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Who are the top left wingers in NHL history? Here is our top 10 countdown:
10. Paul Kariya: the first pick in the history of the expansion Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, Kariya was one of the most electrifying players in the NHL in the mid to late 1990s, posting both 50-goal and 100-point seasons; though he was beset by injuries later on, he still nearly scored 1,000 career points (989) and was inducted into the Hall of Fame.
9. Dave Andreychuk: the NHL’s all-time career leader in power play goals (274), Andreychuk scored 30+ goals 9x (including back-to-back 50-goal seasons in the early 1990s) en route to 640 career goals and 1,338 points.
8. Michel Goulet: a high-scoring star with the Quebec Nordiques in the 1980s, Goulet posted four straight 50+ goal seasons (and seven consecutive years with 40+ goals) during the prime of his career, finishing with 548 career goals.
7. Frank Mahovlich: starting off his career as a Calder Trophy winner, Mahovlich spent the majority of his career with the Toronto Maple Leafs, scoring over 500 career goals and 1,100 career points while winning four Stanley Cups during the team’s heyday.
6. Johnny Bucyk: the Boston Bruins’ franchise leader in career goals scored (545), Bucyk also twice won the Lady Byng Trophy (and finished top-three another 5x) and lifted the Stanley Cup twice with Boston.
5. Ted Lindsay: the namesake of the Lindsay Award (previously known as the Pearson Award) for most outstanding player in the regular season, Lindsay was tough as nails, winning the 1949-1950 Ross Trophy and accumulating 851 career points while leading the Detroit Red Wings to four Stanley Cups during his Hall of Fame career.
4. Brendan Shanahan: one of the best power forwards in NHL history, Shanahan mixed skill with grit and is the only player ever with 600+ career goals and 2,000+ career penalty minutes while winning three Stanley Cups as a member of the Red Wings.
3. Luc Robitaille: a somewhat underrated standout with the Los Angeles Kings, Robitaille began his career with eight straight seasons of 40+ goals (including a Calder Trophy in his rookie year) and retired as the then-career leader in goals scored by a left winger (668).
2. Bobby Hull: known as “The Golden Jet”, Hull was arguably the greatest goal-scorer of his era, leading the NHL in goals 7x and scoring 50+ goals in a season 5x, including a career-high 58 in 1968-1969; he won three Ross and two Hart Trophies with the Chicago Blackhawks and won his only Stanley Cup with the team in 1960-1961.
1. Alex Ovechkin: the greatest goal-scorer of this generation, Ovechkin has won the Richard Trophy 9x and has scored 30+ goals in every full season of his career thus far, including 50+ 8x; moreover, his trophy case includes three Hart Trophies, a Ross Trophy, and three Pearson Awards, as well as a Conn Smythe Trophy in leading the Washington Capitals to their first Stanley Cup.
Agree/Disagree? As always, debate/discuss, and leave your thoughts and comments below.
Note: All statistics as of time of publication.
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