In the late 1970s and during the 1980s, the NHL saw the rise of two new dynasties in the New York Islanders and Edmonton Oilers – both teams were blessed with a plethora of Hall of Fame forwards (e.g. Bryan Trottier and Mike Bossy for the Islanders, Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, and Jari Kurri for the Oilers, just to name a few), star goalies (Billy Smith in New York, Grant Fuhr/Andy Moog in Edmonton), and on the blue line, offensively gifted defensemen in Denis Potvin (Islanders) and Paul Coffey (Oilers). With multiple Norris Trophies and over 1,000 career points apiece, these two Hall of Fame blueliners are among the greatest defensemen in league history – from their jaw-dropping statistics to individual accolades to team successes, it is only natural to compare the pair and ask:
Who was better – Paul Coffey or Denis Potvin?
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