DitchMarner
It's time.
Not to suggest he wasn't a great player, but for someone who is considered one of the best skaters and stickhandlers of his era (if not all-time), his scoring stats don't quite jive with his reputation.
He played during a very high-scoring era and with talented linemates (Richard Martin and Rene Robert) and only twice topped 100 points even though his line was deployed heavily if not entirely for offense while the Luce line was relied on more defensively.
One thing that jumps out to me is that he "only" managed 59 points in 56 games, 73 points in 62 games and 76 points in 77 games in the three seasons following his 106 point season in 1980 despite the fact that scoring across the League was extremely high in the early 80s. 1982 was the season Dennis Maruk put up 136 points.
Also, if you compare him to other highly skilled centres from the 1970s and 1980s, all of them eclipsed his career-high mark of 113 points by a substantial margin at some point. Dionne had more than 120 points numerous times. Trottier had three seasons where he scored more than 120 points, topping out at 134 points. Savard and Hawerchuk hit or surpassed 130 points. Stastny had three seasons above 120 points, peaking at 139 points. Yzerman dropped 155 points in '89. Even Nilsson surpassed 130 points once.
I have heard the theory that his game was better suited for larger ice. His playoff scoring stats are quite good.
He played during a very high-scoring era and with talented linemates (Richard Martin and Rene Robert) and only twice topped 100 points even though his line was deployed heavily if not entirely for offense while the Luce line was relied on more defensively.
One thing that jumps out to me is that he "only" managed 59 points in 56 games, 73 points in 62 games and 76 points in 77 games in the three seasons following his 106 point season in 1980 despite the fact that scoring across the League was extremely high in the early 80s. 1982 was the season Dennis Maruk put up 136 points.
Also, if you compare him to other highly skilled centres from the 1970s and 1980s, all of them eclipsed his career-high mark of 113 points by a substantial margin at some point. Dionne had more than 120 points numerous times. Trottier had three seasons where he scored more than 120 points, topping out at 134 points. Savard and Hawerchuk hit or surpassed 130 points. Stastny had three seasons above 120 points, peaking at 139 points. Yzerman dropped 155 points in '89. Even Nilsson surpassed 130 points once.
I have heard the theory that his game was better suited for larger ice. His playoff scoring stats are quite good.