Subj : The Greatest Draft in Edmonton Oilers History: 1979 or 1980?
To   : All
From : The Hockey Writers - Main
Date : Mon Sep 28 2020 04:40 am


The Edmonton Oilers have drafted a number of exceptional hockey players since
the franchise entered the National Hockey League in 1979.

In total, the Oilers have selected a massive 389 players in their 40-draft
history. Of those 389 draftees, five have gone on to be inducted into the
Hockey Hall of Fame. These men are Mark Messier, Jari Kurri, Paul Coffey, Grant
Fuhr and Glenn Anderson, all terrific players who have long been widely
recognized throughout the NHL.Kailer Yamamoto (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

But did you realize that the Oilers drafted all five of those Hall of Fame
players within a mere three years of one another?

Anderson and Messier were selected in 1979, Kurri and Coffey were chosen in
1980, and the Oilers took Fuhr in 1981. These selections set the stage for the
unparalleled Oilers dynasty of the 1980s, and with Wayne Gretzky, a player the
Oilers held onto during the transition from the WHL, they brought four Stanley
Cups to Edmonton in five years and five in seven years.

Yet this begs the question: which NHL Entry Draft was the greatest in Edmonton
Oilers history?

To attempt to settle this debate, let';s take a look at the 1979 and 1980
drafts to determine how significantly the selected players were able to
influence the success of the Oilers throughout their careers.

1979 NHL Entry DraftRound One, 21st Overall: Kevin Lowe

A strong defensive defenseman, Kevin Lowe was a staple on the Oilers'; blueline
for 15 years in his NHL career. A veteran of 1,254 career games as well as 214
playoff contests, Lowe helped lead the Oilers to an incredible five Stanley
Cup Championships from 1983-1990. Lowe was the Oilers'; first-ever draft pick
and scored the team';s first goal in the NHL.

Over his career, Lowe won six Stanley Cups and made seven All-Star Games. After
retiring in 1997, he joined the Oilers'; front office and continues to serve
in Oilers Entertainment Group as the vice-chairman.Round Three, 48th Overall:
Mark Messier

Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2007, Messier also won five Stanley
Cups with the Edmonton Oilers in a seven-year time span. In all, Messier played
12 seasons with the Oilers, recording an impressive 392 goals and 1,034
points, while he led the NHL in playoff points on the road to an Edmonton
Stanley Cup victory in 1990.

A two-time winner of both the Hart Memorial Trophy and the Lester B. Pearson
Award, Messier is an all-time Oilers great. More than that, he is one of the
greatest players in the history of the NHL. He remains third on the all-time
NHL point list with 1,887.Round Four, 69th Overall: Glenn AndersonGlenn
Anderson of Canada talks to media after Summit Series rematch. (James
Gazzale/The Hockey Writers)

A 16 year NHL veteran, Glenn Anderson played for the Edmonton Oilers from 1980
until 1990, a period in which he, like Messier and Lowe, won a whopping five
Stanley Cup Championships. Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2008,
Anderson scored 498 goals and 1099 points in his 1129 game NHL career, with 417
of�his goals scored while with the Oilers.

Anderson developed the reputation through his career as a "clutch" player, and
his five postseason overtime goals are tied with Patrick Kane for third in NHL
history. The pair trails only Maurice "Rocket" Richard';s six and Joe Sakic';s
incredible eight. Anderson also has the Oilers'; franchise record for
regular-season game-winning goals with 72, 11 more than Gretzky';s 61. Though
he may not receive the same attention as Messier or "the Great One," Anderson
was every bit as important a part of the dynasty in Edmonton. Round Four, 84th
Overall: Max Kostovich

Max Kostovich never played an NHL game. In fact, his hockey career lasted only
one season after this draft, where he played in multiple stops across the
International Hockey League and the Central Hockey League. Round Five, 105th
Overall: Mike Toal

Mike Toal played a total of three NHL games, all with the Oilers. He would move
on to play for the Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League and the
Wichita Wind of the Central Hockey League.Round Six, 126th Overall: Blair
Barnes

Blair Barnes played one NHL game which came with the Los Angeles Kings in the
1982-83 season.

1980 NHL Entry DraftRound One, 6th Overall: Paul Coffey

One of the greatest defensemen in the history of the NHL, 2004 Hockey Hall of
Fame inductee Paul Coffey spent seven seasons in Edmonton with the Oilers,
where he won three Stanley Cup Championships. Known for his amazing offensive
abilities alongside solid defensive play, Coffey scored a mind-blowing 1,531
points in his 1,409 game NHL career, 396 of which were goals.APRIL - 1986:
Defenseman Paul Coffey of the Edmonton Oilers (Photo by Bruce Bennett
Studios/Getty Images)

A 14 time All-Star and three-time recipient of the James Norris Trophy as the
NHL';s top defenseman, Coffey was essential to the enormous success of the
great Oilers dynasty of the 1980s. The speedy defenseman posted an incredible
37 points in the playoffs in 1985 along with a league-leading four game-winning
goals but still couldn';t steal the Conn Smythe Trophy away from Gretzky, who
collected an absurd 47 points in 18 games.Round Three, 48th Overall: Shawn
Babcock

An enforcer with an offensive edge, Shawn Babcock was never able to crack an
NHL roster. As a third-rounder, he was arguably the biggest bust of either of
these drafts. Round Four, 69th Overall: Jari KurriJari Kurri drinks from Lord
Stanley';s Cup (THW Archives)

Similar to Glenn Anderson, Jari Kurri spent ten seasons of his 17 year NHL
career with the Edmonton Oilers, winning five Stanley Cups. Inducted into the
Hockey Hall of Fame in 2001, Kurri was a goal-scoring machine, netting 71 goals
in 1984-85, a season in which he won the Lady Byng. He also scored 68 the
following season.

In total, Kurri scored 601 goals and 1,398 points in his illustrious career. An
all-time Oilers great, Kurri also went on to play for the Mighty Ducks of
Anaheim, the Los Angeles Kings, and briefly for the New York Rangers. He was
vital to the Oilers, and without question was one of the greatest Finnish
players of all time.Round Five, 90th Overall: Walt Poddubny

Walt Poddubny only played four games with the Oilers; however, he went on to
have a solid NHL career. In total, Poddubny appeared in 468 games, recording
184 goals and 422 points, including one 40 and two 30 goal seasons.TORONTO, ON
- FEBRUARY 25: Walt Poddubny #8 of the New York Rangers skates against the
Toronto Maple Leafs during NHL game action on February 25, 1987 at Maple Leaf
Gardens in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Graig Abel/Getty Images)

When the Oilers traded Poddubny to Toronto, part of the return was Laurie
Boschman, who played in 1,009 NHL games, though only 73 of them for the Oilers.
He went on to have a brief, headline-grabbing, but ultimately tragic career
with the New York Rangers.Round Six, 111th Overall: Mike Winther

A centerman, Mike Winther never played in the NHL.Round Seven, 132nd Overall:
Andy Moog

Despite being a seventh-round draft pick, goaltender Andy Moog had a solid NHL
career, playing in 713 games. A winner of the William Jennings Trophy in
1989-90 with the Boston Bruins, Moog finished his career with an impressive
372-209-88 record, while he won three Stanley Cups with the Edmonton Oilers in
the early 1980s. BOSTON, MA - 1990';s: Andy Moog #35 of the Boston Bruins.
(Photo by Steve Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images)

Moog is unquestionably one of the greatest goalies of the 1980s. In that group,
he trails only Mike Liut in wins, with 279. His 17 shutouts also rank fifth in
the group. Since retiring, Moog has tried his hand both at coaching and at
broadcasting. He may not have had a Hall of Fame career, but it';s nothing to
sneeze at for a seventh-round pick.Round Eight, 153rd Overall: Rob Polman-Tuin

A goaltender, Rob Polman-Tuin never played in the NHL.Round Nine, 174th
Overall: Lars-Gunnar Pettersson

Lars-Gunnar Pettersson never played an NHL game. But he enjoyed a successful
career internationally, playing 14 seasons in the Swedish Hockey League. He
collected 453 points in 495 games. He also took home a lot of international
hardware, including a World Championship gold medal in 1986-87 and an Olympic
bronze medal the following season.

The Great Debate

So, what do you think? Which of these two draft classes is the greatest in
Edmonton Oilers history? Is it the class of 1979 led by Kevin Lowe, Mark
Messier, and Glenn Anderson, or is it the class of 1980, led by Paul Coffey,
Jari Kurri, and Andy Moog?

Both classes contained two future Hockey Hall of Fame Inductees, while all of
those who played for the Oilers helped fuel the teams'; incredible success of
the 1980s. Few hockey dynasties can rival the Oilers of the 80s, and that team
was built through these two drafts.

The post The Greatest Draft in Edmonton Oilers History: 1979 or 1980? appeared
first on The Hockey Writers.

������

https://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/636035018/0/thehockeywriters~The-Greatest-Draft-i
n-Edmonton-Oilers-History-or/
--- SBBSecho 3.11-Linux
* Origin: Palantir * palantirbbs.ddns.net * Pensacola, FL * (24:110/7)

You are viewing proxied material from freeway.apana.org.au. The copyright of proxied material belongs to its original authors. Any comments or complaints in relation to proxied material should be directed to the original authors of the content concerned. Please see the disclaimer for more details.