Over the next few nights, I’ll be picking All-Star teams for the Edmonton Oilers from every decade. Now, I admit, I’ll only be including the NHL years, not the WHA years. That isn’t to ignore the team’s history, but rather to keep things simple and on an even playing field.
I also admit I’m not knowledgeable enough about the WHA era Oilers to make a fair and credible list. If anyone would like to do so, feel free to write it up and send it to me, I’d be more than willing to post it on the site for you!
Anyways, let’s get our look at the all-80’s team for the Edmonton Oilers, shall we?
Forwards:
Left Wing: Jari Kurri – This should come as no surprise. Kurri rode shotgun with Wayne Gretzky throughout the 1980’s, and proved to be a terrific talent within his own right. As an Oiler, Kurri scored 474 goals, good for second in franchise history. His 569 assists rank third in franchise history, while he scored a total of 1043 points in 754 games in Edmonton.
Kurri won four cups with the Oilers in the 1980’s and five overall. The 1980’s saw Kurri have his best seasons, including a career high 71 goals in 1984-85. He would score 68 more goals in 1985-86, cementing himself as one of the best goal scorers in NHL history.
Kurri was a tremendous talent for the Oilers throughout the 1980’s, one that was key in the franchise’s success during that decade.
Center: Wayne Gretzky – Again, was there really any surprise here? Gretzky was the best player in NHL history and obviously the best in Oiler history. Throughout the 1980’s, Wayne played in 696 games, amassing stats that are mind-boggling. In those 696 tilts, Gretzky scored 583-1086-1669, all franchise records. Gretzky also set some league records during his time in Edmonton, including 92 goals during the 1981-82 season.
Gretzky won four Stanley Cup titles with Edmonton, and was easily the franchise face during that time. Even though Edmonton won another cup following his trade, it’s safe to say the franchise has never been the same since Wayne went south. It takes a special kind of player to have that impact on a team.
Right Wing: Glenn Anderson – Anderson was clutch, no other way to put it. Another Hockey Hall of Fame member, Anderson won four Cups with Edmonton during the 80’s. His career numbers are impressive as well, as he amassed 417-489-906 in 845 games as an Oiler.
Anderson was a demon on the power-play, he was so good that he’s tied with Ryan Smyth for the franchise record for power-play goals. On top of that, Anderson scored some of the biggest goals in franchise history, most notably in game seven of the 1987 Stanley Cup Finals.
Defenders:
Number One Defender: Paul Coffey – Coffey didn’t play in Edmonton as long as the others, only 532 games, but his impact was felt. His totals of 209-460-669 represent a monumental impact to the Oilers. Outside of Bobby Orr, Coffey is likely the best offensive defender to ever grace the NHL.
While with the Oilers, Coffey won three Stanley Cup titles, in large part thanks to his contributions form the back end. While Coffey left before anyone else from the Glory Days did, he still had an impact that registers with Gretzky, Kurri, Messier and others.
Number Two Defender: Kevin Lowe – He wasn’t flashy like Coffey, didn’t put up the points that others did, but Kevin Lowe was a terrific player for the team. Lowe was the top shut-down defender in Edmonton during the Stanley Cup winning years, and played a major role in the 1980’s dynasty.
While others were tasked with generating the offense, Lowe was tasked with shutting down the opposition, something he did exceptionally. All in all, Lowe ended up playing over 1,000 games as an Oiler, with most of them coming during this decade.
Lowe won the Stanley Cup six times during his career, five with Edmonton including the four during this decade of dominance in Edmonton.
Goalie:
Starting Goalie: Grant Fuhr – Edmonton had three goalies of note during the 1980’s. While Andy Moog and Bill Ranford were both solid, neither compares to Hall of Fame goalie Grant Fuhr.
Fuhr played a total of 423 games as an Oiler, second most among goalies in franchise history. He was a key part of the Stanley Cup winning teams of the 1980’s, and earned a reputation as one of the more clutch goalies in NHL history.
Fuhr’s 3.69 GAA isn’t great by today’s standards, but for the 1980’s that was very, very good. His .882 SV% falls in line with the GAA, terrible for this era but very, very good for the 1980’s. As I mentioned above, he earned a reputation as a clutch goaltender, thanks mainly to his playoff success and knack for making the big save at the key time.
Next up? The 1990’s.
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