86-87 was def the superior team, for many reasons.
I'll start with this:

86-87 Oilers
Gretzky, Kurri, Tikannen
Messier, Anderson, Nilsson
(5 - 100+ point players)
(5 - 49+ goal scorers)

BEATS

83-84 Oilers
Gretzky, Kurri, Pozar
Messier, Anderson, Lindstrom

 

[Canovin]

83-84 would wipe the floor with any team.

 

[Replacement*]

Its always a weird question. Put it this way. The 87 team would likely beat the 84 team due to experience, being veteran champs, and overcoming adversity.

84 the team was still a little green and was just one year removed from being swept by the Islanders.

One could even say the 85 and 88 teams were more dominant and efficient machines really.

In 84 we got some breaks to win it all and went through a sweatfilled 7 games with Calgary. 85 and 88 teams just mowed down their opposition. Like it wasn't even fair.

It seems strange, but the chemistry and play of the 88 team seemed better sans Paul Coffey. No knock on Coffey, just that the team played better.

 

[Beatle17]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/hockey/news/2002/06/16/eliot_top10/

I was reading this article by Darren Eliot, and I have to disagree with his choice that the 1986-87 Oilers were the best NHL team ever.

IMO, that was not even the greatest Oilers team of all-time. I personally have to go with the 1983-84 version.

(I would rank the 1986-87 team behind the first two Cup champ teams, BTW)

Most goals EVAH, Gretzky's 51-game point streak, THREE 50-goal scorers.

Honestly, I consider the 1983-84 Oilers to be the greatest team in hockey history.

Who do YOU consider the greatest Oilers team of all-time?

Nice sentiment but the greatest NHL TEAM of all time was the 76-77 Canadiens. The best Oilers team to me was the 86-87 Team.

 

[redgrant]

1988 team. 16 and 2 in the playoffs including sweeping the heavily favoured flames along with Bruins in the finals.

Actually the greatest playoff hockey team of all time.

 

[redgrant]

Nice sentiment but the greatest NHL TEAM of all time was the 76-77 Canadiens. The best Oilers team to me was the 86-87 Team.

I disagree 88 Oilers would have likely swept them. Gretzky and Messier in their prime. Unless Robinson played 60 minutes a game not much they could do to even make it a match the Oilers were literally that good in 88.

 

[harpoon]

Holy bump. The OP and the first responder, both banned. And the third poster seldom posts here anymore, which is too bad.
Why did you bump a thread with three posts from five years ago? Just curious ...

 

[Beatle17]

I disagree 88 Oilers would have likely swept them. Gretzky and Messier in their prime. Unless Robinson played 60 minutes a game not much they could do to even make it a match the Oilers were literally that good in 88.

Serge Savard and Guy Lapointe were also hall of fame players in their prime on defence. The Habs were +116 in GF/GA and scored 387 goals. The Oilers of '88 were a great team also but I disagree, and I absolutely HATE the Habs.

 

[redgrant]

Serge Savard and Guy Lapointe were also hall of fame players in their prime on defence. The Habs were +116 in GF/GA and scored 387 goals. The Oilers of '88 were a great team also but I disagree, and I absolutely HATE the Habs.

Here is my counter argument:

Also key point this is in regards to the playoffs and Edmonton being a great playoff pressure team that looked invincible at the time.

Montreal in 77 played at a blessedly good time when there were awful teams in their division. (Washington, Pittsburgh, LA and a once upon a time last place Detroit).

Contrast that with Edmonton in 88 who had to play inter province blood baths with Presidents Trophy Champion Calgary Flames throughout the year and not having the luxury of getting playoff first round byes as they required to win 16 games as opposed to 12 (the given metric to this day).

The Oilers went 16 and 2 in the playoffs against much tougher opposition in Calgary and Boston (sweeping both of them) as opposed to Montreal going 12 and 2 against weaker competitors and getting a very tough challenge from the Islanders.

Next back to the original point of Dryden and the defense you've named. The only time these guys have played an offensive juggernaut on par with the 88 Oilers was the 72 Soviets and its common knowledge that Dryden was widely exposed in this series when faced against such an offensive onslaught.

There is next to no way they would be able to contain Gretzky, Messier, Anderson, Simpson, Tikkanen in their prime as the Edmonton top 2 lines exceeded the same Soviets top lines that Dryden and the big 3 had difficulty containing in 72.

I really dont see how Montreal would be able to contain the Oiler top 2 lines.

 

[8LX7psQ]

Holy bump. The OP and the first responder, both banned. And the third poster seldom posts here anymore, which is too bad.
Why did you bump a thread with three posts from five years ago? Just curious ...

Didn't want to make a new thread. And came from a google search, thought I was in the hoh section to be honest.

 

[Up the Irons]

most stacked: 1987
most complete: 1988

honourable mention: 2006 and the late 90s teams of Weight, Guerin, Cujo, et al. they were only a player or two away.

 

[Sam Spade]

1988 team. 16 and 2 in the playoffs including sweeping the heavily favoured flames along with Bruins in the finals.

Actually the greatest playoff hockey team of all time.

Agree 100%.

 

[oilinblood]

Here is my counter argument:

Also key point this is in regards to the playoffs and Edmonton being a great playoff pressure team that looked invincible at the time.

Montreal in 77 played at a blessedly good time when there were awful teams in their division. (Washington, Pittsburgh, LA and a once upon a time last place Detroit).

Contrast that with Edmonton in 88 who had to play inter province blood baths with Presidents Trophy Champion Calgary Flames throughout the year and not having the luxury of getting playoff first round byes as they required to win 16 games as opposed to 12 (the given metric to this day).

The Oilers went 16 and 2 in the playoffs against much tougher opposition in Calgary and Boston (sweeping both of them) as opposed to Montreal going 12 and 2 against weaker competitors and getting a very tough challenge from the Islanders.

Next back to the original point of Dryden and the defense you've named. The only time these guys have played an offensive juggernaut on par with the 88 Oilers was the 72 Soviets and its common knowledge that Dryden was widely exposed in this series when faced against such an offensive onslaught.

There is next to no way they would be able to contain Gretzky, Messier, Anderson, Simpson, Tikkanen in their prime as the Edmonton top 2 lines exceeded the same Soviets top lines that Dryden and the big 3 had difficulty containing in 72.

I really dont see how Montreal would be able to contain the Oiler top 2 lines.

And kurri. Montreal benefited alot from their division and lack of facing real competition.

most stacked: 1987
most complete: 1988

honourable mention: 2006 and the late 90s teams of Weight, Guerin, Cujo, et al. they were only a player or two away.

Agreed with first part..

As for your HM... The first season lowe took over as GM we had the makings of a solid team for the league of that time. But a month in he traded guerin and the sell off began.

 

[Brewster]

most stacked: 1987
most complete: 1988

honourable mention: 2006 and the late 90s teams of Weight, Guerin, Cujo, et al. they were only a player or two away.

We really did have some good pieces. Weight was a star and Cujo was a top goalie in the league. Had we been able to shoulder the financial burden, a forward core consisting of Weight, Kovalenko, Czerkawski, Smyth, Guerin, Grier, Murray, Marchant and Satan would have been concievable. The backend could have consisted of guys like Mironov, Hamrlik, Niinimaa/de Vries, Richardson, etc. Very solid indeed.

In terms of the greatest Oiler team of all time I take 1987. The balance on that team was insane.

 

[oilinblood]

We really did have some good pieces. Weight was a star and Cujo was a top goalie in the league. Had we been able to shoulder the financial burden, a forward core consisting of Weight, Kovalenko, Czerkawski, Smyth, Guerin, Grier, Murray, Marchant and Satan would have been concievable. The backend could have consisted of guys like Mironov, Hamrlik, Niinimaa/de Vries, Richardson, etc. Very solid indeed.

In terms of the greatest Oiler team of all time I take 1987. The balance on that team was insane.

I am a huge Coffey fan but i am still torn whether they got better because of their philosophy change when he left of d playing d and simpson added yet another fifty goal scorer to their already rediculousroster.
There is little doubt in my mind that if coffey was on that 88 team...with Simpson there...that that would have been an invincible team. That team was so solid defensively and had learned from the mistakes of 86 AND their many mistakes of 87 that they just stepped on every teams throat without remorse.

When the 88team took the ice...im sorry to my favorite player coffey...but that team killed you without remorse or let up. If that team stayed together and kept growing, yes they win five or six in a row without problem, and the only debate would be when it would all end. This is pretty much proven from the accomplishments of the broken team, and gretz and mess after trades. That team would have beat mario and the penguins (the minnesota stars were really just goons playing ugly hockey imho, and the hawks met us at a time we were worn out and half the team gone or injured).

Its actually rediculous the talent sather kept putting on this team. The oilers messier led "left overs" win in 1990, and conference finals in 91 and 92, anderson gets leafs close, and wayne and oilers west coast show brings his kings to cup finals single handedly...the oilers east coast show wins cup in 94. Just rediculous. Even coffeys arrival in pitts propelled mario to new heights and they win in 91 on a lesser team than will be there in 92.

But i will point out that yes...pocklington is absolutely right about gretzkys new contract making him a depreciating asset and no poster on here that talks about trading away or for ufas can possibly ever counter him. Gretz new contract was set to make him a FA In a very uncertain time and with Gretz involved with jones and Puck and Gretz not always on the greatest of terms. I dont begrudge Puck but i also am of the belief that had Gretzky said what he felt,'yes i want to see whats on the free market and opportunities but i honestly dont think id ever choose to leave' and pocklington had not had to support his other failing businesses....and pocklington is able to communicate the financial difference between Bourque being paid so much by Bruins and Pocklington trying to pay his all star team under less revenues. I think that core, had communication been good and egos tempered, would have maybe been kept together their entire careers.

In other news...
If communication had been good with pronger perhaps there never is a rebuild either. He either chooses to stay or he doesnt have his agent go to the press.

 

[oilinblood]

Double